Quito is a massive city. There is an old section filled with history and great architecture and the new city (called gringo land) full of bars, clubs and tour companies (yuck). I decide the next day to get the hell out of Quito and leave it for the end of my trip (I have to fly out of here anyway). Headed for Baños (yes spelled the same as a bathroom but diff inflection). This is a place where many Ecuadorian vacation. The town is situated near the volcano Tungurahua, also know as "The Black Giant," it is the second largest active volcano in Ecuador. Alas I did not hear or see anything. However it has hot springs and lots-o-activites; rafting, canyoning, bungee jumping etc...I opted for a bike ride on the wonderfully STEEP roads of Ecuador to see about 7 waterfalls. What the hell was I thinking, bikes, mountainous downhill roads with no guard rails , big ass trucks passing me and I just do not get along. I think bungee jumping would have been safer. I was exhausted not becasue of the ride either. What was nice was hitting the hot spings afterwards. Nice place to chill.
Next I was off to do the Quilotoa loop.
I started in Latacunga. The main reason for going to Latacunga is that it is the starting point for the Quilotoa Circuit, a 200 km loop through various small, mountain towns. "Getting there is half the fun" loop is what this should be called. I have read so many blogs and books on this and it seems like there was no easy way to do this loop. The bus schedules to get to these remote towns in the Andes range anywhere from 2-5am and a milk trucks, Again if this is so popular for tourist why not make it easier (i am jus sayin). In Latacunga I go in and out of many tour groups that will do this loop for a heafty fee. I start asking for a loop trip...USD 200, two days, $120 a day trip is $75 (It is more expensive becasue I am a solo traveler). The LAST place I ask says they have a small group going and they can drop me off for 30 bucks SOLD!. It worked out well. We were able to stop at many little towns and take our time.
On Saturday there is a market in the small town of Zumbahua. Not much in the way of "gringo goods" but it was filled with so many colorful things from the fruit to the ppl. The trip ended in the town of Quilotoa, a windy town set near the crater lake of the same name. Once a volcano now a beautiful green crator lake. You can walk the rim or hike down and up (or take a horse back up) On our way down we saw many ppl walking up red faced out of breath, near death becasue the air is so thin at this height...I looked at my guide and said I am taking a horse up. We all agreed. The crater is gorgeous. The hike down was nice but the ride up was...umm laughable (well for me anyway) No saddles, just a blanket tied to the back of a horse. You really had to hang on and I had these sweat pants on that had no traction so I literally kept slipping off the horse. I was laughing so hard thinking what it must look like and this poor horse becasue I was holding onto his mane for dear life. Luckily no one had a camera out. My arms and thighs hurt so much the next day...I bet less than they would have if I walked up the crator!
So in Quilotoa there are only 3 Hostals. I stayed at Pacha Mamma. No heat and the floor had a watery film on it. It had a fire place in my room so I had a nice little fire going but damn it was cold when it went out. I secured a guide to take me to the next town, Chugchilán. I could have opted for a 3 am bus but the walk (6 hrs) was supposed to be spectacular...only one problem I have a bag that weighs about 45pds...."Ahhh Senor, cuánto suplemento para que usted lleve mi bolso" For an extra $10 he would carry my bag. I know I am so bad but.... SOLD. Thank the makers I did. It was a hard hike down very steep and muddy hills (you know how my knees are). The landscape was outstanding and I KNOW I enjoyed it more with my 5 pound bag upon my back!
All the books say this hike is about 5-6 hrs. I would say yes if you do not have a guide. The beginning of the hike says to just follow the blues arrows. I counted all of 3. Now I am not saying anything like the guides may have had something to do with the missing signs but it took us only 4 1/2 hours to get there (I met a couple who did not hire a guide and they got lost...7hrs later they made it into to town). Word to the wise, hire a guide. It was an awesome hike. Green everywhere.
I hiked to Chugchilan which is surrounded by this beautiful scenery and that is about it. I wish I knew more Spanish becasue it was a market day there (very small) and everyone was getting drunk...well the older folks were. It was hilarious. Stayed in a great hostal, Mamma Hilda´s. Another word to the wise make sure you have a good long book becasue there aint nothing to do in these towns except chill and try to stay warm. Met a great couple from the UK (the ones who got lost). Next day UK couple (Sophie and Leo) opted for the milk truck at 5AM and I opted for another hike -this time I was going to carry my backpack to the next town of Isinlivi. The hike was hard but so amazing. My guia (guide), cute little Westin, all of 16 yrs old was very knowledgeable about all the plant life. It was comical because many times he stopped on very steep hills to explain a plant and I kept saying to him..."el hablar y yo de la subsistencia ging para guardar el caminar" (keep talking and I will keep walking). If I stopped I would never have started up again. He got the picture and pulled the plant life and had samples for me at the top of the hills.
