Lima was always going to be the place we said we would rest and wind down from the chaos of the last four weeks. And that`s exactly what we`re doing. The hotel is gorgeous, extremely comfortable. So I see this as base camp for the next couple of days.
We were up early again this morning to catch a flight from Cusco to Lima. As we were descending into Lima, the views of the Andes behind us were spectacular, and then we saw Lima. 100% cloud cover. I mean a sheet of white cloud covering the entire city from one end to the other. Referring to the guide book, we noticed a paragraph we had never seen before. It read something like: "During the summer months of November to May, Lima enjoys very sunny days with temperatures sometimes reasching 30 degrees celcius. However, during the rest of the year, the entire city is covered by cloud which moves in from the Pacific, but gets trapped due to the high mountains surrounding the region." This was later confirmed to us by both a taxi driver and a waitress in a small cafe by the beach. Great, no sun. But at least the hotel has an indoor pool, and the room service menu looks fairly substantial!
Deciding not to spend the entire day in the hotel, we wandered down to the beach area where we found a rather large shopping mall. There I found another lovely pair of Merrills, which just had to be bought - how I intend to get everything home I have no idea. Tonight, we plan to go out for some food, drinks, bowling, and if at all possible, some karaoke. After our tiring activities of the last few weeks, we deserve it.
So on Thursday, we come home. I`m feeling rather opposed to the idea right now. I would love to stay here for another month, as there is so much here to see. If I could take the time, I would. Without hesitation. But unfortunately, it`s not so simple. I start back to college on Monday night, and I am kind of looking forward to it. Work on the other hand, I really do not want to go back. The routine scares me to my core. But what are you going to do? This trip has been such an eye opening experience for me. The world is such a huge place, so much to see and do, so many people to meet and experiences to face. The idea of sitting in front of a computer screen for 5 days a week really doesn`t compare in any way. Perhaps it is something for me to think about.
But for now, I`m hungry, so it`s time to go restaurant hunting.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
The day began qute early on Friday morning. We met our driver at 5.30am who took us to join up with the other 3 members of our group for the 4 day trek across the Andes to Machu Picchu. The 3 lads from Scotland - Grant, Sean and Haaki - had stayed the night before with a local farmer in the outskirts of Cusco. We arrived there to pick them up. But before we headed off to begin the hike, we had breakfast in the farmer´s house. I have to say, it was different - fun but diferent. The farmers here are very poor. Their produce doesn´t bring much profit. They live a very simple life, and as the farmer, Freddie, explained they don´t have any stress in their lives. n some ways, that sounds quite appealing. But I don´t think I could give up my creature comforts for adbe walls and thatched rooves.
The house had no electricity so they used cow and donkey dung as fuel for the fire - there are practically no forests at this altitude so wood s hard to come by. The kitchen was dark but warm. Living in the kitchen, and this completely true, are 33 guinea pigs. They live under the seats and in holes created around the ktchen. It´s a little odd at frst when you´re eating breakfast to find half a dozen guinea pigs running under your feet, fighting over the lettuce which was thrown on the floor for them. And ´m sure they are blissfully unaware that at the next special occasion, the fatest one will be tossed into a boiling pot for a gorgeous supper.
Upon leaving the house, we started our journey to km 82 of the trail, where we were to begin our trek. Loaded with two changes of clothes, loads of water and two trekking poles each, we started the 44km hike through the Andes. Our guide for the trek was a 28 year old Quechua guy called Jose. He had a great sense of humour, and in fact made a joke at every opportunity. It was very interesting to learn about the native Quechua people and how their culture has evolved since the fall of the Inca empire. What I didn´t know was, the Incas were not a race themselves, the Inca was the high priest or leader if you will of the Quechua people. A short lived but nonetheless fascinating culture.
Day 1 was fairly OK. Not too much uphill- The path went up and down qute regularly - what our uide referred to as Inca Flat. Not being what would call fit, I struggled a bt on the first day. This kinda worried me because practically everyone I had spoken to on the subject had warned me about Day 2, and how t was a killer. Well, on Day 2, I began ery quickly to understand what they were talking about. It was nothing short of torture. We climbed from 3,300 meters to a breath taking 4,201 meters, where were were to clear ´Dead Womans Pass´. The first 4 and a half hours that morning were up hill - and mean steep up hill, wth giant steps whch took a piece of your soul each time you climbed up on. Poor Tom hadn´t ully recovered from his recent bout of illness so he felt the altitude more than the rest of us, but he perseviered. When we reached the top, I had such an overwhelming sense of achievment, it was incredible. The torture was worth it for what we had accomplished.
The next hour and a half was spent trotting down the other side of the pass. You may think the jorney down would be easy but in fact it was rather difficult. Again there were so many steps. You really feel the pressure on your shins and ankles. Reaching the campsite that evening was like a dream come true. Never have I ever been so happy to go to sleep.
