tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50638085941904861662024-03-20T03:06:37.527-04:00in between dreamsc&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-38024790273270194962009-06-19T22:30:00.001-04:002009-08-06T14:42:50.180-04:00Home!We're home!<br /><br />We surprised some of you...<br />We had a fiesta with others...<br />Thanks for following the blog. We feel so lucky to have visited these amazing places in the last few months. It has been great sharing little pieces of our adventure with you.<br />It is great to be home, let's get together soon.<br />Chris and Rebecca<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Some "lost" photos:</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">We bought each other costumes for carnival in Rio and headed out to the street parties.</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365147946573514866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEFNY9R_hddfrPxrYCNaTOVzDapXhcZdO0ryrQyNu5sFMmdqC_-EXz5YgU8Gb_4u0_vTGGaW4fxhpVxF6bjbJgM7B_TvpYFRdPl3beZ2gjDALqCgw2kSil4cD3DXZcIKTJaHnbLhJ9vnH/s320/011_9A.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />This is Chris' beard at the airport before we flew home from Lima. He had been growing it for 2.5 months!<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365147503152627698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsK4uQ_XUy5AS6I-HxJncBb9VwTSvo_RWH1T-cOJfZ8aL72lTq6omEEIuezFVlgJmOZgUxqsBT5foGat2Tf-wQQreqILmM4RyN2wkmryYUwUsK1cB5RhljFd9jGlJuT7yw0Iuf9QrZYVa/s320/DSCN1357.JPG" border="0" />c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-7692069731717868912009-06-17T14:21:00.001-04:002009-08-04T09:15:36.424-04:00Lima<div style="text-align: left;">Back at the ocean where the trip began! We are in Lima, our last stop. It feels good to be back at sea level. High altitudes take their toll on our bodies and we are happy to smell the salt air. It's warm and mostly sunny but there is a chilly wind so we are not beach bound.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihSpqlaKcVn63jL7b_rrC1z4ze9oss4iHpsNMyDCpT0YAwPEXd8RhWs8RuoPp5ZzI8NKL7S-muVMPewRw1IoE82jcyIsXw8xKtWpG7tRpdf_AEkZQ0p0pqS0pW-nw8iCQ6PTX9yc_wGUf/s1600-h/DSCN1354.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihSpqlaKcVn63jL7b_rrC1z4ze9oss4iHpsNMyDCpT0YAwPEXd8RhWs8RuoPp5ZzI8NKL7S-muVMPewRw1IoE82jcyIsXw8xKtWpG7tRpdf_AEkZQ0p0pqS0pW-nw8iCQ6PTX9yc_wGUf/s320/DSCN1354.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352872824680979106" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLunOS1XYfKEqsfTGspkx5V_u6_VIPiQXQa164yatk2yRTBohR0CsDHVixRsNc2FZy-8z-8du7_KqoR27n8tU5twBm6zVGJFVnYYLOFrwtSf1WB721A4Xip1s9ySi_r3qcc1fD2B5IDkEs/s1600-h/DSCN1356.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLunOS1XYfKEqsfTGspkx5V_u6_VIPiQXQa164yatk2yRTBohR0CsDHVixRsNc2FZy-8z-8du7_KqoR27n8tU5twBm6zVGJFVnYYLOFrwtSf1WB721A4Xip1s9ySi_r3qcc1fD2B5IDkEs/s320/DSCN1356.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352872832993965602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div> </div><br /><div>There is a crazy shopping mall here in Lima called LarcoMar. It is built right into the cliffs that overlook one of the city's beaches. It was too chilly to venture down but some surfers were taking advantage of the huge waves.</div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcvLutvdKZvktBwRsk6l4Gen0rQCDtC7A2Sj76HQh8mNinSzb3V2aMpij2HdSOvoNkLUu2ach5YFFIiM2jGexNR6iDm7wM0Na3177tnOvF-kN4tby1VPm9Xs4XzEulswDYwJQRKrHMdE7/s1600-h/DSCN1355.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcvLutvdKZvktBwRsk6l4Gen0rQCDtC7A2Sj76HQh8mNinSzb3V2aMpij2HdSOvoNkLUu2ach5YFFIiM2jGexNR6iDm7wM0Na3177tnOvF-kN4tby1VPm9Xs4XzEulswDYwJQRKrHMdE7/s320/DSCN1355.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352872831258836002" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>Like in other south american cities, we spend our days wandering around with no particular destination, perusing the markets (we bought a hammock!), drinking expresso, and lounging and reading. Of course, for our last night we had a bit of a fiesta out at the bars in our neighbourhood!</div><div><br /></div><div>It has been an amazing trip! We have mixed feelings about going home but for sure we are ready for a comfy bed, a hot shower, and some of our favourite foods we've missed. See you soon!!</div><br /><div> </div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-13604924955104024712009-06-14T15:58:00.001-04:002009-08-01T19:49:10.722-04:00Canon Del Colca and Arequipa<div>After an overnight bus from Cusco, we caught the first available bus from the city of Arequipa. We bussed for 6 hours to the town of Chivay. The town is small and has almost no paved roads. We stayed the night there at a nice family-run hostel with a llama in the courtyard. The next day we took a taxi out to the hot springs where we spent the afternoon lounging in the warm pool and admiring the beautiful surroundings of desert and the beginning of the canyons. We then walked back to town for lunch before boarding the bus for a 2 hour ride to the next town, Cabanaconde.<br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8GfG3yQB5YfE19jK2RLzL3B9VdGXiUWTqaGV6feIL3gu1Uk24wSo-50Ba5Ipg2Gx_wez2IJC4sVlcw8LfwUQTnZtdggd08XpwXeA0izPZSxSlNyyQ_oJhPtaBpcdvB8iNVyFH2wQE3-W/s1600-h/DSCN1327.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8GfG3yQB5YfE19jK2RLzL3B9VdGXiUWTqaGV6feIL3gu1Uk24wSo-50Ba5Ipg2Gx_wez2IJC4sVlcw8LfwUQTnZtdggd08XpwXeA0izPZSxSlNyyQ_oJhPtaBpcdvB8iNVyFH2wQE3-W/s320/DSCN1327.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352876829949297714" /></a><br /><div>The town of Cabanaconde is the jumping off point to hike into the Canon del Colca. We got a room for the night and got up early the next morning for a big day of hiking. We decided to hike all the way to the bottom of the canyon and back in the same day. The trail was a dusty gravel switchback path that seemed to go down forever. We could see the bottom but it didn't seem to get closer very quickly. That is because it is one of the world's deepest canyons at 3191 metres deep. While we were not at the deepest point for our hike it was still quite the trek. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpopgWqDdSe-YeCyftO_8MkJ9n2N0USV3EJ5ytRSWMzUj_0Vi2g6u-7cs5i_RoJdqkMz3OQabgRd1i4xCl8wDiu_Vn4prXi_Vw-adfSTnb7ajlZNI65EuS7UF2zikrvItNFGXE93P_AAu/s1600-h/DSCN1335.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpopgWqDdSe-YeCyftO_8MkJ9n2N0USV3EJ5ytRSWMzUj_0Vi2g6u-7cs5i_RoJdqkMz3OQabgRd1i4xCl8wDiu_Vn4prXi_Vw-adfSTnb7ajlZNI65EuS7UF2zikrvItNFGXE93P_AAu/s320/DSCN1335.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352876824855265010" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilka5LUrgEO_MB988haCRTIaqBaj9jsk04OwZJmKLK9evOe-HGxjHjWi8B_LqQcJ_PTiZ01F0UV8hQXaLHPdPer_UCbxrVIjC1ehlTdvocXxOB7qtyB1i6xBalxJsfe3eOL6tuU5CeOJcV/s1600-h/DSCN1339.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilka5LUrgEO_MB988haCRTIaqBaj9jsk04OwZJmKLK9evOe-HGxjHjWi8B_LqQcJ_PTiZ01F0UV8hQXaLHPdPer_UCbxrVIjC1ehlTdvocXxOB7qtyB1i6xBalxJsfe3eOL6tuU5CeOJcV/s320/DSCN1339.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352876821754451746" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHFXuxO3bDIw32KbLGoLnRTvxK1RNsfJu9p8ESTw8PkBum9iIRzQx2NhOZ7STNqxj9ef3uGgTwJfxrSF_u9ju8cn85i4tZiY1HLpYuTD7UVptg2i7fVCStMqN4oMAHsl34oERdwamS8JM/s1600-h/DSCN1341.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHFXuxO3bDIw32KbLGoLnRTvxK1RNsfJu9p8ESTw8PkBum9iIRzQx2NhOZ7STNqxj9ef3uGgTwJfxrSF_u9ju8cn85i4tZiY1HLpYuTD7UVptg2i7fVCStMqN4oMAHsl34oERdwamS8JM/s320/DSCN1341.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352876810847285154" /></a><br /></div><div>As a break at the bottom we swam in the "oasis" swimming pools, ate lunch and relaxed for a bit. We needed to make it all the way back up before dark so our rest wasn't too long before we needed to get back on the dusty trail.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1fVPCp9CWt1StXULtSHn57lFwF_ZRP-7UExTXEbfD2wl2qviOXmBSQp3KlVGTvWAsbdWMK-U2I9rxBsyQZWQPjDerwgE-FvGtlqIo5yBrfX1EXQSLWMLN6BK0KciDA2qJH6fdb-qcgsE/s1600-h/DSCN1343.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1fVPCp9CWt1StXULtSHn57lFwF_ZRP-7UExTXEbfD2wl2qviOXmBSQp3KlVGTvWAsbdWMK-U2I9rxBsyQZWQPjDerwgE-FvGtlqIo5yBrfX1EXQSLWMLN6BK0KciDA2qJH6fdb-qcgsE/s320/DSCN1343.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352876013888812578" /></a><br /></div><div>Hiking up was tough work. We had the hot sun of the desert altiplano and little shade to seek a cool spot to rest as we made our way up, up, up, and up. A really steady climb uphill for 3.5 hours. We had a bit of a rough go and were really glad to make it to the top and back to town, food, shower, and bed. Such a beautiful hike though with amazing shades of browns and reds in the soil, greens in the vegetation, and blues from the pools, river, and sky.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJwmel34Oug3qpdfpXUAsq3PRdVB4qrmY3wyuY7Wf79DSDYs-ME44vImonBY8pA9E4qnj_r7tpWu53LpirBdepO3bUTeaLo_sYV-wh75r3ySzW-qxQm_Yltu80zQw4MrQw1Bk35AFvbU_/s1600-h/DSCN1345.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJwmel34Oug3qpdfpXUAsq3PRdVB4qrmY3wyuY7Wf79DSDYs-ME44vImonBY8pA9E4qnj_r7tpWu53LpirBdepO3bUTeaLo_sYV-wh75r3ySzW-qxQm_Yltu80zQw4MrQw1Bk35AFvbU_/s320/DSCN1345.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352876008040525410" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8IStaKR8fUShv1JnUctDrVEVy2dQA83Qi6ECAqaZhtgc60gA1ZamesvQc6FKKsPzgxnYFz75BWEHBcS_LjM3WUr6ODn-CwQBEheOabbOI3sGPqpPKDoQFLx9Ehn5TzyF6L5X5m_5udT8/s1600-h/DSCN1347.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8IStaKR8fUShv1JnUctDrVEVy2dQA83Qi6ECAqaZhtgc60gA1ZamesvQc6FKKsPzgxnYFz75BWEHBcS_LjM3WUr6ODn-CwQBEheOabbOI3sGPqpPKDoQFLx9Ehn5TzyF6L5X5m_5udT8/s320/DSCN1347.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352876004654428450" /></a><br /><div>After staying the night in Cabanaconde we caught an early bus back to Arequipa where we spent a couple days wondering the city, trying (without success) to watch game 7 of the stanley cup finals, and lounging before heading on our last bus journey (an overnighter) of the trip.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a rooftop shot of Arequipa, the biggest city in the region. It is flanked by 3 volcanos. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHoyvt5ViG0nB2uRIYBDZgdHDtDolIHvFwVXD3N3w4eE5LLP7fdyN__aigTVUh1A4JtPQ3Ww0WcHK8TrVNgQtTgyDvOOltyqUQziqEyvx3_IqN0FlQOUd2KZnSuSpvYGOpVs046tpSWwP/s1600-h/DSCN1351.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHoyvt5ViG0nB2uRIYBDZgdHDtDolIHvFwVXD3N3w4eE5LLP7fdyN__aigTVUh1A4JtPQ3Ww0WcHK8TrVNgQtTgyDvOOltyqUQziqEyvx3_IqN0FlQOUd2KZnSuSpvYGOpVs046tpSWwP/s320/DSCN1351.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352876000669582530" /></a>We are off to Lima now...last stop!<div></div></div><div><br /></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-70778938870268270482009-06-06T17:12:00.000-04:002009-06-29T17:56:35.730-04:00Salkantay Trek and Machu Picchu<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihj4q1mcjkrK0Rwx61WGgt2-9_fDWoCAMWWQ4hXtYWDRdQf22r7AoQY7dIdQ8loyve-x00h4PeZ90riJhx4Kg0QtMvePvwZ37xMyn4LCkMDH6OJUqpaQB4JHS5GFdyxAKIG6HVsq3iGym0/s1600-h/P6020062.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><div style="text-align: left; display: inline !important; ">There are several options when looking at how to get to Machu Picchu. We knew we wanted to trek for a few days but even then the possibilities are endless. The traditional Inka Trail was booked when we tried to reserve a spot 3 months ago so we decided to go with the Salkantay Trek. A popular alternative known for its' amazing scenery.</div></span></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The night before we left on the trip we had an orientation meeting with our guide and the other hikers. Our guides name was Silverio, and he was from Cusco and had been leading treks in the region with the same company for more than 15 years. He later admitted to us that he had done the Salkantay trek around 200 times. Six other trekkers were also going to join us: 2 girls from the UK, an Austrailian, a German, a Chilean, and one other Canadian.</div><br /><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong>Day 1</strong>:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>5:30 AM - We meet up outside the SAS office and hope on a minivan headed to the trailhead. </div><div>We arrived at the trailhead and met the horseman and other trekking staff (cook and assistants) that were making our trek possible. We hiked for about 5 hours that first day, mostly uphill, to our first campsite, known as Soraypampa, located in a valley between several mountains. After the sun set that day we were amazed out how much light the full moon provided, and how it reflected off and seemed to light up Salkantay Mountain.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our campsite on the first night:</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK93c1dorwAkszAPIuUH0HX_142qmGim1deYTqKr8l91qeQvI1vWyyW1M1jJfkCpH5-u_RGMXnyMUQl0HJJgYKP-VNRZxOpDJC8i3PYpVWBeihnHzRO66ahOzstYld6Pc0SbPkQNZUqr_/s320/P6030082.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352522564747040626" /><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HnX3fXg-A4uJw-hVNkK9wSUhingIECehHqxNxsAnnTusBzcIyfRUYmtAt-NGm7A_bUG010WuljzN8qPIdQhd1FU8xRyNlo2Sr1YKg-9IpYG5-2UVZ2QF7jk8gHa3CyAdk4gRFe8azaGb/s320/P6020063.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352503674666595490" /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilPbkEB7MNSdQq-NFDcip2FAvclKLgg38qC2b5tIx9AcEzCwRhgAg0gMkgBwAaHgIZJGO5V3vWhheCsMp6Bs5RDU7xGdRkg-tweEnyo3ChYmGshFIcjJA2imVset__z0p2l_Pfx56HkSt/s320/P6020057.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352503253354364658" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-o4jIM1Yt4OwJ31e50P66kR-ElIiiy6jQ_6uaK1cCv1D5tfX-l-LEEgqFAjTmwGWuSa62R-IuKeFyffNguPkry54OxOipuWRpoyii9XVdiiDvoBtmn-XbSbAhPgHbEPYxV-iKxerCRB1/s320/P6020071.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352501313252997282" /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><strong>Day 2</strong>:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jOLvmXdeCeOebdR7euyBMif9Nx1_1WjtWr0u-3bPFTam46FgIewQrHa8eATsp6iUPN-tz0yEhLXFHD50hUbw4lxSIarDFJw3vLSW9BeNSSnjPxUybxDUM2ymx5Mh6x6i_I_eiczmokj3/s1600-h/P6040144.JPG"><br /></a></div><div>6:00AM Someone is knocking on the wall of our tent, telling us they have hot coca tea ready for us. It is below freezing and we can see our breath attaching to the walls of the tent. We open the tent door and one of the horseman hands us some warm tea. We hope that every morning wake-up is accompanied with warm tea. We drink our tea and when we step outside our tent there are bowls of hot water to warm our hands. We are well looked after.</div><br /><div>After a quick breakfast we set off hiking and leave the cooks and horseman behind to pack up camp. After about 3 hours of hard hiking we arrive at Apacheta pass (4950M). The pass is close to the base of Salkantay Mountain and the view is breath-taking. It's chilly and windy at the height of our hike. We took photos and then gathered with Silverio and our group for a coca leaf ceremony. The people who live here worship the mountains. They believe that giving offerings to the peaks assures the mountains will be kind in return. We each take 3 leaves, one each for the sky, the earth, and the underworld. We turned them to the four directions and blew on the for good omens and placed them with a rock we each carried from 100m below onto a growing pile. Silverio brings each of his groups to the same pile for the ceremony an it has grown to be half a metre tall.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here we are gathering in front of the rock pile before the ceremony with our guide Silverio:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl48ly2Vo6i_XvFUIvte693hyXrz4rfIet0mly82fa3ji3-9BTtjycvdH-vlVE8Y_Drjqi1p6l3HWFGJC2m1nzH-adZK0H5fm-BilcFZM5sS7pEmMOXhFdKaD0zZnfNcTPVRyvCOmhRCVy/s1600-h/P6030103.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl48ly2Vo6i_XvFUIvte693hyXrz4rfIet0mly82fa3ji3-9BTtjycvdH-vlVE8Y_Drjqi1p6l3HWFGJC2m1nzH-adZK0H5fm-BilcFZM5sS7pEmMOXhFdKaD0zZnfNcTPVRyvCOmhRCVy/s320/P6030103.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352528698591969666" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63F8X63iGR-ca6PudoO1Ysr5J0WHSGBQYPIwQQn6xMeOQ-N2GGkaIJAhNz5QbvD-oMHsUIWbJ9oZV80LjVoczuyahvCd4baXJZ_1xN5b18siZvYLZ6NWuA9ef-DMb3g6fYA1QcWk_MbnA/s320/P6030093.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352522568926527330" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><div>One story about the beliefs of the people who live in this area. The Salkantay mountain is one of the tallest in its range. It is the female and there is a male counterpart nearby. The people of the altiplano hold these two mountains in the highest regard. Following this, they are not accepting of people who attempt to climb the mountains. To them, that is a sign of ultimate disrespect for the power the mountains yield. In the mid-nineties a group of Argentinean climbers ignored this request and began climbing Salkantay. As if to prove the point of the altiplano people, there was an avalanche on the mountain and the climbers all perished.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbAeT_TzDYPGMvjwvo69hzP7rkKikgkueagB7DWTkpaEPRl-pFHudKeDw-zX6IeyWE8TbOQctNJRM_28wo4V7SYpQGa1L8LfrgRrebT7Ay8A1ZFlWDfHh13VRK9ww1a3x23FdmdX5jy2C/s1600-h/P6030097.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbAeT_TzDYPGMvjwvo69hzP7rkKikgkueagB7DWTkpaEPRl-pFHudKeDw-zX6IeyWE8TbOQctNJRM_28wo4V7SYpQGa1L8LfrgRrebT7Ay8A1ZFlWDfHh13VRK9ww1a3x23FdmdX5jy2C/s320/P6030097.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352522572995756674" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>Day 2 was our longest and hardest day. We hiked around 20kms, mostly all above 4000 metres. At this altitude its easy to be short of breath and lethargic. It took us all day and we were exhausted once we arrived at camp. We are really thankful for all the hard work of the horses, horsemen and the cooks. They walk the same trails as us but make it to camp 2-3 hours ahead of us and everything is ready once we arrive. We ate a massive dinner and are in bed by 8pm. Soon after, we fell into a deep sleep.</div><div><br /></div><div>Check out the red lichen on the rock in the bottom right corner of this picture:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleS1q8AITOkG1PshfcsP66M3kUjVh8OuKIUNtc6PiEqygyiE8qjrlvThkwvVu-0tW6CHl2AtbOwERD15zzo2DTdljipoP9GkMlyDuXIWyEi7Mb2JQk2TLA0RbOWAp2wyxn0pm7UKbG7Dm/s1600-h/P6030128.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleS1q8AITOkG1PshfcsP66M3kUjVh8OuKIUNtc6PiEqygyiE8qjrlvThkwvVu-0tW6CHl2AtbOwERD15zzo2DTdljipoP9GkMlyDuXIWyEi7Mb2JQk2TLA0RbOWAp2wyxn0pm7UKbG7Dm/s320/P6030128.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352528710075822034" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Our campsite for night #2</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jOLvmXdeCeOebdR7euyBMif9Nx1_1WjtWr0u-3bPFTam46FgIewQrHa8eATsp6iUPN-tz0yEhLXFHD50hUbw4lxSIarDFJw3vLSW9BeNSSnjPxUybxDUM2ymx5Mh6x6i_I_eiczmokj3/s1600-h/P6040144.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jOLvmXdeCeOebdR7euyBMif9Nx1_1WjtWr0u-3bPFTam46FgIewQrHa8eATsp6iUPN-tz0yEhLXFHD50hUbw4lxSIarDFJw3vLSW9BeNSSnjPxUybxDUM2ymx5Mh6x6i_I_eiczmokj3/s320/P6040144.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352530846683570866" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div> </div><div><strong>Day 3:</strong></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div>Day 3 is a downhill day and as we make our way down it gets warmer. Like the end of Day 2, we are walking through cloud forest. It is lush and green here and we hear birds chirping all around us. The sun warms us as we walk and soon we come to a bridge and a waterfall where we stop for a rest by the water. </div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtjsrMQfm04CJUN8BN5Oa4xGhRxAcaZ4CMJWisspgvD7v9_aFA_CyZGSht6U24JUwAYnw3M8uNQ9cS6h1iaeeakfFK2Sj2m8srJ7EyFA0n5GD4vHM-Mz3c2nEiRaGfCa3-QefmV5q8X-E/s1600-h/P6040159.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtjsrMQfm04CJUN8BN5Oa4xGhRxAcaZ4CMJWisspgvD7v9_aFA_CyZGSht6U24JUwAYnw3M8uNQ9cS6h1iaeeakfFK2Sj2m8srJ7EyFA0n5GD4vHM-Mz3c2nEiRaGfCa3-QefmV5q8X-E/s320/P6040159.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352530862809122146" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div> </div>We follow the river for most of our walk today and end up at a little village where our team has set up camp by the river. We walk a shorter time today, only 5 or 6 hours. We are tired once we arrive at camp and go to the river after lunch to soak our feet and wash up a bit. The glacier water is too cold to swim in though. We nap and lounge the afternoon away with some beer and a game of cards with our fellow trekkers.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUrmALgdJzsmz0J3GaS_IInJX26R4evybMLaMXzizkHWB4G012qyXqDj74hMShp_WWud4W17giD_X_0L_6r8BlkWSJErKKXhp6jt19iT3-VJ_IvGMU7-YTdWiX0rBEh9MA4pJw6lltIkQ/s1600-h/P6040148.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUrmALgdJzsmz0J3GaS_IInJX26R4evybMLaMXzizkHWB4G012qyXqDj74hMShp_WWud4W17giD_X_0L_6r8BlkWSJErKKXhp6jt19iT3-VJ_IvGMU7-YTdWiX0rBEh9MA4pJw6lltIkQ/s320/P6040148.