When I got to Isinlivi (again a very small town) I went into another cute hostal as it started to downpour (poor Westin he was walking back) but it was sooo cold and I still had not dried out from the last walk...If only there were a bus baclk to Latacunga. The hostal owner said are you taking the bus back today or would you like a room? What bus? There is a 3:30PM bus ONLY on Monday. I am a big believer in signs so I took the bus back to Latacunga. I had no idea where I was going to stay and I really did not want to stay at the same place as before... Wouldn´t you know at a red light I saw Sophie and Leo and they pointed me to a great hostal they were staying in.
We decided to do a small hike up Cotopaxi volcano on the next day. It is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world.
Now you can climb all the way up Cotopaxi to the summit (19,347ft). Your climb begins at 1AM from a refugio at 4800ft and you do not reach the summit for another 6-8 hours. What do you see from 1AM to 6AM...Nuthin. Which is why we opted for a small hike to the refugio. A mere hour to hike 200meters. The air was thin up there (12,000ft+)!
Our guide said we were lucky becasue we had a great day, one every two weeks to see the volcano so clearly. It was amazing!
Next off to Mindo. This is north of Quito (64km) so I had to take a bus back into Quito and then out to Mindo. It was a long day but again the bus ride did not disappoint me. The views were outstanding.
Mindo is a lush green heaven, especially for bird watchers. You can get up at 5Am to go birdwatching....PASS. I am not a bird watcher but there was a great hike to see about 8 different waterfalls. It was very damp and sometimes I felt like I was in a movie. The mist coming off the mountains and the sounds you hear. Again I am not a birdwatcher but I saw 10 diff types of birds and 14 diff. butterflies and the symphony the birds put on for me was incredible. You will have to trust me on this becasue my camera is crap.
Next day I was going to do another hike but it began raining and did not stop so I hauled my butt to Otavalo. This is a town about 90km north of Quito. Otavalo is famous for its Saturday Market, filled with an Animal, Fruit and Artisan market. People from all over Ecuador, Peru and Boliva come here to sell their wares....Ahhh Shopping. I am hoping to find some great Christmas gifts!
This will prob. be my last update (until I get home???). I leave for the states on Monday (it is Friday).
This has been an amazing experience and the people of Argentina, Chile and especially Ecuador are incredibly warm and friendly. I have had a great adventure and I cannot wait until the next one!!!
Hope you enjoyed reading and I cannot wait to see you my friends and family!!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Salta and Cafayate
Going back into Argintina to Salta. This time it is only an 10 hour bus ride. The views were incredible. I hate to say it but the bus rides have been great to see s much of these countries! Got into Salta, stayed at a great hostal (Terro Occulta). Met a guy on the bus staying at the same hostal. I still cannot pronounce his name (sorry Garraint) but I know it sounds like YgeahRighte. Next day Garraint and I head out to get a feel for the town but end up at a lil restaurant on the square and have a glass of wine...well you know how this goes (a bottle later). We did do a little sight seeing and took the cable car up to the top where there was a great view of Salta and had a great restaurant. We stayed there for a good portion of the day (ahhh cervacas). Met a group of Irish guys who also did not feel like sight seeing . They were very funny becasue they really wanted to get tan before they went home. Poor things, burnt is what they got.
For me Salta was just a place to chill out and not do too much...Went back to the hostel checked out the rooftop bar and met a bunch of people and stayed there for beers and pizza. Next night we saw and awesome Cuban band.
After that we (Treana-a girl I met at the hostal and I) were headed for Cafayate to taste some wine. We booked ourselves into a nice little hostel but little did we know they did NOT allow alcoholic beverages. In a town known for its wine, does that make sense? Sorry but I don´t speak spanish (as we popped the cork to our numerous bottles of wine).
Next day we were off to see their famous waterfall. It said it was a 2km hike...but they forgot to mention that it was just a 2km hike to the beginning of the park after that it was prob a 6+km hike up and down and through the river. After you begin walking a bit and you come to a point where you are actually not sure which way to go a "guide/towny" appears out of nowhere and for a small "fee" will show you the way to the waterfall. As Treana and I discuss we figure we will not be cheated by a 10 yer old (that is how old the guide was) and will just follow a group of ppl...why not. OK so we should have figured as much...duh this is what they have been doing for years upon years becasue NOBODY could have found this waterfall. Tail between our legs we agreed for the "guide" to show us the way. About 20 min before we got to the water fall she passed us off to our brother (all of 8 yrs old). We found out they actually live in the hills of the park. I felt so bad not wanting to give them money for this.
It was WAY more than 6km to this waterfall, was it worth it...Lets just say if it had been a reallly hot day (which it was not) it would have been awesome but it was a great hike!! We had to cross over the river several times and the canyon we passed thrugh wa impressive.
Walking the 2+km back in our flipflops becasue our boots were soaked through we made it to our first winery. So excited to sit and sip a nice glass of wine and possbily some cheese (thinking of CA). CLOSED at 7PM. Thank god for Treana and her Spanish..."The sign at the end of (the very long) driveway says you close at 7pm, it is 6:45 and we walked such a long way" She must have looked in our pathetically weary faces becasue she caved and gave us a tasting. We ended up buying 2 bottles to take back to our hostal that does not allow alcoholic beverages (HA).