We were promised an easier day on the 3rd day, even though we would be hiking for 7 hours. It certainly wasn´t as tryng as Day 2 but man it was tough. Inca Flats and uphill walks for the whole day. Then a long long 2 and half hours down hill to the next campsite. We saw so many amazing views. Day 3 we were in the cloud forest which is basically a rain forest, only it´s up so high the clouds float through it. In the dry season, the views can be out of this worlds, unfortunately for us the cloud cover was quite heay so all we could see around us for much of the day was white. When we descended to the mountain forest we were spoiled with the most amazing views. When you are in so much pain and out of breath, seeing what we saw really makes it all worthwhile.
Upon reaching the 3rd campsite, we quickly found the bar and downed several bottles of the local brew - best tasting beer ever! What followed was a ceremony for our porters. We had 10 porters who carried our tents and all the food and cooking utensils. The guys are fantastic. They literally run the trail ahead of you carrying up to 25kg each. It´s unbelieable to see them doing it. We were gaspin for breath in some parts of the trek with only a few kgs on our backs - these guys were legging it up steps, around corners, along cliff edges, no problem to them. They are treated ery badly by many agencies but ours made an issue of showing how they live (the breakfast in the farm house for eg) and were very good about treating them well. So the ceremony was a way of showing our gratitude to them for looking after us and for apprecating the hard jobs they have.
Today, the 4th day, we were up at 4am and began and hour and a half trek to Machu Picchu. We flew along the track, I guess we were so anxious to see the city, and also we seemed to have improved our fitness levels quite a lot, so it was no problem for us. Arriving at the Sun Gate and seeing Machu Picchu for the first time was emotional. We put so much effort into the trek, we suffered some horrible terrain but endured. This was just the most moving reward.
Physically, the trek was the most demanding, the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. But by god t was the most worthwhile as well.
I sit now in Aguacalietes, a small town near Machu Picchu waiting for our train back to Cusco. I am in pain, everywhere, but I know I will always remember this experience as being the most rewarding of my life.
The house had no electricity so they used cow and donkey dung as fuel for the fire - there are practically no forests at this altitude so wood s hard to come by. The kitchen was dark but warm. Living in the kitchen, and this completely true, are 33 guinea pigs. They live under the seats and in holes created around the ktchen. It´s a little odd at frst when you´re eating breakfast to find half a dozen guinea pigs running under your feet, fighting over the lettuce which was thrown on the floor for them. And ´m sure they are blissfully unaware that at the next special occasion, the fatest one will be tossed into a boiling pot for a gorgeous supper.
Upon leaving the house, we started our journey to km 82 of the trail, where we were to begin our trek. Loaded with two changes of clothes, loads of water and two trekking poles each, we started the 44km hike through the Andes. Our guide for the trek was a 28 year old Quechua guy called Jose. He had a great sense of humour, and in fact made a joke at every opportunity. It was very interesting to learn about the native Quechua people and how their culture has evolved since the fall of the Inca empire. What I didn´t know was, the Incas were not a race themselves, the Inca was the high priest or leader if you will of the Quechua people. A short lived but nonetheless fascinating culture.
Day 1 was fairly OK. Not too much uphill- The path went up and down qute regularly - what our uide referred to as Inca Flat. Not being what would call fit, I struggled a bt on the first day. This kinda worried me because practically everyone I had spoken to on the subject had warned me about Day 2, and how t was a killer. Well, on Day 2, I began ery quickly to understand what they were talking about. It was nothing short of torture. We climbed from 3,300 meters to a breath taking 4,201 meters, where were were to clear ´Dead Womans Pass´. The first 4 and a half hours that morning were up hill - and mean steep up hill, wth giant steps whch took a piece of your soul each time you climbed up on. Poor Tom hadn´t ully recovered from his recent bout of illness so he felt the altitude more than the rest of us, but he perseviered. When we reached the top, I had such an overwhelming sense of achievment, it was incredible. The torture was worth it for what we had accomplished.
The next hour and a half was spent trotting down the other side of the pass. You may think the jorney down would be easy but in fact it was rather difficult. Again there were so many steps. You really feel the pressure on your shins and ankles. Reaching the campsite that evening was like a dream come true. Never have I ever been so happy to go to sleep.
We were promised an easier day on the 3rd day, even though we would be hiking for 7 hours. It certainly wasn´t as tryng as Day 2 but man it was tough. Inca Flats and uphill walks for the whole day. Then a long long 2 and half hours down hill to the next campsite. We saw so many amazing views. Day 3 we were in the cloud forest which is basically a rain forest, only it´s up so high the clouds float through it. In the dry season, the views can be out of this worlds, unfortunately for us the cloud cover was quite heay so all we could see around us for much of the day was white. When we descended to the mountain forest we were spoiled with the most amazing views. When you are in so much pain and out of breath, seeing what we saw really makes it all worthwhile.
Upon reaching the 3rd campsite, we quickly found the bar and downed several bottles of the local brew - best tasting beer ever! What followed was a ceremony for our porters. We had 10 porters who carried our tents and all the food and cooking utensils. The guys are fantastic. They literally run the trail ahead of you carrying up to 25kg each. It´s unbelieable to see them doing it. We were gaspin for breath in some parts of the trek with only a few kgs on our backs - these guys were legging it up steps, around corners, along cliff edges, no problem to them. They are treated ery badly by many agencies but ours made an issue of showing how they live (the breakfast in the farm house for eg) and were very good about treating them well. So the ceremony was a way of showing our gratitude to them for looking after us and for apprecating the hard jobs they have.
