Tomorrow we fly home. This huge trip has been an incredible experience and it is amazing to see how far we have come (literally). Starting in Chile, moving over into Argentina, and then constantly making our way up towards home. In order to help cope with the end I've made lists of ¨Things I've missed,¨ ¨Things I'm going to miss,¨ ¨Things I've learned,¨ and ¨Some of my favorite moments¨ (This lists are in no particular order)
THINGS I'VE MISSED
- Thick Milkshakes
- My dog
- Weaverstreet
- Saying ¨y'all¨ and being understood
- The local news with Pam Saulsby
- Blueberries
- Bagels
- Seat Belts
THINGS I WILL MISS
- Empanadas
- Being told ¨Que le vaya bien¨
- Hopefully, ¨I've got a feelin¨ by the Black Eyed Peas...unless that song is still played every night
- Beautiful Churches
- Hearing negative stereotypes of rich, fat Americans
- Bunk Beds
- The smell of the bread shops
- Looooong bus trips
- Piropos (cat calls)... not really
- Fruit markets
THINGS I'VE LEARNED
- Lots of Incan ruins are just grain storages
- 45*C = 115*F
- Israelis travel in hordes
- Green and Black olives come from the same tree
- Head cheese is not really cheese
- Walmart owns a grocery store in every country
- Koreans are born with blue butts
- Chicken buses have more reliable schedules than actual bus companies
- Yanif, Shithead, and Loba...three really addicting card games
SOME OF MY FAVORITE MOMENTS
- Sitting in a van, listening to music and talking with the 20 year old driver while we waited for a ferry at 10 at night in Nicaragua.
- Leaving my important bookbag with my passport, traveler's checks, and cash in the bus and getting to yell ¨Sigue el bus¨ to the cab driver in Ecuador
- Wine and bikes tour in Mendoza
- Getting to the crater of El Altar in Ecuador
- Surprising my host family from Amigos in Honduras. They had no idea that we were coming, I felt a little uncomfortable about that, but they still welcomed us in and were overjoyed to have us and kept asking when I was going to come back.
- Traveling through Uyuni and seeing geysers, the salar, and flamingos
- Sailing trip from Cartagena to the San Blas Islands and eating shark
- Getting to meet up with friends and family in Tarija, Cusco, Huanchaco, and San Jose
Well, that's all folks...
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
Viva Mexico
Well, as our time dwindles away we have been enjoying time in both Puerto Escondido and Mexico City. On the way to Puerto Escondido, we had a close to 10 hour layover at the bus station in this quasi-boarder town so we decided to see two movies!! Back to back!! Robin Hood and Remember Me. It passed the time. I don't think either will take home any Oscars though.
In Puerto Escondido we stayed at what is apparently the big surfer beach. We don't surf so I spent most of my time reading, lounging, getting up to my knees in the surf, and just walking around.
From PE we traveled up to Mexico City and spent 3 nights in the quieter and artsy neighborhood of Coyoacan. This was the home of Frida Kahlo, Diego River and, for a sort stint, Leo Trotsky. All of the homes of the former residents have been turned into museums which feature artwork, letters, photos, and daily pieces from their lives. Now we have moved ourselves closer to the center of things. Our hostel is right off the Zocolo, main plaza, which is never dull. It's pretty amazing how much history is so obviously stacked up. The Aztec Templo Mayor is behind and under the huge Spanish Cathedral which is caddy corner to the Presidential Palace which surrounds the main square where there is always some sort of demostration, celebration or protest occuring. This year, Mexico is also celebrating it's bicentennial which some how manages to neglect both the Spanish Cathedral and the Templo Mayor where the countdown clock is wedged in between.
Well, today we went to Teotihuacan which is this crazy huge ruin complex that is not Aztec. The Aztecs stumbled upon the city and were over come by its beauty and greatness that they gave it the name Teotihuacan which means birthplace of the gods. The most famous temples in the complex are the Temples of the Sun and Moon, both which you are able to climb and see great views of the entire park and the surrounding urban sprawl.
Welp, we are down to under a week left of travels. Our plan is to go to Puebla for one night and then to Cuernavaca for three or four. Hopefully I won't get lazy and not blog again!
In Puerto Escondido we stayed at what is apparently the big surfer beach. We don't surf so I spent most of my time reading, lounging, getting up to my knees in the surf, and just walking around.
From PE we traveled up to Mexico City and spent 3 nights in the quieter and artsy neighborhood of Coyoacan. This was the home of Frida Kahlo, Diego River and, for a sort stint, Leo Trotsky. All of the homes of the former residents have been turned into museums which feature artwork, letters, photos, and daily pieces from their lives. Now we have moved ourselves closer to the center of things. Our hostel is right off the Zocolo, main plaza, which is never dull. It's pretty amazing how much history is so obviously stacked up. The Aztec Templo Mayor is behind and under the huge Spanish Cathedral which is caddy corner to the Presidential Palace which surrounds the main square where there is always some sort of demostration, celebration or protest occuring. This year, Mexico is also celebrating it's bicentennial which some how manages to neglect both the Spanish Cathedral and the Templo Mayor where the countdown clock is wedged in between.
Well, today we went to Teotihuacan which is this crazy huge ruin complex that is not Aztec. The Aztecs stumbled upon the city and were over come by its beauty and greatness that they gave it the name Teotihuacan which means birthplace of the gods. The most famous temples in the complex are the Temples of the Sun and Moon, both which you are able to climb and see great views of the entire park and the surrounding urban sprawl.
Welp, we are down to under a week left of travels. Our plan is to go to Puebla for one night and then to Cuernavaca for three or four. Hopefully I won't get lazy and not blog again!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Guatty
We have now been in Guatemala for about 2 weeks and it has been amazing.
Our first stop was to see these huge Mayan monoliths near the Honduran boarder at a little site called Quirigua. From the town we walked down the highway to the ruins and passed huge Del Monte banana planations. Traffic was stopped because a conveyor belt was passing bananas from side of the road to the other. When we arrived to the ruins we had the place to ourselves, except for the landscapers. There were about a dozen huge statues that had really detailed depictions of Mayan royalty and zoomorphic creatues. It was cool. That afternoon we started towards the Lanquin caves and Semuc Champey. We took an evening tour of the caves and watched thousands of bats fly out at dusk to eat. It was cool, also a little creepy. Semuc Champey is this amazing place where there about 7 crystal clear pools of water that are very calming and relaxing. Underneath the pools is an underground cave that has river rapids rushing through it. From Semuc Champey we went to Antigua which is super-duper touristy. There are cafes on every block and half block. Lots of fast food restaurants hidden on the colonial streets. Tour agencies, hostels, and everything is twice as expensive as in other places in Guatemala. All that aside, the town is very pretty and has some really beautiful churches. Our main purpose for staying in Antigua was to do a trip to Pacaya which is an active volcano with LAVA rivers. Apparently, a week before we did our tour the volcano errupted and spouted new lava so we actually were able to see moving, molten hot lava. We brought marshmellows but it was to hot to get close enough to roast the marshmellows...so they were kind of just warmed.
From Antigua we spent one day at Lago Atitlan where we rented kayaks for a couple hours and paddled around. The lake is beautiful and it was a shame we couldn´t spend more time there.
Next, we traveled to Xela where we have not actually spent much time in Xela. Instead, we´ve used it as a launching pad for day trips. First, to the Chichicastenago market which dates back to Mayan times and is full of weavings from many of the different indigenous groups in Guatemala. Second, we also took a full day trip (4:30am till 6pm) to the highest point in Central America, Volcan Tajumulco. The trek was not strenuous but it was strange feeling the affects of altitude again. The path up to the summit was really pleasant. It was a mixture of pine forests and meadows. From the summit, we couldn´t see much because there was a blanket of clouds surround us which was in itself really cool. We were kind of anticipating being the only ones at the top but there was a group of high school students who were there on a kind of motivational retreat with their school. The students are in the year before they declare their ¨major¨ so the teacher holds this activity of climbing the volcano to show them that they can do anything if they set their minds to it. The students were really excited and giddy about seeing tourists and started taking pictures of us and then with us. It was an extremely awkward experience but was all in good fun.
Now we are about to go to Mexico. I´m really excited about getting to see Oaxaca, Mexico City and returning to Cuernavaca. I´m most excited about getting to eat al pastor, gorditas, chilaquiles, sopes, mole, corn on the cob, horchata, enchiladas, molletes, tortas, and the list continues...