Next day we walked around the town and tried to hit all the wineries we could. We were gearing up for a festival that night that was about 35 min away. While eating a snack (and wine) we met a guy (Tim) from San Fran and basically kidnapped him to the festival. We had a wine roady and had a nice ride. FYI this festival did not get started until about 12 midnight. It was filled with locals and the music and food were great. I actaully was a little surprised becasue everyone SAT and listened to the music and I just assumed south Americans would be up and dancing which is what Tim and I did. Yes we did look like "stupid tourists" but what the hell I will never see these ppl again!!
Next day said goodbye to Tim (poor thing had an 8Am bus and we got in about 7AM) and then Treana and I are off to another tour to look at the many rock formations that make this place so special. It was pretty impresive.
Next morning I took a 4Am bus to Uspallata / Punta del Inca and Treana was on her way back to the Salta area. See you soon Treana (we were going to meet up in Ecuador).
Uspallta is a VERY small town near the boader of Argentina and Chile on the was to Santiago. If you find it on google maps you wil see it is surrounded by the desert and then this small patch of green. It has a beautiful valley but that is about it. Also the movie Kyber Pass (never seen it) was filmed here (way back when). Met a great couple from Australia and we found out that the place we were staying in had a bowling lanes. We went bowling until abut 1 am and then soaked in the stars. They were incredible becasue there is nothign surrounding this small paradise.
Punta del Inca is nothing to see at all except if you want to climb the 2nd highest mountain in the world. Which I did not but gazed at it from afar. Then back on a bus to Santiago crossing the boarder...how long did it take to cross the boarder...4hours. Not four hours to cross but 4hrs in a line (on a bus) to cross into Chile. The bus driver actually said that time had improved from the last year...WHAT! What the hell are they doing....ahhh nothing. There are about 5 ppl working both sides. This is a boarder that on a daily basis will see about 7000 ppl. Yep 5 ppl is enough.
Off to Ecuador....
For me Salta was just a place to chill out and not do too much...Went back to the hostel checked out the rooftop bar and met a bunch of people and stayed there for beers and pizza. Next night we saw and awesome Cuban band.
After that we (Treana-a girl I met at the hostal and I) were headed for Cafayate to taste some wine. We booked ourselves into a nice little hostel but little did we know they did NOT allow alcoholic beverages. In a town known for its wine, does that make sense? Sorry but I don´t speak spanish (as we popped the cork to our numerous bottles of wine).
Next day we were off to see their famous waterfall. It said it was a 2km hike...but they forgot to mention that it was just a 2km hike to the beginning of the park after that it was prob a 6+km hike up and down and through the river. After you begin walking a bit and you come to a point where you are actually not sure which way to go a "guide/towny" appears out of nowhere and for a small "fee" will show you the way to the waterfall. As Treana and I discuss we figure we will not be cheated by a 10 yer old (that is how old the guide was) and will just follow a group of ppl...why not. OK so we should have figured as much...duh this is what they have been doing for years upon years becasue NOBODY could have found this waterfall. Tail between our legs we agreed for the "guide" to show us the way. About 20 min before we got to the water fall she passed us off to our brother (all of 8 yrs old). We found out they actually live in the hills of the park. I felt so bad not wanting to give them money for this.
It was WAY more than 6km to this waterfall, was it worth it...Lets just say if it had been a reallly hot day (which it was not) it would have been awesome but it was a great hike!! We had to cross over the river several times and the canyon we passed thrugh wa impressive.
Walking the 2+km back in our flipflops becasue our boots were soaked through we made it to our first winery. So excited to sit and sip a nice glass of wine and possbily some cheese (thinking of CA). CLOSED at 7PM. Thank god for Treana and her Spanish..."The sign at the end of (the very long) driveway says you close at 7pm, it is 6:45 and we walked such a long way" She must have looked in our pathetically weary faces becasue she caved and gave us a tasting. We ended up buying 2 bottles to take back to our hostal that does not allow alcoholic beverages (HA).
Next day we walked around the town and tried to hit all the wineries we could. We were gearing up for a festival that night that was about 35 min away. While eating a snack (and wine) we met a guy (Tim) from San Fran and basically kidnapped him to the festival. We had a wine roady and had a nice ride. FYI this festival did not get started until about 12 midnight. It was filled with locals and the music and food were great. I actaully was a little surprised becasue everyone SAT and listened to the music and I just assumed south Americans would be up and dancing which is what Tim and I did. Yes we did look like "stupid tourists" but what the hell I will never see these ppl again!!
Next day said goodbye to Tim (poor thing had an 8Am bus and we got in about 7AM) and then Treana and I are off to another tour to look at the many rock formations that make this place so special. It was pretty impresive.
Next morning I took a 4Am bus to Uspallata / Punta del Inca and Treana was on her way back to the Salta area. See you soon Treana (we were going to meet up in Ecuador).
Uspallta is a VERY small town near the boader of Argentina and Chile on the was to Santiago. If you find it on google maps you wil see it is surrounded by the desert and then this small patch of green. It has a beautiful valley but that is about it. Also the movie Kyber Pass (never seen it) was filmed here (way back when). Met a great couple from Australia and we found out that the place we were staying in had a bowling lanes. We went bowling until abut 1 am and then soaked in the stars. They were incredible becasue there is nothign surrounding this small paradise.
