Thanks to Avianca airlines screwing up our connection, we ended up in Madrid, Espana. Since we came back in the midst of tourist season, we could not get a train to France for 3 days.
Luck has it that Greg and I have had 6 months of training for the ¨unexpected¨ and we took it like champions.
We should send a thank you note to Avianca cause we loved our visit to Madrid and even made a day trip out to beautiful Toledo. It was an amazing way to end our neverending vacation.
We are now in Barcelona, awaiting our train to France tomorrow am...with no battery left in the camera and no clean undewear...but blissfully happy being back in our comfort land of good cheese, wine and jamon serrano.
Next stop: Montpellier, France. HOME!
PS I will keep posting pics of the end of the trip- sometime next week.
PPS Hope to catch up with everyone at the wedding!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Cartagena....
Romantic, relaxing and hot!
Last stop in our trip.....made the best of the last few days of our trip visiting museums, beaches and amazing restos.
Pics to come....
Last stop in our trip.....made the best of the last few days of our trip visiting museums, beaches and amazing restos.
Pics to come....
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Finding Island Mucura
Other travelers we met spoke of Isla Mucura as paradise on earth. Lobsters come out of the locals ears, the beaches are filled with soft white sand, water in colors of blue you could never imagine. And there are no tourists.
After a 6 hour bus ride (we missed our stop) and one night in a random village, we arrived to the island looking for Wilbert.
Wilbert and Lina put us up in a basic hut riding high on stilts next to the sea. We stayed 3 days in quiet paradise, enjoying the small isolated beach, snorkeling and eating fresh fish. The sounds of the sea lulled us to sleep at night.
It was a perfect place to enjoy the warm carribean waters and relax.
After a 6 hour bus ride (we missed our stop) and one night in a random village, we arrived to the island looking for Wilbert.
Wilbert and Lina put us up in a basic hut riding high on stilts next to the sea. We stayed 3 days in quiet paradise, enjoying the small isolated beach, snorkeling and eating fresh fish. The sounds of the sea lulled us to sleep at night.
It was a perfect place to enjoy the warm carribean waters and relax.
Taganga Loving
Taganga was by far our favorite spot in Colombia, mainly for all the things there is to do there (I joke). We dived every morning for 6 days, had lunch and passed the afternoons at the beach. Such a busy day. We were in fact so busy that we stayed 12 days.
We wandered Taganga on our daily routines, getting to know the people in the community, eating at our favorite restauraunts and drinking a minimum of 1 fresh fruit juice a day. Our airy hotel room overlooked the village and the football field that was it´s pumping heart.
Our diving expereince was exceptional. We chose a small dive shop called Vida Marina to do both our open water and advanced Padi certifications. The dive masters were professional and all but 1 is a marine biologist. Our instructors made us feel safe, comfortable and made sure we had fun in the water. By the end of 6 days we had done 12 dives, including a dive at 110 feet, a shipwreck dive and a night dive.
We loved Taganga. The laid back vibe and sense of community we felt there was relaxing. We made new friends, had a couple good parties, a few filet mignons and left fat, well rested and happy.
Taganga is:
The stillness of the bay, with the sun shining down showing off it´s brilliant blues.
The soft sway of fishing boats at the edges of lapping waters.
Sounds of Colombian music mixed with the sweet smell of salt.
Finally, we forced ourselves to move on and spent 2 days in the Parque National Tayrona, this time on the beaches. Diving, we had already been exploring the reefs of the national park. In the park we slept in hammocks and swam in blue waters.
Now it was time to head south.
We wandered Taganga on our daily routines, getting to know the people in the community, eating at our favorite restauraunts and drinking a minimum of 1 fresh fruit juice a day. Our airy hotel room overlooked the village and the football field that was it´s pumping heart.
Our diving expereince was exceptional. We chose a small dive shop called Vida Marina to do both our open water and advanced Padi certifications. The dive masters were professional and all but 1 is a marine biologist. Our instructors made us feel safe, comfortable and made sure we had fun in the water. By the end of 6 days we had done 12 dives, including a dive at 110 feet, a shipwreck dive and a night dive.
We loved Taganga. The laid back vibe and sense of community we felt there was relaxing. We made new friends, had a couple good parties, a few filet mignons and left fat, well rested and happy.
Taganga is:
The stillness of the bay, with the sun shining down showing off it´s brilliant blues.
The soft sway of fishing boats at the edges of lapping waters.
Sounds of Colombian music mixed with the sweet smell of salt.
Finally, we forced ourselves to move on and spent 2 days in the Parque National Tayrona, this time on the beaches. Diving, we had already been exploring the reefs of the national park. In the park we slept in hammocks and swam in blue waters.
Now it was time to head south.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Fishing in Taganga
We arrived to the fishing village of Taganga, 5 kilometers from Santa Marta, around 9am. Sun, sand and carribean waters!
We took off a day later with local fisherman to practice our skills learned fishing in the amazon. Turns out you dont even need a pole to catch fish. =) We just tossed in a line with some fish on the end and viola! We hooked plenty.
People in Taganga do not go hungry- there is a mountain of fish and the fisherman told us that what we caught was normal, if not on the smaller side.