Our first stop was to see these huge Mayan monoliths near the Honduran boarder at a little site called Quirigua. From the town we walked down the highway to the ruins and passed huge Del Monte banana planations. Traffic was stopped because a conveyor belt was passing bananas from side of the road to the other. When we arrived to the ruins we had the place to ourselves, except for the landscapers. There were about a dozen huge statues that had really detailed depictions of Mayan royalty and zoomorphic creatues. It was cool. That afternoon we started towards the Lanquin caves and Semuc Champey. We took an evening tour of the caves and watched thousands of bats fly out at dusk to eat. It was cool, also a little creepy. Semuc Champey is this amazing place where there about 7 crystal clear pools of water that are very calming and relaxing. Underneath the pools is an underground cave that has river rapids rushing through it. From Semuc Champey we went to Antigua which is super-duper touristy. There are cafes on every block and half block. Lots of fast food restaurants hidden on the colonial streets. Tour agencies, hostels, and everything is twice as expensive as in other places in Guatemala. All that aside, the town is very pretty and has some really beautiful churches. Our main purpose for staying in Antigua was to do a trip to Pacaya which is an active volcano with LAVA rivers. Apparently, a week before we did our tour the volcano errupted and spouted new lava so we actually were able to see moving, molten hot lava. We brought marshmellows but it was to hot to get close enough to roast the marshmellows...so they were kind of just warmed.
From Antigua we spent one day at Lago Atitlan where we rented kayaks for a couple hours and paddled around. The lake is beautiful and it was a shame we couldn´t spend more time there.
Next, we traveled to Xela where we have not actually spent much time in Xela. Instead, we´ve used it as a launching pad for day trips. First, to the Chichicastenago market which dates back to Mayan times and is full of weavings from many of the different indigenous groups in Guatemala. Second, we also took a full day trip (4:30am till 6pm) to the highest point in Central America, Volcan Tajumulco. The trek was not strenuous but it was strange feeling the affects of altitude again. The path up to the summit was really pleasant. It was a mixture of pine forests and meadows. From the summit, we couldn´t see much because there was a blanket of clouds surround us which was in itself really cool. We were kind of anticipating being the only ones at the top but there was a group of high school students who were there on a kind of motivational retreat with their school. The students are in the year before they declare their ¨major¨ so the teacher holds this activity of climbing the volcano to show them that they can do anything if they set their minds to it. The students were really excited and giddy about seeing tourists and started taking pictures of us and then with us. It was an extremely awkward experience but was all in good fun.
Now we are about to go to Mexico. I´m really excited about getting to see Oaxaca, Mexico City and returning to Cuernavaca. I´m most excited about getting to eat al pastor, gorditas, chilaquiles, sopes, mole, corn on the cob, horchata, enchiladas, molletes, tortas, and the list continues...
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Lots of updates...
When I last wrote we were on these random islands in the middle of a huge lake in Nicaragua...now we are in Guatemala.
We left the Islas de Ometepe and headed for Granada via the night ferry. Granada was really pretty and full of great churches but the weather was pretty hot and humid. Koehler and I climbed another volcano called Motomba which was completely different from Maderas on Ometepe. First of all, the entire path to the top was paved and then there were 3 loops that took you around different paths. We opted for the free loop which was full of little wooden signs telling about the significance of the plant life, animal life, and clouds. After Granada we headed to another colonial city of Leon. This is known to be more authentic meaning there are less cafes offering muesli and organic foods. In Leon, we went to a volcano to attempt to volcano surf. It was pretty fun. We had a short hike up to the top of a volcano which was covered in small black pebbles. We each had a sled and got one run down the hill. My clocked speed was pretty pathetic so it will not be shared.
From Leon, we made our last stop in Esteli which is a pretty town in the mountains of Nicaragua and offered a nice relief from the heat we had been experiencing. From Esteli, we made the trip into Honduras and in one day of traveling made it only half way to our intended destination of San Pedro Sula. This was due to the fact that we had to take chicken bus after chicken bus after chicken bus until we could get a direct bus to Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras. Interestingly enough we stayed in the same hotel that we were in 3 summers ago when we visited. Free cookies and coffee and I was able to watch the new episodes of the Office and 30Rock.
The next day we finally made it to Gracias, Lempira so that we could visit my host family from Amigos de las Americas. Unfortunately, we arrived late in the evening so we had to wait the next day to walk up and let them know we were here. When we were on our way up to visit them, I was pretty nervous since they had no idea that I was coming, but we ran into Edin who is the oldest son. The last time I saw him he was 14 and is now 17 and a couple inches taller than I am. He went ahead of us and was supposed to keep a secret but when we got to the house Lola, my host mom, said ¨I did´t believe Edin when he told me.¨ We were able to spend 3 nights and close to 4 days with them and it was really great to see how much the kids have grown and the meet Lola´s new son Lester. We were also there on Mother´s Day and after calling our own mothers, went to gathering at Lola´s mom´s house where we able to see other members of the family and to even meet some of their new children. The family has definitely grown in 3 years.
Now we are in Guatemala. Our plan is to see some ruins, explore caves, and eat bagels in Antigua!
We left the Islas de Ometepe and headed for Granada via the night ferry. Granada was really pretty and full of great churches but the weather was pretty hot and humid. Koehler and I climbed another volcano called Motomba which was completely different from Maderas on Ometepe. First of all, the entire path to the top was paved and then there were 3 loops that took you around different paths. We opted for the free loop which was full of little wooden signs telling about the significance of the plant life, animal life, and clouds. After Granada we headed to another colonial city of Leon. This is known to be more authentic meaning there are less cafes offering muesli and organic foods. In Leon, we went to a volcano to attempt to volcano surf. It was pretty fun. We had a short hike up to the top of a volcano which was covered in small black pebbles. We each had a sled and got one run down the hill. My clocked speed was pretty pathetic so it will not be shared.
From Leon, we made our last stop in Esteli which is a pretty town in the mountains of Nicaragua and offered a nice relief from the heat we had been experiencing. From Esteli, we made the trip into Honduras and in one day of traveling made it only half way to our intended destination of San Pedro Sula. This was due to the fact that we had to take chicken bus after chicken bus after chicken bus until we could get a direct bus to Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras. Interestingly enough we stayed in the same hotel that we were in 3 summers ago when we visited. Free cookies and coffee and I was able to watch the new episodes of the Office and 30Rock.
The next day we finally made it to Gracias, Lempira so that we could visit my host family from Amigos de las Americas. Unfortunately, we arrived late in the evening so we had to wait the next day to walk up and let them know we were here. When we were on our way up to visit them, I was pretty nervous since they had no idea that I was coming, but we ran into Edin who is the oldest son. The last time I saw him he was 14 and is now 17 and a couple inches taller than I am. He went ahead of us and was supposed to keep a secret but when we got to the house Lola, my host mom, said ¨I did´t believe Edin when he told me.¨ We were able to spend 3 nights and close to 4 days with them and it was really great to see how much the kids have grown and the meet Lola´s new son Lester. We were also there on Mother´s Day and after calling our own mothers, went to gathering at Lola´s mom´s house where we able to see other members of the family and to even meet some of their new children. The family has definitely grown in 3 years.
Now we are in Guatemala. Our plan is to see some ruins, explore caves, and eat bagels in Antigua!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Isla de Ometepe
We have reached our 4 months of traveling mark as well as our 5 weeks left mark...
We have also arrived to Nicaragua and just spend 3 nights on the Isla de Ometepe. It´s this really big island in the middle of a really big lake in the southern half of Nicaragua. We spend our first night in this section called Charco Verde where there was a nature reserve where you can walk around and spot some interesting birds and hopefully see monkeys. We did not see any monkeys that day...
Our other two nights were spent in a ¨town¨ called Santa Cruz which we used as a base for our hike up the Volcan Maderas, one of the two volcanos on the island. The hike was pretty difficult but it was actually really enjoyable. We saw a lot of howler and whiteface monkeys and went through some pretty dense rainforest. Weather wise, we lucked out since it was not blazing hot. The crater of volcano now has a lake and a nice patch of grass where we sat and enjoyed our cheese sandwiches. In our hiking group we had our guide named Harold who´s family relocated to Deleware after the civil war in Nicaragua, a Brit, two Canadians, and a Dane. They were a fun group and really excited about everything.
The next day we went to this amazing water hole called Ojo de Agua which is created from the water from that volcano (Maderas) coming up through the rocks. I would except this water the like hot springs but it was actually really cold and really refreshing.
Now we are in Granada which is an old colonial town. We got in this morning at like 5 am from a night ferry across the lake...but luckily the sunrises at 5am so we saw some of the city on our walk to our hostel.
We have also arrived to Nicaragua and just spend 3 nights on the Isla de Ometepe. It´s this really big island in the middle of a really big lake in the southern half of Nicaragua. We spend our first night in this section called Charco Verde where there was a nature reserve where you can walk around and spot some interesting birds and hopefully see monkeys. We did not see any monkeys that day...
Our other two nights were spent in a ¨town¨ called Santa Cruz which we used as a base for our hike up the Volcan Maderas, one of the two volcanos on the island. The hike was pretty difficult but it was actually really enjoyable. We saw a lot of howler and whiteface monkeys and went through some pretty dense rainforest. Weather wise, we lucked out since it was not blazing hot. The crater of volcano now has a lake and a nice patch of grass where we sat and enjoyed our cheese sandwiches. In our hiking group we had our guide named Harold who´s family relocated to Deleware after the civil war in Nicaragua, a Brit, two Canadians, and a Dane. They were a fun group and really excited about everything.