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352530851537435650" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /><div><strong>Day 4:</strong></div><div><br /></div>On day 4 we got to sleep in until 7am! We ate, packed, and said goodbye to the cooks and horsemen. Today they would return to our trailhead to meet another group the following day. These guys work hard and they work a lot. We ate like kings and queens with them; they are good at what they do and we were lucky to have them with us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Day 4 started with a 1.5 hour ride in a van to the town of Hydroelectrica. It is the town on the other side of Machu Picchu mountain. There, we ate lunch and then set off for the 2 hour walk to Aguas Calientes. To get there we walked almost the entire way along the train tracks. Aguas Calientes is the village at the bottom of Machu Picchu. It is extremely touristy, but otherwise alright to wander around the markets and streets. <br /><div><br /></div><div>Silverio at the train bridge:</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWbm6_GD1t5weMNfow4te5NDAxhYbKBPApqrZ3cx_nF6nKfda0FMBSim4bYxuAJUMi3dgmkOVmeorXsHMeyUhO7zFFT2nJaHM4gDRWs6-wxxD0bakwbN6DV7vGNuR_TCWx0M_wyjHWRY-/s1600-h/P6050177.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWbm6_GD1t5weMNfow4te5NDAxhYbKBPApqrZ3cx_nF6nKfda0FMBSim4bYxuAJUMi3dgmkOVmeorXsHMeyUhO7zFFT2nJaHM4gDRWs6-wxxD0bakwbN6DV7vGNuR_TCWx0M_wyjHWRY-/s320/P6050177.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352545215276352818" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>At one point a train came by:</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzk6H9zA3zfBKf7gUEsonweigEO9352i1MQLHFUMlo6aJfo-ttTfX_JLCIz4MoyJXm7BaEh4bpqjmvqHmdfHopq0TFPWN1DiOWj0aOjdtOyewWrp8FMLrXsE-VjoesLL1LyZ6YG2eUPFC3/s1600-h/P6050179.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzk6H9zA3zfBKf7gUEsonweigEO9352i1MQLHFUMlo6aJfo-ttTfX_JLCIz4MoyJXm7BaEh4bpqjmvqHmdfHopq0TFPWN1DiOWj0aOjdtOyewWrp8FMLrXsE-VjoesLL1LyZ6YG2eUPFC3/s320/P6050179.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352545225178320610" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We arrived in Aguas Calientes in mid afternoon and we used the rest of the daylight to climb up to Putucusi Mountain. Once at the top we had a clear view of Machu Picchu from across the valley. We had to work to get the view though as the trail was made up of a series of ladders and big Inca stone steps. Definitely worth the view and it was also our first glance at Machu Picchu. Incredible!</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is Chris with our Chilean friend at the bottom of the longest ladder- 70 metres!</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfePKbDQNX-D239BEsS5DNeUEZ5xM-681gMfPo-9DwAjsQHIB53Ai21g97Qbcv01R6LOfPDjvs_7w8eUOu1b2SSCPC5cKvUwYyrFSL04t05k0m2ypnZsH617yNXWnG-J-lCMtZ4MsusfjB/s1600-h/P6050185.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfePKbDQNX-D239BEsS5DNeUEZ5xM-681gMfPo-9DwAjsQHIB53Ai21g97Qbcv01R6LOfPDjvs_7w8eUOu1b2SSCPC5cKvUwYyrFSL04t05k0m2ypnZsH617yNXWnG-J-lCMtZ4MsusfjB/s320/P6050185.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352547549590281874" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The view from part-way up Putucusi:</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEejwCNm1Dd6gu_ZdqWuTdqJEYOtFT76Dy6TtTy2un9kRT5mZXrwaFS-dX9TLkpxC8qhhPLzJlmQwguUS7GkRazb-e-M-2Nxv51svcwJhDzJF_LF3aU0L2mCYaTSpFww35s_eICL2NaasT/s1600-h/P6050205.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEejwCNm1Dd6gu_ZdqWuTdqJEYOtFT76Dy6TtTy2un9kRT5mZXrwaFS-dX9TLkpxC8qhhPLzJlmQwguUS7GkRazb-e-M-2Nxv51svcwJhDzJF_LF3aU0L2mCYaTSpFww35s_eICL2NaasT/s320/P6050205.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352545469053022450" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Our group at the top of Puticusi with Machu Picchu in the background:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwfZjOQ0gZ9nKFx1s_5iZ1Di7dxJOSuP034wGZ4CVo30BLrNX-R9fIeI3h1NhfunQ9McGoz4u-cZzJxp7MIEETzptilw8FrS8tuBrSNqlD-nMZ0W9nc64DaCR4MnQlnfUXA9AANsVLa2f/s1600-h/P6050204.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwfZjOQ0gZ9nKFx1s_5iZ1Di7dxJOSuP034wGZ4CVo30BLrNX-R9fIeI3h1NhfunQ9McGoz4u-cZzJxp7MIEETzptilw8FrS8tuBrSNqlD-nMZ0W9nc64DaCR4MnQlnfUXA9AANsVLa2f/s320/P6050204.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352547561690360562" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Our first view of Machu Picchu:</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypr7IO58pNVcSOVZBxGf-DXHLjDlunPcc_mnKmhM9Fbd8ZAln5ZO0h8VGUyFyJxl9Ql24R0F3zAEOqqR0PrUYPGC24zLG-H6rXStysod9UBTcjyPcG9iekFIoPXiXhH1wev3rO7xrHdCt/s1600-h/P6050195.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypr7IO58pNVcSOVZBxGf-DXHLjDlunPcc_mnKmhM9Fbd8ZAln5ZO0h8VGUyFyJxl9Ql24R0F3zAEOqqR0PrUYPGC24zLG-H6rXStysod9UBTcjyPcG9iekFIoPXiXhH1wev3rO7xrHdCt/s320/P6050195.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352856001608726370" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div>That night we stayed in a SAS hostal in Aguas Calientes and went to bed early- there was an early start on Day 5.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong>Day 5:</strong></div><br /><div>3:40AM Wake up call - Silverio is knocking on our door. It is time to go down for breakfast. 4:15 - We leave the hostal and set out on the road which leads us to the base of Machu Pichu and a trail where we begin walking up steps that zig-zag their way up the hill. Most people are wearing headlamps and we need to take breaks regularly to catch our breath. </div><div><br /></div><div>The photo below shpws the road the busses take to the entrance of Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes. If you look carefully you can also see some of the trails that connect each zig-zag. This is the route we took to get to the top. It was an hour and twenty minutes of steady walking up steps. A bit early, but a great workout!</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTBc5M9eFrm_agr6pzK7smdUoZmJ3MkZHApp4eaGuLKmHhoiMn15ZUhfnmom00R6ltnMWUe_0KTp6qMkfLV9QQqEOiNGuIOe4lJPI8JdJMHZ_JYHezsEayajSrfacyvNXv8BD75fskj-w/s1600-h/P6050202.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTBc5M9eFrm_agr6pzK7smdUoZmJ3MkZHApp4eaGuLKmHhoiMn15ZUhfnmom00R6ltnMWUe_0KTp6qMkfLV9QQqEOiNGuIOe4lJPI8JdJMHZ_JYHezsEayajSrfacyvNXv8BD75fskj-w/s320/P6050202.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352545230253198994" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><br /><div>5:45AM We arrive at the top, out of breath, and join the 50 or so people who are already lined up at the gate to get into Machu Pichu. We made our goal of beating the first bus up the hill.</div><div><br /></div><div>6:00 We are let in to Machu Pichu and quickly make our way to the base of Huayna Picchu to get our pass stamped so that we (and only 200 other people that day) are allowed to hike to the top of Huayna Picchu later that day.</div><br /><div>6:15 Although the sun is still hiding behind the far mountains, we start our tour of Machu Picchu! Silverio has been a great guide for our trek so far and this morning is no different as he lead us around this magical site from the Inca empire.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Inca made their doorways and windows this shape for strength. Peru is known for earthquakes and this shape holds up through the tremors.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Jio0B2Ipe2EFYF6JYxZS_4Yqven4fa-1VOfyytHgOJYs11-l9uUePQlDa_Wks1qC2NaeBC7_oXvDOyeINqIF_H1euzdikIwBtZzCMFoR5K0z600tuiTYHB5DMOdEGv8gKu1_auY7BXdw/s1600-h/P6060249.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Jio0B2Ipe2EFYF6JYxZS_4Yqven4fa-1VOfyytHgOJYs11-l9uUePQlDa_Wks1qC2NaeBC7_oXvDOyeINqIF_H1euzdikIwBtZzCMFoR5K0z600tuiTYHB5DMOdEGv8gKu1_auY7BXdw/s320/P6060249.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352865671068089042" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div> </div><div><br /></div>This is an example of high-quality stone work. This part would have been where the elite people in the village of Machu Picchu lived and spent their time.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FheaXRuCJxSa_UK5dCkdy99PFK98qtzcotJsunYSLMOdUY3DFgBDa9LrB13PB2RYDEQkhwPf72kORoHCQ2PxY8oz8nbkUXrqmBzXSsHTRbDRmHmygjfH0i8RId6fMRtmhtxPxdDxKsD0/s1600-h/P6060259.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FheaXRuCJxSa_UK5dCkdy99PFK98qtzcotJsunYSLMOdUY3DFgBDa9LrB13PB2RYDEQkhwPf72kORoHCQ2PxY8oz8nbkUXrqmBzXSsHTRbDRmHmygjfH0i8RId6fMRtmhtxPxdDxKsD0/s320/P6060259.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352865676068056530" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div> </div><br /></div><div>More doorways and walls with Huayna Picchu in the background:</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5F3JugphRkvsxkswNbkGoUl6nKSN3Zmc9zGi64KA_SRd2ORECC1_fi2BY-l-R27fMv9g23cDrEBR7EZuOKZGKkENb3F-nNAlIeRsS_lbc8-RRvlhBVMM6E0CCSKV2wvbdEbz967hK_mC/s1600-h/P6060264.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5F3JugphRkvsxkswNbkGoUl6nKSN3Zmc9zGi64KA_SRd2ORECC1_fi2BY-l-R27fMv9g23cDrEBR7EZuOKZGKkENb3F-nNAlIeRsS_lbc8-RRvlhBVMM6E0CCSKV2wvbdEbz967hK_mC/s320/P6060264.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352865682541017778" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /><div>The roofs of the houses and buildings would have been made with straw. They are re-created on some of the structures as examples (like the building in the left of this photo):</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKYvwfc9X0_hQGakioayOgY_r02vowQShgEDVbuKoPp0NdHRdl2y_YG28ErjjYSzDLaMf0FdTQvFYW5gLwnDVxbix9bYmNrAX9oLmIqrNnS5ppke6ZFqwJlfbckQYzR7Sq0A6uL5lbzJk/s1600-h/P6060265.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKYvwfc9X0_hQGakioayOgY_r02vowQShgEDVbuKoPp0NdHRdl2y_YG28ErjjYSzDLaMf0FdTQvFYW5gLwnDVxbix9bYmNrAX9oLmIqrNnS5ppke6ZFqwJlfbckQYzR7Sq0A6uL5lbzJk/s320/P6060265.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352865694290054738" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>A view of the courtyard and part of the site with Huayna Picchu in the background:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsvbv8Bistl_YWtb7fmQgilMxliFJQsVoclum8pklgVPjNa6TOXQiiBrY7JSdooZ-anO_Gsas77Nh_CAWY1LD59ZShdxXSsGjahZ-CCKHO8b139-eqfREjgQqmNiLqvcJSp8M2u-F47aW/s1600-h/P6060269.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsvbv8Bistl_YWtb7fmQgilMxliFJQsVoclum8pklgVPjNa6TOXQiiBrY7JSdooZ-anO_Gsas77Nh_CAWY1LD59ZShdxXSsGjahZ-CCKHO8b139-eqfREjgQqmNiLqvcJSp8M2u-F47aW/s320/P6060269.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352866136296175666" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>More of the grounds...it's huge!</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWSuqxdbw3OngK3VD0UMUXiZVjv0HkaSNLzD8jZL6UGvd4vBCSiaQ59Xvd_HxwanW0_EAg62o_MppmoBL83Se1Oyk7fmvQAnhrM5mZAPBvL-_MDv2p82gpTuOVovyWIy7ykVp3Y6-cYjT/s1600-h/P6060284.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWSuqxdbw3OngK3VD0UMUXiZVjv0HkaSNLzD8jZL6UGvd4vBCSiaQ59Xvd_HxwanW0_EAg62o_MppmoBL83Se1Oyk7fmvQAnhrM5mZAPBvL-_MDv2p82gpTuOVovyWIy7ykVp3Y6-cYjT/s320/P6060284.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352866143366005986" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After our tour with Silverio it was time to for our time to climb to the top of Huayna Picchu. It is one of the mountains that stands beside the Machu Picchu site. It also has ruins on it and built into the sides of it. To get to the top we had to climb for about an hour up extremely steep and uneven stone steps. A lot of the had rope to help pull ourselves up. It was definitely worth it for the amazing view! Not only of Machu Picchu but also of the mountain range that surrounded us.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQFrdeuDhJ0UIwBY26wV4JLzyYnVb__I2UEaObcu-I2TJAeBglMNYDPBKbabzdfheeA8dukhyu5kuPKOjb3fKSGZUUciT8uYtP9kn7Jt6AvVKZ2ABsG5894zUjgN6ipxuL9IP5dqLMoak/s1600-h/P6060304.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQFrdeuDhJ0UIwBY26wV4JLzyYnVb__I2UEaObcu-I2TJAeBglMNYDPBKbabzdfheeA8dukhyu5kuPKOjb3fKSGZUUciT8uYtP9kn7Jt6AvVKZ2ABsG5894zUjgN6ipxuL9IP5dqLMoak/s320/P6060304.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352866147500744274" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>We had a little bit of time to explore the site on our own after coming down from Huayna Picchu. By that time we had already been awake for 10hours so we were pretty tired and hungry. We found a nice spot on the grass and had a little rest before catching the bus down to town and back to our hostal for a delicious lunch.</div><div><br /></div><div>That evening we boarded the train to go back to Cusco. We had an amazing time on our Salkantay Trek. Machu Picchu was beautiful but even more so was the 4 days leading up to it on our hike through mountain passes and cloud forest. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Peru Fun Fact:</div><div style="text-align: left;">Coca leaves are used for more than ceremonies like ours at the Salkantay pass. People in the altiplano often chew the leaves to aid with digestion and altitude sickness. Our horsemen usually had a big wad in the side of their cheeks. They chew it for a while and then spit it out and re-load. The leaves are also used in teas and lots of candies are coca flavoured.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-42718768367446907182009-06-01T20:57:00.001-04:002009-06-19T22:29:45.422-04:00World Famous City of Cusco<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Cusco is a city steeped in history, tradition and myth. It was once the foremost city of the Inca Empire, and is now the undisputed archeological capital of the Americas as well as the continents oldest continously inhabited city. Massive Inca-built walls line steep, narrow cobblestone streets and plazas. We stayed one street behind the Plaza de Armas(main Plaza) in Cusco so that we could be close to all the action. </div><br /><div>A rooftops view of the cathedral in the main square of Cusco (taken from our hostel room):</div><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348364072914570690" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5xIgn4o57STYtY0iic4Y_11YBiysCaWHCQc8KkrC_hvuhuSb13rnJiz1SICSN29HxN60rbgo2_KXZAukxOJcuSAMusDSkT58-Ndy3ZnBq3cqh9tu0M3zHaY7I3-S3qoFdFtXnWQD4vw5/s320/Imagen+320.jpg" border="0" /><br /></div><div> </div><div>Our first couple of days in Cusco were mostly spent shopping for an agency and a trek that would take us to Machu Picchu. Before we arrived in Cusco we had already decided to do an ´alternative trek.´ The Inca trail is usually booked more than 6 months in advance and is reportedly dirty, over-crowded and over-priced. We eventually decided on the Salkantay Trek which is a 5 day-4 night, more gruelling and scenic route that ventures to Machu Picchu.<br /></div><br /><div>Next decision was on an agency - with more than 600 located in Cusco alone the choices were endless, but...we did some research and 4 or 5 soon topped our list. Many agencies and company´s are less than reputable, and we eventually decided upon SAS - probably the largest and one of the oldest agencies. A date and time were set and all we had to do now was enjoy Cusco. </div><br /><div>While we were in Cusco we visited an internet Cafe and Rebecca noticed that a friend from Public School had posted on facebook that she was in Cusco. A sleury of emails ensued and we met up with Sarah Ackworth and her new husband (they were on their honeymoon) for drinks. Facebook - bringing people together! </div><br /><div>The evening before we left for our trek we wandered down to the main plaza for dinner. To our amazement, we were greeted by a procession of dancers and bands that had totally shut down the streets in the main plaza. The dancers were dressed in full costume and represented different schools in the region. Children as young as 4 or 5 danced in processions. </div><br /><div>After returning from our trek we spent a couple more days in Cusco. On our last day in Cusco we decided to visit several ruins and sites located around Cusco. Instead of paying an exorbanant entrance fee, our guide from the Machu Picchu trek, Silverio, introduced us too a local horseman named Manuel who was happy to take us around the to the sites on horse-back and explain them. A fellow canuck from our Machu Pichu hike named Rafael joined us. </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348373139915653842" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqB1d0XqGhilV6xHVR88ftYdNU9cXO1K7cWvEMY6316UliWOVSYg63Qrj6FWYju3rseWKHrXuzsvo6xK7pzuW97oaFkS710v2ah0Sh-ctVr4fHuAzlsrvLkdnlrq-lVe-CdvmBCnoqx_sL/s320/Imagen+003.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>The first site we visited is still a bit of a mystery to us. Along an ancient inca road leading out of Cusco we found a series of rocks with seats carved out of them. The seats were stategically located to give the seated person a view of carvings in rocks located opposite to the seats. On the walls located across from the seats, supposedly, were carvings made by the Incas of monkeys. With a little imagination we were able to see the monkeys. Can you?</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348374216127964258" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGj2uiaehxNraATbkA7YlH4bb4iLRdmsagLHWd4cujusKB_AUkNDTbPEYQ5eZ0hkoqe7nfBAnCtYC9uMG22IW_5b5e8uh4m6KGFhLxRqisHSg4uHChULCejoqZS1XksHMyPhTIC22aCg3d/s320/Imagen+008.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348374207405281266" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jL-ifyLh59c1WIwuYum90EaG2pjWMwy_Es8UsEzFf3_nRofYTOs0xULhLPEOnscACRX8Str_Zt1GU0ZUk1P3ZdS2lskOMkj44o8migC_Tzm7dqpuock7TuRwHC6Ud5zoZ15kPqQN0oVu/s320/Imagen+004.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Along the same Inca road we visited Qénqo wich means ´zigzag´. The site is a large limestone rock riddled with niches, steps and extrodinary symbolic carvings including channels that were used for ritual sacrifices. At the base of the large rock is a subterranean cave that has been carved out. Inside the cave are many alters and steps hewn into the rock. Around the rock researchers and archeologists are currently locating and excavating the foundations of buildings built by the Inca´s. </div><br /><div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348374212682874786" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFJKFVEKrC_d-tykU8fG8Z1NjYLoG_5nu0g526d_QPXPrPTVEmfNk4cGi15V6ysOjxk5tc67IsJigiSkHPNtvO2m2RoUWD7PrRN1_o6BhkjA7lURcDvZ6DD-JjR7LzHQ5m24Li14A1c1N/s320/Imagen+005.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348374219603525410" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJFH9l6BoVmm1e0FnkB7j-SP7r4qhgvY4x1tn1Ypjal8IqMzSpHEJRmdpV6Y3Fgd4zzSxOtIDFXozOvTFQlmDqLTmXUB5ThYiMTSAIf4knmXaJWfhb1FRK9cp8OgENOg0G62a4qBfXdvF/s320/Imagen+014.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>We ended our horse-back tour with a panoramic view over the important Inca ruin known as <strong>Saqsaywaman</strong>: The name means ´Satisfied Falcon´, though most travelers refer to it as ´sexy woman.´ The site of the inca ruin is located 2km at the top of a hill overlooking Cusco. The site still has great importance too the people of Peru and many cermonies that celebrate the sun still occur hear every year. Right away you can see the intricacy of the stone work, and how large some of the stones are. One of the larger stones is more than 6 m tall and an estimated 120 tonnes. What is most amazing is that the stones were brought from a quarry located more than a kilometre away. Although Saqsaywaman may appear huge, what we see today is only about 20% of the original structure. Soon after the conquest, the spaniards tore down many of the walls and used the blocks to build their own houses- many of which are evident in the the city of Cusco. </div></div><br /><div>Saqsaywaman from the top of the hill:</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348373129160764594" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrZNXzKOW2-zM-xEEGqUyKiuqWwYKkTsSiwQR3tnQZUWU-wrTIof8IFxj3xqbgTgmCs7ZacP1f9T0dW0FkqBEeqyutpDZsl1xCm7qMZ7aVUJU8Fe_ngVC4UIU3FPFfbLISjdan1IntQ8z/s320/Imagen+019.jpg" border="0" /><br />In front of Saqsaywaman:<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348373126334872802" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-mqg0VkyT4EzLicBZlyduiaoIb5bM5Dqca1vKi491Rz-0QvwGp9kTT5kkyU351lwmGacRr76IwFlW2kNjJgbYosarpP6fuPs9pdMiHGpldecdh4xj-G0XQANX06FiXd1mo7ltCaXbCZP/s320/Imagen+020.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Cusco is an amazing city with lots to explore and never-ending Inca sites. While it´s pretty touristy, it is also pretty laid back. Time to continue on to Ariquipa and canyon country...</div></div><br /><div><div><br /></div><div>Peru Fun Fact:</div><div>In Peru, EVERYTHING is Inca. You can buy t-shirts, hats, mugs, paintings that all say Inca or are in the shape of an Inca. You can even get an Inca massage (our trek guide joked that this meant getting hit over the head with a stick!). We avoided all of these products, except one that we just had to try: INCA COLA! Inca Cola is a bright yellow soft drink that tastes like bubble gum. It is super sweet and reminds us a bit of cream soda. OK to try once, but we wont be bringing any back.