People in Taganga do not go hungry- there is a mountain of fish and the fisherman told us that what we caught was normal, if not on the smaller side.After we spent the morning and most of the afternoon fishing we stopped off at a coral reef to snorkel and swim. Then we headed to the village to find someone to cook us some fish! We ate our catch with a view of the sea. We gave most of the catch to the local fisherman and kept 5 different types in the freezer for a fish party later this weekend.
12 hours in a refrigerated truck
The 12 hour bus ride from San Gil to Santa Marta took 10 years off my life.
Colombian´s are wonderful torturers and have many different methods I have not yet seen in my young adult life. Like putting the air conditioning on max when it is around 95F outside. Or having a transistor radio blasting for 12 hours, kinda like being in a tour bus but without all the useful tidbits of information. I will not forget the torture of going 80 kilometers and hour around curvy roads with the driver taking into deep consideration that once you are in a comfortable position he simply could not let you stay that way.
We arrived to Santa Marta red eyed and cranky. I swore to the universe and my god that would be my last overnight bus of this trip. Thankfully it will.
Colombian´s are wonderful torturers and have many different methods I have not yet seen in my young adult life. Like putting the air conditioning on max when it is around 95F outside. Or having a transistor radio blasting for 12 hours, kinda like being in a tour bus but without all the useful tidbits of information. I will not forget the torture of going 80 kilometers and hour around curvy roads with the driver taking into deep consideration that once you are in a comfortable position he simply could not let you stay that way.
We arrived to Santa Marta red eyed and cranky. I swore to the universe and my god that would be my last overnight bus of this trip. Thankfully it will.
It´s Like Eating Ants
After one more day in Bogota (to visit the amazing Botero exhibit!) we headed north to Villa de Leyba, a small colonial village. 
Cuy (Guinea Pig) betting in Bogota. Guess which plastic hut the pig will end up in!
Villa de Leyba is sleepy and relaxing, with cobblestone streets and friendly locals. There is tons of hiking around the area but we got rained out and opted for afternoon naps instead.
2 days later and a 5 hour bus ride north took us to San Gil, the adventure capital of Colombia- that is if you are ready to fork over thousands of pesos. We decided instead to pay 4 bucks to get into the local park and make our own adventure. 
The next day, while waiting for our night bus, we took a short ride to the national monument village of Barichara. Say that fast 3 times, it´s fun. Barichara was an excellent place to wander, with beautiful scenery and colonial architecture. Even in the rain it was fun to spend a few hours exploring the town.
We also tried the local cuisine, hormigas tostadas. Fat butted, herb eating ants that are toasted and salted. After paying 10,000 pesos for a jar (that is about 5 bucks) we decided- they taste just like eating ants.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Manizales, Colombia
5-29-09
After crepes and a bottle of wine we kicked off our first night in Manizales at a club- where we shared a little table with our little bottle of potent anis flavored Aguardiente. We smiled as friendly Colombians came over to chat with us and offer timbal lessons, which none of us completly succeeded in tapping with just enough emotion. Then we gaped at the dancers, as even the chubby men swayed just perfectly to the music. I think dancing is something you are born with in this country.
The highlight for us was when the police stormed the place, shut down the music and made the men gather in the middle of the dance floor to be searched. Elodie and I could not stop laughing (maybe it was the aguardiente) and had to bite our lips because we could see by the looks the police were giving us, this was not a laughing matter. It was just too stereotypial Colombia to be taken seriously. When the police felt they had installed enough fear, they stormed out and the party resumed within seconds, as if nothing had happened. Alrighty then.
The next day we took off in taxi, bus and another bus to Guayabal where we wanted to tour a coffee hacienda. It turned out to be a fantastic tour- well organized and we learned about Colombian methods of growing.
It is a beautiful hacienda and well worth the entire trip to Manizales. http://www.haciendaguayabal.com/
After the tour, they served us an elegant lunch in the main house and we chatted about Presidente Uribe and the FARC with a Colombiano in our group.
In the past 7 years Colombia has just opened up to tourism. It is because of Uribes strict security measures that tourists can even be in the country. Colombianos themselves were not safe traveling before then. It is apparent in Manizales, a wonderful place to visit, that they are just getting set up for tourism. Taxi drivers do not even know where the only 2 hostels in the city are located.
Our last day was spent in combat playing paintball in the local park. That night we taxied it up to a thermal bath and enjoyed our last night with Elodie and Paul.
The next day it was back to Bogota to check out the Botero museum and then off to Villa de Leyba, making our way north to the carribean coast.
After crepes and a bottle of wine we kicked off our first night in Manizales at a club- where we shared a little table with our little bottle of potent anis flavored Aguardiente. We smiled as friendly Colombians came over to chat with us and offer timbal lessons, which none of us completly succeeded in tapping with just enough emotion. Then we gaped at the dancers, as even the chubby men swayed just perfectly to the music. I think dancing is something you are born with in this country.
The highlight for us was when the police stormed the place, shut down the music and made the men gather in the middle of the dance floor to be searched. Elodie and I could not stop laughing (maybe it was the aguardiente) and had to bite our lips because we could see by the looks the police were giving us, this was not a laughing matter. It was just too stereotypial Colombia to be taken seriously. When the police felt they had installed enough fear, they stormed out and the party resumed within seconds, as if nothing had happened. Alrighty then.
