Archive for the ‘South America’ category

Incan Adventures and Crash Landing into Real Life

September 25th, 2006

I last left you in Peru, just after paragliding over the sacred valley near Cusco. It is an interesting town… yet incredibly full of tourists, which counterintuitively made it more difficult to meet people. Usually, if you see another little gaggle of tourists somewhere, you can walk up to them and easily kick off a chat… no problem. But Cusco was so full of tourists that it would be like doing that with random strangers at home… awkwaaaard. So I wandered around on my own and tried to decide what to do for fun, solo.

Rafting, it turned out, was the answer. I signed up for a 3 day trip on the Apurimac River. A source of the Amazon, it cuts the 3rd deepest canyon in the world - twice as deep as the Grand Canyon! Our adventure would take us through sections that are just under Class V (meaning it was pretty big and burrrrly). So.Much.Fun. Our group consisted of two “people rafts”, one raft with supplies, and two guide kayaks. We camped on the beach alongside the river for two nights and stared up at the stars, swapped tales by the campfire, and woke up early in the morning to get back in the rafts and keep going. Mark Twain would have loved it.

Falling into the Apurimac

After rafting, I decided it was high time to see some ruins. After all, that’s what most people go there for. First, I visited Ollantaytambo, which was a good precursor to Machu Pichu and had its own amazing stone structures. It is quite different to MP – open and arid, vs the latter’s dense greenery. I visited the park alone (there’s a surprise), not in a tour group, and am glad I did even though I’m sure I missed out on some very interesting historical commentary. The nice part about not having a guide is you can run off the beaten path a bit. I ended up scrambling up a steep hill (a good warm-up for the Incan Stairmaster of Machu Pichu), far above all the tourists, and sat on the top of its mountain. At peace in the wind by a cross, enjoying a delicate sunset, I tried to imagine what it must have been like all those years ago when that cross would have meant nothing to the local inhabitants.

Sunset on Ollantaytambo

I didn’t really know what to expect from Machu Pichu and tried not to get my hopes up. Like a good movie, certain popular tourist attractions can be “talked up” too much and result in disappointment. The Egyptian Pyramids come to mind… bit of a letdown (while they are quite amazing, just wasn’t quite what I expected). I braced myself for crowded… blah. In the end, I wasn’t disappointed at all with the park. (yay) But I was not impressed with the people managing the entrance! (boo) They were quite irritable people.

The story: I woke up at 4am, ran up the trail (there were advantages to having been hiking for days in the Andes), and arrived at the gate panting and covered in sweat, just before sunrise. That was my goal. I expected to buy my ticket at the door, get in and settle into a good spot, and watch the sun’s show. Turns out, they don’t like it when you do that and turned me away, back down to the town (a 4 hr round trip hike) to  purchase a ticket through a tour group, even though they technically could have sold me one at the door (and nothing in my guidebook had said I otherwise, I should note).  

I was crushed. There was no way I put the visit off to the next day – I was due to leave. Not to mention, the “tourist train” to Machu Pichu is prohibitively expensive. Just as I was in a sheer moment of despair, yielding to tears frustration, a very kind tour guide took pity on me and allowed me to use one of his group’s tickets. I still don’t know what group he was with, or I would be shouting their names from the rooftops as a recommendation to go with them. If it weren’t for them, I would have missed Machu Pichu entirely! It gave me hope that there are still truly kind people in the world. It was an act of altruism, that. The guide knew he wouldn’t (and didn’t) gain anything from helping me out – I didn’t even get his name. But, it made such a difference for me and gave me a memory I will cherish forever.

I ended up having a fantastic time, wandering in and out of the ruins and following all the hiking paths available… I actually found quite a few lonely spots in the park, which is amazing. The main area was just overflowing with tourists… but a little hike away I found other ruins, forgotten by the masses. It was a very nice day in the end.

Recommendations for Machu Picchu:

  • Buy your ticket in Cusco or Aguas Calientes (the small town just before the park). I am not one to usually advise this, but it will save you gate frustration. 
  • Get up early and walk up. Use your legs, the Inca did! The bus not only ruins the experience, but the gash of the Hiram Bingham Highway on the hill is terrible. Don’t contribute to it unless you are unable to walk.
  • Get to the park as early as you can. It’s all about sunrise.
  • If you enjoy walking, get your name on the list for Huayna Picchu. When I was there they only let about 300 people per day on the mountain. By the time you get there, I’m sure it will be different. Find out what the deal is and make sure to get up there. It’s a great hike, and the ruins on the other side are serene and interesting.