Punta del Inca is nothing to see at all except if you want to climb the 2nd highest mountain in the world. Which I did not but gazed at it from afar. Then back on a bus to Santiago crossing the boarder...how long did it take to cross the boarder...4hours. Not four hours to cross but 4hrs in a line (on a bus) to cross into Chile. The bus driver actually said that time had improved from the last year...WHAT! What the hell are they doing....ahhh nothing. There are about 5 ppl working both sides. This is a boarder that on a daily basis will see about 7000 ppl. Yep 5 ppl is enough.
Off to Ecuador....
San Pedro Atacama Jan 2-5
I was TOLD by my new chilaen friends that I could not come to Chile and miss San Pedro Atacama, a small desert town in the far North of Chile. It is a touristy town that is surrounded by huge rock formations, salt flats, geisers and salt pools. This is why ppl come here.
It is a touring town so I signed myself up for....tours. My first tour was to see the famous rock formation: Three Marys. As we are pulling up our guide tells us that a couple of years ago someone climbed one of the Marys so it is really only 2 1/2 marys (I could not stop laughing...Gotta love SA tourist towns). A Catholic priest claimed that it is Mary praying in 3 different positions...I don´t see it. Then we are off to watch the "most amazing sunset" on a sand dune. Afterwards our my guide asks me, "wasn´t that one of the best sunsets you have ever seen". It was a nice sunset (I cannot lie)..."It is in my top 30" I said with a smirk. There were 50 other ppl on the same sand dune, ummm no.
Next day was a tour to the geisers. The tour started at 4AM. Driving to the G´s should really only take 45min on a PAVED road but becasue they do not pave the roads here (where everyday tourists go) it took two hours.
These were awesome. They were everywhere and the sounds that they made (Beth-Labyrith...the bog of eternal stench) For breakfast our guide heated up the water, hot chocolate, milk and boiled eggs in a geiser!!! It was yummy. We were the only ones with eggs and the other tours were jealous! My camera dies so I am waiting for my new friends Tom and Caroline to send me there Photos (they were kind enough to take photos of me on their camera!!). Next stop was a dip in the thermal pool. Not very warm but it was fun!!
You tend to meet people on the tours and I was fortunate enough to meet great couple (tom and caroline) and a girl from the Netherlands and we decided to book the last tour together to see their famous lakes. The first lake is full of salt so you essentially float. Okay so all week long it was hot as hell...we are excited to dip ourselves into these lakes. As we are pulling up it becomes cloudy and windy. We get out and we are....COLD! Caroline looks at me and says it is too cold to go in. I say...we are doing this!! We all get in but are so cold becasue the sun has decided to hide. Oh by the way, on the bumpy way over, Carolines husband Tom is reading that it only rains once a year, if at all, in SAN PEDRO. Wouldn´t you know...the day it decides to rain is the day we want it to be hot so we can enjoy these wonderful cool lakes!!. Next lake is 20 min away so we hope the rain will not follow us. At least we were here to expiereince the only rain they have..right?
The last lake is not one you cannot swim in. It is completey covered in salt. It was awsome walking on this...you felt like the great man himself walkin on water. Ended the day with a great dinner and conversation (thanks Caroline and Tom!!)
It is a touring town so I signed myself up for....tours. My first tour was to see the famous rock formation: Three Marys. As we are pulling up our guide tells us that a couple of years ago someone climbed one of the Marys so it is really only 2 1/2 marys (I could not stop laughing...Gotta love SA tourist towns). A Catholic priest claimed that it is Mary praying in 3 different positions...I don´t see it. Then we are off to watch the "most amazing sunset" on a sand dune. Afterwards our my guide asks me, "wasn´t that one of the best sunsets you have ever seen". It was a nice sunset (I cannot lie)..."It is in my top 30" I said with a smirk. There were 50 other ppl on the same sand dune, ummm no.
Next day was a tour to the geisers. The tour started at 4AM. Driving to the G´s should really only take 45min on a PAVED road but becasue they do not pave the roads here (where everyday tourists go) it took two hours.
These were awesome. They were everywhere and the sounds that they made (Beth-Labyrith...the bog of eternal stench) For breakfast our guide heated up the water, hot chocolate, milk and boiled eggs in a geiser!!! It was yummy. We were the only ones with eggs and the other tours were jealous! My camera dies so I am waiting for my new friends Tom and Caroline to send me there Photos (they were kind enough to take photos of me on their camera!!). Next stop was a dip in the thermal pool. Not very warm but it was fun!!