The next day we took off in taxi, bus and another bus to Guayabal where we wanted to tour a coffee hacienda. It turned out to be a fantastic tour- well organized and we learned about Colombian methods of growing.
It is a beautiful hacienda and well worth the entire trip to Manizales. http://www.haciendaguayabal.com/
After the tour, they served us an elegant lunch in the main house and we chatted about Presidente Uribe and the FARC with a Colombiano in our group.
In the past 7 years Colombia has just opened up to tourism. It is because of Uribes strict security measures that tourists can even be in the country. Colombianos themselves were not safe traveling before then. It is apparent in Manizales, a wonderful place to visit, that they are just getting set up for tourism. Taxi drivers do not even know where the only 2 hostels in the city are located.
Our last day was spent in combat playing paintball in the local park. That night we taxied it up to a thermal bath and enjoyed our last night with Elodie and Paul.
The next day it was back to Bogota to check out the Botero museum and then off to Villa de Leyba, making our way north to the carribean coast.
Bogota, Colombia
5-27-09
We arrived at dusk, with dimming views of the cordillera oriental that borders the immense city of Bogota.
Our friends who we traveled with in Uyuni, Bolivia were also in Bogota (pure universal coincidence), we met up and decided to leave the next night with them to the cafetera region. But that still left one full day to explore Bogota.
The four of us wandered around la Candelaria and historic Bogota, passing through the immense Plaza Bolivar, the catedral and around the Presidential Palace. We were stoped various times by military police who had a look in our bags. There were parts of the sidewalk you could not walk on. As we passed the gates where cars shuttle through, we witnessed a car being inspected. They had mirrors to look under the car and 2 dogs circled the car- I was too intimidated to take a picture, it was unreal to me. It was suffucating to be around so many military police with arms tightly around cold machine guns.
After lunch at the famous fast food restauraunt, El Corral (yes, better than McDonalds), we took the Teleferico up to Monserrate and breathed in amazing views of Bogota.
It was fun to be with friends again- after seeing strangers day after day. That night we climbed into our first Colombian bus and headed off on our 8 hour journey to Manizales.
We arrived at dusk, with dimming views of the cordillera oriental that borders the immense city of Bogota.
Our friends who we traveled with in Uyuni, Bolivia were also in Bogota (pure universal coincidence), we met up and decided to leave the next night with them to the cafetera region. But that still left one full day to explore Bogota.
The four of us wandered around la Candelaria and historic Bogota, passing through the immense Plaza Bolivar, the catedral and around the Presidential Palace. We were stoped various times by military police who had a look in our bags. There were parts of the sidewalk you could not walk on. As we passed the gates where cars shuttle through, we witnessed a car being inspected. They had mirrors to look under the car and 2 dogs circled the car- I was too intimidated to take a picture, it was unreal to me. It was suffucating to be around so many military police with arms tightly around cold machine guns.
After lunch at the famous fast food restauraunt, El Corral (yes, better than McDonalds), we took the Teleferico up to Monserrate and breathed in amazing views of Bogota.
It was fun to be with friends again- after seeing strangers day after day. That night we climbed into our first Colombian bus and headed off on our 8 hour journey to Manizales.
What have we been up to the past month?
Apologies, fell off the grid for a month. We made our way from northern Peru, back down to the south and up to Colombia, all in a span of 2 weeks.
After our 4 days in the jungle, we returned to the city of Iquitos for a few days where we relaxed, ate some good food and made new friends. We returned to the jungle a few days later to stay with a shaman at a healing center. It was here we drank a medicinal plant called Ayahuasca:
Ayahuasca is considered by many of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon to be the Mother of All Medicines. The medicine reaches deep into the body’s systems and cleanses and energizes. It often provides a powerful kinesthetic and visionary journey and opens the mind and body to information pertinent to your life awareness. Most come away with a life altering experience.
It was a life altering experience and a deeply personal one. Please let Greg or I know if you want to know more, we are happy to share our personal adventure.
Picture with the shamans at the Refugio del Altiplano
Arriving back in Iquitos after another 3 days in the jungle, we flew to Tarapoto, northern Peru. (The only way out of Iquitos is on a plane or a boat). In Tarapoto we learned that Gregs grandmother was very ill and was in the hospital. We decided to cancel our final leg of Peru, which would have us far away from secure internet and phone connections. We left the next day for Lima.
Over the next couple days, staying in close contact with Lille, we found that Gregs Mamy was improving and sent back home. Also during this time, I found out that my grandmother was also in the hospital. By the end of the week, to our great relief, both our grandmothers were back at home and recovering.
We are grateful.
Since we were by an international airport and wanted to stay out of rural Peru - we pushed up our arrival to Colombia. Next stop, Bogota.