</div><br /><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-13779570958339116362009-05-29T17:04:00.000-04:002009-06-17T14:21:14.752-04:00Peru Bound: Puno and Lake Titicaca<div><div><div><div><div>After exploring the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca, it was time to bid Bolivia goodbye. We boarded a bus that took the road up the south and west side of the lake to a town called Puno: our first stop in Peru. So far, Peru looks a lot like Bolivia. Women wander the streets in their multi-layered skirts and boler hats and handicrafts made of alpaca wool are sold everywhere. </div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348361823003288994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVNRq-G2A0cEx3TkkQ4B_XFZuOgmbJTAi7clmNfvgcOXb5tTO80ax2IYaVS_oyyAoKBQVIbD_5tdW9LnsbPGeFD5x02PJb-n1rQt3xTGmfy452J3DS14I_CwrIKd185RDuhe-_hu1sH8I/s320/Imagen+305.jpg" border="0" /><br />From the port of Puno we took a little boat trip out to the floating islands of the Uros people. The islands are built using layers of buoyant totora reeds that grow in the shallows of the lake. The reeds are used to make their homes, boats, and crafts. The island reeds are constantly replenished from the top. In the wet season they replenish once per month and in the dry season (now) it is only necessary to do so every 2-3 months. Below is a model of a island village that our hosts built to show us how the islands and buildings are made.</div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348361029903390258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1vTng2asyLa8aEEfm-WFCWFtPysi2ypW8LLsdM5-R6F8Tfd-GVJrJ4yTiPF1U5j1HWeAykizhkVqBQQ1rXSq77e3k2AGTNaIvnB0jGK4QwtQ73XQ4rHW2ZYFnA1sepel4Pgo69mFd8go/s320/Imagen+297.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>We made our way through a river of the reeds to the group of 45 separate islands on the edge of the Puno Bay. Each island houses 5-8 families of 4 or 5 people each. They have houses and cooking spaces, and kitchen huts. They catch several different species of fish (including lake trout introduced from Canada!) for their own diet and to sell at the Saturday market in Puno. Tourism is also a necessary component to their survival and they warmely welcomed us to their island to show us thier way of life, clothes, and crafts.</div><div> </div><div>This is the kitchen for the island we visited:</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348361038084195986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKz6SI5qjHAtfBAC75ycW3J1gKcGokKa0IptfV_GQXrru7KX4lq_zmiuVV0Hf7wInP0Iy3RAJ0M6qT2LkVZh1NW0bhho4FaQgJ_GG8mjxvge_fm3Xe9RbZivMBdTj5vxtpLqim6euEjUxs/s320/Imagen+302.jpg" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>Some fish out drying so that they can take them into town to sell at the Saturday market:<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348361043093304546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyWRC230KMHUpjnqVmyzgyWvaiQ800EPopB5DviGlYLkAfiRuiLtIUa2T2vQnFbNThhzdlLEnYHh3_Cw5g_TjyqLSvCSyndC1pbDE5H0Y4EAChtHvIkFk-CtXe86inwSvgSgzoTKPSsyP/s320/Imagen+303.jpg" border="0" />The women of the island we visited signing us a departure song in the local language, Q´uechua<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348361832112360306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAT3KuUwNi_S7xkzdV7wu_Ot3Ti3AkuESx5UpFVV7yncsQiOrXei2aFc_fK1vg2w9pQMBVF0TIQFtwBNGPD8qzr8Y3JaEDVVYbDGC93Yi2H3L2vcI2IfWIbINy_v5XLshE3Ye7ZxFq8RAj/s320/Imagen+306.jpg" border="0" /><br />Boats made of reeds and shaped like pumas:<br /><div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348361835244333618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqux1NSpuoFT-nFjgII3NJ4VZDC9z-hOPMz92I0GiCMHc1-MaWPGORmk6woHlWxl9PI8kSdh659yslZejw1a5a89ZqJwt1K-lT8GlE5sQff12Ne9_hxRSrARov55oPTAuIlS5OPSjLPR3D/s320/Imagen+310.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Peru Fun Fact:</div><div>At our first meal in Peru we noticed something noteworthy on the menu: the local specialty of <em>cuy </em>(guinea pig). We´ll let you know if we decide we are brave enough to try it!</div><div> </div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-85545253364429729422009-05-27T20:42:00.000-04:002009-06-14T15:57:14.844-04:00Copacabana and Isla del Sol<div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>From La Paz we bussed North West 3 hours to the small town of Copacabana. At 3800 metres above sea level, ¨Copa¨ is the jump-off point on the Bolivian side to explore the islands of <strong>Lake Titicaca</strong>. Lake Titicaca is one of the highest navigatable lakes in the world(some guidebooks suggest it is the highest in the world!). At 230 km long and 97 wide, Lake Titicaca stradles the border of Bolivia and Peru. After battling some belly issues, we were keen to be active again and get some hiking in as well as take in some of the gorgeous scenery of lake, mountains, and greenery of the region.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>From Copa, we hiked along the dirt road 17 kilometres to the next town of Yampupata. Along the way we saw lots of trout fish farms lining the shores of the lake. There was hardly any traffic as we passed through several villages where the people always had a warm smile and an ¨buenos dias¨to greet us. The people here live simple lives, farming the fertile soil along the lake, fishing, raising sheep, and using donkeys as means to carry loads from one place to another.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346914997970074562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsjROl6emPojBv9IEoyp3aUJhgg3-Z1snLpVu4601uwts2GdWf7BY-x74ABob0YtxiFav5bt6yqMmt9JDeR-0swOBUTeTbm_8DJ2ab72_RrswjyeC-vimSPil7BkxZNhVsOXOD1zaorbZ/s320/Imagen+232.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346914993228346898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2FP5LIR76KT-uA4O7Mxq__xfcim1kjTSDb0aUWkCcmiD5ROetX5IbF1IDLFu3PSHV5H6obKuxAvj_cChLZlKSLWkOO9FzroNM1V9CRu0S40R9Exb8lTdDGwlqwe-j5WznQGaE4ecjM3qY/s320/Imagen+209.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346914990041403666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx23dU3A6TCSYPMYqwBkaRm-sg7_HtsbIgeX7L1mmVBE482coGA8gYy8h8wVFe9JnkdPF7WC248KdAScXM368_qdkPfr-E5rydrUM0BDM956JUUuMRj48NP2ofPAAy6YRJf1hL_UlzAmN2/s320/Imagen+188.jpg" border="0" /> <div>We arrived at the port in Yampupata 4 hours later and hired a boat to take us over to the nearby Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun). Isla del Sol is the legendary Inca creation site and is the <strong>birthplace of the sun</strong> in Inca mythology. With a population of around 5000, Isla del Sol is dotted with several villages. The boat dropped us at the south-end of the island to the village of Yumani. We ate a well-deserved lunch of trout and hired some little niños (kids) to take us to the best hostel in the village. Up, up, and up we went passing donkeys coming down to gather goods from incoming boats. The niños took us to a great little hostel perched on the hill with an amazing view of the lake and the Cordillera Mountain range beyond. We dropped our stuff off and took off for another little walk to the top of the hill at the south end of the island. From there we watched fishing boats finish up their day as the sun dropped behind the mountains.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346920550919723122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtWIm_yG5m5hyphenhyphenVevzuLL4o2R-1NtryP3NIiQqEUZXKCNIWNtm9zDK1HrMovRSWwl3w2IcUazRzIDsFGpSvyWNMQG2kJ33DC8bYwqBqweWQXCKBkF6-5P6OPVfiamgDg0-snS5dqT4Dv_h/s320/Imagen+252.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><div>Up and at 'em early the next morning, our mission was to hike along the historic inca trail to the north end of the island in time to catch the only ferry from the back to Copa at 1.30. After some trouble finding the trail (and climbing a HUGE hill first thing in the morning- not an easy feat at 4000m above sea level) we were on the right track. We really could not have asked for a more amazing morning as we hiked along the ridge of the island, up and down a bit, through pastures where sheep grazed and passing farmers carrying loads of straw strapped to their backs. </div><div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346917738148632786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1P5u5jp82UDEOUNwJ8iprVgW5Cfo4c3Yq3JyGb19qLp8hVHMRQ-GWMHJ7sCTjS9iRHzm-lrwzJIYokO_Yadh5_Uqu_4fHsJn76KvGG5ToQ3FntnerBHPfWPRYoAhoFfGgnv3ab2HJ3f8O/s320/Imagen+262.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>As the sun climbed higher in the sky and the clouds cleared, we approached the Inca complex of Chincana, situated at the north end of Isla del Sol. We saw familiar constructions from Samaipata and the clues that this was indeed an Inca site, everything (windows, doors, mummy caves) carved and built from stone in 2`s, 4`s, or 8`s. We also saw the Titicaca Rock, which is the rock that the lake is named after. It means Grey Puma. The rock is definetely grey and apparently also looks like a puma, but we didn´t really see it. With a bit of imagination, the shape of the lake also looks like a puma when turned upside-down.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346917745505458194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszrNMzhMpCX-bqPs7Wh35whLaqlkJ36mzlmZfbbmGpsxdF_0VrpEIJVR9TDZnIN0XhfU9PPC3WEUHxVEuCtfMP4cD5A9xq2VLegf0sRIISqqF7afIyqBtjDNiqqSjCKqZnlMTzX84JDmA/s320/Imagen+292.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346917740292771506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hvpdD7LZKe0RQaZCCB8t-yKVLFxK6s5-7wkL_z3cUlFoqiNm3_gmdoRCr5l7x1uwj4ObmDBIhRWpRSBBcunmSpjFQEooYz7WQvBN1PFF48DFXbVv8xrtKhIdcrd7xDgHdccMk97uU-Fj/s320/Imagen+287.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><div>From the Chincana complex, it was a short walk down to the biggest town at the northern end of the island, Cha´llapampa. We had time for some lunch before boarding the boat back to the southern end of the island and then back to Copa. Back in Copa we stayed one more night before heading across the border to Peru to explore the Peruvian side of the lake and onwards into Peru. </div><br /><p></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346915006420709378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gyxCOFLOqqwFEI-kSFA5gQwZRp6LTu3ctfz6d693h-Z2eCarBXmaoEbzeyl_rTueTCZYEoPaEyWAH6qKpKvN8ythQ2H_VBPoRK5uCFv_z_gpMmX4HGZFSKblqk_wVq5I-lEmAPbkf_TW/s320/Imagen+260.jpg" border="0" />Bolivia Fun Fact:</div><div>Bolivia has been a fantastic surprise for us and has lived up to its descriptions of being cold, warm, windy, steamy, dry, salty, and swampy. It is also very colourful; over 60% of the population of 8.8million claim indigenous heritage. Bolivia has it all...</div></div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-36669943382053893902009-05-23T16:18:00.000-04:002009-06-13T17:30:27.262-04:00La Paz<div align="center">From Rurrebenque, we had two options to make it to La Paz...<br /></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left">Option #1: 18-24hr overnight bus-ride on the <strong>worlds deadliest road</strong> (4000m elevation gain, 600m+ cliffs with no guard rails, 3.2 m wide dirt, potholed road that claims more than 100 lives a year). </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">Option #2: A short (35 minute) but exciting plane ride in an 18 passanger plane leaving from a grass airfield having to gain more than 6000m elevation in a very short distance to make it safely over the Andes Mountains and land in La Paz at 3660m. </div><div align="center"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346909188836451266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9a7KtwI94_ZGd15YYpWIcvo4PoctoFAM4806BqRwrbzkI3YbZwP0HBbAVfXEPmf4mh1KZn2VVgdKYTmxsSvpmej5LcFA_joYaiH19IQ90wgX9GtVjWhL4diSQG6LUJwX1_cvjV-wNFptg/s320/picsmay+036.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"> We opted for the plane ride!<br /></p><p align="left">La Paz is an amazing city in many respects. The city´s buildings cling to the sides of a canyon and spill downwards. Recognized as the business centre of Bolivia, La Paz is a very lively and bussling place. Street vendors are set up 24 hours a day selling everything from food to furniture. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346909178354962178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJ2AjYVblr3v8NKiYT7cll3YcUXjZZRxyZfCTDi_zPyxpwIpQsvNrSrooAd9CvUiindoChsmWAdY3xaj9O574057oEMz18woAURW6BrKQXpVL-foY07Z_jjjNF50HcPVX0IobHZgYWuHs/s320/Imagen+277.jpg" border="0" />From our hostel we were able to walk down to the famous Mercado de Hechiceria(Witches Market). The market is overflowing with herbs, magical potions and shriveled llama fetuses, which locals bury under the porches of their new homes for luck and fortune. <br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346909182877817634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmnHAMZ0zmAuwW9GEfbLnjy7PizeGN4rcym7y-Rf0UtL1AZsjKkXFdXtdVK-L_TQiX4PeMrTC2y4U1eaafOIzKoF7QUMe5Xww7HcfPXMce-vpl-2Bs0MskI2lNgQBNXNq7hz5gYsK1EZ5/s320/Imagen+278.jpg" border="0" /><br />La Paz was a fun city and a great place to recover(bug bites, sun burn, food poisoning) from our Amazon trip. We even managed to catch an english speaking movie (Wolverine) at one of the local cinemas. </p>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-70006121381001549942009-05-14T12:04:00.001-04:002009-06-08T15:58:25.415-04:00Amazon Basin- Trinidad, RurrenebaqueFrom Santa Cruz we made our way to Trinidad which was basically just a stopping-over point for us on the way to Rurrenbaque. From Trinidad we boarded a bus to Rurrenbaque in the Amazon Basin. Perhaps now is a good time to describe traveling by bus in Bolivia...<br />Most busses are over-used, run-down, and suffer break-downs regularily.<br />Most roads in Bolivia are not paved - even ones connecting major cities. <br />The altitudes in Bolivia vary dramatically between the highlands of the altiplano and the lowlands of the Amazon Basin which means that most roads are narrow switchbacks making their way up and down mountains. Typical busses(below) in Bolivia have high-clearance, knobby tires, and snorkles for their exhaust pipes so that they can cross smaller rivers. <br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344690171821136002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSemIadWhvjEnSGDI-gWmZq5XnPilCjr81ekGkEVgveQ99_RKowowGvYLlTeAV23lNziUx1zilmXl83wsW3KKOOFIjbmDmizItq57Z9M9aLmHifwzYMyKuUeqP0ESOLj2GluOFDMk0dNBW/s320/Trini+1.jpg" border="0" /><br />We arrived in Bolivia at the end of the rainy season. Many roads in the Amazon Basin were still washed out which meant longer travel times. In many cases, where the roads were washed out, the busses would drive onto make-shift rafts propelled by dug-out canoes. Passengers on the bus were usually asked to exit the bus and stand on the raft - if the bus and raft went down you would have more of a chance to swim to safety. <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGxqDkRNuiHse7EhVfojNcpN_bItmX3s1yAKugRYpHNJ8R9ga2fUlMwGXMcE9sVjS1EHBuDcTWkPRhf4ThZkUfgcnxmGS1TfVhJZWuKYHOPFTmyPu1wNTpNCDvK0i6ZobHSueUt3AOHpj/s1600-h/Trini+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344690176280205346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGxqDkRNuiHse7EhVfojNcpN_bItmX3s1yAKugRYpHNJ8R9ga2fUlMwGXMcE9sVjS1EHBuDcTWkPRhf4ThZkUfgcnxmGS1TfVhJZWuKYHOPFTmyPu1wNTpNCDvK0i6ZobHSueUt3AOHpj/s320/Trini+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Pampas(Amazon) Tour:</strong><br />We arrived in the Amazon basin the small town of Rurrenbaque which is located on the Beni River. There are more than 60 tourism agencies in town so it took us a while to decide upon an agency and tour. We finally decided upon a 3 day tour of the pampas. We would visit the newly protected Pampas Del Yucama, a 616,000 ha protected area. The Pampas Del Yucama is part of an extensive fluvial plan of the Amazon Basin characterized by flooded savannas and jungle vegetation and wildlife. <br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344686195999914754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymIw8YSIWUk0xVzngEW9z_uQbAYzRRGOZc3rLRpCefY7te5gSnuvzcTJmni2aAoc9B4H9rbERYODGcvQOR0RBld6ntxKvGg01FI6S544ZSB8mT5GUJEHEKgjeN1OVWrNhitMpkes4Lm1R/s320/Imagen+141.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>We headed up the Beni river in a small 9 passenger boat with our tour guide Negro and 6 other trekkers. Negro was quite a character and had lost his index finger too an Alligator. Our accomodations for the tour were small cabins on the rivers edge, elevated on stilts, complete with bunks and mosquito nets. Almost right away we were amazed at the biodiversity and variety of species found along the river. Some of the wildlife we were able to view included 3 toed sloths, cappybearas, anacondas, and a variety of other species shown below. </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344686207759293618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4puw243V6VzPPmf1ucCMGSjUWRigBGag01PkAWxKHBUYpZA6s5ihwpDJJ5o-a8wVGYJEOHXpa89UQ5rFRHl2pz3WbgmuXpQ_wR6YoPoI8_vhHdBLz9Dz5hIh3C-mG3fof5Er9I21M7__/s320/Imagen+193.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center">Parrots flying over-head(above). It was a birders paradise along the river and we were lucky enough to see a large variety of birds including herons and many different species of eagles. </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344686203553358178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBfLmoy5VFJbUGxyrD2pDZNX8WscLBrWB9qgxZqIeJxL50blViSpYniPtubT79jUlczGK4C86TXbuzfPJblm-wIhoolxDvDtFQqDk-VfSUFFTL06n5tmFMjoplBgqayPIh2ojlg84ZIyW/s320/Imagen+163.jpg" border="0" /> Squirrel monkey checking us out(above). We were lucky enough to see 5 different species of monkeys including howler monkeys. In the morning we could hear the low growl of the howler monkey. The growl sounds similar to a lion and is meant to make other howler monkeys aware of its territory. </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">A squirrel monkey feasting on a banana the guide negro placed on Chris´ head(below).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVj2bvHR3UCkT7hh9ZFdI-fAg4Yq22nANI8VmacfRa5LDQO-VIOFc-95n-SFOnOFdpduBvO63zs0KQxJ2BhMWcvuI4TKZOasauot3K_AsLfCwYIoxAf87o8nQpP7o5StIvmmoljcFl22gY/s1600-h/picsmay+030.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344690168995007602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVj2bvHR3UCkT7hh9ZFdI-fAg4Yq22nANI8VmacfRa5LDQO-VIOFc-95n-SFOnOFdpduBvO63zs0KQxJ2BhMWcvuI4TKZOasauot3K_AsLfCwYIoxAf87o8nQpP7o5StIvmmoljcFl22gY/s320/picsmay+030.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center">Our days consisted of motoring up and down the rivers viewing wildlife. There were many alligators along the way, often basking on the muddy shores of the river. This alligotor(below) had just entered the river after we boated up to it for a closer look. <br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344686204442227538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmpbq32CV5jm4MQmZ5B5lPhpe74r-t4CTd1LIxzubBHiF4bdUM2jXDryuv-33PRzQ1zhhuOJ6dKy2WRlErJlbOM7EfJ1vLI5-SorQI39ZzBFRPeWX6m25lnKLkkK6JOByL1hK6LFcUS9A/s320/Imagen+179.jpg" border="0" /> An alligator hanging out in the sun by one of the river eco-lodges(below).<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSol0k7bAQiy_F_RNjboVKyoIReYg1kyKQQPG0PFMaVG9JhKEmQ6QYKyMEHMLH0EDmmdp2CyZRWUzZ5kR4-U39TrcKijDvO9kJnH0-gxCF4AtIZEOHkcbqwUGJxnlc2V4oIq8IYzbN-07j/s1600-h/Imagen+272.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344688000503285954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSol0k7bAQiy_F_RNjboVKyoIReYg1kyKQQPG0PFMaVG9JhKEmQ6QYKyMEHMLH0EDmmdp2CyZRWUzZ5kR4-U39TrcKijDvO9kJnH0-gxCF4AtIZEOHkcbqwUGJxnlc2V4oIq8IYzbN-07j/s320/Imagen+272.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div>We were suprised and amazed to learn that the Beni river and many other headwaters of the Amazon are home to pink river dolphins. Getting a good picture of a dolphin is just as hard as getting a picture of a whale - ofter you just get the a ripple of water or the spout as they surface for air. </div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344687990447733426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04M1J3B7_ANve7XsF5cSkTQmpAY5JtifbgOlJOJv9PrpE9Sjn6N7EI8lUb-4x7BqWeO9qopqTuwBQrqMoKyMzc1edUM37pgC61v9CxDPjCCi8Ka2NEsgYg44-ytTZgWH0SD17iLWJsJkt/s320/Imagen+266.jpg" border="0" />Rebecca enjoying a refreshing dip in the river and treading water in the river(below), waiting for a river dolphin(hopefully not an alligator) to tap her on the bottom of her feet. <br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5D_qNUvY-9SUKA6K_Oz49AWEvQ6y5TjmFnFyg553MTKULjSzUTKSOyvrHlmKTxB57r-zAMRm7fBbKHcJ58jVJQ7PJ06CqUWYs_GWxUScjerRPKwBaKuM8eXOKieZphJOmzllVVDfuPzTI/s1600-h/Imagen+270.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344687994550043586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5D_qNUvY-9SUKA6K_Oz49AWEvQ6y5TjmFnFyg553MTKULjSzUTKSOyvrHlmKTxB57r-zAMRm7fBbKHcJ58jVJQ7PJ06CqUWYs_GWxUScjerRPKwBaKuM8eXOKieZphJOmzllVVDfuPzTI/s320/Imagen+270.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div align="center">Sunrise in the Pampas.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7d1ORT8LZcdeevV2hCIHxCkQbcH60GsGqw0GUnBrYY272wYtXgkqyRLXmuboiEBSHR6PpGYx6eIQT_V9SjVYBIQnWDJwkfUvwkAEJs2GZMtg5jVABmkI0ktHOT4d-S7Vthb1U1MOCZcVG/s1600-h/Imagen+218.