You tend to meet people on the tours and I was fortunate enough to meet great couple (tom and caroline) and a girl from the Netherlands and we decided to book the last tour together to see their famous lakes. The first lake is full of salt so you essentially float. Okay so all week long it was hot as hell...we are excited to dip ourselves into these lakes. As we are pulling up it becomes cloudy and windy. We get out and we are....COLD! Caroline looks at me and says it is too cold to go in. I say...we are doing this!! We all get in but are so cold becasue the sun has decided to hide. Oh by the way, on the bumpy way over, Carolines husband Tom is reading that it only rains once a year, if at all, in SAN PEDRO. Wouldn´t you know...the day it decides to rain is the day we want it to be hot so we can enjoy these wonderful cool lakes!!. Next lake is 20 min away so we hope the rain will not follow us. At least we were here to expiereince the only rain they have..right?
The last lake is not one you cannot swim in. It is completey covered in salt. It was awsome walking on this...you felt like the great man himself walkin on water. Ended the day with a great dinner and conversation (thanks Caroline and Tom!!)
Santiago, Valipariso y Vina del Mar Dec 27- Jan 1
Again an overnight bus into Santiago to meet Javier Molina, whom I have never met but was introduced by a good friend via email (Thanks Polly!!). Over numerous emails he invited me to spend NYE with his family in Valipariso to see the fireworks. The fireworks are supposed to be some of the best in Chile.
It was a whirlwind visit. We hit the ground running with a drive through Vina del Mar and Valiparasio. Valiparasio is made up of tiny little streets that curve around this city that goes up and up. Reminds me a little of San Fran. Javier and I went back and wondered the streets...some great grafiti. Found an awesome resturant to sit for a spell and watch a carnival/parade going through town. Next day his Uncle Jose was showing me around Santiago. Santiago is HUGE. Thank god for Uncle José. He took me all over the city and I don´t think I could have seen so much without him!! He owns a Chinese resturant called Chang Cheng (The Great Wall). Hands down the best wantons and this pineapple juice drink with basil (I Know basil). I had about 6 of them...
NYE was spent with Javiers grandparents (so cute!!) and family. They have a nice place with a huge balcony that overlooks the harbor where the fireworks went off. They were incredible. I do not have pictures because my camera sucks at night and Javier just bought a new camera so(cough) he needs to send some pics to me!! Not only did you see Valipariso fireworks but you saw every town along the coast. Oh at midnight a tradition here is to eat 12 grapes for each month...it is for prosperity (so I ate about 100).
Then the "kids" are off to party. We went to a bar which had a great cuban band but in the back they were playing great 80´s and 90´s pop. I was in heaven, I knew all of the words. Stayed out until about 7AM (gotta love red bull). Jan 1 off to San Pedro Atacama.
It was a whirlwind visit. We hit the ground running with a drive through Vina del Mar and Valiparasio. Valiparasio is made up of tiny little streets that curve around this city that goes up and up. Reminds me a little of San Fran. Javier and I went back and wondered the streets...some great grafiti. Found an awesome resturant to sit for a spell and watch a carnival/parade going through town. Next day his Uncle Jose was showing me around Santiago. Santiago is HUGE. Thank god for Uncle José. He took me all over the city and I don´t think I could have seen so much without him!! He owns a Chinese resturant called Chang Cheng (The Great Wall). Hands down the best wantons and this pineapple juice drink with basil (I Know basil). I had about 6 of them...
NYE was spent with Javiers grandparents (so cute!!) and family. They have a nice place with a huge balcony that overlooks the harbor where the fireworks went off. They were incredible. I do not have pictures because my camera sucks at night and Javier just bought a new camera so(cough) he needs to send some pics to me!! Not only did you see Valipariso fireworks but you saw every town along the coast. Oh at midnight a tradition here is to eat 12 grapes for each month...it is for prosperity (so I ate about 100).
Then the "kids" are off to party. We went to a bar which had a great cuban band but in the back they were playing great 80´s and 90´s pop. I was in heaven, I knew all of the words. Stayed out until about 7AM (gotta love red bull). Jan 1 off to San Pedro Atacama.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Pucon, Chile Dec 23-26, 2008
I arrived in this small but very touristy lake town in Chile. My hostal was right next to the bus station (yuck) but it turned out to be a great place for Christmas.
For Christmas eve I was thinking, hoping they are having a big bash. This is actually the norm in SA. You have a big dinner and open all your gifts on the 24th. However since I was in a hostal full of tourists who celebrate on the 25th, the big party was on the 25th.
So what does one do on Christmas eve day in a lake town with an active volcano (Villarrica)? You climb it! I felt like an explorer with my crampons (ice spikes) and ice ax. It was a straight up climb over ice and volcanic rocks. There was a huge cloud covering it that day (started at 4AM) so essesntially you were walking on top of the clouds. As I reached the top of the volcano I started to feel really sick and my mouth had this funny taste in it. I thought o.m.g altitude sickness but no it was the sulphur fumes from the volcano. Smelled like Judds farts, just like home...Merry Christmas to me! You could only stand the fumes for a little bit so taking pictures was a lil´ difficult. The climb up was extemely hard but the ride down was awesome (and I do mean the ride down). You sat on your butt (they gave you heavy duty butt pads) and slid practically all the way down- It was wild! The day ended at 5PM. I was in bed by 8PM. I am no so glad there was nothing going on this day...