After our 4 days in the jungle, we returned to the city of Iquitos for a few days where we relaxed, ate some good food and made new friends. We returned to the jungle a few days later to stay with a shaman at a healing center. It was here we drank a medicinal plant called Ayahuasca:
Ayahuasca is considered by many of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon to be the Mother of All Medicines. The medicine reaches deep into the body’s systems and cleanses and energizes. It often provides a powerful kinesthetic and visionary journey and opens the mind and body to information pertinent to your life awareness. Most come away with a life altering experience.
It was a life altering experience and a deeply personal one. Please let Greg or I know if you want to know more, we are happy to share our personal adventure.
Picture with the shamans at the Refugio del AltiplanoArriving back in Iquitos after another 3 days in the jungle, we flew to Tarapoto, northern Peru. (The only way out of Iquitos is on a plane or a boat). In Tarapoto we learned that Gregs grandmother was very ill and was in the hospital. We decided to cancel our final leg of Peru, which would have us far away from secure internet and phone connections. We left the next day for Lima.
Over the next couple days, staying in close contact with Lille, we found that Gregs Mamy was improving and sent back home. Also during this time, I found out that my grandmother was also in the hospital. By the end of the week, to our great relief, both our grandmothers were back at home and recovering.
We are grateful.
Since we were by an international airport and wanted to stay out of rural Peru - we pushed up our arrival to Colombia. Next stop, Bogota.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
C'est le Pérou
Je suis bien content d'avoir visité le Perou. C'est magnifique, les paysages sont très divers, les gens sont sympathiques, la cuisine est très bonne.
Cuzco est une belle ville, même si c'est aussi le ghetto des touristes. Le chemin de l'Inca et le Machu Pichu etait fantastique. Je considérais que la visite du Machu Pichu etait l'un des grands moment du voyage et je n'ai pas été déçu.
Cuzco est une belle ville, même si c'est aussi le ghetto des touristes. Le chemin de l'Inca et le Machu Pichu etait fantastique. Je considérais que la visite du Machu Pichu etait l'un des grands moment du voyage et je n'ai pas été déçu.
On a vu les lignes de Nazca. Ces lignes représentent des formes qui ne peuvent être vu que du ciel. La civilisation pre-Inca qui a dessiné ces lignes, n'avait évidemment pas d'avion, ce n'était donc pas pour leur plaisir, mais pour celui des Dieux.
L'oasis dans le désert près de Ica. On a fait du surf dans le sable. Un mec complètement taré nous a conduit dans son buggy a fond la caisse dans le désert. Excellent!
L'experience de la jungle a Iquitos etait grandiose. On a vu plein de d'animaux, j'ai grimpe le long des lianes, conduit la barque a moteur dans la jungle inondee, nagé au milieu des serpents et autres anacondas, bataillé avec des singes a tete rouge.
On a passe 2 jours avec un Shaman en plein milieu de la jungle. La, on a rencontré l'esprit de la foret, et il nous a raconté plein de choses qu'on ne peut pas répéter.
Je me disais que j'allais péter les plombs a cause des moustiques dans la jungle, en fait, c'est pas ca le probleme, c'est les mouches prehistoriques qui piquent, elles s'en foutent de la creme anti-insecte qui tue.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Iquitos, Peru
5-10-09
Getting off the plane and right into a taxi..........we were bombarded with mototaxis, motorcycles, scooters, open air buses. We seemed to be the only car on the road. And actually, that was our only car ride in Iquitos.
Our taxi driver immediatly funneled us into a jungle lodge sales trap. That was fun. We barely had time to get settled into our room before 3 men arrived downstairs to talk to us about their fabulous jungle lodge, and weren´t we lucky, the boss was there himself. Greg and I rolled our eyes as he offered to take us to his office but our grimaces turned to grins as he offered up his motorcycle as a means to get there.
Greg grabbed the bike (and me) and off we went into a sea of motorcycles and mototaxis, with no helmet and flipflops (sorry Dad!). It was really fun, although the ride lasted about 6 minutes.
After some negotiating we decided to go with this guy to his jugle lodge (not always the best move to pick the first giy who comes along). But the price was good and we would have our own guide.
We ate lunch at an american expats´ restaurant, fried aligator and BBQ ribs (he came from Texas 30 years ago for the oil in the region). After lunch we wandered through the dead streets as it was Sunday and Mothers Day, everything was closed. It didnt matter though, the jungle was already relaxing us.
The next day we were surprised to find 3 Peruvians arrive on time to take us to the lodge. We had to travel by car for 1 hour and then by boat for 1 hour to arrive. We took off with our guide, Mike (or May as they say) and arrived for lunch at the lodge.
After lunch we took off on our first adventure, and everyday we had amazing expereinces! A few of the highlights were:
- Holding a sloth
- Iguana spotting
- Pirahna fishing
- Monkeys on our boats
- Swimming in the amazon with pink dolphins
- Climbing tarzan trees
- Taratulas
- Ant watching
- Putting out hands in a termite nest, they are a natural mosquito repellent
The scenery is wonderful, the cloud breathtaking and the noises enchanting. The smells take you away and gliding over the glassy water offers peace and tranquility. The night sounds lull you to sleep and the rain cools the air. La selva es magica.
The jungle is truly a special place and not as scary as one thinks. There is a reality to it all and nothing like the movies.