Ruins behind Huayna Picchu

Finally, I saw the Independence Day celebrations in Cusco, headed to Lima for one last hoorah with my new amigos there, and then it was back to Argentina for two weeks of catching up with friends, learning to Tango, shopping for work clothes and interview suits, and a bit of relaxation before the cold hard shock of returning to “real life.” The time flew by, and before I knew it I was among English speakers again. (The language really does sound hard and a bit nasally after a while of not hearing it, btw).

Festivities in Cusco

Now I’m settling down in the UK, going back to some sort of “real life” even though I’m still far away from home. I’m coming to here with my most recent culture being a Latin one, not an American one… so when things strike me as odd, I need to ask myself if it’s because I’m used to the laid back chaos of South America or the whatever-you-call-it of Northwest USA. I don’t even know what to be shocked by with “culture shock” anymore as I’ve been “shocked” in so many different ways the past year. I’d say now it must be general life shock, or something. I’m doing things like opening a bank account (this is resulting to be more difficult than getting a UK Highly Skilled Migrant Visa), finding a place to live, and getting a job. I’ve been here a month now and the only thing I have to show for it so far is a room in a house with three Irish guys, which is great, but I still need a job to pay for it! Things are looking up in that department, however.

So I guess life is settling down for this little wanderer, for a time at least. I don’t intend to completely stop this adventure… now and then I might be able to take a some time off and skedaddle to Russia or something, who knows? That’s the great part about living in Europe! But in reality, my life now will be a bit more boring than it has been lately. Hey, I’m not complaining! It’s been a great year-and-then-some! :)

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Hiking, Climbing, and Paragliding in Peru

July 19th, 2006

Hello hello! In Peru now. Showed up late one night to Lima and was warmly greeted by some friends of my mother, who ended up being incredibly hospitable and helpful. Definitely a great first impression to the country. :) I’m lucky because many travellers don’t like Lima all that much, but I had a pleasant time, mainly due to my friendly tourguides!

I have a bit more of a love-hate relationship with the northern Quechua countryside folk, however. While it was certainly fascinating to see people dressed the same way they have for centuries, with colorful dresses and ponchos, felt hats, and sun baked wrinkles on their hands and faces… I have never seen such audacity to ask for presents, handouts, and even steal things that were loaned to them. It is disappointing and has unfortunately affected my respect and attitude toward some of the locals. I have tried very hard to overlook and/or come to terms with it, but this has proved difficult. I so wish that I felt differently. Even in Cambodia, where people were begging everywhere (and definitely needed whatever one could give), it wasn’t quite like this. It is one thing to be in need, another to stoop to dishonorable practices to get ahead. This is not begging. It is manipulation and guilt-tripping. That aside, however, the people have been pretty nice. Apologies if anyone has taken insult to these comments.

I digress…

Immediately after Lima, I cruised up to Huaraz on a cramped night bus. The guesthouse I stayed at in Huaraz (La Casa de Zarela) is awesome and I highly recommend it. It is full of climbers from all over the world who are there to climb impossible routes in the Cordillera Blanca. I get along with these people, even though I am by no means on their level of adventure-seeking. They make me look like a giant pansy. They would certainly scoff at the giant centipede story… ;) Anyways, it’s been a blast to hang out with these kinds of people again, even though I’m back to speaking English and am successfully screwing up both languages.

Alpa Mayo, a popular climb

Alpa Mayo, a popular climb

One guy actually came across a dead body on his way to a climb. The man he found had apparently tried to paraglide off the summit, EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO, and didn’t make it. He had been frozen in a crevasse all this time. It was quite a story – the man’s sister came out from Slovenia and they were working on body recovery logistics while I was there. A bit emotional for all.

An old college buddy of mine, John,  was in Huaraz with his climbing partner, Asa. They were planning on going into the Huascarán and up an unclimbed route in the Pucajirca group, deep in the Cordillera Blanca on the Amazonian side. I decided to join them for the trip, as camp cook and caretaker (otherwise known as “camp beotch”) while they were up on the mountain. It got so cold at night that even the olive oil froze. Yes, we had olive oil! Burros (donkeys) and what I call “Ass Masters” (sketchy burro owners, see second paragraph) helped us bring all our stuff in, so we were able to throw in a few extra luxury items.