The next day we went to this amazing water hole called Ojo de Agua which is created from the water from that volcano (Maderas) coming up through the rocks. I would except this water the like hot springs but it was actually really cold and really refreshing.
Now we are in Granada which is an old colonial town. We got in this morning at like 5 am from a night ferry across the lake...but luckily the sunrises at 5am so we saw some of the city on our walk to our hostel.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Costa Rica...
Is expensive...
Charlie was down this week and it was also Grace's last week traveling with us and we also got to have a little reunion with our friend Greta who is in San Jose teaching for two years!
In San Jose we all stayed in this hostel which felt kind of like being in someone's frat house. There were a lot of drinking games and welcome shots and surf videos but the owners are Carolina Panthers fans and went to UNC-W and have lived in Asheville...so it's cool .
From San Jose we went to Montezuma which is on the west coast and is absolutely fantastic. We got to take multiple modes of transportation (our favorite) to get there too!
In Montezuma we walked along the beach which also turns into straight rock and then back to beach and then back to rock. We also climbed to this waterfall which is 40 ft (maybe 35) and jumped from it. It was crazy, definitely WILL NOT do it again. It hurt and was terrifying. I hate the feeling of falling and not being able to stop and that's what it was except you were smacked by the water at the end. I would have loved to chicken out except there was too much peer pressure at the top. On another day, we decided to walk along the beach to find another waterfall that was supposed to be cool but that you couldn't jump from because it went into the ocean...you also couldn't jump from it because it was just a trickle. Charlie and I walked for nearly 2 hours to find it and it while the walk was really pretty and enjoyable the waterfall was not worth all the effort...except the view from the top was pretty cool.
One restaurant was playing the Hurt Locker which I had been wanting to see and finally did. I thought it was a great movie... a little depressing but I think that's to be expected about movies on the Iraq War.
Charlie was down this week and it was also Grace's last week traveling with us and we also got to have a little reunion with our friend Greta who is in San Jose teaching for two years!
In San Jose we all stayed in this hostel which felt kind of like being in someone's frat house. There were a lot of drinking games and welcome shots and surf videos but the owners are Carolina Panthers fans and went to UNC-W and have lived in Asheville...so it's cool .
From San Jose we went to Montezuma which is on the west coast and is absolutely fantastic. We got to take multiple modes of transportation (our favorite) to get there too!
In Montezuma we walked along the beach which also turns into straight rock and then back to beach and then back to rock. We also climbed to this waterfall which is 40 ft (maybe 35) and jumped from it. It was crazy, definitely WILL NOT do it again. It hurt and was terrifying. I hate the feeling of falling and not being able to stop and that's what it was except you were smacked by the water at the end. I would have loved to chicken out except there was too much peer pressure at the top. On another day, we decided to walk along the beach to find another waterfall that was supposed to be cool but that you couldn't jump from because it went into the ocean...you also couldn't jump from it because it was just a trickle. Charlie and I walked for nearly 2 hours to find it and it while the walk was really pretty and enjoyable the waterfall was not worth all the effort...except the view from the top was pretty cool.
One restaurant was playing the Hurt Locker which I had been wanting to see and finally did. I thought it was a great movie... a little depressing but I think that's to be expected about movies on the Iraq War.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Ahoy Mate!
We are now in Central America.
On April 10 we took Fritz-the-Cat from Cartagena to the San Blas Islands of Panama. The trip was 5 days/4 nights and it was very eventful.
Our Captain, Fritz, is this 60 year old Austrian man with a mustache that makes him kind of resemble a walrus. Our boat had 17 passengers (4 Americans, 4 Austrailians, 4 Dutchies, 2 Brits, 2 Germans, 1 Swiss), Fritz, and his first-mate Luis but Fritz called him Louie. On the first day we set sail from Cartagena and about an hour later we could not see land and people began dropping like flies. Just around sunset I looked up and saw a dolphin spring from the water heading in the direction of our boat and then we looked down and there was pod of about 15 to 20 dolphins. It was really cool to look down and see them and since the water was so clear you could make out their eyeballs and markings. That same night...our rudder broke. On big boats the rudder is probably the most important part of the boat since it is the only method of steering. Since it was dark and a little rough Fritz coudn't do anything so we all went to bed and in the morning had drifted 10 miles back towards Cartagena. To fix the rudder, Fritz tried to creat drag with buckets...fail. Then we tied two lines to either side and developed this method of sailing where he sat and looked at the GPS and shouted commands such as "to the right" "to the left" "left" "right" "fahck." Eventually, we got the hang of steering and made it to San Blas by 3 am... 13 hours behind schedule. When we made it Fritz calmly exclaimed..."I can't believed that worked." Our delay scored us an extra day on the islands!
San Blas is really pretty, it looked like a picture book with just small sand islands with a few palm trees on them. The boys got really into hunting fish with spear guns and unfortunately killed some undersized fish and parrot fish which are really beautiful. On our first night at the islands the fishing line was sitting out while we were anchored and we caught a 5 foot nurse shark. Everyone on the boat was going crazy and Fritz...being the barbarian he was killed the shark and we ate it for 2 meals. Surprisingly, shark is pretty tastey. It is a light white meat without a fishy taste.
We also were able to go snorkeling and saw some neat wild life. Really huge brain coral, bright fish, and a sting ray! At our last stop, which seemed to the be the boating hub, there was a volleyball court and we all enjoyed the chance to get to exercise a little on dry land!
On the day we left, we had quite the chaotic adventure getting to mainland. On the Carribean side the Kuna is the indigenous tribe of the area and has a deal with the Panama government that no big ports could be developed in the national park. So we had to take a small boat from our boat where we were supposed to get into SUVs and go to Panama City. Unfortunately, the rain had raised the river and the trucks could not pass so we got into a slightly smaller boat to go up the river. Unfortunately, the rain did not raise the river high enough for the boat to pass so we swapped boats to an even smaller boat which with great struggles eventually go us to the place where the SUVs were waiting. The boat up the river was like a free jungle tour since we saw a ton of tropical birds and flora.
We spent one full day in Panama City, saw the Canal and are now in San Jose, Costa Rica! In Panama City I ran into a girl, Jesse, I knew from UNC in the hostel we were staying in. I knew that eventually I was going to run into somebody...small world!
On April 10 we took Fritz-the-Cat from Cartagena to the San Blas Islands of Panama. The trip was 5 days/4 nights and it was very eventful.
Our Captain, Fritz, is this 60 year old Austrian man with a mustache that makes him kind of resemble a walrus. Our boat had 17 passengers (4 Americans, 4 Austrailians, 4 Dutchies, 2 Brits, 2 Germans, 1 Swiss), Fritz, and his first-mate Luis but Fritz called him Louie. On the first day we set sail from Cartagena and about an hour later we could not see land and people began dropping like flies. Just around sunset I looked up and saw a dolphin spring from the water heading in the direction of our boat and then we looked down and there was pod of about 15 to 20 dolphins. It was really cool to look down and see them and since the water was so clear you could make out their eyeballs and markings. That same night...our rudder broke. On big boats the rudder is probably the most important part of the boat since it is the only method of steering. Since it was dark and a little rough Fritz coudn't do anything so we all went to bed and in the morning had drifted 10 miles back towards Cartagena. To fix the rudder, Fritz tried to creat drag with buckets...fail. Then we tied two lines to either side and developed this method of sailing where he sat and looked at the GPS and shouted commands such as "to the right" "to the left" "left" "right" "fahck." Eventually, we got the hang of steering and made it to San Blas by 3 am... 13 hours behind schedule. When we made it Fritz calmly exclaimed..."I can't believed that worked." Our delay scored us an extra day on the islands!
San Blas is really pretty, it looked like a picture book with just small sand islands with a few palm trees on them. The boys got really into hunting fish with spear guns and unfortunately killed some undersized fish and parrot fish which are really beautiful. On our first night at the islands the fishing line was sitting out while we were anchored and we caught a 5 foot nurse shark. Everyone on the boat was going crazy and Fritz...being the barbarian he was killed the shark and we ate it for 2 meals. Surprisingly, shark is pretty tastey. It is a light white meat without a fishy taste.
We also were able to go snorkeling and saw some neat wild life. Really huge brain coral, bright fish, and a sting ray! At our last stop, which seemed to the be the boating hub, there was a volleyball court and we all enjoyed the chance to get to exercise a little on dry land!
On the day we left, we had quite the chaotic adventure getting to mainland. On the Carribean side the Kuna is the indigenous tribe of the area and has a deal with the Panama government that no big ports could be developed in the national park. So we had to take a small boat from our boat where we were supposed to get into SUVs and go to Panama City. Unfortunately, the rain had raised the river and the trucks could not pass so we got into a slightly smaller boat to go up the river. Unfortunately, the rain did not raise the river high enough for the boat to pass so we swapped boats to an even smaller boat which with great struggles eventually go us to the place where the SUVs were waiting. The boat up the river was like a free jungle tour since we saw a ton of tropical birds and flora.