Getting off the plane and right into a taxi..........we were bombarded with mototaxis, motorcycles, scooters, open air buses. We seemed to be the only car on the road. And actually, that was our only car ride in Iquitos.
Our taxi driver immediatly funneled us into a jungle lodge sales trap. That was fun. We barely had time to get settled into our room before 3 men arrived downstairs to talk to us about their fabulous jungle lodge, and weren´t we lucky, the boss was there himself. Greg and I rolled our eyes as he offered to take us to his office but our grimaces turned to grins as he offered up his motorcycle as a means to get there.
Greg grabbed the bike (and me) and off we went into a sea of motorcycles and mototaxis, with no helmet and flipflops (sorry Dad!). It was really fun, although the ride lasted about 6 minutes.
After some negotiating we decided to go with this guy to his jugle lodge (not always the best move to pick the first giy who comes along). But the price was good and we would have our own guide.
We ate lunch at an american expats´ restaurant, fried aligator and BBQ ribs (he came from Texas 30 years ago for the oil in the region). After lunch we wandered through the dead streets as it was Sunday and Mothers Day, everything was closed. It didnt matter though, the jungle was already relaxing us.
The next day we were surprised to find 3 Peruvians arrive on time to take us to the lodge. We had to travel by car for 1 hour and then by boat for 1 hour to arrive. We took off with our guide, Mike (or May as they say) and arrived for lunch at the lodge.
After lunch we took off on our first adventure, and everyday we had amazing expereinces! A few of the highlights were:
- Holding a sloth
- Iguana spotting
- Pirahna fishing
- Monkeys on our boats
- Swimming in the amazon with pink dolphins
- Climbing tarzan trees
- Taratulas
- Ant watching
- Putting out hands in a termite nest, they are a natural mosquito repellent
The scenery is wonderful, the cloud breathtaking and the noises enchanting. The smells take you away and gliding over the glassy water offers peace and tranquility. The night sounds lull you to sleep and the rain cools the air. La selva es magica.
The jungle is truly a special place and not as scary as one thinks. There is a reality to it all and nothing like the movies.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Lima
5-6-09
¨What a mess¨, was all we thought entering the city from the south. There was traffic, smog, pressing amounts of noise and brown seemed to be the reoccuring color.
We were arriving from Hucachina, a small desert oasis, where we spent a few blissful days relaxing in the sun, enjoying a rollercoasterish dune buggy ride, sandboarding and hanging out with new friends.
Lima promised find gourmet food- all travelers we have met say Lima is where it is at for food in South America.
After we found a place to drop the backpacks, we took a taxi to find some sushi. It was expensive and disspointing, so we had a sandwich after. =)
Lima is a hige city and the wealthy areas look stragely like Los Angeles, old LA that is. I kept tripping out over how much it was like the US. There was even a Whole Foods type store, which we wandered around in just looking. Since we were covered by a thick gloomy fog, we spent our time eating, sleeping, walking and we watched the new Star Trek in the theatre. It was not our most exotic stop thusfar.
But I did get to eat good sushi! Twice=)
¨What a mess¨, was all we thought entering the city from the south. There was traffic, smog, pressing amounts of noise and brown seemed to be the reoccuring color.
We were arriving from Hucachina, a small desert oasis, where we spent a few blissful days relaxing in the sun, enjoying a rollercoasterish dune buggy ride, sandboarding and hanging out with new friends.
Lima promised find gourmet food- all travelers we have met say Lima is where it is at for food in South America.
After we found a place to drop the backpacks, we took a taxi to find some sushi. It was expensive and disspointing, so we had a sandwich after. =)
Lima is a hige city and the wealthy areas look stragely like Los Angeles, old LA that is. I kept tripping out over how much it was like the US. There was even a Whole Foods type store, which we wandered around in just looking. Since we were covered by a thick gloomy fog, we spent our time eating, sleeping, walking and we watched the new Star Trek in the theatre. It was not our most exotic stop thusfar.
But I did get to eat good sushi! Twice=)
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Updates soon
Greg and I have been jumping around quite a bit since we arived in Peru.....
Machu Picchu!
Colca Canyon, near Arequipa.
Cusco
4 day Inka Trek.....to Machu Picchu!
back to Cusco...overnight stay by the Templo de la Luna outside of the city
Long bus to Arequipa..yawn
Another long bus to Cabanaconde and a wonderful 3 days down in the Colca Canyon
Back to Arequipa
Off to Nazca....another long, overnight bus
We are loving Peru, the people, the food and the scenery.
Promise to get pics and updates online soon. We are hoping for a good internet connection in Lima...and there are also rumors of good sushi in Lima.
Here are some highlights!
Machu Picchu! Colca Canyon, near Arequipa. Speaking donkey
More soon....much love to all our friends and family.
More soon....much love to all our friends and family.Saturday, April 18, 2009
Magical Lake Titicaca
Greg and I spent 3 days around Lake Titicaca, one of the highest navigable lakes in the world.
We took a small boat to Isla del Sol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_del_Sol), hiked from the north to the south and stayed the night in a room that overlooked the beautiful lake. It truly is a magical place and the fresh air cleared our heads from the smog in La Paz.