Lake near the Pucajirca

Lake near the Pucajirca

It took us a few days to reach base camp, climbing over 14,000+ foot passes and crossing valleys and rivers. We were out there for eight days in total. The boys kindly loaned me some of their cold weather gear, as I was by no means equipped for such a venture. While they made their attempts, I went on solo hikes in the area and had an absolutely lovely time. There were no other people around. Unfortunately for John and Asa, they did not summit (in my view, this was fortunate, as there were avalanches and rocks and ice coming down that mountain constantly, and the last thing I wanted was some sort of Touching the Void experience…). :)

Alpa Mayo and its moraine lake from the rarely seen "back side."

Alpa Mayo and its moraine lake from the rarely seen "back side" taken during one of my solo hikes.

A fun self portrait, "Eaten by the Rock Ness Monster"

A fun self portrait, "Eaten by the Rock Ness Monster"

It would have been nice to have had more time back there, but unfortunately after about 5-6 days it was time to look for a new “Ass Master” to help us out of the valley. We walked several hours and finally happened upon an attractive young family, and the man agreed to help us carry our load out of the park to the East.

Quechua family

Quechua family. John in back, I am in the front center. The man to my left guided us out of the park.

We made the trip in good time, had a few items stolen, and finally capped it off with a crazy 9-hour overnight bus (if you can call it that) ride. We eagerly gorged ourselves on a giant breakfast back at the hostel in Huaraz. Overall the trip was absolutely amazing, and I would love to do it again sometime.

After just 2 days of resting sore muscles in Huaraz, John dragged me (almost literally) up a 5,780m (approx 18,900ft) mountain: Vallunaraju.  This is considered a warmup peak for the real climbers. It pretty much kicked my ass – I’ve never been so tired in my life. Not only was it the highest I’ve ever been, but I haven’t really done any alpine climbing, other than a couple little peaks here and there, in YEARS.

Vallunaraju

Climbing up the back side of Vallunaraju, the summit in the distance.

We were going to go up the “easy” glacier route, but in the dark of morning, in typical John-and-Diana fashion, we couldn’t find the trailhead. We “decided” instead to go around the mountain to the back side, ascend it’s steep rock faces, traverse to the summit and descend our original planned ascent route. Sure, let’s make it harder, why not? Oh, and also people usually do all of this in 3 days, but we did it in one, door to door of the guesthouse. So yeah… I did mention I got my ass kicked, right? ;) But in a strange masochistic way I loved it. Being on the summit was a great feeling. I guess that’s why climbers climb.

Climbing up the rock faces of Vallunaraju's back side

Climbing up the rock faces of Vallunaraju's back side

Climbing Vallunaraju

Climbing Vallunaraju

John on the summit of Vallunaraju

John on the summit of Vallunaraju

Finally, I escaped Huaraz (hard to leave, really enjoyed myself there) and am now in Cusco, getting ready to see Machu Pichu at some point. Best part is, though… when I got here, I ducked into a random bar, sat with some random people, moved with one of them to another random bar where we met a girl and her friend who will randomly be on Wheel of Fortune in a few weeks, and then a random paragliding instructor sat with us and we all decided to go paragliding the next day. Random! :)  Best part is, we were all girls! Good times. So, of all things to do after that whole body-discovery experience in Huaraz, I go PARAGLIDING the moment I get to Cusco. And you know what? IT WAS AWESOME. :)

Paragliding near Cusco, Peru

Paragliding near Cusco

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Northern Argentina and Futbol Feverrrr

June 23rd, 2006

Hola. I am still in Argentina and am now finishing up more than a month-long “family circuit.” I have a LOT of family here (my mother is Argentine) and have visited just about everybody in the extended family, which means that all I’ve done in the past month is eat lunch, tea, and dinner in different homes. Am getting soft and lazy. My mouth hurts from talking so much and my cheeks are actually permanently sore from smiling all the time. I’ve started piecing together a family tree, which has been interesting (albeit a bit massive).