Today, the 4th day, we were up at 4am and began and hour and a half trek to Machu Picchu. We flew along the track, I guess we were so anxious to see the city, and also we seemed to have improved our fitness levels quite a lot, so it was no problem for us. Arriving at the Sun Gate and seeing Machu Picchu for the first time was emotional. We put so much effort into the trek, we suffered some horrible terrain but endured. This was just the most moving reward.
Physically, the trek was the most demanding, the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. But by god t was the most worthwhile as well.
I sit now in Aguacalietes, a small town near Machu Picchu waiting for our train back to Cusco. I am in pain, everywhere, but I know I will always remember this experience as being the most rewarding of my life.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Puno to Cusco
I can´t believe we have actually made it to Peru. It´s only beenabout 2 and a half weeks, but I feel as if I have been away for months. We have seen and done so much, changed our surroundings so often that the past few weeks have seemed like some long adventure, and there´s still more to come.
We arrived yesterday evening in Puno. Unfortunately this was only to be an overnight stop on the way to Cusco. Shame really, there were a number of things I would like to have seen there. Such as the floating islands made of reeds - the locals actually build islands using reeds which are grown on the shores of Lake Titicaca, and then live on them. It´s a very strange practice. The reeds rot after a while and the whole island will sink into the lake. So the people simply build them again. Personally I´d rather bricks and morter but whatever gets you going I guess.
We really only had time for dinner and drinks, so all 4 of us thought it would be the perfect chance to try some authentic Peruvian cuisine. We picked a restaurant out of the book which was highly recommended for the traditional food. So off we went. The menu seemed to have a mix of the traditional stuff and the usual international stuff as well. Tom ordered the Llama this time, Tadhg some chicken dish with salad, can´t remember what Niamh ordered but it looked really good! And I ordered guinea pig - why not? The guinea pig was brought out deep fried, and still looking very like a guinea pig. It was as if the through the little rodent into a pan and then onto my plate - complete with head, eyes, claws, everything! Charming. What was I to do but dig in. Tasted like friend chicked - I know that sounds like a cliche but honestly it was like eating friend chicken. I have to say I really enjoyed it.
Tom seemed to enjoy his llama too, devouring every last morsel and then ordering desert. Tadhg was put off his food when he caught glimpse of a small green caterpiller crawling out from under his lettuce. That was enough to send him back to the hotel to bed - poor guy. Though at least the lettuce was fresh! Niamh also seemed to enjoy hers, so apart from Tadhg, we were all happy enough with dinner.
About 2 or 3 the next morning, poor Tom was not feeling so well. The llama perhaps did not agree with him. The rest of us seemed fine, but it looked very like Tom was suffering the horrible effects of food poisoning. I have to say I was quite worried, he was really sick. And to make things worse, we had to sit on a bus the next morning for 7 hours. On the bus Tom seemed to slowly be getting better. He got some well earned sleep which he really needed. By the time the bus reached Cusco last night, he was almost back to his normal self. Though he did skip dinner last night, probably for the best.
So now its Thursday morning, and tomorrow we begin our 4 day hike into the Andes to find the lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu. The prospect is so exciting. I cannot wait to get started. Today I think we´re all going to chill out, stock up on supplies, all that.
Thats all for now folks, perhaps I should try to get some more sleep. Its early here!
C
We arrived yesterday evening in Puno. Unfortunately this was only to be an overnight stop on the way to Cusco. Shame really, there were a number of things I would like to have seen there. Such as the floating islands made of reeds - the locals actually build islands using reeds which are grown on the shores of Lake Titicaca, and then live on them. It´s a very strange practice. The reeds rot after a while and the whole island will sink into the lake. So the people simply build them again. Personally I´d rather bricks and morter but whatever gets you going I guess.
We really only had time for dinner and drinks, so all 4 of us thought it would be the perfect chance to try some authentic Peruvian cuisine. We picked a restaurant out of the book which was highly recommended for the traditional food. So off we went. The menu seemed to have a mix of the traditional stuff and the usual international stuff as well. Tom ordered the Llama this time, Tadhg some chicken dish with salad, can´t remember what Niamh ordered but it looked really good! And I ordered guinea pig - why not? The guinea pig was brought out deep fried, and still looking very like a guinea pig. It was as if the through the little rodent into a pan and then onto my plate - complete with head, eyes, claws, everything! Charming. What was I to do but dig in. Tasted like friend chicked - I know that sounds like a cliche but honestly it was like eating friend chicken. I have to say I really enjoyed it.
Tom seemed to enjoy his llama too, devouring every last morsel and then ordering desert. Tadhg was put off his food when he caught glimpse of a small green caterpiller crawling out from under his lettuce. That was enough to send him back to the hotel to bed - poor guy. Though at least the lettuce was fresh! Niamh also seemed to enjoy hers, so apart from Tadhg, we were all happy enough with dinner.