We spent one full day in Panama City, saw the Canal and are now in San Jose, Costa Rica! In Panama City I ran into a girl, Jesse, I knew from UNC in the hostel we were staying in. I knew that eventually I was going to run into somebody...small world!
Friday, April 9, 2010
So Long South America
So, tomorrow we are taking a boat from Cartagena, Colombia to the San Blas Islands and then to mainland Panama! It´s crazy to think that we have traveled from Santiago, Chile all the way up to Cartagena in 3 months.
Cartagena is beautiful. The historic part of the city is surrounded by a large wall that is part of the Fort San Felipe. I went to the fort one day and it was pretty cool. It has a great view of the city and there are tunnels that you can go down into and get really creeped out. The old part of the city is really nice to walk around in. The buildings are Spanish colonial style and is you walk along the wall you can peek at the ocean! There are beaches around Cartagena. I didn´t go swimming at any of them...just did a walk by...and they are pretty but not breath-takingly gorgeous. That would be Playa Blanca which is only a 1 hour bus ride, 4 minute ferry ride, and 20 minute motorbike ride away! On our motorbike leg of the journey Koehler and I were put on the same bike with the driver, our bags, and no helmets on a 25 km stretch of dirt road with lots of construction but luckily no traffic lights. Some how, we both managed to make it one piece. We spent one night in Playa Blanca enjoying the white sand beaches, thatched roof cabanas, crystal blue water, and being hasseled by the ladies offering massages. If anyone of you ever goes to Colombia and finds yourself in Cartagena you MUST do at the very least a day trip to Playa Blanca. It´s a nice escape from the humidity, crazy traffic, and odors of the city.
Well, tomorrow we will be floatin on a boat...hasta Panama!
Cartagena is beautiful. The historic part of the city is surrounded by a large wall that is part of the Fort San Felipe. I went to the fort one day and it was pretty cool. It has a great view of the city and there are tunnels that you can go down into and get really creeped out. The old part of the city is really nice to walk around in. The buildings are Spanish colonial style and is you walk along the wall you can peek at the ocean! There are beaches around Cartagena. I didn´t go swimming at any of them...just did a walk by...and they are pretty but not breath-takingly gorgeous. That would be Playa Blanca which is only a 1 hour bus ride, 4 minute ferry ride, and 20 minute motorbike ride away! On our motorbike leg of the journey Koehler and I were put on the same bike with the driver, our bags, and no helmets on a 25 km stretch of dirt road with lots of construction but luckily no traffic lights. Some how, we both managed to make it one piece. We spent one night in Playa Blanca enjoying the white sand beaches, thatched roof cabanas, crystal blue water, and being hasseled by the ladies offering massages. If anyone of you ever goes to Colombia and finds yourself in Cartagena you MUST do at the very least a day trip to Playa Blanca. It´s a nice escape from the humidity, crazy traffic, and odors of the city.
Well, tomorrow we will be floatin on a boat...hasta Panama!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Colombia
We have been in Colombia for about a week now and here is brief run down of our adventures:
San Agustin: We took a bus and a very bumpy ride, and we´re not kidding we flew a foot in the air hit our heads on the roof because of it. In San Agustin, we camped at this really cool camp site that had cabins and a fire circle and one night we made smores with our new Dutch friends that were staying there. With our new friends we went horseback riding to four of the different archeological sites in the area. The whole town in filled with over 500 burial statues, we only saw 8 or 9 but they were a good 8 or 9. Some date as far back to 3000 BC and some as new as 1200 AD.
Popayan: The white city in Colombia. All the buildings are white washed which on bright days is a little blinding. We were there smack dab in the middle of holy week and were able to see two processions. The first one was kind of a nativity of the adult procession done by children. Everything was miniature. Miniature priests, monks, marching bands, police, altar pieces. It was really cute. My favorite part was when one of the miniature cardinals was walking down the street with a balloon and then he accidently let it go. The procession at night was almost identical to the kids procession in form, except it was more serious.
Armenia: Do not go to Armenia. We went to go to the Parque de Cafe which is the coffee theme park. It was really neat, but it´s outside of Armenia. We also went to the circus which was very exciting except we were two of twenty people there. They had neat acts though like a Spiderman that ran around this cage that flipped around, tight rope walkers, dogs playing soccer, the death defying motorcyclists in a cage, and a disco dancing white tiger that was really fat.
Now we are in Medellin and plan to spend the day walking around and going to a park which has obese statues of both people and inanimate objects!
Happy Easter!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Banos - Puyo - Quito
Well, we are currently in Quito which, despite all the scary stories we´ve heard from other travlers, seems like a really cool city. We´re staying in a place nicknamed Gringolandia which is full of discotecs, coffee shops, and internet cafes. Today we went to the Basilica and climbed up to the top of the towers and the belfry. It was pretty scary. The ladder/stairs were practically vertical and the wind was blowing very had. The view was nice though. We also toured the city museum which had galleries about the way of life in Quito before and after the Spaniards colonized the area. It was a pleasant museum with lots of antique things to look at and there were also sound effects...but I´m not sure why the history stopped after the 1800s.
Before coming to Quito we spent a couple days in Banos. It´s a small town close to the Amazon Basin. Actually, it´s 71km from the Amazon and we biked that distance. It was mainly downhill which made it do-able and it had gorgeous views of the mountains and the view of the basin was absolutely amazing! We have only a few more days in Ecuador which is pretty unfortunate since it´s been a lot of fun and I feel like we are missing out on a bunch of stuff. Our plan is to go to the Equator tomorrow and then spend a day in a town called Mindo which is just outside of Quito and then we´ll be going to Colombia!
Before coming to Quito we spent a couple days in Banos. It´s a small town close to the Amazon Basin. Actually, it´s 71km from the Amazon and we biked that distance. It was mainly downhill which made it do-able and it had gorgeous views of the mountains and the view of the basin was absolutely amazing! We have only a few more days in Ecuador which is pretty unfortunate since it´s been a lot of fun and I feel like we are missing out on a bunch of stuff. Our plan is to go to the Equator tomorrow and then spend a day in a town called Mindo which is just outside of Quito and then we´ll be going to Colombia!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Raton, raton
So, on our first full day in Ecuador we were walking by the indoor market in Lojas and I spotted a rat and calmly pointed it out to Koehler and Grace. Then, we noticed that all on the street and sidewalk there was a ton of comotion surrounding the rat. Children were jumping around, women were screaming, men were trying to act tough. All of the sudden the rat made a B line towards us. I ran in one direction and Koehler and Grace went the other way. I turned around just in time to see the rat at Graces heal just before two men smashed the rat against the wall. The poor rat died very slowly.
Our second grand Ecuadorian adventure came the next morning after a night bus when we arrived in Riobamba at like 6:30 in the morning. I casually walked off the bus with my purse and got my big bookbag while we waited for the cab. As we were loading up the cab I realized I had left my oh so important bookbag on the bus with my travelers checks, passport, and steripen. I turned to the cab driver and said [SIGUE EL BUS] which means follow that bus. An exciting as well as successful chase ensued.
We just finished the El Altar trek which our friend Philip had recommened to us. The trek was two days and one night. Basically, we walked anywhere from 8 to about 12 miles on the first day. It was pretty and very green and there were a lot of cows, horses and donkeys. The hike ended in the meadow at the base of a volcano with snow. The next morning we did another little hike around the crater to see the Laguna Amarillo. It was actually blue...but pretty nonetheless.
Now, we are in Banos and are about to go to some thermal baths and then do a bike ride to the Amazon Basin tomorrow!!
Our second grand Ecuadorian adventure came the next morning after a night bus when we arrived in Riobamba at like 6:30 in the morning. I casually walked off the bus with my purse and got my big bookbag while we waited for the cab. As we were loading up the cab I realized I had left my oh so important bookbag on the bus with my travelers checks, passport, and steripen. I turned to the cab driver and said [SIGUE EL BUS] which means follow that bus. An exciting as well as successful chase ensued.
We just finished the El Altar trek which our friend Philip had recommened to us. The trek was two days and one night. Basically, we walked anywhere from 8 to about 12 miles on the first day. It was pretty and very green and there were a lot of cows, horses and donkeys. The hike ended in the meadow at the base of a volcano with snow. The next morning we did another little hike around the crater to see the Laguna Amarillo. It was actually blue...but pretty nonetheless.
Now, we are in Banos and are about to go to some thermal baths and then do a bike ride to the Amazon Basin tomorrow!!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Per-whoo
Hola, hola, hola,
So, we've been Peru for about 10 days. I don't know what it is exactly but I have not felt a strong connection. It may have to do with the fact that everything we decided we thought would be cool (Machu Picchu, Nazca Lines, Rafting in Cuzco) was preceded by a tragic event (floods and mudslides, airplane crash, drowning accidents).
We did spend a lovely week in Cuzco with my family which was really nice. We went around the Sacred Valley and saw some ruins around the city. We also got our fill of religious paintings from the Cuscan school and audiotours. We went to 4 or 5 cathedrals and took an audiotour in everyone which was pretty repetitive. I was able to walk away with a couple of Fun Facts that I'd like to share:
* San Blas is the patron saint of ear, nose and throat doctors since he saved a child who was choking on a fishbone.