A highlight of the month was when my dear friend Rachel came and joined me for 2 weeks of travel – the poor thing even sat through a few of the aforementioned lunches and dinners. Her Spanish got pretty good by the time she left, though! Helps that she´s brilliant. Anyway, it was definitely not a typical tourist experience; she got to see some of everyday Argentina. At a couple of points, though, we managed to veer off the family trail and check out Iguazu Falls and La Quebrada de Humahuaca in northern Argentina, both of which were spectacular. We drove through a tourist-less salt flat at over 3000 meters and saw the stars at night. Unforgettable!

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

Rachel next to a giant cactus in La Quebrada de Humahuaca

Rachel next to a giant cactus in La Quebrada de Humahuaca

I am also proud to say I got a group of Argentines in Córdoba to talk like Pirates. :) Viva ARRRRgentinaaaa!! Unfortunately for the rest of the population, this may catch on. heh heh heh. I will keep trying.

Now everyone has World Cup FUBTOL FEVER. I’m sure you all are well aware that Argentina is number 1 in its group. :) Yay! We are all hoping to see them play in the finals. Unfortunately, I will miss some games as next week. Will hiking somewhere in northern Peru, trying to shed off some of the croissants, steaks, and chocolates on which I’ve been gorging myself.

Viva Argentina!

Viva Argentina!

The games are entertaining and worth mentioning. EVERYTHING shuts down. Schools let children go home with their fathers, and those that remain in class (usually the girls) have little argentine flags painted on their faces, felt white-and-blue caps on their heads, jerseys, noisemakers, and they watch the game at school. I was lucky enough to witness one of these full-blown screaming sessions.

No one works. Everything stops. Stores and banks close. Workers sit around TVs. Even in the bars, the waiters ignore you as they watch the game along with all the patrons. Not like anyone wants to order, that would involve breaking eye contact with the television. All eyes are glued to the screen. There is no line at the toilet. Until half-time, that is. ;)

Huge firecracker-and-battery bombs are fired off in the street at every goal. You don’t even need to be watching the game to know Argentina’s score!

One of my friends went out into the street in the middle of the game just to check it out, and on coming back he laughed that there was absolutely NO traffic, and the only car he saw go by had a woman at the wheel, probably whizzing home with more beer and snacks for the family.

After the game, central plazas in all the cities fill with fans and noise and white and blue. In reality, the whole day is shot. If we lose, everyone would be depressed (but this hasn´t happened yet, so cross your fingers and knock on wood). If, no, when we win, everyone is ecstatic and in a festive mood… therefore no one wants to work or do anything serious for the rest of the day. :) I trust you will all be watching the Argentina-Mexico game on Saturday, siii????

Sometimes I wonder why I didn’t just get a ticket to Germany. Oh right, $$$! Would love to see a live World Cup game someday, though…

I have yet to upload pics of the feverrrrr (arrr) but will do so as soon as possible.  So that’s about it! The next update will be from Peru! I leave on Monday. Wish me luck.

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Desert, Thievery, Vomit, and Anniversary

May 9th, 2006

I just realized my journal smells like campfire. Hm.

My last week in Chile was up in the Atacama Desert, followed by an interesting trip back to the capital, Santiago, as well as a night in Valparaiso on the coast.

In the desert, I camped again. One morning, I awoke at the crack of dawn to embark on a 50km mountain bike ride through the “Valley of the Moon” to see the sunrise, completely alone. It was fantastic, and quiet. Somehow I also ended up going up an unanticipated giant hill. I was off route. By that point, it was well into the sizzling day. My original 30km became about 50km, with only one bottle of water. Pretty exhausting, but worth it! Afterward, I ate a massive lunch in a pizzeria with a crusty old French cook and a friendly Uruguayan waiter.

Biking in the Atacama Desert

Biking in the Atacama Desert

On the road again, Atacama Desert

On the road again, Atacama Desert

Self portrait. Previous photo was taken in the valley below, left.

Self portrait. Previous photo was taken in the valley below, left. Yeah, it was a big hill.

In the afternoon I randomly decided that *sandboarding* sounded like a great idea (this is the Uruguayan’s fault), and hopped back on another bike to ride out to some sand hills. Oh, it was a blast. :) Would have been easier with a chairlift… All in all, a very active day.