After a short boat ride back to land, we ran to a bus filled with tourists and offically ended our 1 month and 3 day stay in Bolivia. I passed through customs with a smile but Greg was left behind with Bolivian hands in his pockets.
We joyously crossed the border by foot, exchanged our Bolivianos for Soles and made our way into Peru.
Next stop Cusco!
We took a small boat to Isla del Sol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_del_Sol), hiked from the north to the south and stayed the night in a room that overlooked the beautiful lake. It truly is a magical place and the fresh air cleared our heads from the smog in La Paz.
After a short boat ride back to land, we ran to a bus filled with tourists and offically ended our 1 month and 3 day stay in Bolivia. I passed through customs with a smile but Greg was left behind with Bolivian hands in his pockets.
We joyously crossed the border by foot, exchanged our Bolivianos for Soles and made our way into Peru.
Next stop Cusco!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Now that we are in Peru, let's summarize Bolivia
We came in Bolivia with great expectations,we liked Evo Morales, the scenery is fantastic...
The first look at La Paz is surreal, it is a huge brown city in the middle of the mountains.
The way people are driving is our big problem here. Car drivers would not stop for a pedestrian. So, it is always a sort of adventure to cross a street.
The food is a good surprise! We were told that in Bolivia, it is rice and bean everyday, with an egg on Sundays. That cannot be more wrong. First of all, we never had beans, and the food was very good, even on treks. In La Paz, there is an excellent restaurant named ¨La Comedie¨, the owner, Bernard, is a french expatriate who has no will to come back to France, loves to live in Bolivia and makes good food.
The first look at La Paz is surreal, it is a huge brown city in the middle of the mountains.
The way people are driving is our big problem here. Car drivers would not stop for a pedestrian. So, it is always a sort of adventure to cross a street.The food is a good surprise! We were told that in Bolivia, it is rice and bean everyday, with an egg on Sundays. That cannot be more wrong. First of all, we never had beans, and the food was very good, even on treks. In La Paz, there is an excellent restaurant named ¨La Comedie¨, the owner, Bernard, is a french expatriate who has no will to come back to France, loves to live in Bolivia and makes good food.
The people in La Paz appeared to us as timid and distant. We did not feel that in Cochabamba for example, we were told that it is common for the people from the altiplano.
Our experience as volonteers in the CAICC was great. I am glad we did that because we had a real, warm contact with Bolivians.
The Salar de Uyuni is spectacular! We were with 2 frenchs on a world tour, Elo and Paulo, http://www.aufeuagauche.com/
Potosi was our next stop. It is famous for its silver mines. We discovered the way of life of a Bolivian miner, chewing coca, drinking a 90% alcool, smoking non-filtered cigarrette, and using dynamite instead of having lunch. Surprisingly, I do not fill the job requirement to be a miner, I am too tall, "c'est la vie!".
We finished Bolivia with the Lake Titicaca, I felt impressed when I saw this huge lake so high in the mountain. The little hike we did on the Isla del sol was beautiful.
Heading to Peru, the Bolivian customs succeded in extorquing 40 Bolivianos to me because I stayed 3 days too much. I gave them a kiss and say goodbye.
Now we are in Peru, some other great adventures are ahead of us...
Mine Crawling
Along with our new friends Paul and Elody, we headed north to a city called Potosi to visit the famous mines.
The bus trip to Potosi was an interesting 7 hour ride that was truly Bolivian at heart. Bumpy dirt roads, quick stops for people to pee on the side of the road and our personal favorite, the tire change.
On arrival to the Cerro Rico, we are shown how the mines are divided into cooperatives and the various roles people play on the mountain. Women and children work outside the mines, cleaning and preparing minerals. The indegenous custom does not allow women to work inside the mines, because of the strong connection to Pacha Mama (mother earth). Pacha Mama would get jealous with too much female energy! However, exceptions are made for tourists.
Inside miners work tediously away by hand with picks, pushing trolleys, and shoveling minerals into bins to be lifted up. Others climbed up and down through small holes barley large enough for me to climb through. It was an interesting but upseting expereince, as one cannot imagine these working conditions could exists today.
I am not sure how long we were down in the mine, but the entire group breathed a sigh of relief when we climbed back out into the blinding light.
Still curious? check out these links.....
http://www.docsonline.tv/Grito%20di%20piedra/index.htm
The bus trip to Potosi was an interesting 7 hour ride that was truly Bolivian at heart. Bumpy dirt roads, quick stops for people to pee on the side of the road and our personal favorite, the tire change.
Potosi was once a thriving city, founded in 1546 as a mining town, it soon produced fabulous wealth, becoming one of the largest cities in the Americas and the world with a population exceeding 200,000 people.
It is from Potosí that most of the silver shipped through the Spanish Main came. According to official records, 45,000 tons of pure silver were mined from 1556 to 1783. Of this total, 7,000 tons went to the Spanish monarchy. Indian labour came to die by the thousands, not simply from exposure and brutal labor, but by mercury poisoning: in the patio process the silver-ore, having been crushed to powder by hydraulic machinery, was cold-mixed with mercury and trodden to an amalgam by the native workers with their bare feet. The mercury was then driven off by heating, producing deadly vapors.