About 2 or 3 the next morning, poor Tom was not feeling so well. The llama perhaps did not agree with him. The rest of us seemed fine, but it looked very like Tom was suffering the horrible effects of food poisoning. I have to say I was quite worried, he was really sick. And to make things worse, we had to sit on a bus the next morning for 7 hours. On the bus Tom seemed to slowly be getting better. He got some well earned sleep which he really needed. By the time the bus reached Cusco last night, he was almost back to his normal self. Though he did skip dinner last night, probably for the best.
So now its Thursday morning, and tomorrow we begin our 4 day hike into the Andes to find the lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu. The prospect is so exciting. I cannot wait to get started. Today I think we´re all going to chill out, stock up on supplies, all that.
Thats all for now folks, perhaps I should try to get some more sleep. Its early here!
C
La Paz & Lake Titicaca
With everything that has been happening in Bolivia lately, we didn´t really know what to expect when we got to La Paz. The region is very pro-Evo Morales so we knew there wasn´t going to be any trouble as there are very few supporters of the oppostion there. We did experience a few peaceful demonstrations though. There were crowds of people chanting and marching, carefully being watched by the riot police. Firecrakers were being let off all over the place. If you didn´t know what was going on, you might have thought the place was under attack! But really it was all very civilised.
I was sorry to say goodbye to Bolivia. It´s a beautiful country with a colourful past, and it´s still trying to find its way, but the people are so incredibly friendly. The mix of indigenous people and the Spanish settlers is really interesting. The blend so well, so well in fact that the Catholic church has incorporated many of the indigenous traditions. What I found really cool was while strolling through the markets, you can see many of the stall owners have offerings laid out for the gods. I really wish I had more time here, but I am definitely going to come back.
The next phase of our journey was a transfer from La Paz to the shores of the mysterious Lake Titicaca. We were up at 5.45 on Tuesday and picked up by the tour agency who was taking us into Peru. We were introduced to our guide for the trip - Pepe. At first I thought he might be 26 or 27, but as the day progressed, he seemed to age more and more - ironic really since he washed his face in a so called ´fountain of youth´on Sun Island but the water seemed to have the opposite affect!
When we reached the shore, we boarded a catamaran and started across the lake. The history of the lake is quite fascinating. Millions of years ago, an ocean, which spanned as far as the salt flats, began to dry up. Lake Titicaca is all that remains of that once vast ocean. It spans about 8,000 sqare km. Worringly, the level of the lake has decreased in the last number of years. Experts believe the lake will be completely dried up in as little as 15 years. How incredible is that?! What´s worse is that La Paz relies on the lake for water supply, so when the lake is gone, there is going to be a huge problem in locating a new water source.
We spent a number of hours on the catamaran and reached Sun Island - the largest island on the lake, and supposed birthplace of the Inca Empire. We first had a ride on a recreation of an old sea shiop made of reeds - can´t remember the name of it! - then toured the island for a few hours. We were able to partake in a traditional Aymaran ceremony where a shamen said a prayer, made an offering to the gods and then blessed us with holy water. Funny how you always feel somewhat clensed after being blessed - even if the shamen was an actor employed by our tour agency! (how cinical!) The catamaran then brought us to Copacabana near the Bolivian/Peruvian border. A bus brought us across the border into Peru and then onto Puno.
While I am seriously looking forward to exploring Peru and the Inca Trail, I really am going to miss Bolivia. So far, it has been the gem of the trip for me.
I was sorry to say goodbye to Bolivia. It´s a beautiful country with a colourful past, and it´s still trying to find its way, but the people are so incredibly friendly. The mix of indigenous people and the Spanish settlers is really interesting. The blend so well, so well in fact that the Catholic church has incorporated many of the indigenous traditions. What I found really cool was while strolling through the markets, you can see many of the stall owners have offerings laid out for the gods. I really wish I had more time here, but I am definitely going to come back.
The next phase of our journey was a transfer from La Paz to the shores of the mysterious Lake Titicaca. We were up at 5.45 on Tuesday and picked up by the tour agency who was taking us into Peru. We were introduced to our guide for the trip - Pepe. At first I thought he might be 26 or 27, but as the day progressed, he seemed to age more and more - ironic really since he washed his face in a so called ´fountain of youth´on Sun Island but the water seemed to have the opposite affect!
When we reached the shore, we boarded a catamaran and started across the lake. The history of the lake is quite fascinating. Millions of years ago, an ocean, which spanned as far as the salt flats, began to dry up. Lake Titicaca is all that remains of that once vast ocean. It spans about 8,000 sqare km. Worringly, the level of the lake has decreased in the last number of years. Experts believe the lake will be completely dried up in as little as 15 years. How incredible is that?! What´s worse is that La Paz relies on the lake for water supply, so when the lake is gone, there is going to be a huge problem in locating a new water source.