Sandboarding

Sandboarding

Met a couple of Argentines that are chefs at the Four Seasons in Buenos Aires. They kindly cooked up a feast for me that night, of which I puked the entirety around 2am, and 5am, and 7am…  I also managed to puke through our salt flat tour the next day. I’m sure the other tourists loved it. And the NEXT day, same tour group, had diarrhea. In the desert… in other words, no vegetation behind which to hide. It was interesting finding sudden moments of privacy among rocks and boiling geysers, but luckily nothing terrible happened, and though I was so sick I could hardly stand, I got some pictures that will remind me forever of the amazing scenery. I didn’t really eat for a few days after that. I’m still not sure what caused it, but am wondering if perhaps all that excercise in the super-dry desert might have shocked my system enough to set it off?

Am so ill here, but enjoying the scenery

Am so ill here, but enjoying the scenery

Be it the sickness or the incredible touristy-ness of San Pedro de Atacama, I wasn’t as impressed with the place as I’d expected. I think it would have been more enjoyable with my own transportation. My favorite excursion was the bicycle ride, which was also the cheapest… Anyway, I think either a bicycle or a motorcycle/car would be the best way to explore the area. The tourist herds were a little too much, not to mention expensive.

Next, I headed back to Santiago. This involved several loooong bus rides,as well as a day hitching in a semi truck with a guy that’s been driving trucks for 25 years, 6 days a week. Showed me pics of his kids and we had an interesting conversation. (He’s never left Chile!) I appreciated the ride and he appreciated the company. I tried to pass myself off as an Argentine for the first hour, and somehow managed (though he later admitted something seemed a bit strange). It was a good challenge, but I couldn’t keep it up, for my own sanity, and had to confess that I was actually American but wanted to see if I could pull it off. He was amused. I think. See, Chileans dislike Americans almost as much as they dislike Argentines. I’m not really a very good combo in these parts.

I briefly headed to the coast to check out the historical city of Valparaiso, older than San Francisco but very similar in many ways. The first night, fresh off the bus, a guy wearing an extremely bright orange hoodie ran up to me, grabbed the purse hanging off my neck with both hands and yanked as hard as he could. (It made a mark.) I screamed at him and tried futiley to kick him – I had way too much luggage hanging off of me to do anything. I Unfortunately for him, the straps on the bag did not break. I almost with they had – the only things he would have won were a chess board and a deck of cards. I could imagine his face as he opened it up. And really, What self respecting street criminal wears a bright orange top? I wanted to pull the young buck aside and give him a few tips, not to mention a good punch in the face… but before I knew it he was sprinting away, no doubt disappointed. The whole street was watching… looks like I’ve got some good lungs. ;) A couple of nice, older tourists offered to walk me to my hostel.

Valparaiso, Chile

Valparaiso, Chile

Anyway, Valparaiso proved to be an interesting city. Many people don’t like it, preferring the cleaner beach-resort towns nearby. It was exactly the kind of place in which I enjoy walking around, though. Every turn brought a new surprise. It has twisted hills with colorful old buildings where I lost myself, was told I looked like a Chilean college student so needn’t worry about pickpockets (uh huh), and had a fantastic lunch in a very elegant restaurant where the waiters were obviously surprised at a “table for one, please.” The lunch was so tasty I took a picture. ;)

Lunch in Valparaiso, Chile

Lunch in Valparaiso, Chile (with my campfire-smelling companion at right)

Finally, it was on a plane back to Seattle to finish up my UK work visa. Tomorrow I head back to South America for a few more months before going to look for work in London.

Today, it’s been a year since I started this adventure. Hard to believe how fast time flies. Life keeps changing and that’s the only thing that remains constant.

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They Call Me Papa Frita

March 28th, 2006

If there were ever an update where I really hoped you guys would check out the pictures, however disorganized, this is the one! :) I’ve been hiking in Patagonia, spent about a month in a tent, and hung out with some interesting people. It’s been an adventure… everything I’ve been looking for!

Ushuaia was fantastic. Situated on the Beagle channel, you could just imagine Darwin and his crew wandering around, meeting the locals who lived naked in the cold (apparently they lathered whale grease on their skin to keep warm). Saw a bunch of penguins, sea lions, interesting birds, and the sky which was ALWAYS interesting to watch. I managed to get myself lost and found in a random valley, as well, which was quite exciting.