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344687984739213202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7d1ORT8LZcdeevV2hCIHxCkQbcH60GsGqw0GUnBrYY272wYtXgkqyRLXmuboiEBSHR6PpGYx6eIQT_V9SjVYBIQnWDJwkfUvwkAEJs2GZMtg5jVABmkI0ktHOT4d-S7Vthb1U1MOCZcVG/s320/Imagen+218.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><div><div><div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-56987343283389054402009-05-14T12:03:00.001-04:002009-06-07T16:13:18.150-04:00Inca Ruins & Cloud Forrest of SamaipataSanta Cruz is humid! We have come down from the elevation (to 415 metres) for a breath of low-altitude air, if only for a day. Santa Cruz is a big city (1.2 million) and was really only a stopover for us to have a sleep in a proper bed after thenight bus, shower, grab a jar of peanut butter and continue on. We are a fan of the smaller towns so the next day we caught a shared taxi up, up, up, and up a winding road to Samaipata. The taxi we ended up in was originally an right-hand drive vehicle that had been converted over to a western left-hand drive. The steering wheel came out of the glove-box, and amazingly the original guages seemed to still work(one of the few vehicles in Bolivia with working instruments).<br /><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>In Samaipata we relaxed back into the small-town way of life, browsing the few shops and restaurants, reading in the central plaza, and shopping for different tours and tour-guides.<br />We visited the pre-inca site of El Fuerte which is set spectacularily on a hilltop. We opted for a guided tour of the site and were richly rewarded with a very knowledgable and entertaining storyteller named Marten from Holland. He made up one of three amigos who own and operate The Roadrunners, a travel agency that runs guided tours through-out South America. He informed us what was known about the original coyo moya culture that created the site, and also how the inca culture took over the site and re-shaped much of it too fit with their own beliefs. There is still much that is unknown about the site but many books with wildly different theories (alien spaceships, etc.) have been written. The site was buried until about 30 years ago when it was discovered and uncovered. While the site is now quardened off so that people can not step on it, the weather is quickly eroding the sand-stone and many of the carvings and symbols which are already fading may entirely dissappear in the next 20 years unless a solution for preservation is found.<br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9j5SzYr8SWXaWd33iAqrhI4VIwZAng69BzacKWiJEuFJ2oVrEdxMHD-YgfMtzGepo35C0v91hjKrSSpMjBgPGYU39S-sbdd6XHgxeN6eCPLYJ1D2yOc6bv5a_in_Hk5bOJnMOiidBOl5/s1600-h/Imagen+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342444430576480498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9j5SzYr8SWXaWd33iAqrhI4VIwZAng69BzacKWiJEuFJ2oVrEdxMHD-YgfMtzGepo35C0v91hjKrSSpMjBgPGYU39S-sbdd6XHgxeN6eCPLYJ1D2yOc6bv5a_in_Hk5bOJnMOiidBOl5/s320/Imagen+012.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOlFpOs9nfw8UG7juT9oLhk1ewLtb00n3Xr9wFJclqWjkl_sA3othagtlXvJSRVySNEfZQQqpzki8ZkAMLu35IUp8bi9pgiMUiGfw1F9ux9oLV7PAOzJuru7LkIQ7iMtuQ84T-5UeUyhe/s1600-h/Imagen+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342444425089616802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOlFpOs9nfw8UG7juT9oLhk1ewLtb00n3Xr9wFJclqWjkl_sA3othagtlXvJSRVySNEfZQQqpzki8ZkAMLu35IUp8bi9pgiMUiGfw1F9ux9oLV7PAOzJuru7LkIQ7iMtuQ84T-5UeUyhe/s320/Imagen+014.jpg" border="0" /></a> In the picture(below) you can make out 8 large rectangular doors that have been cut out of the rock. The number 8 is important in inca culture. The doors were carved out of the rock and people who died were placed into the doors. The doors are located in a way that they get maximum sun exposure and wind and once the bodies were naturally mummified they were ready for the after-life. The bodies were then placed in barrels and buried nearby. Several of the chambers have small holes drilled into them deep into the rock. The holes were created in hopes of being able to catch a glimpse at the after-life.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifigErjFaMcKpPlFtWM5w7xKIWyWwPEExj5xvm20gUfNtDCDJ66E9dM9X9_jRkEdyTiKAG88oSzS4lp-fJHL8F26iHsySRsK0JLP81etMOW8QUk3lQE_kl704syy5vJC4wzrhQpFbxIvoB/s1600-h/Imagen+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342444420777932434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifigErjFaMcKpPlFtWM5w7xKIWyWwPEExj5xvm20gUfNtDCDJ66E9dM9X9_jRkEdyTiKAG88oSzS4lp-fJHL8F26iHsySRsK0JLP81etMOW8QUk3lQE_kl704syy5vJC4wzrhQpFbxIvoB/s320/Imagen+018.jpg" border="0" /></a> From Samaipata we boarded a local toor truck and made our way to the near-by Parque Nacional Amboro. The national park is made up of a mountain range that seperates the amazon basin(lowlands) from the altiplano region(highlands). This transitional zone is extremely diverse and more species of birds visit and live in this park than all of North America. </div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RStCX78D_n08-mQrzHBukAgXGJSvzwG-Um7Y4yJJqnE8rBIaibwprH94faMiNOsfZ3jzixHskHEGwN_1O9epDf6FHJ5fCNDWB9ERdG_72oO1AJ5xzik-CjJf6_iIZ2pwMbKKYIfYj2nM/s1600-h/Imagen+034.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342442434525206818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RStCX78D_n08-mQrzHBukAgXGJSvzwG-Um7Y4yJJqnE8rBIaibwprH94faMiNOsfZ3jzixHskHEGwN_1O9epDf6FHJ5fCNDWB9ERdG_72oO1AJ5xzik-CjJf6_iIZ2pwMbKKYIfYj2nM/s320/Imagen+034.jpg" border="0" /></a>The park is visited a cloud rain-forest with giant tree ferns whose species date back more than 140 million years and are thought to have made up approximately 60% of the dinosaurs diets.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342454583083903186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JDl0Lxe_zUo3rVC4NM7aP8NwxkMVQ-IFXVyK3la_9RhXN81Qnq-6zB_x220bdWS3GMcIwuW76N28d8NXSCVgV4j1SIId7KRy7oa_fKTdS33O49V5UCwm_OzArmuXm8W_ZBCFsgqIhldr/s320/Imagen+060.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvqxc89V_22ELVsPnZDITmZ5NDfItPSXNREAURohYWfW6_x3Z9NROtiA0vDcq33dkT_Y06yKBGnj8lBnwhdKjlNsp0XvlL9N5N2NV94epfd9eGaXeV3Oqv4NlgOfkt-akUm4LoN0iwJYi/s1600-h/Imagen+049.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342442422928617090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvqxc89V_22ELVsPnZDITmZ5NDfItPSXNREAURohYWfW6_x3Z9NROtiA0vDcq33dkT_Y06yKBGnj8lBnwhdKjlNsp0XvlL9N5N2NV94epfd9eGaXeV3Oqv4NlgOfkt-akUm4LoN0iwJYi/s320/Imagen+049.jpg" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342454597688301874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zzjd-r1-NuJOcUqtxgajhtpirCpJLUz73nUs_h-xsrJkJdk568H9iYEwP6OsPmuZiFZGJEOZ-BeYN9Bk2J2PPgDL5bGZ3qm6PuQPb-zqFQ8wNFBUqwfccRC_QpoS6YP_o-eGOYB6wWDp/s320/Sam+16.jpg" border="0" /> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibERd5SdM_U9vHI7YQ8C8rGQhmYFK9_X91pwVZ5rZj9qzRrGTLA2Jm-bug9ZbhAmGNJpPBxaLrDqFRjjFII3ruPw9ozXaKw778bVd02U2B54IazLEE5801-AEjhUO1xhKY9KH12A2Clp6g/s1600-h/Imagen+078.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342442422337651570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibERd5SdM_U9vHI7YQ8C8rGQhmYFK9_X91pwVZ5rZj9qzRrGTLA2Jm-bug9ZbhAmGNJpPBxaLrDqFRjjFII3ruPw9ozXaKw778bVd02U2B54IazLEE5801-AEjhUO1xhKY9KH12A2Clp6g/s320/Imagen+078.jpg" border="0" /></a> Cattle roam in pastures that are nearby the park and sometimes wonder in. This skull is from a steer that was killed by a puma five years earlier. The Puma killed 3 head of cattle in one week and then dissappeared into the thick jungle. Our hike started in in a lush and dense rain/cloud-forest. We emerged from the lush forest and made our way above the tree-line to the summit of the cloud-forest which was, of-course, enshrouded in clouds!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8F0-Dwt4zS_2X4OKEwkQSn9duK_Qb9iFv0XIsSGiWfqkVXhaf2bAVrbeVa8xtNDfZi6oOWXKGl0GQNawg7tP_9iLGR-eaKVkgCfFNIUBxkcGZlgkoABbvpMYkx_c3qTm20QouTmAsWBqo/s1600-h/Imagen+090.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342442414642822706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8F0-Dwt4zS_2X4OKEwkQSn9duK_Qb9iFv0XIsSGiWfqkVXhaf2bAVrbeVa8xtNDfZi6oOWXKGl0GQNawg7tP_9iLGR-eaKVkgCfFNIUBxkcGZlgkoABbvpMYkx_c3qTm20QouTmAsWBqo/s320/Imagen+090.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-71888383213828905362009-05-14T12:01:00.000-04:002009-06-01T20:55:52.159-04:00Breathless in Potosi & Lounging in SucrePotosi is the <strong>world´s highest city</strong> at a breath-taking 4060 m. After being founded in 1545, Potosi quickly grew and became world-known for having the most lucrative silver mines. By the end of the 18th century it had grown to be the larges and wealthiest city in Latin America. Unfortunately, much of the history of the mine should not be celebrated as millions of indigenous people and African slaves were conscripted to work in the less the ideal mines - the mines have actually cost millions of lives. The mines in Potosi are the longest running and largest silver mines in the world. The thing most travelers do in Potosi is go for a tour of the still-active mines, which reportedly still employ child labour in less than ideal conditions - we opted not to go for a tour. Instead we slowly navigated the hills of the city and took it easy at such high elevation, just taking it all in.<br /><br /><div><div>From Potosi we caught a ride in a shared-taxi 3 hours North East to Sucre. It was a winding road down but a good ride in Bolivian standards as the road was almost entirely paved! Amazing scenery and greenery greeted us on the ride to lower elevations.</div><br /><div>Amazing historic buildings and street markets teeming with whatever you might need, Sucre is the judicial capital of Bolivia and was declared a Unesco Cultural Heritage site in 1991. We frequented the market and especially loved all the fresh fruit and smoothies that we available. Sucre is at 2750metres and is surrounded by beautiful green valleys and has a better climate for fruit productions, yum!</div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342523260639860946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvdNkb55LP_eHAwG0CM8oIQz4u6jhXbhZzsl-cE646zhxiN_kTRY1UaMz-l0jteI-dx5JLkv1yqLcZeelWxuKG2mJFqOBOd36OKi5W0skJHl6W0UBXUo3BT6uX5t7eXSDSbuByY4ThLcC/s320/picsmay+008.jpg" border="0" /></div><div></div><div>We took the opportunity to lounge a bit it Sucre to catch up on some sleep and give our aching bellies some attention. The city lends itself well to R&R with sunny warm days and cool nights and plenty of plazas to sit in and read or people watch.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342523250900207394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg560Or5BgrVJLfJgGANgAhvsUlswD67ofdw1gHID-PfXWt35pcA4m64jaxEXNYaLxHq8mZKmiul7mn99SzarmVX4Yq9EVKPzUlmq4SzB83wTVHV316aZq8074bikqBCWqNXcuJnBb56niO/s320/picsmay+004.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Next stop: Santa Cruz and the cloud rainforest of Samaipata for some hiking and sight-seeing.</div><br /><div>Bolivia Fun Fact: </div><div>There are lots of alpaca and llamas in Bolivia. This means lots of toques, mitts, scarves, socks, and sweaters for sale. Instead of spreading out, we often find these sorts of shops all huddled together on one street. We find similar streets lined with silver vendors (necklaces, rings, earings, etc), or fruit vendors, or toiletries stalls, or snack shops. While we appreciate the competition, the fact that they are all selling the same things leaves us wondering...how does anyone stand out and make money? How do we choose who to buy from?</div><div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-56254647169799212342009-05-05T11:45:00.000-04:002009-05-31T12:56:18.604-04:00Giddy Up in Tupiza!<div>From Uyuni we got on what´s left of Bolivia´s railway system for a train ride 5 hours south to Tupiza. Set at 2950 metres aboce sea level, Tupiza is surrounded by the rainbow-coloured rocks, hills, mountains, and canyons of the Cordillera de Chicas. It is also on the trail of Butch and Sundance, where the two are disputedly thought to have met there fate. </div><br /><div>The first day we took it easy and checked out the clay courts at the local tennis club. We booked a time with one of the staff there and returned in the afternoon for some rallying and to have a match with our host. He ended up kicking Chris´ butt in the match, but Chris thinks the altitude has something to do with it! We had a great time and it was fun to chat with someone local and practice our spanish.</div><div><div></div><br /><div>The next day we decided to explore the amazing surrounding landscapes on horseback with a local guide. We doned leather gaitors and straw hats and set out for a half-day exploring the countryside. Our guide took us on an amazing loop where we enjoyed the following:<br /></div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRENMmPp9AzX7k3u_Hs5ca0emsVYj2oLXM0DJZprojv9Pgvj2kra0u1owcNm8qspRO_xIPE3BG83tFSR2KbpXzeBUCIWTF03ecGSeOr-VaLuexZA3LtGt60CGldnvLADFL-nUDFZJ1D-OA/s1600-h/P5020597.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342031018738290818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRENMmPp9AzX7k3u_Hs5ca0emsVYj2oLXM0DJZprojv9Pgvj2kra0u1owcNm8qspRO_xIPE3BG83tFSR2KbpXzeBUCIWTF03ecGSeOr-VaLuexZA3LtGt60CGldnvLADFL-nUDFZJ1D-OA/s320/P5020597.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC24fvdNLawCcVxFeMNATirfKmDJ_WzUKW8VDzuY6XhUjocKP-yCNDF7R2316i6oUjORLfkQDNo4jHZJ9xpfh2garm0tHmJL9hN9A0b-vQgfwpb3TLDuoaCufveRtKvWC4tmyImQUzbT-J/s1600-h/P5020626.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342031009774778530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC24fvdNLawCcVxFeMNATirfKmDJ_WzUKW8VDzuY6XhUjocKP-yCNDF7R2316i6oUjORLfkQDNo4jHZJ9xpfh2garm0tHmJL9hN9A0b-vQgfwpb3TLDuoaCufveRtKvWC4tmyImQUzbT-J/s320/P5020626.JPG" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342031013285524242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggE3yxwFqReX9E0Ow8wIMEVON1X-oUoUNTZV7yi_E8QO-p4sjXqWeU877d6oV1ScPDhPBcxEW61D0oCBGRImXGhRDesgd-dA_4VrokDOcgBPKPTeCfXAt_NG7rcRD83UqWdgDpPC-ecWZP/s320/P5020621.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsqyYH18BItoXjdEtx20AVZD2Y-sDKhc3O-y19oHutScB4ZbWr3ELHhX0v1UKzLr-O4YkQjNOceAr-IlNoNk19uNMXGtblShX-BYpLA5bwkKD8ovNMa52_rknPlSXdFX2WaqSS6XMPDBg/s1600-h/P5020651.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342030999579631698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsqyYH18BItoXjdEtx20AVZD2Y-sDKhc3O-y19oHutScB4ZbWr3ELHhX0v1UKzLr-O4YkQjNOceAr-IlNoNk19uNMXGtblShX-BYpLA5bwkKD8ovNMa52_rknPlSXdFX2WaqSS6XMPDBg/s320/P5020651.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342030998362264162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis3cshazoas6-5sCVnETDhx-PlVNLFHmQgiUBpSRBE5rRRlla6LVV15URB1Z1lNxFe51hVDgqxcyOmB2Zxs0EQqZs2Kx2-3CZ-iGJ0qfuj7ULw63CB97TwudmgtjStPmGCydyHDTOjZ7n/s320/P5020669.JPG" border="0" /> <div><div></div><div>After a tiring day with the horses we boarded an overnight bus to Sucre. But before we boarded the bus we waited in the cold at the station as it was an hour and a half late getting there. When it did arrive it was mostly full of a noisy, rambuctous, travelling Bolivian basketball team. And this was no ordinary bus; this bus was equipped to handle some off-roading. And off-roading we did...dirt road, potholes, dusty....ah, such is life traveling in Bolivia- an adventure!</div></div></div><div><div></div><div> </div><div>Bolivia Fun Fact:</div><div>Honking is a way of life in Bolivia. There seem to be very few street lights. When approaching an intersection, drivers honk and hope that no one else is coming from any other direction!</div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-18650992718716283292009-04-29T14:10:00.001-04:002009-05-24T15:01:19.502-04:00Salar de Uyuni, BoliviaFrom San Pedro de Atacama we were ready to head into Bolivia. In order to make it to the closest town in Bolivia, Uyuni, we needed to cross desert, geysers, hot springs, lakes, and salt flats. So, we made a 3 day 4x4 Land Cruiser tour out of it- a definite highlight of the trip! There were 11 people in our group so we needed two vehicles. We lucked out and had a really fun group made up of us, 2 Swiss girls, 2 (hilarious) Israli guys, 2 Portugese girls, an English girl, a Brazilian girl, and an American girl. Our guides were proficient in cooking, site info where we stopped, and automobile repair! Again, we had so many pictures to choose from. Here are the highlights from the tour:<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div><div><strong>DAY 1<br /></strong><br /></div><p>We ate breakfast at the Chili-Bolivia border sheltered(sort of) from the cool winds of the altiplano. This was the the closest we got to the Licancabur Volcano(5930 m). The border crossing consisted of one building in the middle of no-where with no real roads leading to or from it. There was one border guard there that could be bribed if you did not have the necessary documentation. Below is the Bolivian border building along with a glimpse of the Toyota Land Cruiser that was our transprt for the journey to Uyuni.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339461908123776898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUTfvaKdz5vJBkdmBRb6KW5QsVD-J6yo7qN-TBL12pRHeDXvKQutUZReYp0OgqE0JJH5ft_gkWweHhFVwlrfP6do6M2gvyejIiavsuE0UQE5H3hxnvRlY0I15Ve-JgSTPrOU49N8IM2jt/s320/P4260453.JPG" border="0" /></p><p>Laguna Verde was our first stop after crossing the border into Bolivia. This high-elevation lagoon is suurounded by volcanoes- most of which are inactive.</p></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339461903025206370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0mpO2yrw-4n0fpKu7Zk7OY7hdlNGikxB-wen_vfGa-lz93G_dO8ODpF30n_ACOD3OZUzG6lv-k25Z21c29-IB3xIHhDs28ujusc-Ud8FtK__Tti9OELjwZB2hwQQAxyzi2Q2SF96zfFZ/s320/P4260474.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p>Our second stop was to the geysers that sit at approximately 4950 m. These ones were different from the ones we saw outside San Pedro de Atacama. They smelled of sulphur and the liguid was grey but just boiled, instead of shooted up like the other ones did. These ones were also quite big, like craters in the earth.</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339461894338760722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNc_2ISl2AiFuqM0uyhxZOZwP-C80g_pRjQIaonTXIjWXSgTKgDaMEat-NcqR1bPVOItWgqGzomAsRLyE_Kp0SnSXDd81ytW_VZ_qUEntyieap5fWAhA_NYLSZNPIME_AOpmxl8MPmBD2V/s320/P4260501.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p><strong>Day 2</strong></p><p>After spending the night huddled in our long-johns under several layers of blankets we loaded up the 4x4´s and headed out for another exciting day. Below is our ¨refugio¨(hostal) and the guides backing our stuff on the roof racks.</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339458767301104290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlneFqKpthCC3lTcSEroynKIgdYfvUbVYpeF759x0LAClxYOXinI9rV2DraP6BIMWQLHbga37zbdGWm1-KswBJAacqQKSyJ8d3CZidihrh_uLPdIdCprGlOCRav2Vm7SCTxVUQ5WtmGhQt/s320/P4270514.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p>First stop on day 2 was to the nearby Laguna Colarado where the flamigoes live. We didn´t expect to see this bird here in the windy altiplano, but there are three types who live in the area.<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339458782268461074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxrPd3owJou-xE848TPbsfG5ZDA28TOtzgo6bfo9exzv9Rn3VROUSFBiLuyKad3MN-l3iK-ch_2olonJColGdQs68LRH2E_xlxUVPMOl1caZ-5XeDAUrLBBTGhVP8Msau2i7cXvcfP9bh/s320/Salaar+Day+2.2+051.jpg" border="0" /> </div><div>During the trip we saw lots of llamas and alpacas strolling along. They are pretty tame so we could get close. These ones have pink ribbons tied to their ears to identify them.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339458774392235874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokpdhd56zRqkAFn_wjoQBJ_k9-tKoeiZRUUBeZ_0mXx89UXdnbj00Q9KgkniDVDVcMzOUYril5b_c9h3pdNg1sQl3xX0vtfemV68YmiTkoz6saDDKXvYdM6ZdVlXNtpuimnN70MjfdQ1c/s320/P4270530.JPG" border="0" /> We also stopped at the near-by Termas de Polques hot springs for a quick and relaxing dip at 4200 m.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339458770552194034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyC9uzNg1aYPTx9HWbEgt8Rdo6NbX-JvSn5kdEbpXXM_lCqriJ8l6ULowJ6tMa494Q45VJb0kQBlduAnglyuOPMUdFInMtK-nJ6cB_WWF-DevKn68_qsA7Fymx8ywj7krnG75nLFVf-SuN/s320/P4270523.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339461897938041490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzX1PvqsiSvnrSbY00-CkBwtpwgCGVicMQh5afjawHbEoa0rYAlkjH3mwrs7mYU5J1BrZ6_AsBxyuSr-PyZKX4dwZsSQOS6DsP_aJh5LZJm9FRAPiJcgyRbY4nMBuluRvmsDQqL7iGUYAo/s320/P4260490.JPG" border="0" />Our last stop of the day before heading the next hostal was to the Arbolde de Piedra, or rock tree. We were just cruising (OK, bumping) along the desert roads (OK, tracks) when we came across a collection of rocks jutting out in the middle of nowhere. This one is famous because it looks like a tree (kinda).<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339458779860438578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNYHdY4soWaPp_HmwiW3NOzUqaSEUQ8pVieevYSMiT2bHBkkTqG1gxrGDTo0YzHAYE62oNGJTMqTxBk4lTf4bB-5vVxBgn_1EHlXANEiAVRGbVitChidnbeLe9bBxSOfDMHbHXzMKjBHG/s320/Salaar+Day+2.2+033.jpg" border="0" /> <strong>Day 3<br /></strong>On our 3rd and final day crossing into Bolivia we arrived at the Salar de Uyuni - disputedly the world´s largest salt flat covering approximately 12,000 sq. kms at approximatly 3653 m elevation. The salt from the flats is harvested and processed into table salt, but more importantly the landscape lends itself to taking fun photographs. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzPRKEItuphRi6Y99w12oiFxHKoaHirU0ywkEEaYZCzanej_nEDex0KH-SSpI4p4KUPRQbv-BSwug7YBoHSgLTB6VESqfg7oLyfKophaApAplkX43t_rojsz-T5mmMp9CJQqWC0LfNJOA/s1600-h/C1.JPG"><br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335730959705866626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzPRKEItuphRi6Y99w12oiFxHKoaHirU0ywkEEaYZCzanej_nEDex0KH-SSpI4p4KUPRQbv-BSwug7YBoHSgLTB6VESqfg7oLyfKophaApAplkX43t_rojsz-T5mmMp9CJQqWC0LfNJOA/s320/C1.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv49NFjGPsYwQj61VmV_L0jbBD1xd8hr5ZAYBiPlIJSmnondempiA5BT-KKVj2xdBTxsxvTCJFkTQX6TAzu0ExdBgTonMyJVdy-bKj2PN-8aWuU7yVMVv7rBiZBiWWO6-obvI16NZ5jboz/s1600-h/C2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335730955099888610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv49NFjGPsYwQj61VmV_L0jbBD1xd8hr5ZAYBiPlIJSmnondempiA5BT-KKVj2xdBTxsxvTCJFkTQX6TAzu0ExdBgTonMyJVdy-bKj2PN-8aWuU7yVMVv7rBiZBiWWO6-obvI16NZ5jboz/s320/C2.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p> Sitting in the middle of the Salt Lake is the peculiar and amazing Isla de los Pescadores or Incahuasi (meaning Fish Island for its shape or Inca´s House). The island has an amazing stand of giant and ancient cactus, some of which have been aged at more than 1200yrs. Archeologists also discovered signs that the inca once used this mysterious island. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TiuGCPnZO6xRDGbD9S6RAEeEXvtVPqb1ag8goqqCogJRtbciCD0nMKTsQm2D0M7bU51w_kzdoy0bw5KOUu4Sj6f_loHWhsnLWv9X72kjF9v5ThxcgxdEq3HwmqyTs4829YqJty-a7liI/s1600-h/C3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335730951529443266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TiuGCPnZO6xRDGbD9S6RAEeEXvtVPqb1ag8goqqCogJRtbciCD0nMKTsQm2D0M7bU51w_kzdoy0bw5KOUu4Sj6f_loHWhsnLWv9X72kjF9v5ThxcgxdEq3HwmqyTs4829YqJty-a7liI/s320/C3.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHn3cb2CiMrKvIDEnr3w1g4Kubz4SjKx2yco6DNLz3xUcpgdpr0WtbbZiMEiRvJ7Q35Gok7OOzGsX2YHE3y7T6T-qXyeGoYSVD6Nin7so5Uj1QNwFxEbbLXP5RkZ2ZmIoR9YN1LtmyYBD/s1600-h/C4.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335730943911435330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHn3cb2CiMrKvIDEnr3w1g4Kubz4SjKx2yco6DNLz3xUcpgdpr0WtbbZiMEiRvJ7Q35Gok7OOzGsX2YHE3y7T6T-qXyeGoYSVD6Nin7so5Uj1QNwFxEbbLXP5RkZ2ZmIoR9YN1LtmyYBD/s320/C4.JPG" border="0" /></a>The only mishaps we had on the trip were a couple of flat tires, running out of gas, and the other trucks wheel and tire came off at about 80 km an hour off-roading. We were assured by our guides that this trip was smooth compared to most. Our 4x4 adventure ended in the small town of Uyuni but our adventures in Bolivia have only just begun.<br /><br /></p><p>Bolivia fun fact: Bolivia is the hemisphere´s highest, most isolated and rugged nation. In guidebooks, the country is described as one of the Earth´s coldest, warmest, windiest and steamiest places. It boasts among the driest, saltiest and swampiest natural landscapes in the world. </p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-3163337319524263362009-04-23T14:44:00.000-04:002009-05-14T12:22:56.895-04:00Into Thin Air- Tha Atacama DesertSan Pedro de Atacama is the main jumping-off point to expore the Atacama desert in North Eastern Chile. From La Serena we travelled 18 hours (with 1 bus change). The small village of San Pedro de Atacama is also at at Altitude of 2500 metres. We could feel the air change throughout the bus ride(which went up over 3500 metres) and when we disembarked our ankles were the size of oranges- indeed, we had cankles!! The Atacama desert is surrounded by a mountain range on all sides made up of both active and in-active volcanoes. <br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Day 1:</strong><br />On our first full day we decided to take a tour to The Del Tiato Geysers. The geysers are most visible in the morning, so we boarded a small van at 4:30AM and headed to the sight.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8k6yfbpJhQryvhBlk8MLHtovR7GV3w1DYjjNzY6I61vNB_7BnJOw6uJcC9KWGxccfD6lNRgTa8ANtjG-XmnkZ-e7G4PkqBPD9QO2dN6iCmIbE2dCPrBBHgYcJgx0qMJjfJSS7yda0QTbZ/s1600-h/C8.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335387121419148834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8k6yfbpJhQryvhBlk8MLHtovR7GV3w1DYjjNzY6I61vNB_7BnJOw6uJcC9KWGxccfD6lNRgTa8ANtjG-XmnkZ-e7G4PkqBPD9QO2dN6iCmIbE2dCPrBBHgYcJgx0qMJjfJSS7yda0QTbZ/s320/C8.JPG" border="0" /></a> It took a couple of hours by dirt road to reach the geysers, and by 6:30AM it had warmed up to -13 degrees celcius. The geysers are located at approximately <strong>4320 metres</strong> elevation above sea level. ( FYI - By lunch-time it had warmed up to 28 degrees).<br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335387111643880754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eJRIXz-XbQLdQIpVTtXhWygoBjHFIIJfZK24Es6pB31ngsI9hyphenhyphenhBNosaXE2gkvBBx9xy-SoqEN7RFe206p1G42RO-mI9ug5NdkaPkL8GK_SsNzXrx15nYrs49O3Tm_KW4wtNFxFFwroB/s320/C6.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335387104338099090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcfGWJd1A8RNih9DJ2rgH219l7OxJzbFQGvhinCjgeYKtAR2Ze2muKrdBEc2E1NmsMPrrFrlROt02bZpjSaXuomk3riK87msMHvrNh5pvZzPF1k1kXJHG66lygUToanudPlqKj2hrbp6N/s320/C5.JPG" border="0" />There were thermal pools at the geyser site which was a good way to warm up and relax.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IpdEK9aQyVeUWpHo3JR29is3TROq0PVdbg4u8Gse7tQNr6W3GL3GrKIadjHslaQlA3uQzxt9mGHL0Yj9PfgIo2BiN5Tk4TbYeWJaruzO7PnOA4dNX_EDQE2yX2JZTaWbVzJVqhIVqyxa/s1600-h/C7.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335387117658283810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IpdEK9aQyVeUWpHo3JR29is3TROq0PVdbg4u8Gse7tQNr6W3GL3GrKIadjHslaQlA3uQzxt9mGHL0Yj9PfgIo2BiN5Tk4TbYeWJaruzO7PnOA4dNX_EDQE2yX2JZTaWbVzJVqhIVqyxa/s320/C7.JPG" border="0" /></a><strong></strong></p><p>Our tour guide to the geysers that day was amazing - he didn´t stop talking for 8 hours straight, switching back and forth between spanish and english seamlessly. In addition to seeing the geysers, we also had lots of opportunities to view native wildlife. Vicuna´s (close relative to the llama) were feeding on grasses at the higher altitudes. Hidden amongst the rocks in several locations were Vizcacha, which appear to be a cross between a squirrel and a rabbit. They are about the size of a large squirrel and look like a rabbit with a squrrels tail. We tried on several occasions to get photos but they are both quick and well-camoflaged and evaded us every time.</p><p><strong>Day 2:</strong> </p><p>We rented bicycles and sand-boards and headed out for the day to give sand-boarding a try.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333143029696133154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeciKRDyqdHNnElTJ9r7my_417bDO-37hgtZg7p6YZiaojS7q0XYWmke9-MXaxLSglDD3kfQbhZ7l03YGbwv_acaTxvn5YIDK4eXArr-y1YaqKLSEZTwhIMSmAgFlx6Q2wAkgNLm3f9pvZ/s320/P4240337.JPG" border="0" /></p><div>The landscape was dry, moon-like, and breath-taking(literally)!</div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333143025003637474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPO51vmItSH0nlCOJsZXyKxuyH-3aFvFn8otVckSS2ppf6Owoa9WKJsM096Iokkj8h-iOAJpElBaXN26P6bcRsJ0E3cGaV7af6FPnU-ppsVkvPqtKJi8kYgOdQrIK6TYqKXqjhwI73DrB/s320/P4240341.JPG" border="0" />When we arrived at the site there were some other trekkers and locals there also giving sandboarding a try.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Gk9a08e9USrmGj5fXH26h3YMxL880Z3367gSHXsXoSR_YmYFypR2nWs1gf1vsQ3ZaXywLJC8kyPOM9muSfPYjRp69rJZ2t70F0jPR0dNhMkEDJ25LuXl2PoBMy7X7YnDqdRg_vxOSbYh/s1600-h/C3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335377115261949314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Gk9a08e9USrmGj5fXH26h3YMxL880Z3367gSHXsXoSR_YmYFypR2nWs1gf1vsQ3ZaXywLJC8kyPOM9muSfPYjRp69rJZ2t70F0jPR0dNhMkEDJ25LuXl2PoBMy7X7YnDqdRg_vxOSbYh/s320/C3.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkGHtudxzxFQ5yZqYT_YB7BjqCP99eTlkRab09uu6wHRWhOgYvSvTmiRZ8r0G7z8yIXWp3XqY53UU2QIbglJLcopUXjCbPs5ZdMM_ewlDbw_koQczh4_J2_ccd8v5UXHmz_cxaqj_Rx4O/s1600-h/C2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335377103860769858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkGHtudxzxFQ5yZqYT_YB7BjqCP99eTlkRab09uu6wHRWhOgYvSvTmiRZ8r0G7z8yIXWp3XqY53UU2QIbglJLcopUXjCbPs5ZdMM_ewlDbw_koQczh4_J2_ccd8v5UXHmz_cxaqj_Rx4O/s320/C2.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div></div><div></div><div></div>Sand-boarding is not as easy as you might think. We were using home-made wooden boards that needed to be waxed each time. The wax would only last for about five metres at which point, if you where not leaning back, you would be propelled forward over the board and down the hill.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14hN4hU-Ux1AFMG4LvKBLALo-XDEmKM2YLDD7IaWhfNaCBZmBezJhnDOw7-E79ZpHpADzWu25JqRqriEZf0TOIn-3Y0B6swKUF6WuM4wrO-Xkgd7B0xC6W-qLhFrnMUgnoa8AQKMOOlF-/s1600-h/C1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335367806292043954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14hN4hU-Ux1AFMG4LvKBLALo-XDEmKM2YLDD7IaWhfNaCBZmBezJhnDOw7-E79ZpHpADzWu25JqRqriEZf0TOIn-3Y0B6swKUF6WuM4wrO-Xkgd7B0xC6W-qLhFrnMUgnoa8AQKMOOlF-/s320/C1.JPG" border="0" /></a>You may not be able to see in this pictures but our rental bikes were TREK bicycles. They are the best bikes we have rented thus far on the trip and handled off-road very well!!! See the fun-fact for more details on TREK bicycles.<br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnYepWKlZSpc6gL0IQDw2ORDpOgYilYCg5xLMWBIanCkuZq4WmIKa1zQDaoM5aCziZKmmiPfJufDVxbmPbZS7rKKPvjA_y_Ixy3Btc0g232ItWB6e5LB3xtpaxUjyefxCN3ELU_BeLdm0/s1600-h/P4240336.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333143038056643490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnYepWKlZSpc6gL0IQDw2ORDpOgYilYCg5xLMWBIanCkuZq4WmIKa1zQDaoM5aCziZKmmiPfJufDVxbmPbZS7rKKPvjA_y_Ixy3Btc0g232ItWB6e5LB3xtpaxUjyefxCN3ELU_BeLdm0/s320/P4240336.JPG" border="0" /></a>We ditched the sandboards at lunch time and headed the opposite way out of town to and area known as devil´s caynon. Devil´s caynon provided us with a sweet single track for mountain-biking.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgbPeFyUa12S4DDIiMHhaG-NaSNm3MyJE_JzCyHHlaBtn992meERpjrT6JOZ4wtuxpfaC1UbdWRfyhc1mq0ufuyN2qq08zW9nNOe7LLX0zVtaYb8ar4GScYuHEBzK3uKP8914wZpjfsU2/s1600-h/P4240382.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333143016426511986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgbPeFyUa12S4DDIiMHhaG-NaSNm3MyJE_JzCyHHlaBtn992meERpjrT6JOZ4wtuxpfaC1UbdWRfyhc1mq0ufuyN2qq08zW9nNOe7LLX0zVtaYb8ar4GScYuHEBzK3uKP8914wZpjfsU2/s320/P4240382.JPG" border="0" /></a> The trail crossed streams and at times even went into the hillside.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFg1t8XFDfl_DqvlsCUTWpULh0CuiNsMQp2NPB2r4wc3xn1MhgDYQqwcQLEdU_aUTJ7AzxzM0B1UfsFS2O9VxM7sn1oq__FymIrsboo5ee8yR-RRJ88dojYlE8G-drGx_cN-_-7bnS0FMS/s1600-h/P4240387.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333138199066633426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFg1t8XFDfl_DqvlsCUTWpULh0CuiNsMQp2NPB2r4wc3xn1MhgDYQqwcQLEdU_aUTJ7AzxzM0B1UfsFS2O9VxM7sn1oq__FymIrsboo5ee8yR-RRJ88dojYlE8G-drGx_cN-_-7bnS0FMS/s320/P4240387.JPG" border="0" /></a><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Day 3:<br /></strong>On our third day we joined another small tour and headed out in the atacama desert for some fun. Our first stop Laguna Cejas, a small salt lake for a swim. The lake was approximately 85% saline, which meant that we could float effortlessly in it. You could not sink to the bottom if you tried!</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqs6SqT7o3z8fhEkNvqIenF0jVxlkxAzjeSsKsoUQ-KBdJH4W3oVwFXgr967qTuMYkIHB8Uwy3prsDWJCA0hDSCz5W08EctNwA9tzk_vukE-H1s6oyYiPbJQjsDB0lWWu6MH9w-umQl4tW/s1600-h/P4250395.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333138193445410386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqs6SqT7o3z8fhEkNvqIenF0jVxlkxAzjeSsKsoUQ-KBdJH4W3oVwFXgr967qTuMYkIHB8Uwy3prsDWJCA0hDSCz5W08EctNwA9tzk_vukE-H1s6oyYiPbJQjsDB0lWWu6MH9w-umQl4tW/s320/P4250395.JPG" border="0" /></a> After the salt lake, we headed back out in the desert for a couple of hours until we came upon a couple of large potholes filled with water. There are a number of rumours about the depth of the potholes. Some guides claim it is more than 800 metres deep, while others suggest it is only 75 metres. In any case, Chris decided it was deep enough to jump in too. </div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79_Dnfp6d2GQ-e3Qs7iuZb_v_sXmE9_Lg6c6QGpiVFn9khvxSKMx-D-eIyJ6BOsoFQ2iiM12zduMPikBiVEZAuVksrEMpE5pG5rDWuJckKpQHIAx8aLHhQ2P_a9Zli5LpJzJBAfhrbf8-/s1600-h/P4250404.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333138190650961410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79_Dnfp6d2GQ-e3Qs7iuZb_v_sXmE9_Lg6c6QGpiVFn9khvxSKMx-D-eIyJ6BOsoFQ2iiM12zduMPikBiVEZAuVksrEMpE5pG5rDWuJckKpQHIAx8aLHhQ2P_a9Zli5LpJzJBAfhrbf8-/s320/P4250404.JPG" border="0" /></a> From the potholes we headed to the saltflats to catch the sunset. There was a small skiff of water over the salt-flats which can give the allusion of walking on water in pictures.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdp0aoJQHuqyV9YNmFa-59TDxu64MZA4s9FS2AMWQY3qIilscI31OP7DJ0xhH00rx4IpByBKhzn6ViBoYgdY_RjuHcMHmpXGRIsIKtU0-W1BnlXv68BzSAeBDZAQoJI2xx5BVmLyszFEHk/s1600-h/P4250427.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333138180053477330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdp0aoJQHuqyV9YNmFa-59TDxu64MZA4s9FS2AMWQY3qIilscI31OP7DJ0xhH00rx4IpByBKhzn6ViBoYgdY_RjuHcMHmpXGRIsIKtU0-W1BnlXv68BzSAeBDZAQoJI2xx5BVmLyszFEHk/s320/P4250427.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div>Fun Fact: Chris´uncles own bicycle stores in Toronto and Barrie. If you are shopping for a bicycle or just looking for a good website with useful informatation check out: <a href="http://trektoronto.ca/">http://trektoronto.ca/</a><br /></div><div></div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-60583627822394554172009-04-21T16:33:00.000-04:002009-05-07T14:02:06.174-04:00La Serena and Vicuna<div>We left Vallapariso and headed north by bus to La Serena. Founded in 1544, La Serena is located on the pacific coast and is Chile´s second oldest city. Many of the buildings in La Serena still have much of there colonial charm. We stayed in the home of a sweet little chilean woman named Iris. In La Serena, we were hoping to be able to relax on the beach and soak up some sun. Much to our dissappointment, it was too cold to even think about shedding layers of clothing that we have been wearing ever since Ushuia. We went for a walk on the beach anyways followed, as usual, by a pack of stray dogs.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332378309209598738" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJh2K0DVtWypPg10oUPMs2fKXlkKFUUuxAPKDDsTNgKCBe5vH7EVgAoQqeNUiBHPMT289Q78KxLquiw-HFpKEnqwg328XZk-wt7XnHURFIkEib4vldx8dx80B1ndUyjGv832ngs8OdtEv/s320/SA+mar-april+033.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332378303095403602" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHU4yx_RmSJiON2hOlv6dH0-PAWGcozf1uBV3smMDvDqTEtjmgTzoHpP2hMj0JWV_vPxgQAukl92OiDONDmQB12yupUacbuWJXpdFhEGRIWUMgUUsY64hhRrF15ozMHUAj7Che3_4y8wXQ/s320/SA+mar-april+031.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332378294959375938" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVbaEtL32xZ4YaP4YZbqYTxb61Gv2AXk7P5DmIhUKSORq_IzWSd_Fa1NDygMNPskVTgya8zV4sLiTv2Y3MKn0UkGJy_ScnM_KOg2xKAZb6oaAYCWUdCSyUgoxKrI3c3dtkYmPe393LDAI/s320/SA+mar-april+025.jpg" border="0" />From La Serena we took a short bus ride inland to the village of Vicuna. Along the road we could see acres and acres of grape, avacado, papaya and plantantions along the valley floors.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332383170052933554" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3ql_GTk7tdhdhv0IupdoE5o9jgdf5b86FsbRbfs1isk8HDvkq1NCu5HDAWHfNARyPogl3ZKAyM7KirCuH1JbKy3HOpDh-vx-faKHTL3cC7p9qszHdyzJAlC5qHCwTV_bwjr6u6eDEMbi/s320/SA+April+099.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332383183932782066" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYZZdMYX0cKuP3BVdhQBEvjfRyx6faPfzNl6hwUGM_0n1OY7FycaiZXgD5Bz3EsZe3xP5l0AypYFm1DJIzcHd-w14PNwF37dYYr2wV_IwegpJtonc8YohNM4ghN6h97OOO8-Ype7SG0XT/s320/SA+April+103.jpg" border="0" />Uphill from the valleys, the landscape could be described as desert complete with cactus and tumble-weeds.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332383179627912226" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7A5a5vTtvfQLnWiqIiDNKzx-OelWjFzd8E3QxvExmPpXrDtGx-jfK7lxNTQfnhfbyNzy_ETujnKWE1dCivAMW050uM563_hHIfvmi8_CNweWaWDAEZJdp88Cmr80T5wM3OoGLzIVv-sD/s320/SA+April+102.jpg" border="0" />The remote inland location helps make the hills around Vicuna perfect for observing the stars. As a result, several international observatories have been established close to Vicuna. We booked a tour and talk at Observatorio Mamalluca. Both the stars and our tour guide were amazing that night, and we can now identify several constelations in the southern hemisphere with confidence. </div><div></div><br /><div>From Vicuna, we headed back to La Serena to catch a bus north to San Pedro De Atacama. </div><div> </div><br /><div>Chile Fun Fact: The most popular junk/fast food in Chile is a hot dog completo. A hot dog completo is a footlong slider with guacamole and somtimes tomatoe and mayo on it. You can get completo´s everywhere!</div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-42738216420441548882009-04-21T16:30:00.000-04:002009-05-05T12:15:28.980-04:00Colourful hills of ValparaisoFrom Santiago, the bus ride to Vina del Mar is only 2 hours west. Vina del Mar (Garden City) is a touristy beach town that is crowded in the high season with beach lovers and vacationing people from Santiago. It was a chilly fall day when we arrived so after getting Jana and Igma settled with their friends we bussed over to nearby Valparaiso to find a place to stay. <div><div><div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332373051996492978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjM8ksK5tsIaz2hTrS8rb2GseKyjzmWh9IVaeXFK45lENA6ZWT4Qe3zAKc7b4hGW0fizm7hPrGK-eSweNypwAY7yzBo-sKqfPW18tDHvrTkoTFc4j1LJxUlcyqqANq6zOBCN7GmHzj4dp8/s320/SA+April+062.jpg" border="0" /><br />Valparaiso is a Unesco World Heritage site and is considered the cultural capital of Chile. It is Chile's first port and from the shore the downtown lies at the bottom of several Cerros (hills) on which colourful houses are precarioulsy stacked. The hills are connected to each other and to the downtown via step footpaths and the city's famous elevators, built between 1883 and 1916. We spent the day exploring a bit of the city with Jana and Igma, ascending the hills in the elevators and walking down through the narrow, steep streets.</div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332373039230529042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYswUn0_Xk6mc-DF_RDNZq-jRL6J6BaQ3u38JeEA-KyZeVt_58SGnFdCaEwodeUue95GL1S9oZakKi5NzwDrrFeZ-KNaXY1yNbYlQwkNFTHoUqNbFztIDfSOXxsgH7eS3LrUWkQlcnT0C/s320/SA+April+081.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332373031028829890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-iB4PbRZc2NYf7s1Wdco6abV_4guthCGqP87kq5Izhf16J5OEWFh1eLrziozEAfhdwdzH0rrpJGVgMa37H_kOO0d3JXG-IvkTCpdcNkzwp9PW_5c5zYQQV7zWbDd0fv5a6N_RY-sn486/s320/SA+mar-april+022.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332373041118479506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3-uJPh2R-ZeCosFWks9Y0Q_vwNKHYLQwmRWAG1f_-I4H1hN4b-KGtWD0Ics3YfzqFhHcrHmLDJXaDZtV8iakf76F9EEGAEkAnpxiT63zrK1l0_8sNopFC766rqu9W5M68OebeVUPkWi8/s320/SA+mar-april+012.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />We said goodbye to Jana and Igma after having dinner with them at the home of their friends in Vina del Mar. We spent one more day in Valparaiso wondering up and down and around the Cerros and in a downtown park. On our walk we came accross the Museo Cielo Abierto, an open air museum. It was a few streets at the top of a Cerro that showcased art on some of the walls of buildings. </div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332373028263563890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHngdi7o-USp5eOTzZZgRQJnawNb0eOVtVpKzlyKd-Y_2j2U87DzUNP9_BJzXAYlLfKCl2QEiHQvyJBCFNtJK5GsrWkt8p3lKOhp3zd9QrD_bpLXYC6g4ZEFQNDAmMVngTCCWAFqz_6QF/s320/SA+mar-april+023.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>It was cool but sunny so good weather for taking in this amazing city. Time to head North, and the next day we boarded a bus for La Serena, a 6 hour ride.