We spent a number of hours on the catamaran and reached Sun Island - the largest island on the lake, and supposed birthplace of the Inca Empire. We first had a ride on a recreation of an old sea shiop made of reeds - can´t remember the name of it! - then toured the island for a few hours. We were able to partake in a traditional Aymaran ceremony where a shamen said a prayer, made an offering to the gods and then blessed us with holy water. Funny how you always feel somewhat clensed after being blessed - even if the shamen was an actor employed by our tour agency! (how cinical!) The catamaran then brought us to Copacabana near the Bolivian/Peruvian border. A bus brought us across the border into Peru and then onto Puno.
While I am seriously looking forward to exploring Peru and the Inca Trail, I really am going to miss Bolivia. So far, it has been the gem of the trip for me.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
La Paz
La Paz is a really beautiful city. It´s up very high but that soon becomes an issue of little importance. The city centre is situated at the bottom of a valley. On the hills surrounding it, there are so many houses and buildings that you cannot even see the hill - they´re totally covered. Its incredible. Waling around can be rather difficult because you´re either walking up hill or downhill. Walking uphill takes its toll after about 20 footsteps - 3,700 meters up!
We spent the day wandering around the city, finding endless streets of markets where you could literlly buy anything for nothing. The currency is great in Bolivia. In the 8 days I spent there, I must only have spent around 150 euro! The traditional food is good, very good. My logi is, they know how to cook their own food properly, where as they may ot be so good at mimicing hamburgers and the likes. Lama is gorgeous, but you really need to get used to it - won´t go into too much detail there!
The hotel was a bargain - 5 star Ritz for 60 euro a night - we had a massive suite, which was really comfortable. While everything is so cheap, the hotel still manages to sell bottled water for 1.60 euro a bottle - scandelous!!
Tom and Tadhg arrived at 4am on Monday. Don´t think they were affected too much by the altitude - the flew from Buenos Aires at sea level, to La Paz´s El Alto airport at 4,200 meters. Fair play lads! For the day, again we wandered around exploring this fantastic city. And on the outskirts, there is a place called Valle de la Luna, which is a formation of rocks which really look like the surface of the moon - not entirely thrilling but still intersting to see.
Right I gotta go grab a bus to Cusco. Will finish this later!
C
We spent the day wandering around the city, finding endless streets of markets where you could literlly buy anything for nothing. The currency is great in Bolivia. In the 8 days I spent there, I must only have spent around 150 euro! The traditional food is good, very good. My logi is, they know how to cook their own food properly, where as they may ot be so good at mimicing hamburgers and the likes. Lama is gorgeous, but you really need to get used to it - won´t go into too much detail there!
The hotel was a bargain - 5 star Ritz for 60 euro a night - we had a massive suite, which was really comfortable. While everything is so cheap, the hotel still manages to sell bottled water for 1.60 euro a bottle - scandelous!!
Tom and Tadhg arrived at 4am on Monday. Don´t think they were affected too much by the altitude - the flew from Buenos Aires at sea level, to La Paz´s El Alto airport at 4,200 meters. Fair play lads! For the day, again we wandered around exploring this fantastic city. And on the outskirts, there is a place called Valle de la Luna, which is a formation of rocks which really look like the surface of the moon - not entirely thrilling but still intersting to see.
Right I gotta go grab a bus to Cusco. Will finish this later!
C
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Uyuni
Early Wednesday morning, we headed to the airport in Cochabamba to catch our flight to Uyuni. Mistakenly I thought it was an hour earlier and set the alarm to the wrong time, but fortunately the hotel was good enough to call us to say we'd slept in! So we rushed and made it with plenty of time to spare.
Our mode of transport for this part of the journey was a Super DC-3 - for those of you who don't know what a Super DC-3 is, flick on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and watch out for the plane early on that crashes into a mountain! It was actually really cool. We got to go into the cockpit and everything - and me who's a terrible flyer, really enjoyed it.
We landed in Uyuni around 10am, at an altitude of 3,660 meters above sea level. Most of the tours had set off for the day. We expected to stay a night there and catch a tour the following morning but we were lucky to find an agency which stuck us in a tour last minute. The tour is a 3 day excursion across the salt flats and into the south western highlands. I knew this was going to be a highlight of the trip, I just didn't realise how much of a highlight it would turn out to be!
Our jeep showed up and we hopped in to be greeted by the driver and the other passengers we would be spending the next 3 days with. Matt and Charlotte are a couple from the UK who had been living in Derry. Irish connections already! Really nice guys. Also we met Fedri and Michelle, a couple from Switzerland. Another bunch of really down to earth people. The group was a really good one. I would say most of the bad stories you hear about these trips are because the groups don't get on with each other, but this would not be a problem for us. We all seemed to gel pretty well, and the long journies in the Land Cruiser seemed to fly by!
On the first day, we stopped off at a graveyard for old abandoned steam engines, just on the outskirts of Uyuni. We were able to get up close and even climb aboard some of them. Then it was back into the jeep to pick up our cook - who we think was married to our driver, or at least they must have been having some kind of affair! She was quiet and didn't say much, but man could she cook! We had something different for every meal and it was always delicious.