* Cuscan painters had a fear of empty spaces.
* In 1650 there was a big earthquake and the people in the church took a Jesus on a cross out to the square and the quake stopped.
Okay, well now we are in Lima for the day before going to Trujillo. We did not mean/want to come Lima but Flores Bus Line/God had a different plan for us. We purchased bus tickets for Ica so we could go sandboarding on the dunes for the day before going up to Trujillo...but the bus just kind of flew through Ica and we decided to get off wherever it stopped. But Lima is nice. For some reason the main square kind of reminded me of Miami since there are a lot of overpriced, out door dinning areas that have a similar red and green and wicker color scheme.
Hopefully, our next post will be from Ecuador!
So, we've been Peru for about 10 days. I don't know what it is exactly but I have not felt a strong connection. It may have to do with the fact that everything we decided we thought would be cool (Machu Picchu, Nazca Lines, Rafting in Cuzco) was preceded by a tragic event (floods and mudslides, airplane crash, drowning accidents).
We did spend a lovely week in Cuzco with my family which was really nice. We went around the Sacred Valley and saw some ruins around the city. We also got our fill of religious paintings from the Cuscan school and audiotours. We went to 4 or 5 cathedrals and took an audiotour in everyone which was pretty repetitive. I was able to walk away with a couple of Fun Facts that I'd like to share:
* San Blas is the patron saint of ear, nose and throat doctors since he saved a child who was choking on a fishbone.
* Cuscan painters had a fear of empty spaces.
* In 1650 there was a big earthquake and the people in the church took a Jesus on a cross out to the square and the quake stopped.
Okay, well now we are in Lima for the day before going to Trujillo. We did not mean/want to come Lima but Flores Bus Line/God had a different plan for us. We purchased bus tickets for Ica so we could go sandboarding on the dunes for the day before going up to Trujillo...but the bus just kind of flew through Ica and we decided to get off wherever it stopped. But Lima is nice. For some reason the main square kind of reminded me of Miami since there are a lot of overpriced, out door dinning areas that have a similar red and green and wicker color scheme.
Hopefully, our next post will be from Ecuador!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Photo Montage II!!
Hi All,
These are in reverse order, starting from the most recent (which is now two weeks old)!
Salt Flats in Uyuni!
with two people you can only get so creative...
Hola Comadres, Bienvenidos Carnaval
She-wolving it in Cafayate, Argentina
Wowie...IGUAZU falls!
Eating meat, for the first documented time in 4/6 years, respectively.Friday, March 5, 2010
Bolivia reluctant to say goodbye, Peru unwilling to welcome
please excuse the frustration expressed in this blogpost:
March 4th rolls around. Emily and I have planned our Titicaca trips around the hope, dream, wish, to do a 2day, 1 night, canyon tour in Arequipa, Peru that leaves 3am March 5th. March 3rd we had a wonderful trek over to Isla del Sol, got harrassed by some little boys who wanted our watches, but everything was easybreezy because we were going to do the COLCA CANYON TOURRRRR, second deepest canyon in the world were you get to be one with condors(ish=) as they soar up and around the canyon.
9AM, March 4th: show up at bus agency to find that BOlivian transporters (bus drivers, minibus drivers, taxi drivers) are on strike. Is it for an honest wage increase? Better safety on the roads or on the job? No sir, no ma´am. Bolivian drivers are protesting for 48 hours over their right to drink and drive without the threat of having their license taken away (for life) hanging maliciously over their heads. DEEP frustration. Warned against walking to the border because the night before, protesters had harrassed the tourists for protecting their bolivian guide to the border. Told to wait until the evening. BUT it is around an 8hr trip to arequipa, no way that we can wait AND leave to do our canyon tour the next day. so, we sweetly ask a man with a boat to boat us over to the border. he obliges, after we agree on a reasonable price for him risking his new, shiny, boat being pegged with angry rocks.
11AM: arrive at border. sweet relief! for two seconds. oh, wait, Puno, the capital of Peruvian Lake Titicaca region, has also decided to go on a transportation strike (for a somewhat more noble cause, not that it was that hard: water rights). as we are walking around ghost border town of Yapumpá (or something) with our backpacks, snickers follow us down the road, coming from tinted-windowed pickup trucks and coughPATHETICcough moto-taxis, which are tricycles with a motor. Weave our way through rocks and carparts that have been strewn in the road to prevent passage of vehicles, and sit on side of road with other travelers, hopeless.
long story short: since the puno strike was local, not national, we were able to bend rules and take 4 minibuses to reach puno (taking us 7 hours which should have taken us 3 from copacabana) by 430 bolivian time. buy a ticket to arequipa, and spend arrive by 1130 peruvian time, magnificant! oops, wrong again.
even though we had sent email updates of our ABSOLUTE DECISION to do the canyon tour on the 4th, and inability to change those reservations, and inability to arrive to hostel quickly due to multiple transportation strikes in multiple countries, our hostel was jusssst a bit too incompetant to follow through on their part. they had not booked us the tour, but offered us the chance to do the tour with an alternative company, still waking up at 3am. ghladly accepted. woke up at 3am, whoopsies, that tour is full, too, no other options.
ON VERGE OF TEARS, slump and slide our way back into our bunkbeds to sleep away sorrow. not that lucky. but, they eventually offered us a free white water rafting tour for tomorrow. which we will accept.
sorry for length and frustration, we have since perked up with the help of fresh plums, church visitations, and frappachinos!
March 4th rolls around. Emily and I have planned our Titicaca trips around the hope, dream, wish, to do a 2day, 1 night, canyon tour in Arequipa, Peru that leaves 3am March 5th. March 3rd we had a wonderful trek over to Isla del Sol, got harrassed by some little boys who wanted our watches, but everything was easybreezy because we were going to do the COLCA CANYON TOURRRRR, second deepest canyon in the world were you get to be one with condors(ish=) as they soar up and around the canyon.
9AM, March 4th: show up at bus agency to find that BOlivian transporters (bus drivers, minibus drivers, taxi drivers) are on strike. Is it for an honest wage increase? Better safety on the roads or on the job? No sir, no ma´am. Bolivian drivers are protesting for 48 hours over their right to drink and drive without the threat of having their license taken away (for life) hanging maliciously over their heads. DEEP frustration. Warned against walking to the border because the night before, protesters had harrassed the tourists for protecting their bolivian guide to the border. Told to wait until the evening. BUT it is around an 8hr trip to arequipa, no way that we can wait AND leave to do our canyon tour the next day. so, we sweetly ask a man with a boat to boat us over to the border. he obliges, after we agree on a reasonable price for him risking his new, shiny, boat being pegged with angry rocks.
11AM: arrive at border. sweet relief! for two seconds. oh, wait, Puno, the capital of Peruvian Lake Titicaca region, has also decided to go on a transportation strike (for a somewhat more noble cause, not that it was that hard: water rights). as we are walking around ghost border town of Yapumpá (or something) with our backpacks, snickers follow us down the road, coming from tinted-windowed pickup trucks and coughPATHETICcough moto-taxis, which are tricycles with a motor. Weave our way through rocks and carparts that have been strewn in the road to prevent passage of vehicles, and sit on side of road with other travelers, hopeless.
long story short: since the puno strike was local, not national, we were able to bend rules and take 4 minibuses to reach puno (taking us 7 hours which should have taken us 3 from copacabana) by 430 bolivian time. buy a ticket to arequipa, and spend arrive by 1130 peruvian time, magnificant! oops, wrong again.
even though we had sent email updates of our ABSOLUTE DECISION to do the canyon tour on the 4th, and inability to change those reservations, and inability to arrive to hostel quickly due to multiple transportation strikes in multiple countries, our hostel was jusssst a bit too incompetant to follow through on their part. they had not booked us the tour, but offered us the chance to do the tour with an alternative company, still waking up at 3am. ghladly accepted. woke up at 3am, whoopsies, that tour is full, too, no other options.
ON VERGE OF TEARS, slump and slide our way back into our bunkbeds to sleep away sorrow. not that lucky. but, they eventually offered us a free white water rafting tour for tomorrow. which we will accept.
sorry for length and frustration, we have since perked up with the help of fresh plums, church visitations, and frappachinos!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
PotosiUyuniCochabambaLaPaz
Wow, we´ve gotten slack on blog updates!
Here is a quick rundown of what has happened:
Potosi - We did a mine tour of mines which date back to the 1600´s where silver was extracted and sent to Spain. It is also the highest city in the world.
Uyuni - Went on a 3 day tour of the salt flats, lagoons, desert, geysers, and stange rock formations. Some highlights were staying in hostel made of salt, seeing flamingos, and playing old maid.
Cochabamba - We stayed with Koehler´s cousin Saadid who is in college studying medicine and said our final goodbye while in South America to Lorelle and Adrienne. We also ate at a chain called Dumbo´s multiple times where we enjoyed ice-cream, cakes, and salad.