</div><div> </div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-76358518522196700052009-04-15T14:16:00.000-04:002009-04-30T17:35:31.591-04:00Santiago de ChileTo get to Santiago, Chile we crossed the Andes from Mendoza, Argentina. The border is super strict there as they absolutely do not want you to bring fruit, meat, or cheese into the country. They have sniffer dogs and bag scanners. The border is near the top of the mountain range. From there we could see Aconcagua mountain, the highest peak in South America at 6960m. The road taking us down the mountain was a series of switchbacks. In this photo we are already halfway down! <div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330599432350658626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19fLIVWb3KKMwl8qqnsBnJkPbU870oTeGliyZq1euhN5wgnaqLNUMakiw4GgeMPP9f-UOjgXWr8OCDf1aHMANRxkhgc6snzh44sJBF9iaviD7aqf47UzwZDShgPY35Ppa-mD9ezDFAJWo/s320/SA+April+056.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div>In Santiago we met up with Mel Reid, from Huntsville, who is living in Santiago with her partner Alvaro. They were just leaving to go on a bike trip to the North of Chile, to the Atacama Desert. We are also making our way there so we might see them again. We had a nice dinner with them (below) at their apartment before they caught their bus.</div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330599425891849106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGHegNjVDwCKQV9aPDK8PHWSQ4quo3C5HqwKtbGLSUMfmGXye1d7849xuRC-YW5xIlV8YIhd3ohLfQdWhcZeYtsL3hHud5IYh7zlUdXKun8jxDYkCMP7u8Au1fyfQfsq_XJ2KeXDiSDBw/s320/santiagovisit.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>We went out that night with another friend from Canada who was spending some time in Chile before moving to Montevideo, Uruguay. Jana, is with her Chilean partner Igma. We had dinner together and met up with them the next morning to travel together to the costal towns of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso.</div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-84546278847964695912009-04-11T08:53:00.001-04:002009-04-25T13:07:39.901-04:00Mucho vino in Mendoza<div><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div></div><br /><div>A 20 hour bus ride (no big deal after Route 40) north of Bariloche is Mendoza with its´laid back vibe, plazas, cosmopolitain cafés, and wide, leafy avenues. There are lots of trees and fountains adorning the plazas here but Mendoza is a desert town. Irrigation ditches even run beside every main road with fresh water pumping through them.<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327981579462638658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOeio5aB3O-I9B7oFcJQezGHa1netrgMDJQp_YmTHtp_BaHgqcT_VCfXyYWOHFzq9z1184zKYmqlof2Rl3oJU2Cky-JeN4Ojv9NnKeMD4yNQGCdN3C4FINpY2atMn75-rHFIjbs64xrjR/s320/SA+April+003.jpg" border="0" /> </div><div> </div><div>Mendoza is also synonymous with wine. The areas sourounding the city produce some of the world´s best wines. The climate is dry so they have to irrigate but the consistent weather (warm but not too hot in the day and temperatures not approaching freezing at night) make this area otherwise ideal for growing many varieties of grapes.<br /><div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327981576560656690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcog6EuDPRittfezcxIDC0VYwisRzMA5gFAV9Yr0ThmJVkBRS9SOvicj6fU3-x52zDQelaA089wRsRvlWQcdLHo47rei4XtanCA7V-cC7T3f7pwRLryHse_SnAvibzudEXCaRonwXXuhdf/s320/SA+April+028.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><br /><div></div><div>We joined in the fun and took a citybus out the the town of Maipu where we rented bicycles had a day-long wine tour. We cycled about 20km in all and headed to the winery the furthest away to start the day. This winery also ended up being our favourite so next time you are out shopping for wines look for the Carinae vineyard (<a href="http://www.carinaevinos.com/">http://www.carinaevinos.com/</a>). They make mostly reds, but have a couple whites and a rosé too. At the Carinae winery the owners are especially passionate about astronomy and Carinae is the name of the owners favourite constellation. Each of his wines are named after a different constellation. </div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327981571821393586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81hOlxK_CFNma_wEAI2xOmE3KiYmHaAfgpXtk0XzvwB8Jun7uu2bpiHB-uMKO_iNHVpkQXS6IwMzVM28wev9gyK3koMT8tY6I4XQwVlgYd0wA7xXDJvE6qwl136u8IOdssNNKpjq4Neui/s320/SA+April+030.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327979837177261554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhi3IOhJcQKFzrf-TdpJPjSwzKzdW-UibPzwZCOLOO7WlvxCn38Sq5sPhJZK1HuwusDLCgdEusdcULCyeY2DWBorJY3R71Q7WsgTaOr_dqfbtInAyuUuOR5Gy_QLjMDnAGNmyRVJi5B6Zk/s320/SA+April+032.jpg" border="0" /> In total, we visited 4 different wineries, 1 olive farm, and 1 chocolate/liqueur/jam maker. At each winery we got a tour and a sampling of 2-4 different wines. We learned how to taste the wine (an exercise involving taking the wine in visually and smelling it before tasting).<br /><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327979831870017762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfzTislC95LQmLlS4ycjhrf-F3ki0dbWI9sDHSJ_hVNBLojtwky1yBv4hDVUkQBymG6mvRDjZuFE9W8khmMFG0gs1TH17nwY6m40cxliyQMnGvOFxrqvfNO5Te7SuW4nQWt4WV80cYnk2/s320/SA+April+033.jpg" border="0" />Parque General San Martin became a favourite of ours in Mendoza. We walked along the lake where rowers practiced and snoozed in the shade of the rose gardens in this 420 hectare park on a couple of different occasions. One day we rented bikes in the city and rode atound the park and eventually made our way to the Cerro de la Gloria which is also in the park. We tied our bikes at the bottom and walked up for a view of the city and the valley of the Andes. The monument at the top celebrates the liberation og Argentina, Chile, and Peru from the Spaniards.<br /><br /><div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327979827808718562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMylsSdJPeQAQxNj22Ykq_BRR_FYUBhmBfaCgkdbasDet9x0r_3I-_P0u_lD9qrk_doNW7cslCrMni-koKvn9Pr0KVntBXGu8UeFZ0SGQiykSs4cRZBO-D9FMBIhwrUJKMx8fQZjlS3vOM/s320/SA+April+010.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327979823780688258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9Uhxn8Ia_1XcbuQkBRMsiMIPnT52YXTcNxIfx0fS2k8lFlpReH0vPZiZreihqZfkfF3BwT7qa_GosLaE8ZnKEBBY9Jy8BN6hBF59qLC49H4Gcz54YR9muN1D0xkjTxNbd5bFfRy9El-Q/s320/SA+April+018.jpg" border="0" /> As travel at Easter is pretty crazy in Argentina we stayed put in Mendoza for a few days sipping café and eating helado along the pedestrian street, visiting the park, eating some good ol´Argentine beef and drinking delicious wine before heading across the border to Chile.<br /><br /><br /><div>Argentine Fun Fact #7:</div><br /><div>Besides rat-tails and mullets, also popular in Argentina is having 1 dreadlock at the back that is longer than the rest of the hair. It seems weird to us.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-14397514465726679192009-04-06T15:21:00.000-04:002009-04-23T15:47:06.563-04:00El Bolson ice cream and Bariloche chocolateOur long journey on Route 40 ended in the town of El Bolson. Technically still in Patagonia, the landscape has changed quite a bit to mountains and lakes. El Bolson in nestled between 2 Andes mountain ranges on the north end of the Patagonia region in the Lakes District of Argentina. This little town has many fruit and hops farms on its outskirts which lay at the bottom of the mountains. The area produces 3/4 of Argentina´s hops, making for some great micro-brews here.<br /><br /><br /><br />We would have liked to get a hike in during our stay in El Bolson but as it turned out, we had a lot of time to sample the beer as it was raining when we arrived kept on and off throughout our two days there. We wandered around town and did a fair bit of lounging in the cafe´s, eating helado from the best helado shop we have found yet (called ´Jauja´), and reading.<br /><br /><br /><br />We also visited the Feiria Artesenal. Anyone can set up shop at the market so long as their wares are homemade. We ate a lunch of empanadas and micro-brew beer as well as delicious belgian waffles with fresh raspberries on top.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327975210306802866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWfKRZxbJU3ZneVs9WcfbgXnhzQo58StyxkOza6-ZpVsjwu3nc3XguBZC-yTLUxFYOr1VX0Ak5i-TMzbdqLVFLYDyC3rXZJXIt5GJbszWdzV2DXyGBb8Jndl-k9aR7ajhlLNDEdSdtqzP/s320/SA+April+002.jpg" border="0" /><br />We continued our journey north of El Bolson with a stop in Bariloche. This medium-sized city of 98,000 sits on the shores of Lago (Lake) Nahuel Huapi in the middle of the National Park of the same name. The soaring peaks of Cerros Catedral, Lopez, Nireco, and Shaihuenque- all over 2000metres high ring the town- and we saw them when the rain stopped and the clouds finally cleared on our last day there! It resembles a swiss town with log buildings and even barrel-toting Saint Bernards in the main square! It is also home to delicious chocolate shops and is Argentina´s chocolate capital. We took it upon ourselves (with Easter approaching and all) to sample a few of them in order to decide which shop had the best chocolate in town. We found it in the chocolate covered mints (like a Peppermint Patty) called ¨mentitas¨.<br /><p><br />Argentina Fun Fact #6:<br /></p><p>Argentinians love their naps. Most stores close for lunch and siesta from around 1pm-4pm. They then re-open until 9 or 10 at night. If it´s warm out, some people head to the parks and plazas for their mid-day naps.<br /></p><p> </p>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-78954079935353002092009-04-03T14:53:00.000-04:002009-04-17T17:39:20.052-04:00RTA 40The quitensential road trip through Patagonia is Route 40.<br /><br />Route 40 remains largely unpaved as we made our way north along the western border of Argentina; from southern Patagonia to northern Patagonia, from El Chalten to El Bolson. We rarely saw any vegetation higher than our knees in this arid desert-like landscape. Occasionally we saw a hill on the horizon. Like the Praries in Canada it was often the sky that was changing as the bus floated along the gravel roads, swerving slightly with the looseness of the roads. Sometimes we would get a brief break from the gravel with a small section of paved road but those were infrequent and short-lived.<br /><br />There is not much else to tell in words about sitting on a bus for two days, so we will let the pictures tell the rest of the story:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDw2iOqoHZ_tObRfrdKuybF_I3R5UyHWzk4pVjPwno8Il64LPjSL8fNpzN8iSoD2V-PjYTMuWReIQIvzlIsSDWRX30b2Xv2oJu5LQfsHeGWX54rKSxSKnSn8iLLhCIHeihUEGX4TwnuAO/s1600-h/rte+40+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320542558528451810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDw2iOqoHZ_tObRfrdKuybF_I3R5UyHWzk4pVjPwno8Il64LPjSL8fNpzN8iSoD2V-PjYTMuWReIQIvzlIsSDWRX30b2Xv2oJu5LQfsHeGWX54rKSxSKnSn8iLLhCIHeihUEGX4TwnuAO/s320/rte+40+009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBXe5vte_ZutPB3tlg4UspYW8rl-g7skfUayPhN7QZzjC5vhkWogkHIrINZ_nbq7-gq3x9NJBxp9JCqe8N6ODDefkhxDW90P6Ohc4M9GWGKLLfj7aGTruQ_Fmculq_wYq2LjHQCH0emwh/s1600-h/rte+40+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320542556507211058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBXe5vte_ZutPB3tlg4UspYW8rl-g7skfUayPhN7QZzjC5vhkWogkHIrINZ_nbq7-gq3x9NJBxp9JCqe8N6ODDefkhxDW90P6Ohc4M9GWGKLLfj7aGTruQ_Fmculq_wYq2LjHQCH0emwh/s320/rte+40+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhqkcnyswU5c6d9qZyMKadL-EzuMStDxuZJw95ve7w4ENtUgKCUnzdH-o_-RKnomksO64QtN1s5m_FliP30dtsUWzQQnIIkaI5qAsXlXCv8-9E4W142jwtEQM85AlVT2Kj6b6z8uOGvga/s1600-h/rte+40+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320542555721543618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhqkcnyswU5c6d9qZyMKadL-EzuMStDxuZJw95ve7w4ENtUgKCUnzdH-o_-RKnomksO64QtN1s5m_FliP30dtsUWzQQnIIkaI5qAsXlXCv8-9E4W142jwtEQM85AlVT2Kj6b6z8uOGvga/s320/rte+40+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCH66-bsViL-frsYzJVwxnDVGdb2uyYpHPmZ6acUU_J5-FMnYGHkHAbtNc9sVSfpmAqACWMTtg3QuW_EJjSzqEkbWir2FJDylNGMliTcKPUwleXY-3AUXe6JsVUgfpRN4Tfr0IsJ8WgzD/s1600-h/rte+40+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320542549181030930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCH66-bsViL-frsYzJVwxnDVGdb2uyYpHPmZ6acUU_J5-FMnYGHkHAbtNc9sVSfpmAqACWMTtg3QuW_EJjSzqEkbWir2FJDylNGMliTcKPUwleXY-3AUXe6JsVUgfpRN4Tfr0IsJ8WgzD/s320/rte+40+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1ot7Xt0zCCznLwZRTot2MOqDYHD0_an0w3qHQFfg9azdp_18Gg0JHBV7kyX8DOwwfsPsFgBOSKIyL6boaJsBXx6PNwbZA7SHUgXgbH9nDN_zpe5UkkudnSL7sU7adDwCTfH0DP6qPd8G/s1600-h/rte+40+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320542544517958978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1ot7Xt0zCCznLwZRTot2MOqDYHD0_an0w3qHQFfg9azdp_18Gg0JHBV7kyX8DOwwfsPsFgBOSKIyL6boaJsBXx6PNwbZA7SHUgXgbH9nDN_zpe5UkkudnSL7sU7adDwCTfH0DP6qPd8G/s320/rte+40+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6PVhjfMl-5kx5UlmbkutNOMJYBu3sQkqGv5SU7ZiY_uHHtztXV3EO64jDFNZ0UaxHT8kWwhKHZT47__D3oRcaNTcgx642pC_0xh0wDGMst_Nnoqe9ZTrcVg97tcz_wmuob5Sz7yHAXUO/s1600-h/rte+40+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320541399323721058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6PVhjfMl-5kx5UlmbkutNOMJYBu3sQkqGv5SU7ZiY_uHHtztXV3EO64jDFNZ0UaxHT8kWwhKHZT47__D3oRcaNTcgx642pC_0xh0wDGMst_Nnoqe9ZTrcVg97tcz_wmuob5Sz7yHAXUO/s320/rte+40+015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNFOJsLKvY4Xi2wJza48naKG9PLWNP2VYGdmWQRWOaclHIctr9O2GdPRO_xyt5_l_Zix4VZO32VMt3LEHrU8bpDr1CaKg6eX4bzNsCwQhtvgd45Mm-ZU3Zt1iPBKzFkz3ktq1LIrFJ1by/s1600-h/rte+40+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320541400068756482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNFOJsLKvY4Xi2wJza48naKG9PLWNP2VYGdmWQRWOaclHIctr9O2GdPRO_xyt5_l_Zix4VZO32VMt3LEHrU8bpDr1CaKg6eX4bzNsCwQhtvgd45Mm-ZU3Zt1iPBKzFkz3ktq1LIrFJ1by/s320/rte+40+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKZCoW5zwGAOfVZ72iB1_YSNOiDk6Bvv5p5JDhPhVILIQfAxaRoWRwwTI_5iCbv13xYrnOL2oe9qMtxrV0h8-iIMZ0ZjAEp-bARCnaokt5QEaOxU_4yDBZkh7kNflFvtUoP-Gd77BVf2T/s1600-h/rte+40+017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320541394056048610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKZCoW5zwGAOfVZ72iB1_YSNOiDk6Bvv5p5JDhPhVILIQfAxaRoWRwwTI_5iCbv13xYrnOL2oe9qMtxrV0h8-iIMZ0ZjAEp-bARCnaokt5QEaOxU_4yDBZkh7kNflFvtUoP-Gd77BVf2T/s320/rte+40+017.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Argentina Fun Fact #5:</div></div><br /><div></div><div>Argentine ice cream is delicious! It´s called ´helado´ and comes in dozens of flavours that they scoop out of large vats with a spatula. Our favourties are limon (lime) and frambuesa (raspberry) in waffle cones or waffle dishes.<br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-5011008115862339982009-04-02T18:49:00.000-04:002009-04-13T13:40:02.601-04:00El Calafate & El ChaltenWe left Torres del Paine and headed north to El Calafate which is named after a berry that grows in the region. While we were in El Calafte, we met another traveling couple in the hostel we were staying who had rented a car and were heading to Perito Moreno, a massive glacier, which is located in the south end of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares.<br /><br />We got up bright and early and drove to the park, arriving there before it opened so as to avoid having to pay the entry fee. It was still dark when we arrived, so we sat in the dark parking lot eating some snacks and waiting for the sun to rise. Instead of enjoying a beautiful sun rise over the glacier, it started raining; the fog and rain did not detract from the beauty of the massive glacier though!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSC8vqenIw6Zk9FuC53P_OD4YXfTpXbXl_DtGHeZ0gvrMmnSf70NvkhUof1QesI2ACTVMFv5WERsRhDtnNrnVX7i_Y_IMEsIVQYTjnr7QYSrUwDbd4x7LQChsjX65oLPnSZh_UJOMD2HsA/s1600-h/Cerro+Morano+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323945020141001554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSC8vqenIw6Zk9FuC53P_OD4YXfTpXbXl_DtGHeZ0gvrMmnSf70NvkhUof1QesI2ACTVMFv5WERsRhDtnNrnVX7i_Y_IMEsIVQYTjnr7QYSrUwDbd4x7LQChsjX65oLPnSZh_UJOMD2HsA/s320/Cerro+Morano+002.jpg" border="0" /></a> Glacier Perito Moreno is 60m high, and is ADVANCING at nearly 2m a day.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVgwsda727lGg0YTJ8TTo7P8YY6jmCB6OG5pDceLaMIipi_GnLSwmqeD3-2_c1Fn1ck55WaboGuNhOhHB74KsSdpP0rwaNlrtrF8nLYNjaTVk1bBIfWawnQmcXrZKWCk9vL0kcvZadb6B/s1600-h/Cerro+Morano+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323945016034653890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVgwsda727lGg0YTJ8TTo7P8YY6jmCB6OG5pDceLaMIipi_GnLSwmqeD3-2_c1Fn1ck55WaboGuNhOhHB74KsSdpP0rwaNlrtrF8nLYNjaTVk1bBIfWawnQmcXrZKWCk9vL0kcvZadb6B/s320/Cerro+Morano+008.jpg" border="0" /></a> While we were there you could here the glacier grumbling, much like the sound of thunder.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0IJS2BZ6h3rkl7T9D0u8Vx7kUFUJG8fvUGFAumHlvbJFSbzafb4A0-tfCkbOF-CKNeGP9OMmd8rYceSZwdIIXFPfwaOmsRO1Nzt45LySYcRJGmc4SgZJOhLgUcM4uSHEilhUB7wGXRbV/s1600-h/Cerro+Morano+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323944209225764210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0IJS2BZ6h3rkl7T9D0u8Vx7kUFUJG8fvUGFAumHlvbJFSbzafb4A0-tfCkbOF-CKNeGP9OMmd8rYceSZwdIIXFPfwaOmsRO1Nzt45LySYcRJGmc4SgZJOhLgUcM4uSHEilhUB7wGXRbV/s320/Cerro+Morano+010.jpg" border="0" /></a> Several large chunks also broke off and fell into the water.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtkZsKFFWMDix6xnSyu5kjjox7YYqwU1i9FQtSJWamL7coU_hOPtZFEwpmTcVmkHFpIFcVSEkfosZP-P_VRx4TK22WpEZBpjh_J5HeXt4VZ0gcOiFDL25as5n1cE0oeEEndYHOmSp3rHd/s1600-h/Cerro+Morano+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323944205697290930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtkZsKFFWMDix6xnSyu5kjjox7YYqwU1i9FQtSJWamL7coU_hOPtZFEwpmTcVmkHFpIFcVSEkfosZP-P_VRx4TK22WpEZBpjh_J5HeXt4VZ0gcOiFDL25as5n1cE0oeEEndYHOmSp3rHd/s320/Cerro+Morano+011.jpg" border="0" /></a>We left El Calafate en route to El Chalten. Along the way, we stopped at a small estancia (ranch & motel) for a coffee and bathroom break. The estancia has provide accomodation for many mountaineering expedition parties who first explored the area. Among the famous guests who had stayed at this little ranch, were Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid. After robbing several banks in Argentina, they hid out in the estancia for a month before crossing into Chile. </div><div>The Patagonia region is rich in folklore and stories...reminding us of the wild west. </div><br /><div><div>When we arrived in the small town of El Chalten we immediately fell in love with the place.</div><div>Known as a frontier town(population 600) and was not formed until 1984. The town still doesnt have any banks, cell phone service, or other similar luxuries. There is a cemetery in town, but no-one has been buried there yet. Packs of friendly wild dogs roam the streets and people still travel on horse-back down the main drag. While we were there, the main street was in fact just getting paved.<br />One of the best things about El Chalten is that the north end of Parque Nacional Los Glaciers is at your doorstep. Many of the roads in town end in trail-heads into the park. The north-end of the park is made famous by Cerre Torre and Fitz Roy Mountain. World class mountainering climbers consider Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy among the hardest climbs in the world. The small shops in El Chalten also served as shrines, showing pictures of people who had climbed the mountains or died trying. </div><div>So, what did we do while we were in El Chalten? </div><div>We hiked the many trails of course!</div><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRh55Pm-XaA9BTavX7FuLjMLWoXV36xknDP0neUTW52nKZ_JDBOrxJ2-Pxx__saYz8fkO-eP7Jz7ys-ExUu9WRPswbiPUuvlLX0WQDuZCvwPABMbtU-HtmuJG_jvR9s1Wb2pQPp-igilyL/s1600-h/175.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323944200614226818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRh55Pm-XaA9BTavX7FuLjMLWoXV36xknDP0neUTW52nKZ_JDBOrxJ2-Pxx__saYz8fkO-eP7Jz7ys-ExUu9WRPswbiPUuvlLX0WQDuZCvwPABMbtU-HtmuJG_jvR9s1Wb2pQPp-igilyL/s320/175.JPG" border="0" /></a> El Chalten is named for Cerro Fitz Roys native(Tehuelche) name, meaning peak of fire or smoking mountain. We could understand why the natives referred to it as smoking mountain - after several days of hiking the peaks of both Cerre Torre and Fitz Roy remained concealed behind clouds. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwO84xr2wAXYkEcfdT0cwPkeuGt4mzYxKcPzIWLQ4lQUtG_d-9mzTsORvU5HVlPSlNSvPv1GjVEdBh9ideeqzHeNYdRdpUjUTNUlplBARkRG1vNkwXhfueMkNvpchCq_XJS277gb_yuU2/s1600-h/192.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323944195589381922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwO84xr2wAXYkEcfdT0cwPkeuGt4mzYxKcPzIWLQ4lQUtG_d-9mzTsORvU5HVlPSlNSvPv1GjVEdBh9ideeqzHeNYdRdpUjUTNUlplBARkRG1vNkwXhfueMkNvpchCq_XJS277gb_yuU2/s320/192.JPG" border="0" /></a>We hiked up one trail to the base of Fitz Roy, but it remained concealed behind clouds. Looking down however, we could see this glacier fed lake.<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisl2QOB8HKTEbw-FDHMhND62HaS9rbo7R8KHqV-kuorqSnVaq66D3x2qnydaHyyF8KyOJ_9vHau7DswJug6EKFVQZqrIwM6GfDi-4FLyn0VLBpCiB6vA-CyJaZnZPQowb7VXsHwW0k3xkp/s1600-h/198.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323942887186166418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisl2QOB8HKTEbw-FDHMhND62HaS9rbo7R8KHqV-kuorqSnVaq66D3x2qnydaHyyF8KyOJ_9vHau7DswJug6EKFVQZqrIwM6GfDi-4FLyn0VLBpCiB6vA-CyJaZnZPQowb7VXsHwW0k3xkp/s320/198.