With the cook on board, we headed out onto the salt flats. It's the most bizarre place I have ever been. 12,000 square km of salt. Millions of years ago, the whole area was an ocean and over time, the water evaporated into the atmosphere, leaving the salt, which eventually compressed. You can look out in all directions and see only the white salt on the ground and the clear blue sky. It really is an eerie kind of place. Gives you the opportunity to take some very amusing novelty photos though!
In the middle of the flats, there are a number of islands covered with giant cactus. How random! Some of them are over 10ft tall and some are over 1,200 years old. Here we ate lunch and hung out for a while, taking in the awsome scenery. Then we sped off again in the jeep to a cave where ancient nomads had once buried their dead. The graves have since been pillaged but you can still see the tombs were the bodies were placed. Very strange feeling there, but nevertheless, interesting.
Our first night was spent in a small village on the edge of the salt flats, called San Pedro. The hostel was very basic but comfortable. We all chilled for the evening after another delicious feed and got some well earned rest.
Early the next morning, we headed into the south western highlands. The scenery was just incredible. Volcanos, lakes, mountains all over the place, and such amazing contrasting colours. We stopped at a few lakes where the flamingos go about their daily lives. Hundreds upon hundreds of them - but I didn't see even one flamingo standing on one leg - very disappointing! The lakes we saw were of different colours; red, green, blue, white, yellow. The plankton in the lakes combined with different minerals in the earth create the different colours which really look beautiful.
Our second night was spent in a much more basic, and less comfortable hostel - I won't even begin to descrive the toilet - and it was so bitterly cold. We were at an altitude of about 4,300 meters at this stage, and the winds just howl through during the night. We had to get up early on the third day to make it to the volcano. Up at 5.45, the stars were unbelievable. I have never seen so many stars in the sky, or seen them so clearly. It was a great way to start the day.
We arrived at our volcano at an altitude of about 5,000 meters. Wow! There were bubbling mud pools, steam rising from the ground and pools of superheated water, coloured by the sulphur. I don't know how to describe it, it was quite surreal. The smell was overwhelming at times but worth it for what we saw.
Our next stop was a hot spring on the way to the Chilean border. You could hop into the pool if you wanted. The water was 37 degrees, and the guys loved it! Seeing as I had no togs or a towl I just stuck my feet in, but even that felt so good!
The Swiss were leaving us at this point to carry on into Chili. They were going to climb a mountain but the guide seemed to be taking them for a ride so they decided against it. We left them at the border and started back on our 10 hour journey back to Uyuni.
All in all it was an amazing 3 days. I have never experienced anything quite like it. At times it felt like we were on another planet. What made the experience even more amazing were the people we experienced it with. They were a fine bunch of people - and guys if you're reading this, skiing in February!!!
We stayed over in Uyuni on Friday night as our bus to La Paz was booked for Saturday night. We just chilled for the day and hung out with Matt and Charlotte. I think we really needed the rest after the manic two weeks we've had so far. God, 2 weeks. It seems like we've been here for months, I guess we've just seen and done so much.
At the moment we're in La Paz. We arrived this morning at 6am. Our bus from Uyuni was actually on time. The first half of the 10 hour journey was on unpaved roads, an my god it was horrific. But once we reached the paved road at about 1am it was smooth sailing. Tom and Tadhg get into La Paz at about 1 in the morning so I'm excited that I'll see them. And then it's Peru for us on Tuesday.
Don't know if you've been hearing about the goings on in Bolivia at the moment, but it's all concentrated in the east in Santa Cruz and Sucre. Although one small town in the far north had martial law declared yesterday. Kinda crazy, but these things happen in Bolivia all the time. We're pretty safe here and far from any conflicts. But if anything changes, we know to get the hell out of Dodge!
Thats's all for now, see you later, C
Our mode of transport for this part of the journey was a Super DC-3 - for those of you who don't know what a Super DC-3 is, flick on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and watch out for the plane early on that crashes into a mountain! It was actually really cool. We got to go into the cockpit and everything - and me who's a terrible flyer, really enjoyed it.
We landed in Uyuni around 10am, at an altitude of 3,660 meters above sea level. Most of the tours had set off for the day. We expected to stay a night there and catch a tour the following morning but we were lucky to find an agency which stuck us in a tour last minute. The tour is a 3 day excursion across the salt flats and into the south western highlands. I knew this was going to be a highlight of the trip, I just didn't realise how much of a highlight it would turn out to be!
Our jeep showed up and we hopped in to be greeted by the driver and the other passengers we would be spending the next 3 days with. Matt and Charlotte are a couple from the UK who had been living in Derry. Irish connections already! Really nice guys. Also we met Fedri and Michelle, a couple from Switzerland. Another bunch of really down to earth people. The group was a really good one. I would say most of the bad stories you hear about these trips are because the groups don't get on with each other, but this would not be a problem for us. We all seemed to gel pretty well, and the long journies in the Land Cruiser seemed to fly by!
On the first day, we stopped off at a graveyard for old abandoned steam engines, just on the outskirts of Uyuni. We were able to get up close and even climb aboard some of them. Then it was back into the jeep to pick up our cook - who we think was married to our driver, or at least they must have been having some kind of affair! She was quiet and didn't say much, but man could she cook! We had something different for every meal and it was always delicious.