Christmas day was spent on the black sand beach (just like Jersey), no clouds in the sky and I found my christmas present which was an australian vogue that was only two months old! Oh what a day...Our big Christmas dinner began with Pisco Sours (YUM) and then of course CARNE CARNE CARNE. It was a feast. The hostal itself was full of Germans (they are everywhere). Thankfully there was a couple of ppl from England and Australia so we talked in Spanish the whole time, NOT.
Next day I was off to Santiago, Valiparasio y Vina del Mar to spend NYE with the wonderful Javier Molina and his family.
For Christmas eve I was thinking, hoping they are having a big bash. This is actually the norm in SA. You have a big dinner and open all your gifts on the 24th. However since I was in a hostal full of tourists who celebrate on the 25th, the big party was on the 25th.
So what does one do on Christmas eve day in a lake town with an active volcano (Villarrica)? You climb it! I felt like an explorer with my crampons (ice spikes) and ice ax. It was a straight up climb over ice and volcanic rocks. There was a huge cloud covering it that day (started at 4AM) so essesntially you were walking on top of the clouds. As I reached the top of the volcano I started to feel really sick and my mouth had this funny taste in it. I thought o.m.g altitude sickness but no it was the sulphur fumes from the volcano. Smelled like Judds farts, just like home...Merry Christmas to me! You could only stand the fumes for a little bit so taking pictures was a lil´ difficult. The climb up was extemely hard but the ride down was awesome (and I do mean the ride down). You sat on your butt (they gave you heavy duty butt pads) and slid practically all the way down- It was wild! The day ended at 5PM. I was in bed by 8PM. I am no so glad there was nothing going on this day...
Christmas day was spent on the black sand beach (just like Jersey), no clouds in the sky and I found my christmas present which was an australian vogue that was only two months old! Oh what a day...Our big Christmas dinner began with Pisco Sours (YUM) and then of course CARNE CARNE CARNE. It was a feast. The hostal itself was full of Germans (they are everywhere). Thankfully there was a couple of ppl from England and Australia so we talked in Spanish the whole time, NOT.
Next day I was off to Santiago, Valiparasio y Vina del Mar to spend NYE with the wonderful Javier Molina and his family.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Bariloche Dec 19-23, 2008
Bariloche is in the SW of Argentina. They call it the Switzerland of South America, everyone flocks here to ski in the winter, summer it is just a party town and a long time ago someone made chocolate here (they have a factory here that does NOT give out samples if you take the tour, FYI) so now on practiaclly every corner is a chocolatier (YUM). The first hostel which I picked was....ummm NO. So we /Ester and I) went to Hostel 1004. GREAT VIEWS.
Next day we decide to go for a hike but as we are on the bus it begins to downpour so we opt to go to Llau Llau, the "Ritz"of Bariloche. They actually were not letting the "common folk" in the door becasue most of the ppl on our bus had the same idea, but of course if you act like you belong... we strode right in to have a very expensive cup of coffee. Ester said she did not feel comfortable, I was already checking out prices to stay. Mind you it was not a Hostal but it would have done the job ;).
Next day, Ester and I are meeting up with Belle, another girl we met on the famous "Ruta 40" bus. She was actaully staying in the Hostal I picked but soon switched to 1004. Bariloche is also known for its bars so we WERE going to go out and paint the town and wouldn´t you know it the best bar in town is an....Irish bar. One in everytown. To your left are some of those nice Irish boys serving us beers. It started off great then around 2AM it was full of high school kids on summer break and I do mean HS kids partying it up. We tried like hell to find a bar for (cough um, cough) older people but the only one began to get hopping around 4AM. I am too old for this crap. So off to bed which was fine with the group. Next day was nice so we did get that hike in. Couldn´t see much as it was in a bamboo forest but it was a great walk.
Ester for a full 3 days said she wanted to go horseback riding and got the job done. We went on an amazing ride . My horse was always last...this will not due as I spurred him on into a small gallop passing the other ladies and holding on for dear life and thinking what am I doing. WHOA.
For lunch our guide pulls out of his satchel a piece of meat the size of RI, carne you aint kiddin. He makes a fire and we eat it like we haven´t eaten for days. Then of course Siesta. After an hour or so...I am walking to see if anyone else is up and about. Belle is fast asleep and then I hear from a talking bush..."I am done with this siesta...lets go (again say in a Dutch accent)". Seriously I think Ester is a New Yorker. On the way back I am trying to think of any "western" songs I know which are few so we opt for Christmas carols (X mas is a few days away).
Becasue it was close to Christmas the hostal is just full of ppl from all over and a great vibe. Everyone is just hanging out. There are bottles of wine and stories to be shared. Which is what we did most nights. Wonderful. Next day we part (sob)Belle is off to Mendoza, Ester off to Buenos Aires, I am off to Chile.
Next day we decide to go for a hike but as we are on the bus it begins to downpour so we opt to go to Llau Llau, the "Ritz"of Bariloche. They actually were not letting the "common folk" in the door becasue most of the ppl on our bus had the same idea, but of course if you act like you belong... we strode right in to have a very expensive cup of coffee. Ester said she did not feel comfortable, I was already checking out prices to stay. Mind you it was not a Hostal but it would have done the job ;).