La Paz - Highest capital in the world. We walked around the city center and stayed in a hostel that had it´s own microbrewery. We also saw dried llama fetus in the witches market...yum.
Well, hope all is well...we´ll try to better about the updates...we´ll try.
Here is a quick rundown of what has happened:
Potosi - We did a mine tour of mines which date back to the 1600´s where silver was extracted and sent to Spain. It is also the highest city in the world.
Uyuni - Went on a 3 day tour of the salt flats, lagoons, desert, geysers, and stange rock formations. Some highlights were staying in hostel made of salt, seeing flamingos, and playing old maid.
Cochabamba - We stayed with Koehler´s cousin Saadid who is in college studying medicine and said our final goodbye while in South America to Lorelle and Adrienne. We also ate at a chain called Dumbo´s multiple times where we enjoyed ice-cream, cakes, and salad.
La Paz - Highest capital in the world. We walked around the city center and stayed in a hostel that had it´s own microbrewery. We also saw dried llama fetus in the witches market...yum.
Well, hope all is well...we´ll try to better about the updates...we´ll try.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Well, we are not in Argentina any longer.
We finished our last days in Cafayate, Jujuy and Purmamarca.
In Cafayate, we spent as much of our time outdoors as possible and enjoyed wine flavored ice-cream. Around the area there is a river which boasts large waterfalls. Unfortunately, we followed the river as directed but could not find the waterfalls. This was similar story we heard from other people, so we didn´t feel like too big of losers. We also did an excursion through our hostel of the Quebrada or Gorge or dried up river. Our guide, Jorge was awesome and showed us numerous rock formations from a toad to a choo choo train to a king to an obelisk. He also gave us facials...aka put mud on our faces.
Jujuy was our last overnight stay in Argentina. There is not much to write about. We saw the first civil flag of Argentina which was created around the time of their independence and given to the people of Jujuy for their devotion to independence. The civil flag looks totally different from the current national flag which we learned was the flag of the army and then the sun was added after independence. From Jujuy, we were able to take a little day trip to a small town of Purmamarca which is surrounded by the Seven Colored Hills (I´ll post pictures someday). We were also there for the Goat Cheese festival and the celebration of the town´s library which was compiled very recently. For the festival, Gauchos from neighboring communities within the region road around on horseback and then there was a cheese judging and tasting.
Now, we are in Tarija, Bolivia with Koehler´s family! They are all wonderful and Tarija is beautiful!!
Carnaval starts on Sunday!
We finished our last days in Cafayate, Jujuy and Purmamarca.
In Cafayate, we spent as much of our time outdoors as possible and enjoyed wine flavored ice-cream. Around the area there is a river which boasts large waterfalls. Unfortunately, we followed the river as directed but could not find the waterfalls. This was similar story we heard from other people, so we didn´t feel like too big of losers. We also did an excursion through our hostel of the Quebrada or Gorge or dried up river. Our guide, Jorge was awesome and showed us numerous rock formations from a toad to a choo choo train to a king to an obelisk. He also gave us facials...aka put mud on our faces.
Jujuy was our last overnight stay in Argentina. There is not much to write about. We saw the first civil flag of Argentina which was created around the time of their independence and given to the people of Jujuy for their devotion to independence. The civil flag looks totally different from the current national flag which we learned was the flag of the army and then the sun was added after independence. From Jujuy, we were able to take a little day trip to a small town of Purmamarca which is surrounded by the Seven Colored Hills (I´ll post pictures someday). We were also there for the Goat Cheese festival and the celebration of the town´s library which was compiled very recently. For the festival, Gauchos from neighboring communities within the region road around on horseback and then there was a cheese judging and tasting.
Now, we are in Tarija, Bolivia with Koehler´s family! They are all wonderful and Tarija is beautiful!!
Carnaval starts on Sunday!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Resistencia, Argentina...
After one month of traveling sans major problems, I would like to thank the town of Resistencia and the bus company Rio Uruguay for teaching us three valuable lessons:
First, before getting off the bus, reclaiming luggage, and buying tickets to your next destination it is important to make sure that you are indeed in your intended destination. We had planned to go off the map and spend one day in a town called Resistencia. We caught a night bus and everything was pretty great. We got two meals, watched some Will Smith movies, slept. Then, we stopped at this town and everyone got off the bus and we followed and it was not until we had reclaimed our luggage and bought bus tickets for the next day and then asked for a map of Resistencia that we discovered we were in Corrientes, a place that Lonely Planet is quoted as saying "f*** Corrientes." We ended up catching a bus an hour later that was heading in the direction of Resistencia, so alls well that ends well.
Second, it is also important to check the weather of your intended destination to see if you really want to go there. Resistencia was really hot. Some man told us it was 46*C. I don´t know what that is in farenheit, but it was boiling. Ice-cream couldn´t soothe the heat. and...
Lastly - Knowing the story behind the naming of the town you are visiting is also important. Resistencia was named for the white resistance against the aborigenees, knowing this we might have just hopped over to Salta.
Well, we went to Resistencia so that we would not have to take a 36 hour bus and also because it sounded quaint. There is some organization that has helped to erect 466 statues throughout the city. We thought "hey, that sounds cool. a town slowly being taken over by statues" and it is also the states capital so we figured it´d be worth seeing. Our grand image of a modern day, landlocked Easter Island was a little bit shattered. There were statues all over the city and it was nice to walk and then see a hippo or an abstract interpretation of the big bang theory, but in the heat it also made me feel a bit delusional. The statues were also really spread out so I think we saw about 50 of the 466.
Apparently, Resistencia is hopping...our timing was just off. Two days before we came there was a large parade for carnaval and three days after we left was another large festival. Overall, it was pretty fun being semi-stranded in a boiling hot town with a plethora of ice-cream parlors. People were really interested in why we were there and I would have been too, I just felt bad we didn´t have a good story about how we got there. A
fter leaving Resistencia, we went to Salta which was a beautiful oasis full of parks and hot dog stands and walk that gave us a nice view of the city. We went strolling at night down this walkway which was full of fair type foods and Myrtle Beach-esque shops...two of my favorite things. The walkway led to plaza which was surrounded by Spanish colonial style buildings and a Cathedral that looked edible.
At this very moment, we are in Cafayate.
First, before getting off the bus, reclaiming luggage, and buying tickets to your next destination it is important to make sure that you are indeed in your intended destination. We had planned to go off the map and spend one day in a town called Resistencia. We caught a night bus and everything was pretty great. We got two meals, watched some Will Smith movies, slept. Then, we stopped at this town and everyone got off the bus and we followed and it was not until we had reclaimed our luggage and bought bus tickets for the next day and then asked for a map of Resistencia that we discovered we were in Corrientes, a place that Lonely Planet is quoted as saying "f*** Corrientes." We ended up catching a bus an hour later that was heading in the direction of Resistencia, so alls well that ends well.
Second, it is also important to check the weather of your intended destination to see if you really want to go there. Resistencia was really hot. Some man told us it was 46*C. I don´t know what that is in farenheit, but it was boiling. Ice-cream couldn´t soothe the heat. and...
Lastly - Knowing the story behind the naming of the town you are visiting is also important. Resistencia was named for the white resistance against the aborigenees, knowing this we might have just hopped over to Salta.
Well, we went to Resistencia so that we would not have to take a 36 hour bus and also because it sounded quaint. There is some organization that has helped to erect 466 statues throughout the city. We thought "hey, that sounds cool. a town slowly being taken over by statues" and it is also the states capital so we figured it´d be worth seeing. Our grand image of a modern day, landlocked Easter Island was a little bit shattered. There were statues all over the city and it was nice to walk and then see a hippo or an abstract interpretation of the big bang theory, but in the heat it also made me feel a bit delusional. The statues were also really spread out so I think we saw about 50 of the 466.
Apparently, Resistencia is hopping...our timing was just off. Two days before we came there was a large parade for carnaval and three days after we left was another large festival. Overall, it was pretty fun being semi-stranded in a boiling hot town with a plethora of ice-cream parlors. People were really interested in why we were there and I would have been too, I just felt bad we didn´t have a good story about how we got there. A
fter leaving Resistencia, we went to Salta which was a beautiful oasis full of parks and hot dog stands and walk that gave us a nice view of the city. We went strolling at night down this walkway which was full of fair type foods and Myrtle Beach-esque shops...two of my favorite things. The walkway led to plaza which was surrounded by Spanish colonial style buildings and a Cathedral that looked edible.
At this very moment, we are in Cafayate.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
IGUAZU FALLS!
Hello to you all!
Since Buenos Aires we have moved up the Argentine/Paraguayan/Brazilian boarder to see the mighty Iguazu Falls! I was really excited because I read somewhere that waterfalls release negative ions which automatically make you manically happy, sounds fun.
We started our tour of the falls at about 8:30 and decided to do the less crowded circuits first and then move on to the larger ones.