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Our last day in El Chalten, we had planned on taking it easy and resting our legs. When we woke up the sun was shining and the sky was completely clear. Right away we both knew that this would be our SUMMIT DAY! We immediately scarfed some breakfast and set out on one of the trails that would bring us to the base of both mountains.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kT-vTWl3yY1YXOwrLEch-E2z3jkBcDasYQAAAthwUkPD33RTB6m05FEVYm8ZJplIyL1edNo9mf3Oov9BqHUXGYVPJ2FKeJRt3WJi7l0KaLZg6HkPbK6w16jVu4HqkkHbEuEp5_QjzXrd/s1600-h/211.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323942878588004850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kT-vTWl3yY1YXOwrLEch-E2z3jkBcDasYQAAAthwUkPD33RTB6m05FEVYm8ZJplIyL1edNo9mf3Oov9BqHUXGYVPJ2FKeJRt3WJi7l0KaLZg6HkPbK6w16jVu4HqkkHbEuEp5_QjzXrd/s320/211.JPG" border="0" /></a>Cerre Torre (3128m)<br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6tmF87fnOrg16cRq6-PVbrrn8f2tbt1SLRyj64ub9WHVqEFTcg7HRg-2HeKlGDWSZ9-svn2-ZwUlMlEUDiwK2V5U_qzEDNW75DMOw-BIKWdycZHbo_ctUR3JIbefoNuVLj8EpBRZY8OA/s1600-h/217.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323942877098400818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6tmF87fnOrg16cRq6-PVbrrn8f2tbt1SLRyj64ub9WHVqEFTcg7HRg-2HeKlGDWSZ9-svn2-ZwUlMlEUDiwK2V5U_qzEDNW75DMOw-BIKWdycZHbo_ctUR3JIbefoNuVLj8EpBRZY8OA/s320/217.JPG" border="0" /></a>In the centre of the photo(below), where the trees stop and the snow begins, is the spot where we took the picture of the glacier-fed lake. Its hard to believe that we could not see Fitz Roy the previous day as we were so close.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIA_O3T31lHdRkm4PK5g9P5k80-rzA6rf_KhrgmiZgy4fc8I1ipSsvqvEvs3iFtJW_eLYy-pCVqmqGSFdFz_QnWRdmvnDZxJ7lD-pSodwrfgisGrIiDldAJjH24U7B39UpmVPWwcKI_2Qf/s1600-h/227.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323942869184852210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIA_O3T31lHdRkm4PK5g9P5k80-rzA6rf_KhrgmiZgy4fc8I1ipSsvqvEvs3iFtJW_eLYy-pCVqmqGSFdFz_QnWRdmvnDZxJ7lD-pSodwrfgisGrIiDldAJjH24U7B39UpmVPWwcKI_2Qf/s320/227.JPG" border="0" /></a>Cerro Fitz Roy (3405m) is the highest peak on the right hand side of the photo(below).<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBO0afxXF3VkDdIhU8p-qnElQ3sTVqSVsWfTc6A3fWO6jQkXD5wb8GZ4IZWrvkaiI6pzirKcCAnJFUfL6ksJ-_Gell7cFtpGe7yd3lzREUooztzfnChOMYGNPJXvRVlbcHZ3sZh-3m7f5U/s1600-h/228.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323942868423036130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBO0afxXF3VkDdIhU8p-qnElQ3sTVqSVsWfTc6A3fWO6jQkXD5wb8GZ4IZWrvkaiI6pzirKcCAnJFUfL6ksJ-_Gell7cFtpGe7yd3lzREUooztzfnChOMYGNPJXvRVlbcHZ3sZh-3m7f5U/s320/228.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div>Argentine Fun Fact 4:</div><div>Rat-tails and mullet haircuts are alive and well in Argentina!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-16439980706552093892009-03-27T17:34:00.001-04:002009-04-06T16:32:43.864-04:00Torres Del Paine, ChileFrom Ushuaia we jumped on the bus for a 16 hour bus and ferry ride off the island of Tierra del Fuego and into Chile for a few days to do some hiking in South America´s most popular National Park: Torres del Paine. The park is approximately 1810 sq kms in size.<br /><br /><br />Have we mentioned that the weather in Patagonia is erratic? It is mostly the knock-you-off-your-feet winds that are the dangerous part. Not only did they knock us off our feet, they also changed bright sunny and even a little bit warm mornings into blustery, rainy, cold afternoons. In the picture below, we started the day with no jackets and our pants rolled up. Here, Rebecca is standing in the blowing wind, soaked from the hiking the last 2 hours of the day in a down pour! The flag on the left is the Chilean flag and on the right is the flag for that region of Chile.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kdFVPQHU0_txDyOBqyngoXyACGOHs7LoQWUt1pLjso2QS0-UwcgsGFocnjGINDPFlwEETteaFWWLeRAxmNW8qovbo4ke1YMlIZiLOkZ8UJndO1MBqbfdNbajyRhGothp31xfBbXi7_87/s1600-h/Torres+del+Paine+108.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320538703794253874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kdFVPQHU0_txDyOBqyngoXyACGOHs7LoQWUt1pLjso2QS0-UwcgsGFocnjGINDPFlwEETteaFWWLeRAxmNW8qovbo4ke1YMlIZiLOkZ8UJndO1MBqbfdNbajyRhGothp31xfBbXi7_87/s320/Torres+del+Paine+108.jpg" border="0" /></a> To access the park we travelled by bus from the town of Puerto Natales for 2 hours on gravel roads. On the way we saw these guanacos grazing in the plains as the base of the rolling hills. Guanacos are part of the llama family and are pretty tame in the park. They just stand by chomping on the grass as the busses rolled by.<br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-W_O1ywOVS92mMuopK4YfdEXSOEAEKKOFIsRYlcHAK0jSKhmyKNW2TitlKPpy4Y6Ft97NO3ELrA5mtlF1nHtj50Tr8QC68rxzKftNdNlQXK9tqD8kCDyv7U2pcA0ODUvRVOpoMLyJNhMk/s1600-h/Torres+del+Paine+110.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320536710738940674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-W_O1ywOVS92mMuopK4YfdEXSOEAEKKOFIsRYlcHAK0jSKhmyKNW2TitlKPpy4Y6Ft97NO3ELrA5mtlF1nHtj50Tr8QC68rxzKftNdNlQXK9tqD8kCDyv7U2pcA0ODUvRVOpoMLyJNhMk/s320/Torres+del+Paine+110.jpg" border="0" /></a>When we arrived at the park gates we could see the mountains in the distance. The mountains in the Torres del Paine National Park are not part of the Andes range. They were formed when lava broke through the surface of the earth and cooled off. </div><br /><div></div><div>Many people who visit Torres Del Paine choose to hike either a 5 or 7 day loop in the park, famously referred to as the ¨W¨ or Paine circuit. We aren´t exactly set up to camp, so instead of hiking the circuit we choose to stay in a lodge located in the heart of the park. On our first day we did not arrive at the lodge until the afternoon and so only went for a short hike (3 hours) to stretch our legs. The is located on Lagoa Pehoe wich is a beautiful turquoise color. In the mountains on the right hand side of the picture, you might be able to make out the distinct bands of light and black colored granite which were characteristic of this small range of mountains.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0o0JjOfF78Bu6yGYah7qNkGs153HiUhyphenhyphenaQqD-kv-haYWOLIXn-u-07xr4RbegnJOMbwzCe-dEK_z52BwoaLSqdDYtaYVjFznWL0w8-oEuhmGVitAPIdxz-ol4es9WOpiwEogvHhg1MPzE/s1600-h/TDL+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320536699133233554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0o0JjOfF78Bu6yGYah7qNkGs153HiUhyphenhyphenaQqD-kv-haYWOLIXn-u-07xr4RbegnJOMbwzCe-dEK_z52BwoaLSqdDYtaYVjFznWL0w8-oEuhmGVitAPIdxz-ol4es9WOpiwEogvHhg1MPzE/s320/TDL+005.jpg" border="0" /></a> On our first full day in the park, we decided up on a day-hike that would take us along Lago Grey to the base of Glacier Grey. The trail started at the lodge and made its way or a small pass in the foothills until we arrived at the shores of Lago Grey. Up arriving at the shores of Lago Grey, we could not see the Glacier right away, and had to hike along the shore for several hours before we would catch our first glimpse. Lago Grey(grey lake) is aptly named as the waters were a murky grey color, likely the result of sedimentation from the glacier. Before we had a clear view of the Glacier, several icebergs came into view which had broken off the glacier and were floating down the lake. The icebergs were a distinct blue color. </div><div><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOm2y7r_stbz25sKdVWIb7FVT5amtkaXRWmwT9zF6MqroZdrTkAPy0oGqB5dttDSaj7RSRCLlw4m3S9xsgT0RaWcgUPB5RTu4UKW2dzTyozx-CVYwyJesGs77OWl6QvtVMecYFc-arqu72/s1600-h/Torres+del+Paine+037.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320535448653054050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOm2y7r_stbz25sKdVWIb7FVT5amtkaXRWmwT9zF6MqroZdrTkAPy0oGqB5dttDSaj7RSRCLlw4m3S9xsgT0RaWcgUPB5RTu4UKW2dzTyozx-CVYwyJesGs77OWl6QvtVMecYFc-arqu72/s320/Torres+del+Paine+037.jpg" border="0" /></a>This picture shows our first real view of Glacier Grey and shows how immense it is. </div><div></div><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Y_b2VF9ez5qeId2_Aa1FAfBg7a6JPSJR9bf0beitxK3AmJsw5TqgMM5bHnBPnKbtklXYhyphenhyphenAZQVRVwIzfFL0KhfHsMUFti2ir-pRLe2ln-y16Iw5bWJVON71B6y7zi4HqGLAFMIWMRoDU/s1600-h/Torres+del+Paine+033.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320535445577313698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Y_b2VF9ez5qeId2_Aa1FAfBg7a6JPSJR9bf0beitxK3AmJsw5TqgMM5bHnBPnKbtklXYhyphenhyphenAZQVRVwIzfFL0KhfHsMUFti2ir-pRLe2ln-y16Iw5bWJVON71B6y7zi4HqGLAFMIWMRoDU/s320/Torres+del+Paine+033.jpg" border="0" /></a>Several hours later, we arrived at this lookout point which was perched above the toe of the glacier. The toe or end of the glacier is divided or slit into two by an island of land that you can see over our right sholders.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwScR2u-1fvIAHBaWPtp-wwh09qcjgfMYxxPkIPJ8syubrzWt1-URW5zYiRkPy7BwDiNCIsM9POAtcwidvoTkVudpmsAzfCB3DDjRR1VRJmOa21EPG3vtXibr428TlbdX5sEkt9vqJ25aS/s1600-h/Torres+del+Paine+055.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320535445793593266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwScR2u-1fvIAHBaWPtp-wwh09qcjgfMYxxPkIPJ8syubrzWt1-URW5zYiRkPy7BwDiNCIsM9POAtcwidvoTkVudpmsAzfCB3DDjRR1VRJmOa21EPG3vtXibr428TlbdX5sEkt9vqJ25aS/s320/Torres+del+Paine+055.jpg" border="0" /></a> The sun came out for a brief moment to warm our chilled bones and cast a shadow over the edge of the glacier. To give you an idea of size...the glacier is approximately 30 metres higher than the water at this location.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4D6zPYe-2S-XKN0kZpcOnwEmGZPwlf8bs4mIg_tG4GQRZqndg8MvMSmcDD0c4DmxMpW9gbND6746F5F7kDEA518rskCUYOSuokngjTddbDd56vqKJBW50qmE5BA3PriRCD4bZ3Q0WODT/s1600-h/Torres+del+Paine+056.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320535441757375554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4D6zPYe-2S-XKN0kZpcOnwEmGZPwlf8bs4mIg_tG4GQRZqndg8MvMSmcDD0c4DmxMpW9gbND6746F5F7kDEA518rskCUYOSuokngjTddbDd56vqKJBW50qmE5BA3PriRCD4bZ3Q0WODT/s320/Torres+del+Paine+056.jpg" border="0" /></a> The bright blue colors in the glacier came out when the suns rays shawn through it.</div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJBZP9QZd9fqUhJq0Bo52VMf2kvoU9IZCs_MfJpdD9MXoa_6AEj5Ke7A9Tp7d2G9usndR3NUFOiMsvUGZc3d6WL-dZgkCm5nxb33rzP15MmIBFEsAKJmbUUG177RO27lPBdnQqyrjpHA2/s1600-h/Torres+del+Paine+057.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320534034462804706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJBZP9QZd9fqUhJq0Bo52VMf2kvoU9IZCs_MfJpdD9MXoa_6AEj5Ke7A9Tp7d2G9usndR3NUFOiMsvUGZc3d6WL-dZgkCm5nxb33rzP15MmIBFEsAKJmbUUG177RO27lPBdnQqyrjpHA2/s320/Torres+del+Paine+057.jpg" border="0" /></a>After an amazing day of hiking, we retreated back to the lodge for a couple cold ones and a much need semi-hot-sometimes shower. We hiked around of 30 kms that day.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIPZvKPArrGOL6XEPXnboxrnBoZgy23tDpyNlkgMg9fMJwoq-ngddqQmL78Es1tIz-6f5uSb-yC2kPhd5enRl7HeexrxaFWW_BcE6f4Vb_7irMje8yCtOeMaq4HnT51ZQ6SZmHTS0wXj4/s1600-h/Torres+del+Paine+062.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320534028867381554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIPZvKPArrGOL6XEPXnboxrnBoZgy23tDpyNlkgMg9fMJwoq-ngddqQmL78Es1tIz-6f5uSb-yC2kPhd5enRl7HeexrxaFWW_BcE6f4Vb_7irMje8yCtOeMaq4HnT51ZQ6SZmHTS0wXj4/s320/Torres+del+Paine+062.jpg" border="0" /></a>On our second full-day in the park, we headed out on another day-hike which would take us along glacier fed river, Rio Frances, and up into a valley where we would be surrounded by mountains. This picture shows a downstream view from one of the precarious suspension bridges that we made our way across.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMUTJNjGjTToaZIZR7mig4GFdPLcFAUj_Wq9r_SjXY80L4X2t6nJwBiEUjTbNXhdwyJHXyrX_V7dGex1ESNMr5rj-2KBotMmkE7T3l-IDjgFRXjcDyoAc8wZNjSJDI4X5-9DqYqBTGwv6/s1600-h/Torres+del+Paine+079.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320534025726846498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMUTJNjGjTToaZIZR7mig4GFdPLcFAUj_Wq9r_SjXY80L4X2t6nJwBiEUjTbNXhdwyJHXyrX_V7dGex1ESNMr5rj-2KBotMmkE7T3l-IDjgFRXjcDyoAc8wZNjSJDI4X5-9DqYqBTGwv6/s320/Torres+del+Paine+079.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9mnigaQdSaZH6QyGNIntRda6TNSsMaRnPcxDxSh2I4wCd5egqzCGiHdtX8v0oXoDgjcc764cKXj7DG9mhNgUPde5fwbDnDTo5hjuSWG6ujzG07LMjvOGVUOgkW_Fr2Kzc7QCjx6xLxsZ/s1600-h/Torres+del+Paine+080.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320534018672959858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9mnigaQdSaZH6QyGNIntRda6TNSsMaRnPcxDxSh2I4wCd5egqzCGiHdtX8v0oXoDgjcc764cKXj7DG9mhNgUPde5fwbDnDTo5hjuSWG6ujzG07LMjvOGVUOgkW_Fr2Kzc7QCjx6xLxsZ/s320/Torres+del+Paine+080.jpg" border="0" /></a>The trail ends at a lookout point where we were surrounded by mountains around us. It was as if we were in a bowl, surrounded by mountains. We rewarded when we got to the lookout by sunshine and clear skiies. Everyone we talked to at the lodge said the the summits were hidden on the previous day by a thick cloud cover.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1a6rnVwR-naStW42mKYhgs1fjNc19oshKeSKc5b3EEdnFN2Te_hnIR7J3oq2wcAciT32cmt9SjLqhd0WhWyK1Eks9oILKziVugeVen68emJDVTGoJR8VDzwgMZgw1DpTDZU4UgGB0YKFo/s1600-h/Torres+del+Paine+103.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320531957056255810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1a6rnVwR-naStW42mKYhgs1fjNc19oshKeSKc5b3EEdnFN2Te_hnIR7J3oq2wcAciT32cmt9SjLqhd0WhWyK1Eks9oILKziVugeVen68emJDVTGoJR8VDzwgMZgw1DpTDZU4UgGB0YKFo/s320/Torres+del+Paine+103.jpg" border="0" /></a>After enjoying a summit view and having a snack, we made our way back down the valley to the lodge. On that same day, before getting back to the lodge and after enjoying a sunny morning, we would get pelted by snow and rain for several hours. </div><br /><div></div><div>The following picture is taken of the most famous peaks in the range, a series of 3 granite towersa (cerre torres) that are arranged along a line north to south, which we referred to as the three sisters. The granite peaks are popular destinations for elite rock climbers and mountaineers.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KgS7toHwRo4BU0Z68By8U9v192lsIgs9LVJN6YPQ7jlSA_wCekUFqU_8_A_DMHCFBRbsmzA6dfcn-syxpFiyGJvomIOL19TCwYE4UaJ3SgkI8V7fgl4cheBNq42-2ypTpWH2nCVyho52/s1600-h/Torres+del+Paine+113.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320531954877781010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KgS7toHwRo4BU0Z68By8U9v192lsIgs9LVJN6YPQ7jlSA_wCekUFqU_8_A_DMHCFBRbsmzA6dfcn-syxpFiyGJvomIOL19TCwYE4UaJ3SgkI8V7fgl4cheBNq42-2ypTpWH2nCVyho52/s320/Torres+del+Paine+113.jpg" border="0" /></a>If you have a high-speed connection, we have attached a short video for you too check out. This clip gives a 360 degree view of the French Valley(Day 2) once we reached the lookout.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxtEGmuHPbBTGNhEjsq5TBQOi3-_VcWeSZeaUbf93Hyn-2WHz23seHdxBpOaYoO1THkgkU84NH1ktHx9wWO-A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div></div><br /><div>It was really hard picking which pictures to show you from our time at Torres Del Paine...we have more than 100 hundred images and look forward to sharing more with you when we get home. By the end of our stay in Torres, our bodies were tired and sore - we did a rough calculation and figure that we averaged about 25 kms a day hiking. </div><div></div><br /><div>Argentina Fun Fact #3:</div><br /><div>Argentine people love there mate. As soon as we crossed into Argentina at Iguazu falls, we noticed that everyone around us was sipping, through metal straws, a strange drink that had green leaves floating on the top. Mate is an infusion prepared by steeping dried, chopped and ground leaves of the South American Planta - yerba mate. Hot water is poured into a unique gourd shaped vessel (available at most gift shops here) directly with the leaves and sipped through a unique metal straw that has a small filter on the end of it. The drink is a stimulant and is high in caffeine. We have both tasted it now, and the closest thing we can compare it too is green tea. More than just a drink, drinking and sharing mate has a long list of rules and traditions associated with it. According to tradition, mate is not shared with just anyone, because in sharing mate, you share your soul. </div><div></div><br /><div>Epinada Count:</div><div>Chris - 31</div><div>Rebecca - 30</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-78319281869856574502009-03-18T19:09:00.001-04:002009-04-02T19:29:00.885-04:00Fen Del Mundo<div align="center">Greetings from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ushuaia,</span> Argentina which is also referred to as </div><div align="center">Fen Del <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Mundo</span> (the bottom of the world).</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAm7SUOKkxcHUhzia5UmP8fTm5EkiWvLftlaq5ELAld6cNbbdXChYrR95aBY__DcjRJ4jSqaNlaxx-CYA3UgqhShc0p3Wu8m4fsluC_JqB0w1FFdbHg_S7ZRZbkfWtKqOpdRdajEETxLV/s1600-h/ushuaia+106.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317992868120754738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAm7SUOKkxcHUhzia5UmP8fTm5EkiWvLftlaq5ELAld6cNbbdXChYrR95aBY__DcjRJ4jSqaNlaxx-CYA3UgqhShc0p3Wu8m4fsluC_JqB0w1FFdbHg_S7ZRZbkfWtKqOpdRdajEETxLV/s320/ushuaia+106.jpg" border="0" /></a> After some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">deliberation</span>, we decided to fly south from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia saving us bussing all the way down. As much as we were looking forward to seeing some of the landscape, one way is enough and we decided we would get our fill as we work our way from Ushuaia all the way north...maybe too Peru. Arriving in the airport in Ushuaia was a bit of a shot to our bodies - after spending 6 weeks in warmer climates, we were greeted by the cold temperatures and high winds of southern argentina. We reluctuantly pulled our pants (and even our toques) which were buried at the bottom of our back-packs.<br /><br />Ushuaia´s claim to fame is that it is the southern-most city in the world. The town has a small airport but more importantly serves as an important port town for people heading south to antararctica. Ushaia is located on the southern shores of the island of Tierra del Fuego. The island is seperated from mainland by the magellan straight, and Ushuaia is at the south end and looks out across the beagle to channel to a series of islands including cape horn. The area has seen a fair share of explorers over the years, including Darwin back in 1832.<br /><br />Ushuaia is located in a region known as Patagonia. The Patagonian region is somewhat difficult to define, but is generally considered the land south of the Rio Negro which is shared by both Argentina and Chile. Patagonia is a region that we both wanted to visit badly, and thinking back it´s interesting to reflect on why. Niether of us knew that much about the region, but the word itself conjured up images of remote, untouched wilderness waiting to be explored. Now that we are here, we are able to learn more about the amazing diversificaty of habitat types (deserts, andes mountains, coastal forests) that can be found here. After settling in Ushuaia, we decided to explore some of the surrounding region and Patagonia has to offer.<br /><br />A visit to the nearby Tierra Del Fuego National Park seemed in order. We decided upon a hiking trail in the park that was described as strenous, and not knowing what to expect in terms of weather we set out with our lunch and plenty of layers of clothing to add or peel off. The description of strenous was fitting, as the trail began at one of the lakes in the park and made its way uphill, eventually beyond the treeline, until we found ourselves scrambling on scree to the summit of a mountain. In the picture below, you can see the lake behind Chris that we started from. Pictures never seem to accurately depict scale, the photo was taken from a point that was already higher than the mountains on the opposite side of the lake.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVgxbbNBJYGJTb_rXHAeu63e8oWio970JwPlprZFQMq9BVFMArF_xRIZeiCjVJgesb5gIJiGqCuAh5wjZCCdpADn5gE6P54H8gyCOmOI9M-C4FZkQi-lpw1JSOni8LtNzHPfxjGu8Cf72/s1600-h/Ush+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317992863926825346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVgxbbNBJYGJTb_rXHAeu63e8oWio970JwPlprZFQMq9BVFMArF_xRIZeiCjVJgesb5gIJiGqCuAh5wjZCCdpADn5gE6P54H8gyCOmOI9M-C4FZkQi-lpw1JSOni8LtNzHPfxjGu8Cf72/s320/Ush+013.jpg" border="0" /></a> The trail we were on was a little over 4 kms in length, and the gain in elevation was approximately 1000 metres. The trail took a little under 4 hours one way (and we were passing people), which means our speed was just over 1 km an hour! At the top of the mountain, we were greeted with snow, fierce winds, a beautiful view, and two french guys (just back from an arctic expedition) who agreed to take our picture.