With the cook on board, we headed out onto the salt flats. It's the most bizarre place I have ever been. 12,000 square km of salt. Millions of years ago, the whole area was an ocean and over time, the water evaporated into the atmosphere, leaving the salt, which eventually compressed. You can look out in all directions and see only the white salt on the ground and the clear blue sky. It really is an eerie kind of place. Gives you the opportunity to take some very amusing novelty photos though!
In the middle of the flats, there are a number of islands covered with giant cactus. How random! Some of them are over 10ft tall and some are over 1,200 years old. Here we ate lunch and hung out for a while, taking in the awsome scenery. Then we sped off again in the jeep to a cave where ancient nomads had once buried their dead. The graves have since been pillaged but you can still see the tombs were the bodies were placed. Very strange feeling there, but nevertheless, interesting.
Our first night was spent in a small village on the edge of the salt flats, called San Pedro. The hostel was very basic but comfortable. We all chilled for the evening after another delicious feed and got some well earned rest.
Early the next morning, we headed into the south western highlands. The scenery was just incredible. Volcanos, lakes, mountains all over the place, and such amazing contrasting colours. We stopped at a few lakes where the flamingos go about their daily lives. Hundreds upon hundreds of them - but I didn't see even one flamingo standing on one leg - very disappointing! The lakes we saw were of different colours; red, green, blue, white, yellow. The plankton in the lakes combined with different minerals in the earth create the different colours which really look beautiful.
Our second night was spent in a much more basic, and less comfortable hostel - I won't even begin to descrive the toilet - and it was so bitterly cold. We were at an altitude of about 4,300 meters at this stage, and the winds just howl through during the night. We had to get up early on the third day to make it to the volcano. Up at 5.45, the stars were unbelievable. I have never seen so many stars in the sky, or seen them so clearly. It was a great way to start the day.
We arrived at our volcano at an altitude of about 5,000 meters. Wow! There were bubbling mud pools, steam rising from the ground and pools of superheated water, coloured by the sulphur. I don't know how to describe it, it was quite surreal. The smell was overwhelming at times but worth it for what we saw.
Our next stop was a hot spring on the way to the Chilean border. You could hop into the pool if you wanted. The water was 37 degrees, and the guys loved it! Seeing as I had no togs or a towl I just stuck my feet in, but even that felt so good!
The Swiss were leaving us at this point to carry on into Chili. They were going to climb a mountain but the guide seemed to be taking them for a ride so they decided against it. We left them at the border and started back on our 10 hour journey back to Uyuni.
All in all it was an amazing 3 days. I have never experienced anything quite like it. At times it felt like we were on another planet. What made the experience even more amazing were the people we experienced it with. They were a fine bunch of people - and guys if you're reading this, skiing in February!!!
We stayed over in Uyuni on Friday night as our bus to La Paz was booked for Saturday night. We just chilled for the day and hung out with Matt and Charlotte. I think we really needed the rest after the manic two weeks we've had so far. God, 2 weeks. It seems like we've been here for months, I guess we've just seen and done so much.
At the moment we're in La Paz. We arrived this morning at 6am. Our bus from Uyuni was actually on time. The first half of the 10 hour journey was on unpaved roads, an my god it was horrific. But once we reached the paved road at about 1am it was smooth sailing. Tom and Tadhg get into La Paz at about 1 in the morning so I'm excited that I'll see them. And then it's Peru for us on Tuesday.
Don't know if you've been hearing about the goings on in Bolivia at the moment, but it's all concentrated in the east in Santa Cruz and Sucre. Although one small town in the far north had martial law declared yesterday. Kinda crazy, but these things happen in Bolivia all the time. We're pretty safe here and far from any conflicts. But if anything changes, we know to get the hell out of Dodge!
Thats's all for now, see you later, C
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Cochabamba
Our hotel is magnificent! When I booked it, it was the only hotel for Cochabamba on Expedia and it sounded like an OK businessy hotel. Cheap. When we arrived last night, we were very pleasantly surprised. The room is a huge suite which a panoramic view of the city. So nice. What a jewel.
This morning we went exploring. They have a massive Christ statue here too on a hill overlooking the city. Its not up as high as the one in Rio, but the statue itself is a few meters taller, making it the largest statue in South America. There is a small cable car up to it which also gives relly great views. From there, we headed into town for lunch and then onto a traditional market - this was so amazing. Its exactly what you would expect South America to be like. Huge areas of markets selling everything from fruit and veg to clothes to video cameras. And everything is so cheap you would not belive it. Today we had a pretty big lunch with some drinks. We paid 64 bolivianos, which works out at about 6 euro. Taxi journeys have costed us between 0.40c and 1 euro. It really is a great place to pick up essentials at a great price. I broke my sunglasses last week so I bought a new pair today for 2.50 euro. What a steal.