Our first circuit was the ¨superior¨ circuit which took you around near the tops of all the falls. This involves a lot of looking over the edge as water rushes downard and getting misted. The ¨inferior¨ circuit took us closer to the bottom of the falls where were able to get more panoramic views. After walking around a bit and getting teased by the spray, we decided it was a great time to do the boat tour that takes you under some the falls. The whole time we were paranoid about our cameras getting soaked (I actually carried mine around in two plastic bags all day) but they were prepared and gave us drybags, as well as ridiculous orange lifejakets, so all was well. Almost, Koehler dropped her camera while we were waiting in line... so far the screen is still black.
The speedboat ride was crazy. We did a couple loops around for pictures and then with a small warning we were literally under the waterfalls...well not completely but as under as humanly possible. It felt like a crazy waterride at Disney or someplace...except there were no gimmics like a shark popping up or pirates. Just amazing natural beauty.
From there, we decided to take a break for lunch where we got to watch coatis make madness. They are these little part badger-part raccoon-part anteater-and part monster thingys and they are pretty domesticated from all the tourists feeding them. I saw one kid bend over and pet one and another man made one sit. They may sound pretty cool, but they tend to bring havoc on innocent picnicers.
In the afternoon, we decided it was time to see the Garganta del Diablo! This is Iguazu Falls.
Here´s a clip from Indian Jones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3XGmQd1Je0&NR=1
Basically, I can´t describe how incredible it is...but I could have stood there all day just watching the water fall repeatedly. It was therapeutic and entertaining.
Our last activity in the park was to do this little hike to a hidden waterfall. To get there you walk on this little trail in the jungle called Sendero Macuco for about an hour and then you reach some stairs, walk down and are in a relatively isolated area with one waterfall and a small pool for swimming. We went swimming and climbed behind the waterfall!
On our way back, we saw a tucan in the wild! It was crazy! I thought they only existed on cereal boxes and in the zoo! It landed right on a tree in front of us!
Well, Sorry this was a bit long! Hope it was enjoyable!
Since Buenos Aires we have moved up the Argentine/Paraguayan/Brazilian boarder to see the mighty Iguazu Falls! I was really excited because I read somewhere that waterfalls release negative ions which automatically make you manically happy, sounds fun.
We started our tour of the falls at about 8:30 and decided to do the less crowded circuits first and then move on to the larger ones.
Our first circuit was the ¨superior¨ circuit which took you around near the tops of all the falls. This involves a lot of looking over the edge as water rushes downard and getting misted. The ¨inferior¨ circuit took us closer to the bottom of the falls where were able to get more panoramic views. After walking around a bit and getting teased by the spray, we decided it was a great time to do the boat tour that takes you under some the falls. The whole time we were paranoid about our cameras getting soaked (I actually carried mine around in two plastic bags all day) but they were prepared and gave us drybags, as well as ridiculous orange lifejakets, so all was well. Almost, Koehler dropped her camera while we were waiting in line... so far the screen is still black.
The speedboat ride was crazy. We did a couple loops around for pictures and then with a small warning we were literally under the waterfalls...well not completely but as under as humanly possible. It felt like a crazy waterride at Disney or someplace...except there were no gimmics like a shark popping up or pirates. Just amazing natural beauty.
From there, we decided to take a break for lunch where we got to watch coatis make madness. They are these little part badger-part raccoon-part anteater-and part monster thingys and they are pretty domesticated from all the tourists feeding them. I saw one kid bend over and pet one and another man made one sit. They may sound pretty cool, but they tend to bring havoc on innocent picnicers.
In the afternoon, we decided it was time to see the Garganta del Diablo! This is Iguazu Falls.
Here´s a clip from Indian Jones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3XGmQd1Je0&NR=1
Basically, I can´t describe how incredible it is...but I could have stood there all day just watching the water fall repeatedly. It was therapeutic and entertaining.
Our last activity in the park was to do this little hike to a hidden waterfall. To get there you walk on this little trail in the jungle called Sendero Macuco for about an hour and then you reach some stairs, walk down and are in a relatively isolated area with one waterfall and a small pool for swimming. We went swimming and climbed behind the waterfall!
On our way back, we saw a tucan in the wild! It was crazy! I thought they only existed on cereal boxes and in the zoo! It landed right on a tree in front of us!
Well, Sorry this was a bit long! Hope it was enjoyable!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Buenos Aires
Holla! and greetings to all. we are in Buenos Aires, soaking up the city air....lots of activities to do in the city. Including:
Evita Day!!! Us (L,E,A,K) and our new Londonian friend Michelle had an evita-inspired first day of touring BA. including: casa rosada (tour not included), fancy barettes and dresses. it almost included red lipstick to be extra chic, but the lipstick was lost. so we settled on coral. we also toured the evita museum that is located in one of the halfway-esque houses that she set up for women and girls. it had a bunch of videos of her speeches from the casa rosada, her outfits, and rooms dedicated to all her charitable works. v good. we also took pictures with her postcard.
Getting Lost: NC in Big City= lots of wrong turns. i cannot read a map.
Nightlife: tres bonne. i hope that means good in french. they has a russian death-tobasco shot. not tres bonne.
Tango Show! In Cafe Tortini, historic cafe of BA dating back to 187_ish. v. exclusive. they had a live band (bass, violin, piano, ACORDIAN) and singer guy who wanted us to sing along to all of these "traditional" tango songs....that we didn{t know....and lots of sultry dances. including a few close calls in terms of wardrobe malfunctions. also these two guys who did drums dances and whipped around these stones connected to bungy cord ropes things and they tapped out rhythms with that. v intense. super hardcore.
hmmm. our next stop : iguazu! for 3 nights, nature walks and waterfalls, and staying in a hostel that used to be a casino. imagine: lush red velvet drapery and "fringe" and a huge pool (at least that{s what i{m imagining). the romantic part of our trip. also! we are about to have our 1 month mark for our travels! miss you all tonsies, chau
Evita Day!!! Us (L,E,A,K) and our new Londonian friend Michelle had an evita-inspired first day of touring BA. including: casa rosada (tour not included), fancy barettes and dresses. it almost included red lipstick to be extra chic, but the lipstick was lost. so we settled on coral. we also toured the evita museum that is located in one of the halfway-esque houses that she set up for women and girls. it had a bunch of videos of her speeches from the casa rosada, her outfits, and rooms dedicated to all her charitable works. v good. we also took pictures with her postcard.
Getting Lost: NC in Big City= lots of wrong turns. i cannot read a map.
Nightlife: tres bonne. i hope that means good in french. they has a russian death-tobasco shot. not tres bonne.
Tango Show! In Cafe Tortini, historic cafe of BA dating back to 187_ish. v. exclusive. they had a live band (bass, violin, piano, ACORDIAN) and singer guy who wanted us to sing along to all of these "traditional" tango songs....that we didn{t know....and lots of sultry dances. including a few close calls in terms of wardrobe malfunctions. also these two guys who did drums dances and whipped around these stones connected to bungy cord ropes things and they tapped out rhythms with that. v intense. super hardcore.
hmmm. our next stop : iguazu! for 3 nights, nature walks and waterfalls, and staying in a hostel that used to be a casino. imagine: lush red velvet drapery and "fringe" and a huge pool (at least that{s what i{m imagining). the romantic part of our trip. also! we are about to have our 1 month mark for our travels! miss you all tonsies, chau
Monday, January 18, 2010
Photo Montage!!
Legs in Valpo
Huge sand dunes
Posing with Pabs Neruda
Virgin statue in Santiago
Mote con Huesillos
En route to the Kunstmann Brewery
Sealions! in Valdivia
Nearing the top of Puyehue...we did not ride the horses
Cerro Campinario, Bariloche
View from Circito Chico, Bariloche
The only picture from the biking wine tour in MendozaSaturday, January 16, 2010
Mendelicioza
Hey hey everyone! So our trip has taken us back to summer weather. seriously, bariloche, the wind was about to blow all life and energy out of me for a while. but it was beautiful! lakes everywhere, that were v. calm and bluegreen and peaceful the first day we got there. THEN the day that we decide to do the momentous 27km bike ride around the lake loop, mister wind god wakes up on the wrong side of the mountain and starts whipping waves out of those lakes like i never could have imagined. now that we are in mendoza, which is v. pretty as well...i almost feel as if i had been taking the lake region for granted! with all the hills/mountains and snowpeaked volcanos and little wildflowers dotting the roads, it seriously felt as though we had taken a side trip to europe. even a girl from swedem said that it reminded her of her own country! i have had to fight hard against the urge to break out in sound of music sing alongs (climb every mountain: during puyehue; the hills are alive: all the time; adelweiss: when trotting along roads with all the wild flowers). but now we are in mendoza. it's crazy hot here, so it's almost as if you're stupified in between 11 and 3pm (especially transitioning from easy breezy bariloche). BUT we dragged ourselves out yesterday to enjoy a wonderous biking tour of vineyards and olive farms and chocolate liquer factory places. all of the roads and avenues here are quite wide because of this earthquake that destroyed everything. so the city planners built all of the buildings low, and the roads wide. there are all these beautiful shade trees, so it's nice to walk throughout the town. also, to bike. we met up with these 4 australian boys who adopted us into their group because we saved their friend, chucky, who had gotten lost (we soon realized that this is quite a common story). so we vineyard hopped and had a really wonderful day! unfortunately, the roads were a bit tricky with gravel, etc, so both emily and i have our respective scrapes. it's okay, though, we're becoming more and more hardcore as our voyage continues. the vineyard tour was 28km of biking, but it wasn't half as hard as the bariloche biking view tour adventure. also, a very important update: argentina has officially tainted us! not really, but we ate meat at a bbq dinner thing last night at a hostel, that turned into a dancefloor after everyone had their fill. argentine and aussie influences led us astray...but it was seriously delicious. hmmm. tomorrow we are going to one of the top zoos in SA, a jesuit ruins from the 19th century, and a serpentine musuem/zoo place. braving the heat to get our fill of mendoza. then we're off to BA by the 20th! our trip is picking up speed, and we're meeting lots of friends along the way. hands down, hostels> hotels and homestays. very refreshing. alright, i hope by this scattered post that you all can observe our high spirits. take care!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Bariloche
To all you wonderful people:
We are in Bariloche which is technically in Patagonia, so eventhough we thought we would not be seeing the region... we did!