Dancing Penguin

Dancing Penguin

I visited the old prison in town (that’s how the town was born, like Staten island… and Australia) :) and partook in a “tour” where they dressed everyone up like convicts and marched us around, yelling, shut us in cells, etc. That was an interesting experience. We couldn’t stop giggling, which just got us yelled at more and more. :) Funny to think we paid to be treated like that!

I didnt do it!

I didn't do it!

Next came Chile and the Torres Del Paine National Park. That’s pronounced PIE-NEH, not PEN-NEH, which is what I did for a while, effectively calling them the “Penis Towers.” Yeah, I´m going to go hike the Penis Towers. I need a tent for the Penis Towers. Have you seen the Penis Towers? Are they very big? Has anyone climbed the Penis Towers recently? How hard are they? Etc. I’m surprised it took as long as it did before someone spewed water all over the table.

Torres del Paine, Chile

Torres del Paine, Chile

Cesar and Julian freezing as we wait all toooo long for sunrise. Misinformed!

Cesar and Julian freezing as we wait all toooo long for sunrise. Misinformed!

What. a. spectacular. park. Did the circuit hike in 6 days.. a bit too fast (they recommend 7-9) with two Chilean guys, Cesar and Julian. I met them in my hostel in Puerto Natales, and given how much they took the piss out of me for the amount of food I had spread out in preparation for the hike, I figured they had ample experience in the mountains. Only when we’d actually set off and they ATE all the food did I realize they didn’t have as much trekking experience as I’d originally thought! Day trippers. ;) We had a great time, though… they provided the comic relief and I the food. Ha. By the end we were like a giant married couple – oscillating between genuine bickering and roaring laughter. As for actually walking, they were fast, which was great. We were going about 20 kilometers a day with 20 kilo packs. We passed a LOT  of people. I was happy to be with Spanish speakers, not to mention locals! They kept trying to “fix” my thick Argentine-Gringo accent and called me “Papa Frita” (French Fry, or Chip). =) No one knows why.

Glaciar Grey

Glaciar Grey

Lago Pehoe

Lago Pehoe

After the Torres, I headed back into Argentina, past the Perito Moreno Glacier to El Chaltén, home of Los Glaciares National Park and Fitz Roy , another spectacular granite peak.

Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

Fitz Roy

Fitz Roy

This time I stayed in a free camping at the base of the trail into the park and hung out with some bona fide hippies. These people were the real thing, hearts the size of melons. One Columbian guy had been travelling for 25 years, all in South America and made a living off of making wire keychains in a tent. There was an American who played the Dijeridoo (sp?), an Aussie climber who spoke French and Spanish, Chilean brothers who continually played music, and then the French “Rasta” group who made string bracelets and necklaces with the Argentine ceramic artist who got his materials from the local stream. Another Argentine girl was a yoga instructor, and I had my very first yoga class trying to balance in the strong Patagonian winds, face in the sun. Amazing.

Ali the Colombian, travelling 25 years

Ali the Colombian, travelling 25 years

We had a grand “Asado” (Argentinian bbq, meat grilled over coals), hosted by Jesus who had a voice like The Godfather. :) I didn’t eat a bite of it, unfortunately, as I’d earlier gotten sick from eating some bad mayonnaise. That was fun. Wake up in the middle of the night, crawl out of the warm sleeping bag into cold wind and rain, teetering to the outhouse to projectile-vomit into the hole in the floor. Mmmm. Followed by diarrhea the next day. Weee! That’s for those of you who think all this travel is a continual paradise.  ;) Let’s just say I´m over my post-hike bread + mayonnaise craze. I know it sounds disgusting, but it’s gooood down here. :) No fridge, so no more.

Jesus (drinking the wine) hosted an Asado

Jesus (drinking the wine) hosted an Asado

When I finally got OUT of El Chaltén (stayed a few more days than I would have liked because busses only leave in the direction I was going 3 times a week, not to mention the getting sick part), I had a 30 HOUR bus ride where I met a Paleontologist who was telling me all about the history of the area – the fossils she´d found and petrified forests… definitely something I want to go back to see! She also had quite a cocky attitude in approaching Sudoku, and got extremely frustrated when it posed a challenge. Interesting bus ride, for sure.