Next day, Ester and I are meeting up with Belle, another girl we met on the famous "Ruta 40" bus. She was actaully staying in the Hostal I picked but soon switched to 1004. Bariloche is also known for its bars so we WERE going to go out and paint the town and wouldn´t you know it the best bar in town is an....Irish bar. One in everytown. To your left are some of those nice Irish boys serving us beers. It started off great then around 2AM it was full of high school kids on summer break and I do mean HS kids partying it up. We tried like hell to find a bar for (cough um, cough) older people but the only one began to get hopping around 4AM. I am too old for this crap. So off to bed which was fine with the group. Next day was nice so we did get that hike in. Couldn´t see much as it was in a bamboo forest but it was a great walk.
Ester for a full 3 days said she wanted to go horseback riding and got the job done. We went on an amazing ride . My horse was always last...this will not due as I spurred him on into a small gallop passing the other ladies and holding on for dear life and thinking what am I doing. WHOA.
For lunch our guide pulls out of his satchel a piece of meat the size of RI, carne you aint kiddin. He makes a fire and we eat it like we haven´t eaten for days. Then of course Siesta. After an hour or so...I am walking to see if anyone else is up and about. Belle is fast asleep and then I hear from a talking bush..."I am done with this siesta...lets go (again say in a Dutch accent)". Seriously I think Ester is a New Yorker. On the way back I am trying to think of any "western" songs I know which are few so we opt for Christmas carols (X mas is a few days away).
Becasue it was close to Christmas the hostal is just full of ppl from all over and a great vibe. Everyone is just hanging out. There are bottles of wine and stories to be shared. Which is what we did most nights. Wonderful. Next day we part (sob)Belle is off to Mendoza, Ester off to Buenos Aires, I am off to Chile.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
El Bolsen Dec16-19,2008
From El Chalten to Bariloche it is 24hrs on a bus. We actually stopped half way in a town called Perito Moreno and yet this is not where near the actual "Perito Moreno" Glacier is...gotta love it. People actually go here thinking they will see this glacier and are obviously disappointed. To get to Bariloche you can take Ruta 40. For some reason this ruta is famous and I am still not sure why. There is NOTHING on this road. Even the scenery said, "what the hell are you looking at?" However there was the occasional armadillo (which i did not see becasue they were so tiny) So often I used my wonderful imagination to change a rock on the side of the road into one. I got a couple of ppl on the bus that way (he he).
I sat next to this guy named Dan. Dan the dud as I grew to call him (and then later the paper stealer). I thought we would hit it off becasue I asked where he was from and he said San Fran and I said where and he said San Carlos and I said my sister used to live there. That was the end of it, no more talk from him. I asked Dan if I could read his paper and he said yes but, "I need it back because I made some notes" Okay dud(e). He underlined words like Beer, and cool and crazy, and young (he was 42). Okay those are some crazy notes, dud. I kind of made fun of him which is maybe why he did not really want to talk with me...hmmmm. I think Dan wanted to be mysterious on the bus...whatever.
What was great about this boring bus ride was the music being played. One of our bus drivers looked really rough and mean (could have not been farther from the truth) but he popped in his favorite CD. First song I sh&t you not was "I had the time of my life" yes Dirty dancing. Gets better, Like a prayer, girls just want to have fun, and then later a lil G&R, (I can´t think of anymore but they were good - Esther help me out!). Esther is the woman who was sitting in front of me and we we were laughing so hard and everytime we got off the bus for a break a new song would come on Esther would start dancing. It broke up the very boring bus ride.
I decided to get off at a town not far from Bariloche called El Bolsen. It is supposed to be this hippy town where they make jams and granola and crafts etc...why not. Esther who was now my bus mate got off as well. Ester picked a great hostal. El Pueblo (the girl who worked here=Sky (of course) worked in a Hostel in San fran). So as we are deciding what we will do the next day Ester reads about parachuting off a mountain...."yes we will do this I think" - She is from the Netherlands so you must say this in a Dutch/English accent. I said why not. I believe fate brings ppl in and out of your lives for a reason, not sure this is a good thing but you only live once! Sign me up.
IT WAS AWESOME. I honestly thought the ride up in the taxi was more dangerous. The jump was great. We were up there for about 25min and I was actually getting a little bored (yes those who know me are not surprised) and I told my guide this with a fake yawn. Should not have done that...he said "Listo" (ready). For what don´t know so I said Si. We do several spirals descending and I nearly lost my stomach. That was the BEST rollercoaster ride I have ever been on. Then he said are you still tired. Ahh No sir, check please. Esther...Thank you!