Our first night here was a little rough. We got in at midnight and went searching for a hostel and ran into the problem of being the last to arrive during high-season. We walked around door to door for about 2 hours until finally finding a hotel that had rooms available and was not mad expensive. The next day we had luck and found a hostel in the morning and we already had reservations for Monday and Tuesday.
Bariloche is quite a bit larger than lonely planet led on. I imagine it´s similar to Aspen except on a lake. The main attraction is centered around outdoor activities. There is this one hill called Campinario which has one of the Top 10 views in the world according to National Geographic. There is also a popular bike circuit that has many beautiful viewpoints! We conquered both activities eventhough we lost one day to nasty weather.
Tomorrow, we are taking a loooong bus ride to Mendoza which is popular for it´s vineyards!
Ciao for now!
We are in Bariloche which is technically in Patagonia, so eventhough we thought we would not be seeing the region... we did!
Our first night here was a little rough. We got in at midnight and went searching for a hostel and ran into the problem of being the last to arrive during high-season. We walked around door to door for about 2 hours until finally finding a hotel that had rooms available and was not mad expensive. The next day we had luck and found a hostel in the morning and we already had reservations for Monday and Tuesday.
Bariloche is quite a bit larger than lonely planet led on. I imagine it´s similar to Aspen except on a lake. The main attraction is centered around outdoor activities. There is this one hill called Campinario which has one of the Top 10 views in the world according to National Geographic. There is also a popular bike circuit that has many beautiful viewpoints! We conquered both activities eventhough we lost one day to nasty weather.
Tomorrow, we are taking a loooong bus ride to Mendoza which is popular for it´s vineyards!
Ciao for now!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Puye-half-ue
HOLLLLLLA!
So, we set out on our 3 day trek with only the memories of camping on the Neuse or in the NC mountains...not really thinking that for the Andes you need more than peanut butter, bread, and some apples. We went to the trail for Puyehue, a volcano with alternate trails to geysers and hot springs, and hiked about 3 hours to the refugio where we spent the night. Everyone at the site was extra prepared (and also from Israel, which we thought was strange but apparently S.America is the place to go after army service) with things like knives, matches, propane, long underwear...a tent. The night time was absolutely possitively freezing! I kind of forgot to subtract 20 degrees due to altitude. But, due to the artic conditions we were able to wake up early and start hiking the volcano and thus receive one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the earth I have ever seen. We started our hike above the clouds and with every step we saw more and more of the snowtopped Andes. The largest mountain we were near was Mt. Osorno (I don't know if you want to google image it) but it was really big and pretty.
Now we're in Pucon for the night. It's a nice lake town witch is big for people wanting to go trekking or hike a volcano or go rafting. The weather is kind of poor right now and we're out of chilean pesos so we're going to Argentina tomorrow! Bariloche or Bust!!
So, we set out on our 3 day trek with only the memories of camping on the Neuse or in the NC mountains...not really thinking that for the Andes you need more than peanut butter, bread, and some apples. We went to the trail for Puyehue, a volcano with alternate trails to geysers and hot springs, and hiked about 3 hours to the refugio where we spent the night. Everyone at the site was extra prepared (and also from Israel, which we thought was strange but apparently S.America is the place to go after army service) with things like knives, matches, propane, long underwear...a tent. The night time was absolutely possitively freezing! I kind of forgot to subtract 20 degrees due to altitude. But, due to the artic conditions we were able to wake up early and start hiking the volcano and thus receive one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the earth I have ever seen. We started our hike above the clouds and with every step we saw more and more of the snowtopped Andes. The largest mountain we were near was Mt. Osorno (I don't know if you want to google image it) but it was really big and pretty.
Now we're in Pucon for the night. It's a nice lake town witch is big for people wanting to go trekking or hike a volcano or go rafting. The weather is kind of poor right now and we're out of chilean pesos so we're going to Argentina tomorrow! Bariloche or Bust!!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Onward
Hello Hello!
Since the last post, we have moved away from the coast, toured Santiago, and survived an overnight bus into the southern region of Chile.
A speical thanks to Sander and his family for housing us in Santiago and just being awesome!
Right now we are in Valdivia but are getting ready to go to a national park for a hiking trip. Valdivia is supposed to have a strong German influence. We were expecting wooden houses, saurkraut, and knee high stockings. We came to the conclusion that the German influence must be more subliminal. There´s a brewery in Valdivia which we walked to in hopes of getting a tour...but they don´t do tours so we had a sampler of their 8 varieties. Oh, there are also sealions! Sealions are huge and these are not afraid to plop down on a pier or platform near a sidewalk.
Anyways... we´ll try to be better about updates...and yes, pictures will be posted one day!
Since the last post, we have moved away from the coast, toured Santiago, and survived an overnight bus into the southern region of Chile.
A speical thanks to Sander and his family for housing us in Santiago and just being awesome!
Right now we are in Valdivia but are getting ready to go to a national park for a hiking trip. Valdivia is supposed to have a strong German influence. We were expecting wooden houses, saurkraut, and knee high stockings. We came to the conclusion that the German influence must be more subliminal. There´s a brewery in Valdivia which we walked to in hopes of getting a tour...but they don´t do tours so we had a sampler of their 8 varieties. Oh, there are also sealions! Sealions are huge and these are not afraid to plop down on a pier or platform near a sidewalk.
Anyways... we´ll try to be better about updates...and yes, pictures will be posted one day!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Valparaiso! Happy New Year
Happy New Year!
It's our last night in Valparaiso and tomorrow we leave for Santiago for a couple of days. Thus far, we have enjoyed 20 hours of sunlight, 1 empanada, and summer vacation traffic. Yesterday, we went to a beach called Renaca which is apparently divided into 5 levels based on physical appearance and age...but it was so crowded that I'm sure it really didn't matter. Near the beach is a line of dunes that are popular for 4-wheeling and enjoying the sunset. I felt like I was walking through a virtual reality or screensaver or something of that sort. Pictures will be posted pronto so you can each understand what I'm talking about.
Today, we decided to go to Pablo Neruda's house in Isla Negra. It was a semi-disaster due to it being high season and getting mixed in with beach traffic. When we found the house we also found out that you can only enter with a tour and that the next available tour was at 5:30...so we gave ourselves a guided tour of the gardens and the exterior of the house. Neruda definitely seemed like a pack-rat, but in the best possible way. His home, from what we could tell, was full of sea glass, wooden animals (like a life size horse), and various nautical accessories. In the gift shop, we looked through a picture book of his house so that we didn't feel totally jipped.
Hope you are all well! Pictures and more updates to come!!
Love,
Em and K
It's our last night in Valparaiso and tomorrow we leave for Santiago for a couple of days. Thus far, we have enjoyed 20 hours of sunlight, 1 empanada, and summer vacation traffic. Yesterday, we went to a beach called Renaca which is apparently divided into 5 levels based on physical appearance and age...but it was so crowded that I'm sure it really didn't matter. Near the beach is a line of dunes that are popular for 4-wheeling and enjoying the sunset. I felt like I was walking through a virtual reality or screensaver or something of that sort. Pictures will be posted pronto so you can each understand what I'm talking about.
Today, we decided to go to Pablo Neruda's house in Isla Negra. It was a semi-disaster due to it being high season and getting mixed in with beach traffic. When we found the house we also found out that you can only enter with a tour and that the next available tour was at 5:30...so we gave ourselves a guided tour of the gardens and the exterior of the house. Neruda definitely seemed like a pack-rat, but in the best possible way. His home, from what we could tell, was full of sea glass, wooden animals (like a life size horse), and various nautical accessories. In the gift shop, we looked through a picture book of his house so that we didn't feel totally jipped.
Hope you are all well! Pictures and more updates to come!!
Love,
Em and K
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