30 Hours to where, you ask? To El Bolsón, near Bariloche. They say the local mountain is one of the “energy centers” of the planet. It has hippie roots and was the first in the world to declare itself a nuclear-free zone. They don’t give you bags in the grocery stores to take your food home. If you don’t have dreadlocks (or at least long hair) you feel a bit out of place. Once again, I stayed longer than I should have. Partly due to recovery (getting over the illness plus extremely long bus ride), partly due to sheer laziness. Not to mention the best ice cream EVER and a nice little market where I bought a ring and necklace and promptly lost them. After all the hiking and rough weather, it was nice to be in a calm, sunny place for a few days… or a week, as it were. It really reminded me of home, actually. Pretty much the same latitude!

My El Bolson Campsite - mine is the purple tent. Energy center mountain in background.

My El Bolson Campsite - mine is the purple tent. "Energy center" mountain in background.

FINALLY escaped El Bolsón’s mysterious clutches and made my way back into Chile. Here I’ve picked up the pace considerably. Phew! Climbed a live volcano (nearly passed out from the sulfur fumes at the top) but didn’t get to see any lava, and then descended it on a mountain bike. This was the most extreme mountain biking I have ever done. Put those eyebrows down, I haven´t done much. But it was enough to get the heart racing a bit! Good day.

Volcan Villarica - summited on foot, mtn biked down. Fun day!

Volcan Villarica - summited on foot, mtn biked down. Fun day!

Summit of Volcan Villarica

Summit of Volcan Villarica

Mountain bike descent

Mountain bike descent

Then I met up with Cesar and Julian again in Temuco! We went out a couple of nights and danced until dawn. It was certainly a change of scenery for us three – I was used to all of us being grimy and tired, and here we were in actual civilisation and shaking the hips to “Reggaeton,” a Latino-Reggae-Hip-Hop combo that is ever so popular down here.

Moving North. Last night I visited an observatory in Vicuña and saw planets and stars through a pretty big (though not the biggest) telescope. It was amazing! Also visited the oldest Pisco brewery in Chile. Pisco is the national drink here – it’s a liquor made from white wine. YUM. :) Now I am in the north of Chile, camping in the Atacama desert.

Pisco brewery

Pisco brewery

I’ll be home again for a month in April (working on the UK visa) and then it’s back to South America. Weee!

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London Pavement Rage to Argentine Tango

February 13th, 2006

It’s been a little too long since I’ve written a post. I’ve just been quite, well, lame about writing. And the longer I wait, the harder it is to catch up on everything. So enough of the dribble. You have enough to read as it is. I’ll start with a couple of sexy pictures for you, from where I am now…

Tango in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tango in Buenos Aires, Argentina

So I popped home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was great to spend time with the family and not pack & unpack the bag every few days… to have a shower that didn’t involve carrying a bunch of soap/shampoo/towels into a crowded room with a wet floor, using a bucket, or fighting for a mirror (if there is one)… etc. I had good home cooking, saw good friends (although not for enough time as I would have liked – not having a car can be quite an annoyance in the states) and generally had a fantastic time.

Home

Home

Come new year though, it was time to go again. This time it was off to England, with a brief  New Year stint in Kitzbühel, Austria. I stayed in a random hostel owned by a guy named Dave who LOVED to tell you to f*&k off, but didn’t quite understand why people might ever rate his place poorly on Hostelworld. I actually liked the guy for some reason, but that’s because I was on his good side, for an even more unknown reason.

Anyway, what were doing there? SKIING, of course! Yay! It was great. Powder was easy to find, even off the groomed runs, so I was happy. I also learned how to play “Texas Hold-Em” poker, from a bunch of Kiwis and Aussies in Austria. How random is that?

Kitzbuhel, Austria

Kitzbuhel, Austria

So yeah, England. The UK nearly rejected me at the airport. I’ve never been so close to being turned back by Customs. Why? Well, I was an idiot, frankly. I’m so used to easy border crossings that I didn’t give a second thought to putting ‘UNEMPLOYED’ under occupation, and say ‘oh, about a month or so, I dunno…’ for how long I’d be travelling, ‘LONDON’ as my address in the UK. Hmmm… did I have proof of onward travel? No. Did I have proof of sufficient funds? Um… no. ‘Here’s a credit card!’ I’m surprised they did let me in, in the end! But thank God, they did.