To compensate for the diminishing indigenous labor force, the colonists made a request in 1608 to the Crown in Madrid to begin allowing for the importation of 1500 to 2000 African slaves per year. An estimated total of 30,000 African slaves were taken to Potosí throughout the colonial era. African slaves were also forced to work in the Casa de la Moneda as acémilas humanas (human mules). Since mules would die after couple of months pushing the mills, the colonists replaced the four mules with twenty African slaves.
After 1800 the silver mines became depleted, making tin the main product. This eventually led to a slow economic decline. Still, the mountain continues to be mined for silver to this day. Due to poor worker conditions (lack of protective equipment from the constant inhalation of dust), the miners still have a short life expectancy with most of them contracting silicosis and dying around 40 years of age. It is estimated that, in the past years of indigenous labour, roughly 8 million Indians died, "eaten" by the mountain Cerro Rico (Rich Hill)
PS - The city of San Luis Potosí in Mexico was named after Potosí in Bolivia. In the United States, the name Potosi was optimistically given to lead-mining towns of Potosi, Wisconsin and Potosi, Missouri, and also to the silver-mining town of Potosi, Nevada.
HISTORY LESSON OVER =)
Arrival to Potosi takes your breath away, it is claimed to be the highest city in the world at a nominal 4,090 m (13,420 feet).
We found a great hostel (Koala Den) for super cheap with cable and HOT water! It was central a a short walk to the main plaza and pedestrian mall. The next day we hooked up with Elody and Paul to go on the mine tour.
First, they dress you in a smashing yellow getup, including a matching hard hat. The first stop was at the miners market, where the groups buy gifts for the miners. The miners chew coca leaves by the pound, which helps them work longer hours without eating or resting (to learn more about coca chewing: http://www.cocamuseum.com/htm/chewing.htm ). We bought a bag of coca leaves, cigarrettes, cookies (for the kids) and because a mine visit would not be complete without it, dynamite.
The men work in groups of 10 to 12, each with specific roles. Level 4 and 3 miners work the shit jobs pushing carts and all hard labor, while level 2 miners handle dynamite and work meters below the others and level 1 miners ar usual the cooperative owners and often do not work at all, just supervise. The richer the cooparative is, the more tools they can afford. A poor cooperative works only by hand. To add to the misery of the working conditions, only the cooperative owner gets government covered health care and the workers are left undeclared. (note that the life expectancy of a miner is 40 years)
After the dynamite show (which turned out to be much more explosive than we all expected), we headed towards the mine entrance.
After the dynamite show (which turned out to be much more explosive than we all expected), we headed towards the mine entrance.
After going down just one short flight of stairs, I began to feel my chest tighten and my heart picked up. Both Paul and I looked at each other and said, ¨It´s cool, we will wait for you guys up top.¨ The guide did a good job at convincing us this was a once in a lifetime experience and we took a deep breath (seperated so we would not scare each other) and climbed down further.
As it turns out, I could comfortably work in a mine. While Greg and the others strained their necks to bend down through the small passages, I strolled along with my head held high.
Still curious? check out these links.....
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
After 2 exciting weeks of hard work we found ourselves on vacation, again. Cochambamba was an amazing experience, one that we will never forget.
We left early morning to catch a train a few hours south in Oururo. In usual form, we had no reservations. We stood in front of a blank face employee for 10 minutes while he typed into his computer to be told that the train was full. There was another couple in our same position so the 4 of us sat around waiting to see if any spots would open up. The heavens parted and 4 seats were at last given to us, in ¨fancy¨ class.
The train rambled down to the town of Uyuni at a pleasant speed. The views were nice and the food car (although steaming hot) was a nice place to pass the 6 hour ride chatting with our new (french) friends.
On arrival the 4 of us found a cheap place to stay and decided to meet in the morning to find a tour together. We left the very next morning on a 4 day trip to see the various sights around Uyuni and of course, visit the salt flats. The tour is usually 3 days, but we extended it to 4, cut out 2 other passengers and did the trip inversed. This worked great because we had plenty of space in the 4x4 truck, plenty of time to see everything, and less tourists in our photo shoots. Our guide was also the driver, mechanic and cook, which was interesting at times....
We saw endless desert landscape sprinkled with random volcanic rocks and lagoons. Flamingos
flock to this area because of the rich soil and shallow lagoons. The hospedajes we stayed in were basic and on the last night we stayed in a hotel made of salt.
The last day was by far the most breathtaking as we tumbled out of bed at 5am to watch the sunset over the salt flats. The salt flats reach far and the vision is impressive. Once we had some coffee in us, we spent a good 45 minutes trying to capture funny pictures.......
By the 4th day we were professional Uno players, discovered the limi
ts of Bolivian wine and had made 2 new friends.
We left early morning to catch a train a few hours south in Oururo. In usual form, we had no reservations. We stood in front of a blank face employee for 10 minutes while he typed into his computer to be told that the train was full. There was another couple in our same position so the 4 of us sat around waiting to see if any spots would open up. The heavens parted and 4 seats were at last given to us, in ¨fancy¨ class.