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOg3TPTwoU13Jr3MhyphenhyphennF5F0LZ1Sf9xA-_9LLws7mgXnfDEkD_a4JULaOksqmjAh9HjfbLW7gOp46oAMXxlK0x23fsWde6ug4P_BBJN3IJpi7tT9L47hbJVTdBn12nketCu6lGgiStpmxcX/s1600-h/ushuaia+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317992865168560546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOg3TPTwoU13Jr3MhyphenhyphennF5F0LZ1Sf9xA-_9LLws7mgXnfDEkD_a4JULaOksqmjAh9HjfbLW7gOp46oAMXxlK0x23fsWde6ug4P_BBJN3IJpi7tT9L47hbJVTdBn12nketCu6lGgiStpmxcX/s320/ushuaia+013.jpg" border="0" /></a>After a strenous hike in the park, we decided to give our bodies a rest and take in a boat tour of the beagle channel. We booked with a small charter, and the only other people (besides the captain and guide) who joined us where a couple from the states.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOK9iawva_Wwejk7UY1mW6WD21bqYAQO0LfzutKMelNMYY06W2h3LRc7vjniHxEg86cbG57Uv4aQoldFhIXVOwaR5asCx2XDVgi1YOO79C3Y7vQTvNcsQAMxm7jF_P4QPWYnhGtqm_iXOr/s1600-h/ushuaia+082.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317990740297356674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOK9iawva_Wwejk7UY1mW6WD21bqYAQO0LfzutKMelNMYY06W2h3LRc7vjniHxEg86cbG57Uv4aQoldFhIXVOwaR5asCx2XDVgi1YOO79C3Y7vQTvNcsQAMxm7jF_P4QPWYnhGtqm_iXOr/s320/ushuaia+082.jpg" border="0" /></a> Our charter headed out on the beagle channel, weaving in and out of small islands while the guide shared the local history of the area as well as described the flora, fauna, and wildlife. Several of the islands have become the homes of several species of wildlife including the South American Sea Lion, as well as the Imperial Cormorant. Because we had a small and quiet boat, we were able to get up fairly close to the islands without disturbing the inhabitants too much. The sea lions actually seemed happy to see us, and enjoyed barking at us and playing in the prop-wash of the boat.<br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9y7JzNqUzEFbxSF3FZ5O4-WnKASdOxKbAWT08uxl81KT0yxvyXmlNX-CNLl5QvEqrep5Xc7E0fQQaVsSIWBJ8ejzoUovNnlnuou-mZz6kyAp7zsT2vp_hvG0csn6N-a82F3TBukbS71es/s1600-h/ushuaia+050.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317990742006151986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9y7JzNqUzEFbxSF3FZ5O4-WnKASdOxKbAWT08uxl81KT0yxvyXmlNX-CNLl5QvEqrep5Xc7E0fQQaVsSIWBJ8ejzoUovNnlnuou-mZz6kyAp7zsT2vp_hvG0csn6N-a82F3TBukbS71es/s320/ushuaia+050.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpmr6Hh96jfgLOQFpvuncd9vhgh1cLv9106XkwyXxo71iMeMChqZ0D_gWFt62ikW5cWRAGI7EZhJNvxLQzC8O7EbyaZQWhpOpuMUIP24cOb7-KuDYYVwAGE9avfUZE_Y2P6SslwKvA0xR/s1600-h/ushuaia+078.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317990733685506306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpmr6Hh96jfgLOQFpvuncd9vhgh1cLv9106XkwyXxo71iMeMChqZ0D_gWFt62ikW5cWRAGI7EZhJNvxLQzC8O7EbyaZQWhpOpuMUIP24cOb7-KuDYYVwAGE9avfUZE_Y2P6SslwKvA0xR/s320/ushuaia+078.jpg" border="0" /></a>After our boat tour, we walked around town and visited several musuems. One musuem was dedicated to remember Yamana people and their culture. The Yamana inhabitated the island of Tierra del Feugo for thousands of years. They were a nomadic people, travelling by boat and sustaining themselves mainly on a diet of sea lions and kelp. They did not wear any cloths, and instead rubbed the animal fat on their bodies to stay warm. They kept fires going in the middle of their canoes (on sand and clay) which were used for warmth and also used to help start fires when they went ashore. One early study that was done revealed the average body temperate of a Yamana was 38.5 degrees celcius. A core temperature that would indicate a fever to us appears to have been one of their many physical adaptations. In 1870, when the first missionary was established on the island, their population was estimated to be around 3000. By 1890, thanks to introduced disease(small pox, etc.) and rumors of some killings, the Yamana population was only around 100. Today, there is thought to be only one direct decedent of the Yamana left, a woman who is in her 80´s and lives in Puerto Williams. </div><br /><div></div><div>After a day of rest on a boat and walking around town, we decided another hike was in order. Directly to the north of town and within view, lies Glacier Martial. This time we cheated, and took a chairlift about half-way to the observation point. Above the tree-line, we had to climb the remaining 400 metres up to the base of the glacier. The view of this glacier was actually not that spectacular, as the pitch was still quite steep and all we could see was a dirty face of snow. Perhaps more impressive than the view of the glacier, as the view back down the valley over the village of Ushuaia.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjGjJ840bFpAb4PHT8-CIY7R9i4_y6o4dT0y6pnTxA7jO2RS2tNdJV2zbR989leXO1a4oICIHYGlhwYNWoDm7HuRJ5mTKd_RMJXB1DNB_pLL30DUrLey3yZ0AsbYRVwxZsNkVgtM7zhLTQ/s1600-h/ushuaia+117.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317990729802183986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjGjJ840bFpAb4PHT8-CIY7R9i4_y6o4dT0y6pnTxA7jO2RS2tNdJV2zbR989leXO1a4oICIHYGlhwYNWoDm7HuRJ5mTKd_RMJXB1DNB_pLL30DUrLey3yZ0AsbYRVwxZsNkVgtM7zhLTQ/s320/ushuaia+117.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Ushuaia is an amazing place to visit. We look forward to heading north now and exploring more of what the patagonia region has to offer.<br /><br />Argentina Fun Fact: Argintinians love their beef. Per capita, they eat nearly 70kg per person per year. Compare that to 43kg in the US and 31kg in Canada. Argentine beef is thought to be amongst the best in the world, because of the breed and also because of their diet. Argentine cows are free-range and feed primarily on pampas grass oppostded to corn and other food lined with antibiotics and growth hormones. This makes for a leaner, more natural-tasting meat. </div><br /><div></div><div>Epinada Count:</div><div>Chris 25</div><div>Rebecca 24<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-72544965225397622532009-03-12T14:39:00.000-04:002009-03-28T04:58:26.788-04:00Buenos Aires, ArgentinaHello Everyone,<br />Sorry we haven´t posted anything in a while - computer access has been scarce and even when we have had access the computers aren´t always been capable of uploading photos.<br /><br />We had a super first day is Buenos Aires. We headed over to downtown, the microcentre, by Subte (subway). We spent the day wandering the two major pedestrian streets, Florida and Lavalle. They are jam-packed with business people on power lunches, tourists, and other portenos (people of BA). We found another book store (we are now carrying a small library of extremely exciting reads) and managed to buy BA´s daily english newspaper, the Buenos Aires Herald. Amazing how out of touch with world news and pop culture we seem to get while we are traveling. We strolled and perused some shops and spent some time in one outdoor store called Montagne. It´s like a mini-MEC, Argentina style. All the clothes and gear are made here and we each had a little splurge. From the pedestrian streets we made a quick stop at the post office and ended up having a lively conversation (him excitied talk, us smiles and nodds) with the security guard about the prides of his country: futeball (soccer) and Evita. He took us over to some framed stamps to show us pictures of these. He was so animated and hilarious- just trying to make us feel welcome in Argentina.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQo90v0qZy5YZucraKBhE-i8xQCtJ6r2KVf9H90t0vf9mUw67WuieFIxcZJiASFOaBARjsBi1ePT22LcZ4kHeO_LBDjm1KOh0vtf19lsfFASzLoY6raZdNpyap_7V9ulLifYxhpue1USL0/s1600-h/BA+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317981806916966178" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQo90v0qZy5YZucraKBhE-i8xQCtJ6r2KVf9H90t0vf9mUw67WuieFIxcZJiASFOaBARjsBi1ePT22LcZ4kHeO_LBDjm1KOh0vtf19lsfFASzLoY6raZdNpyap_7V9ulLifYxhpue1USL0/s320/BA+001.jpg" border="0" /></a>From there we headed over to the Plaza de Mayo, home of BA´s main cathedral Cabildo and the main parliament for the country, Casa Rosada. There is a lot of history of protest and civil unrest in this plaza, and protesteres still come every Thursday to march for whatever is on their minds. We rested in the shade on the grass for a while taking in the huge old buildings around us.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmNBYOlXlcTfQUSElyq0SwilBPAuUIGeMZQPiZpuUpH3g4sLtbr_9SuJ-iaLT0CHFmOR7iUSIUlMdoum8dPTOSe12OtNh1kf2nnTZkYtx4wdiOWprBXIFTYH4BA5iloOzK7d2eTKR46xK/s1600-h/BA+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317981803788289602" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmNBYOlXlcTfQUSElyq0SwilBPAuUIGeMZQPiZpuUpH3g4sLtbr_9SuJ-iaLT0CHFmOR7iUSIUlMdoum8dPTOSe12OtNh1kf2nnTZkYtx4wdiOWprBXIFTYH4BA5iloOzK7d2eTKR46xK/s320/BA+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><div><div></div><div></div><div>In true Argentinian style we finished our day with a late night steak dinner and a bottle (or two) of red wine. DELICIOUS. An excellent cut of beef grilled to perfection will cost you approximately 7-10 Canadian Dollars, while an average bottle of good wine costs you about $3 Canadian Dollars in the grocery store.<br /></div><div><br />Day 2 in BA was just not as great. The theme for the day was booking our flights south to Ushuaia. It ended up alright (as things always do) but not without a bit of a struggle that entailed at least dozen calls to the airline of which all but 3 we were disconnected, hours spent online and on the phone, and one trip to the airport- frusterating! But we got it and we leave for Ushuaia on Monday. We hope. It seems most businesses shut down on weekends completely making for some challenging planning techniques. We know the reward of having to work for getting where we want to be will pay off by the beauty of the place so we are not discouraged, just cranky :)</div><div></div><br /><div>On our 3rd day in Brzil we decided to try and catch a glipmse into an Argentinian past-time and passion. A group of us from the hostel enlisted the services of a guide(strongly recommended for gringoes) and made our way to the stadium in BA to take in a finals match between the Boca Juniors and the Argentinos Juniors. On our way into the stadium, one of the people we were with recognized a famous player, Maradona, making his way into the stadium. We got our picture taken with Maradona but it is on a disposable camera left over from Carnaval that we haven´t gotten processed yet. Maradona played for the Boca Juniors, and has a box seat directly across from the section we were sitting. As for the match - WOW, what an experience! We were in a section with the rowdy locals. There were no seats, and it was squished standing room only. Throughout the entire match, everyone around us was singing and chanting songs to the sounds of drums and trumpets. Luckily for us, the local and favoured team (Boca Juniors) won the match 3-0. At the end of the game, the riot police went on the field and the police helicopter hovered overhead. We had to stay in our section for more than 30 minutes while the fans from the opposing team were escorted out of the stadium. Taking in a soccer (futebol) match in Argentina can most accurately be described as a relegious experience- and it was Sunday! </div><div></div><br />We have both enjoyed our time in Buenos Aires, and have agreed that it probably the coolest city we have visited so far. <p>Argentina Fun Fact numero uno:Unlike Brazil, there is stiff competition amongst bus companies (our usual means of travels) which has resulted in competive rates among companies but more interestingly different classes that you can travel in. From what we can tell, there are about 6 different classes you can travel beginning with the most luxurious or Super Cama, Exectivo, Cama, Semi-Cama, and Commun. From Iguazu falls we travelled on in in Cama class, and enjoyed wide leather seats that almost completely folded flat (similar to first class on a plane), meals, movies, etc. </p><div>Empanadas are our new favourite food and we are keeping track of how many we eat.</div><div>Empanada Count: </div><div>Chris 17<br />Rebecca 16</div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5063808594190486166.post-77619928080080105612009-03-12T13:58:00.000-04:002009-03-15T07:46:59.229-04:00Foz do Iguacu, Brazil & Puerto Iguazu, Argentina<div>We were reluctant to move on from the Parque Natural do Caraca because we had such a relaxing time there. Plus, we knew there would be a series of long bus rides coming up. From the village closest to the Parque we took a 2.5 hour bus ride west to Belo Horizonte where we almost immediately hopped another bus heading to Curitiba. This bus was a 11 hour over-nighter. Surprisingly, it wasn't as torturous as we had expected. When we get on a bus for that long we seem to slip into a time warp and the trip passes relatively quickly. This bus stopped every 3 hours so we could stretch our legs and grab a snack and we usually took the chance to get out and move around a bit. </div><br /><div>Curitiba is a pretty big city (1.2 million), and it mostly served as a stop over for us to do laundry and find some new books. We spent the afternoons strolling the pedestrian walkways...the mosrnings perusing outdoor markets....and the evenings eating good food and drinking cold delicious beer on outdoor patios, listening to live music.</div><br /><div>From Curitiba we boarded another overnight bus ride. This one was 14 hours and only stopped once! Our destination was the small city of Foz do Iguacu. The city serves as a point from which to explore the nearby Iguacu Falls. This series of waterfalls is higher than Niagara and wider than Victoria. It is absolutely stunning. The falls border Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay and we were able to explore from both the Brazilian and the Argentinian sides.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1y_JC2TmMN3pZ09N9zDB0uXax0SbQH4VRaRgIvQcmOBqgwf3vUauz_go1bD7GebvZ87WSJrL91ObZ8vPKAFfuON96meWvPiaEeao0Ll4Xt9bteZViIWfKrhPSqDhbBIQxczBS24faOo-/s1600-h/Iguacu+Brazil+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313186113867459970" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1y_JC2TmMN3pZ09N9zDB0uXax0SbQH4VRaRgIvQcmOBqgwf3vUauz_go1bD7GebvZ87WSJrL91ObZ8vPKAFfuON96meWvPiaEeao0Ll4Xt9bteZViIWfKrhPSqDhbBIQxczBS24faOo-/s320/Iguacu+Brazil+012.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>The Brazilian side offered a shorter walkway leading up to the biggest falls, the Devils Mouth. All the way along the trail we caught great panoramic views of the entire falls. We had lunch nearby and then headed back to our hostel for some reading and swiming in the sun.</div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOc4UiH6PgnBFdDsat-93jsfpGFuynWHdonTtmgBAa-iIdoCLkwpO9PZm5I9-k1US64ZibiQtcWP911ZCf5dbHaxbHXxHo3mke8WHxDTDpc9qBr4r2aS397X9H_3TqPQI67i-zLQlLvFl0/s1600-h/Iguacu+Brazil+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313186120619520258" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOc4UiH6PgnBFdDsat-93jsfpGFuynWHdonTtmgBAa-iIdoCLkwpO9PZm5I9-k1US64ZibiQtcWP911ZCf5dbHaxbHXxHo3mke8WHxDTDpc9qBr4r2aS397X9H_3TqPQI67i-zLQlLvFl0/s320/Iguacu+Brazil+015.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>According to Guarani tradition the falls originated when a warrior named Caroba incurred the wrath of a forest god by escaping downriver in a canoe with a young girl, Naipur, with whom the god was infatuated. Enraged, the god caused the riverbed to collapse in front of the lovers, producing a line of precipitous falls over which Naipur fell and, at their base, turned into a rock. Caroba survived as a tree overlooking it. <br /><br />The next day (March 10), we took the bus over to Argentina, went through a very lax immigration process. The border town of Puerto Iguacu is a much smaller and walkable town. We put away our Reals and got out our Pesos and tried to switch our minds from the little Portugese we had picked up to the little-to-no Spanish we know. To explore the Argentinian side of the falls we were told we needed a bit more time so we relaxed the rest of the day and decided to get an early start the following day. That was a good idea in theory but somehow our watches ended up an hour behind again! We are somehow out of the loop this way...maybe it was daylight savings time??<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhcdNWyuOXhj3sKtwPUCEloNzT0QiQerEEY6P4UIqgZb-Qrch0yuLo4NoeQJy5zqpNH5mChZjIVig7_le3iyzhbXUOjGJWnrmn-4db6sC9bFHtx8ochaplenHb0v_s4l0xaDJYH0Cfkbw/s1600-h/Iguazu+Argentina+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313185660922379346" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhcdNWyuOXhj3sKtwPUCEloNzT0QiQerEEY6P4UIqgZb-Qrch0yuLo4NoeQJy5zqpNH5mChZjIVig7_le3iyzhbXUOjGJWnrmn-4db6sC9bFHtx8ochaplenHb0v_s4l0xaDJYH0Cfkbw/s320/Iguazu+Argentina+013.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The Argentine side of the Falls has many different paths we could walk to get an up close look at the individual falls. We started with the lower loop and circled around to some smaller but still very impressive waterfalls. From certain points on our walk we could see the ridge where all the falls met up and poured over the edge.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRmNNeG7iakG13BsHrx4dR79T8xP6hLG0qunILkTIeqoQ322CBfOXhH1aIufJ2R5L0r9KZgbYS8Fi_a58OG1uEyEeT-PEf5OMAOSNLNecKJOuTZZyWzkhHhW9Q4P8vRO0DInFliADI-Cu/s1600-h/Iguazu+Argentina+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313185658312668594" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRmNNeG7iakG13BsHrx4dR79T8xP6hLG0qunILkTIeqoQ322CBfOXhH1aIufJ2R5L0r9KZgbYS8Fi_a58OG1uEyEeT-PEf5OMAOSNLNecKJOuTZZyWzkhHhW9Q4P8vRO0DInFliADI-Cu/s320/Iguazu+Argentina+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8rxA5HYs6vQVXks-BgsInepsl_ZfDT8rUPKUbL4L00IANNd6t5OW622UpdaqE26HLcmEuhr0LoK4fZK4jmkf5GQs4Ckjzg8Y7keimsTAqi92Kdre9jZznxsSHMpHkfdDomYzMn-WVg3j/s1600-h/Iguacu+Brazil+023.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313185667092692610" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8rxA5HYs6vQVXks-BgsInepsl_ZfDT8rUPKUbL4L00IANNd6t5OW622UpdaqE26HLcmEuhr0LoK4fZK4jmkf5GQs4Ckjzg8Y7keimsTAqi92Kdre9jZznxsSHMpHkfdDomYzMn-WVg3j/s320/Iguacu+Brazil+023.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Our panoramic views from Brazil were a great introduction but being so upclose offered us the chance to realize how powerful these falls are. The walkways are not just a trail in the forest along the falls, they are a series of boardwalks that cross the calmer headwaters and took us right to the edge of each waterfall.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnz-B5J8sO9iLOjuf5BP1BznjP-4FYnx0Y6Ks8Pf0zW73uKqOaYdqsJidbQZAnvEcglRH3dH7Eb-mK3d0TeaekaR8xiiBQL7EijHROrZz_xydmkbBZ7tdyONHhHEzPIYqHgB0n1BACTrd/s1600-h/Iguazu+Argentina+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313184860429162738" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnz-B5J8sO9iLOjuf5BP1BznjP-4FYnx0Y6Ks8Pf0zW73uKqOaYdqsJidbQZAnvEcglRH3dH7Eb-mK3d0TeaekaR8xiiBQL7EijHROrZz_xydmkbBZ7tdyONHhHEzPIYqHgB0n1BACTrd/s320/Iguazu+Argentina+010.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The most impressive and powerful (and wet!) of these was the 1200 metre walk out to the edge of the Devils Throat! We had no choice but the get wet as we stood by the edge of the falls. When we looked down into them all we cold see was white mist rising from the middle. We took pictures, but we really feel like they do not do justice to what we saw.</div><br /><div>We chose to walk back down to the park entrace (as oppose to taking the passenger train like on the way up) so we could stretch our legs. We had another long bus ride that evening. Once we were back in town, we jumped in the pool for a quick dip and went to board our bus for the 17 hour journey to Buenos Aires.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-3OthAy48LV1EEtmfGs3Tm3SB8k_pt2Tij9wmotZULF81SG55wXfhkuJyGQ990DQ9tyMJuMEfEdERU6t7SJyGo-okH0XRwP93V6m2N7VD3EGKoUjLePyivxbTgJwO-OjlQ_crdT5ZHxO/s1600-h/Iguazu+Argentina+027.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313184848392890498" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-3OthAy48LV1EEtmfGs3Tm3SB8k_pt2Tij9wmotZULF81SG55wXfhkuJyGQ990DQ9tyMJuMEfEdERU6t7SJyGo-okH0XRwP93V6m2N7VD3EGKoUjLePyivxbTgJwO-OjlQ_crdT5ZHxO/s320/Iguazu+Argentina+027.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJ_8QtHamUDPuW7CZq9LNeRUrskmArLGm86l22nWSjyM_XfgKDcKH4jFWHJvBklEXylq1AfeaYPVs9CEaROEuYbKbhOQa90IMIFvYaY3beNaBZxBbCmJAFTvRPWL3PtAv69ay3bFaZj4o/s1600-h/Iguazu+Argentina+026.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313184844843641090" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJ_8QtHamUDPuW7CZq9LNeRUrskmArLGm86l22nWSjyM_XfgKDcKH4jFWHJvBklEXylq1AfeaYPVs9CEaROEuYbKbhOQa90IMIFvYaY3beNaBZxBbCmJAFTvRPWL3PtAv69ay3bFaZj4o/s320/Iguazu+Argentina+026.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p>Brazil Fun Fact #4</p><p>During the past five weeks we have been exploring the south-eastern part of Brazil. When we look at a map of the country we are amazed at just how little ground we have actually covered when taking into account the country´s massive size. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and has a coastline of over 7,491km. We have left Brazil for now, but it is stil in the back of our minds as a place to return to at the end of our trip, perhaps this time to some of the diverse regions in the northern part. </p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>c&rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720026042339626676noreply@blogger.com0