On to baggage claim. My connecting flight in Copenhagen had been severly delayed due to a snow storm. They decided not to load ANYONE’S bags in the plane because it was too snowy. They could load people and fly, but they couldn’t load bags. Does that make ANY sense? So I had no luggage. And I was going to Austria the NEXT DAY to ski with no luggage which meant no winter gear, at all. Yeah. I think the UK was giving a giant finger on arrival. ‘We don’t want you here!’  Oh, and I chose not to mention the fact that I was applying for a work visa in the UK! (which, by the way, was ACCEPTED! YAY!)

Classic bicycle in London

Classic bicycle in London

Living in London for a month was an interesting experience, coming from laid-back SE Asia and then laid-back Keyport, WA. London is fast paced; people run you over if you dawdle in the street and then curse you for it. Eye contact = aggression (like in the world of apes), so you’re supposed to duck and run in the masses of people on the sidewalk to avoid pissing anyone off. They don’t default to one side of the sidewalk in organized “people-flows,” either. I thought everyone would be walking on the left side of the sidewalk (called “pavement” here). Nah. It’s all out pedestrian warfare; survival of the fittest. Road rage meets the sidewalk. “Excuse me” means “get out of my f-in way” and “sorry” means “excuse me.”

And let’s not talk about the tube (the underground)… ok, let’s. The main thing to know is you keep your eyes down and it’s best if you have a trashy paper to read. Actually I believe there are two separate worlds in the tube. That of people who look up, and that of people who don’t. Those who look up sometimes connect eyes and telepathically agree, nay, bond yeah, we’re in the world of people who look around. This feels great, until you get the freak who decides to come up to you and have a chat. Then you learn to always, ALWAYS look down. And best if you have some sort of trashy paper to read.

In the end, London is not a bad place. The people warm up a LOT when the sun (yeah, it actually does come out now and then) goes down and everyone heads to their local. Ale + Gossip, whether political, global, or local is endlessly entertaining.

Kind of love it, actually.

London

London

However, without a job, London can get a bit boring. Yes, I did just say that. Being a bum is no fun when crossing the street isn’t a life & death dash (although crossing the sidewalk might be!) and there aren’t any good hiking trails nearby. I’m not really much of a museum person, and after a few days of museums and battling the sidewalk, I felt I had saturated London´s capacity for entertaining a homeless, jobless vagabond. I made pathetic attempts to shop, but the city is so expensive I more doubled my monthly budget! And I wasn’t even paying for lodging. With a job, things could certainly be a lot more fun.

So I was supposed to go to India after London. That didn´t exactly work out as expected, so I spun the globe and took a fresh look. Decided to go to a whole new hemisphere. Back to warm weather! Don´t Cry for Me Argentinnnnaaaa… I am writing you from the southernmost city in the worrrrld. Ushuaia.

Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina

Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina

Usuaia, Argentina

Usuaia, Argentina

Cool bus in Usuaia

Cool bus in Usuaia

From here, people go to Antarctica. Unfortunately I don’t have 4 grand to spare, so I likely won´t go unless I can fit in someone’s suitcase. I dare say I might actually try it. To see Antarctica would be a dream come true. I will get to realize another dream though – Patagonia. I’m very excited about the trekking prospects.

Before this, I stopped in Madrid for a couple of days, then Buenos Aires, saw some Tango, learned how to play cribbage (wha? that’s not spanish!), and ate some steak… ahhh, nice.

It feels good to be here. My Spanish is coming back like a flood. It’s nice to be in a place where I feel like I fit in. In fact, I was just thinking that the other day.. walking along the sidewalk in Buenos Aires, no one running into me, enjoying the sun on my cheeks… thinking  Yeah, I fit in here. And that feels good. And just as the thought grew to the point where it was almost cocky, overconfident – I stood a little straighter and strutted like a local – I fell FLAT ON MY FACE. I was fully sprawled on the sidewalk, arms spread, groceries everywhere, people staring… Doesn’t matter that there was a huge gaping hole in the sidewalk. Locals just don’t do that.  That is grace for you. Yeah I fit in REAL good.

More Tango in Buenos Aires

More Tango in Buenos Aires

…And now I’m in this new, unknown town with no guidebook (again) or any idea what I should do (again). I’m sure I’ll figure something out soon. :) As usual I am completely unprepared and disorganized. It’s 11pm and I haven’t eaten dinner. We’ll see what happens!

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