Next day we have a jam packed day. There is an open air market that begins at 10am and then we are going on a bike ride to see some waterfalls. We get our bikes and are out the door on time. What were we thinking. It is South America AND they are hippies. The market did not really get started until 11:30am. Whatever we had some coffee. After the market we set off on our bike trip. We got the map from our hostal. "sure, sure you can do a loop, pick up the trail here, yep bikes are no problem on this." Please remeber this sentence. First part was the Indian head. Looked more like a baby crying. Hopefully this was not sacred ground becasue of the picture to your left. Somehow with the way the day ended up I think it may have been (foreshadowing). Then there was a big sign that said Waterfalls this way, so natually we take this route. Somewhere we made a wrong turn. I am going to blame Ester on this becasue I was holding on for dear life. Bikes and I really do not get along especially on a really rocky road. We end up on a horse trail. How do I know this becasue as we are riding down a very narrow path I hear Esther yell "S#$T" and then I say "WHAT?" as I feel a warm sensation all over my leg..yes I just rode through horse pooh. You ask why I did not see it well perhaps it was becasue of the rose bushes scratching my face and arms and me holding on for dear life as we rode down a very small path where a small swerve would end your life. Suddenly a guacho shows up out of nowhere and tells us, "les pierden" (You are lost). So now that we have just takin these F&%$ing bikes up a mountain we have to back track. Ah yes we did miss the TINYEST arrow telling us which way to go which in the end was also NOT for bikes. When we finally did reach the waterfall we both gave a sigh that said...so thats it. Huh. We practically laid down on the ROCKY road home for this pick up truck to give us a ride to our Hostal. Whoever you are I thank you!
Off to Bariloche.
I sat next to this guy named Dan. Dan the dud as I grew to call him (and then later the paper stealer). I thought we would hit it off becasue I asked where he was from and he said San Fran and I said where and he said San Carlos and I said my sister used to live there. That was the end of it, no more talk from him. I asked Dan if I could read his paper and he said yes but, "I need it back because I made some notes" Okay dud(e). He underlined words like Beer, and cool and crazy, and young (he was 42). Okay those are some crazy notes, dud. I kind of made fun of him which is maybe why he did not really want to talk with me...hmmmm. I think Dan wanted to be mysterious on the bus...whatever.
What was great about this boring bus ride was the music being played. One of our bus drivers looked really rough and mean (could have not been farther from the truth) but he popped in his favorite CD. First song I sh&t you not was "I had the time of my life" yes Dirty dancing. Gets better, Like a prayer, girls just want to have fun, and then later a lil G&R, (I can´t think of anymore but they were good - Esther help me out!). Esther is the woman who was sitting in front of me and we we were laughing so hard and everytime we got off the bus for a break a new song would come on Esther would start dancing. It broke up the very boring bus ride.
I decided to get off at a town not far from Bariloche called El Bolsen. It is supposed to be this hippy town where they make jams and granola and crafts etc...why not. Esther who was now my bus mate got off as well. Ester picked a great hostal. El Pueblo (the girl who worked here=Sky (of course) worked in a Hostel in San fran). So as we are deciding what we will do the next day Ester reads about parachuting off a mountain...."yes we will do this I think" - She is from the Netherlands so you must say this in a Dutch/English accent. I said why not. I believe fate brings ppl in and out of your lives for a reason, not sure this is a good thing but you only live once! Sign me up.
IT WAS AWESOME. I honestly thought the ride up in the taxi was more dangerous. The jump was great. We were up there for about 25min and I was actually getting a little bored (yes those who know me are not surprised) and I told my guide this with a fake yawn. Should not have done that...he said "Listo" (ready). For what don´t know so I said Si. We do several spirals descending and I nearly lost my stomach. That was the BEST rollercoaster ride I have ever been on. Then he said are you still tired. Ahh No sir, check please. Esther...Thank you!
Next day we have a jam packed day. There is an open air market that begins at 10am and then we are going on a bike ride to see some waterfalls. We get our bikes and are out the door on time. What were we thinking. It is South America AND they are hippies. The market did not really get started until 11:30am. Whatever we had some coffee. After the market we set off on our bike trip. We got the map from our hostal. "sure, sure you can do a loop, pick up the trail here, yep bikes are no problem on this." Please remeber this sentence. First part was the Indian head. Looked more like a baby crying. Hopefully this was not sacred ground becasue of the picture to your left. Somehow with the way the day ended up I think it may have been (foreshadowing). Then there was a big sign that said Waterfalls this way, so natually we take this route. Somewhere we made a wrong turn. I am going to blame Ester on this becasue I was holding on for dear life. Bikes and I really do not get along especially on a really rocky road. We end up on a horse trail. How do I know this becasue as we are riding down a very narrow path I hear Esther yell "S#$T" and then I say "WHAT?" as I feel a warm sensation all over my leg..yes I just rode through horse pooh. You ask why I did not see it well perhaps it was becasue of the rose bushes scratching my face and arms and me holding on for dear life as we rode down a very small path where a small swerve would end your life. Suddenly a guacho shows up out of nowhere and tells us, "les pierden" (You are lost). So now that we have just takin these F&%$ing bikes up a mountain we have to back track. Ah yes we did miss the TINYEST arrow telling us which way to go which in the end was also NOT for bikes. When we finally did reach the waterfall we both gave a sigh that said...so thats it. Huh. We practically laid down on the ROCKY road home for this pick up truck to give us a ride to our Hostal. Whoever you are I thank you!
Off to Bariloche.
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