The train rambled down to the town of Uyuni at a pleasant speed. The views were nice and the food car (although steaming hot) was a nice place to pass the 6 hour ride chatting with our new (french) friends.
On arrival the 4 of us found a cheap place to stay and decided to meet in the morning to find a tour together. We left the very next morning on a 4 day trip to see the various sights around Uyuni and of course, visit the salt flats. The tour is usually 3 days, but we extended it to 4, cut out 2 other passengers and did the trip inversed. This worked great because we had plenty of space in the 4x4 truck, plenty of time to see everything, and less tourists in our photo shoots. Our guide was also the driver, mechanic and cook, which was interesting at times....
We saw endless desert landscape sprinkled with random volcanic rocks and lagoons. Flamingos
flock to this area because of the rich soil and shallow lagoons. The hospedajes we stayed in were basic and on the last night we stayed in a hotel made of salt.The last day was by far the most breathtaking as we tumbled out of bed at 5am to watch the sunset over the salt flats. The salt flats reach far and the vision is impressive. Once we had some coffee in us, we spent a good 45 minutes trying to capture funny pictures.......
By the 4th day we were professional Uno players, discovered the limi
ts of Bolivian wine and had made 2 new friends.Sunday, March 29, 2009
Cochambamba, Bolivia
Greg and I hooked up with a ONG (NGO) called Bolivia Sostenible to volunteer for a week in Cochambamba, hometown of Evo Morales.
We were both placed at an organization called CAICC, that serves children and adolescents who are abandoned because their parents are either incarcerated or have migrated to other countries to search for economic opportunities. CAICC currently aids 171 children and adolescents ranging from one to eighteen years old. 70% of these are children of incarcerated or ex-incarcerated individuals, while the other 30% come from low income families where volatile situations prevail.
http://www.caiccbolivia.com/
We spent the first week getting to know the organization, it´s children and staff. Greg works in the big house with the administration and older kids while I work in the little house with the small ones, age 2 to 6. Greg is the superstar with his computer skills.....and I am getting peed on, literally. =)
Because of low funding (the government only gives food) the school lacks resources. The yard of the little house is depressing and dangerous. Beside the pile of rocks in the corner there is little else for the children to play with. Greg and I wanted to donate in a way that was lasting and we decided to make-over the playground in the little house. It was so important not only for the children but for the teachers to have a safe place for them to play.
Yesterday, along with one other volunteer and 3 staff members we tore apart the yard, clearing the rocks, piles of dirt and trash with picks and shovels. We painted the rocks to add color, turned a cement block into a stage, added a cover for shade and buried 5 tires halfway in the ground for jumping and climbing. The best part is that on Monday a brand new swing set, complete with a slide and see-saw, will arrive! It was a hard days work and we felt quite satisfied at the end. I promise to post some pics later, to show the before and after. Right now we are excited to see the kids reaction tomorrow morning!
Greg and I spend the days doing our proper jobs and then head off to explore the city before walking back to our host family´s home for dinner. Our host family has a comfortable home and we love the family. Tonight there is a party for the son whose birthday is the same day as mine!
We have a great set-up here and are going to stay a week longer. There is still so much work to be done at the centers and we are enjoying the people and the work. Next week we will visit the prisons where the kids live.
If anyone is interested in hearing more about CAICC or would like to donate money, let me know.
We were both placed at an organization called CAICC, that serves children and adolescents who are abandoned because their parents are either incarcerated or have migrated to other countries to search for economic opportunities. CAICC currently aids 171 children and adolescents ranging from one to eighteen years old. 70% of these are children of incarcerated or ex-incarcerated individuals, while the other 30% come from low income families where volatile situations prevail.
http://www.caiccbolivia.com/
We spent the first week getting to know the organization, it´s children and staff. Greg works in the big house with the administration and older kids while I work in the little house with the small ones, age 2 to 6. Greg is the superstar with his computer skills.....and I am getting peed on, literally. =)
Because of low funding (the government only gives food) the school lacks resources. The yard of the little house is depressing and dangerous. Beside the pile of rocks in the corner there is little else for the children to play with. Greg and I wanted to donate in a way that was lasting and we decided to make-over the playground in the little house. It was so important not only for the children but for the teachers to have a safe place for them to play.
Yesterday, along with one other volunteer and 3 staff members we tore apart the yard, clearing the rocks, piles of dirt and trash with picks and shovels. We painted the rocks to add color, turned a cement block into a stage, added a cover for shade and buried 5 tires halfway in the ground for jumping and climbing. The best part is that on Monday a brand new swing set, complete with a slide and see-saw, will arrive! It was a hard days work and we felt quite satisfied at the end. I promise to post some pics later, to show the before and after. Right now we are excited to see the kids reaction tomorrow morning!
Greg and I spend the days doing our proper jobs and then head off to explore the city before walking back to our host family´s home for dinner. Our host family has a comfortable home and we love the family. Tonight there is a party for the son whose birthday is the same day as mine!
We have a great set-up here and are going to stay a week longer. There is still so much work to be done at the centers and we are enjoying the people and the work. Next week we will visit the prisons where the kids live.
If anyone is interested in hearing more about CAICC or would like to donate money, let me know.
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