Tomorrow morning, we are due in the airport at 8 for our flight to Uyuni. We´re flying in a DC-3, which if you google it is a very very old WWII prop job. Very exciting stuff. This will be last blog update til at least Sunday because we´re going to be on a 4 day tour of the salt flats which are pretty much in the middle of nowhere. So I´ll update you then. C
This morning we went exploring. They have a massive Christ statue here too on a hill overlooking the city. Its not up as high as the one in Rio, but the statue itself is a few meters taller, making it the largest statue in South America. There is a small cable car up to it which also gives relly great views. From there, we headed into town for lunch and then onto a traditional market - this was so amazing. Its exactly what you would expect South America to be like. Huge areas of markets selling everything from fruit and veg to clothes to video cameras. And everything is so cheap you would not belive it. Today we had a pretty big lunch with some drinks. We paid 64 bolivianos, which works out at about 6 euro. Taxi journeys have costed us between 0.40c and 1 euro. It really is a great place to pick up essentials at a great price. I broke my sunglasses last week so I bought a new pair today for 2.50 euro. What a steal.
Tomorrow morning, we are due in the airport at 8 for our flight to Uyuni. We´re flying in a DC-3, which if you google it is a very very old WWII prop job. Very exciting stuff. This will be last blog update til at least Sunday because we´re going to be on a 4 day tour of the salt flats which are pretty much in the middle of nowhere. So I´ll update you then. C
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Asuncion
Hi again. Trying to remember where I left off. Think it was day 2 of Iguacu. Anyway, we made it back tot he bus station in Foz and caught our bus to Asuncion. It was only supposed to be 5 hours but ended up being 7. I asked the driver if he could let us out at the Brazillian frontier to get our exit stamps and he looked so confused. Not that he couldnt understand me, it just seemed like he wanted to know why we were bothering to do it! But he did, and we got the stamps without any hassle. A few meters across the bridge, we got out again to get our entry stamps to Paraguay - my passport has never looked so colourful!
Paraguay was my least favourite destination to date. Now I don´t like to compartmentalize, but may I? May I? Allow me to start a leverate: there are ´not nice´places, and then there are shitholes. But I think Asuncion - Paraguay´s capitol could fall in the middle of the two! O.K. maybe I´m being a little harsh. We were only there for a night and a day. But when we arrived, we had nothing booked so we referenced the handy dandy book, which recommended a few hotels. So we picked one, hopped in a taxi and the driver took us on our way. The entire place was dead - nothing, nada, zero, zip. Totally dead, and not to mention decrepid. It really reminded me of Naples the way everything seemed to be crumbling and in disrepair. The city centre wasn´t as bad but there was very little high rise and no variation in architecture or colours. But anyway, the hotel. The first hotel on the list was closed, so the drive brought us to the next which also seemed closed but was in fact still open for business - imagine, a hotel open at 11pm! Shocking. So I went in and in my best Spanish got us a room for the night for about 40 dollars. You know those places where serial killers hang out before they hack someone to death? Thats what this place looked like. It was clean and all, and the book did recommend it, but god it was nasty!
We wandered around the city the next day and saw all 6 items on the list in the book. We were done by lunctime so we searched around and found a shopping mall further out. It was weird, the mall was so unbelievably modern. And all the big names were there. I found a really lovely pair of Merrells which I snapped up for about 70 euros - sorry Tom they´re mine!
On the way back to the hotel to collect our bags, we found a cemetery were instead of gravestones, there were little houses where the coffins were placed. Literally hundreds of them. It was like walking around a small town. The reason we went in was because it is the resting place of an Irish woman called Eliza Lynch who was a key figure in the country´s fight for independance. Weird.
We made it to the airport with hours to spare but we were fed up of Asuncion at that stage. We had a flight to Santa Cruz in Bolivia and then a connection to Cochabamba. There was a 90 minute delay on the first flight which meant we were in danger of missing our connection. We landed an hour and a half later in Santa Cruz with 10 minutes to get to the next plane. We had to go through imigration first, then out into the main terminal and back through security. Somehow we made it onto the plane. Don´t ask me how. Then after a quick 35 minute flight we landed in Cochabamba.
Paraguay was my least favourite destination to date. Now I don´t like to compartmentalize, but may I? May I? Allow me to start a leverate: there are ´not nice´places, and then there are shitholes. But I think Asuncion - Paraguay´s capitol could fall in the middle of the two! O.K. maybe I´m being a little harsh. We were only there for a night and a day. But when we arrived, we had nothing booked so we referenced the handy dandy book, which recommended a few hotels. So we picked one, hopped in a taxi and the driver took us on our way. The entire place was dead - nothing, nada, zero, zip. Totally dead, and not to mention decrepid. It really reminded me of Naples the way everything seemed to be crumbling and in disrepair. The city centre wasn´t as bad but there was very little high rise and no variation in architecture or colours. But anyway, the hotel. The first hotel on the list was closed, so the drive brought us to the next which also seemed closed but was in fact still open for business - imagine, a hotel open at 11pm! Shocking. So I went in and in my best Spanish got us a room for the night for about 40 dollars. You know those places where serial killers hang out before they hack someone to death? Thats what this place looked like. It was clean and all, and the book did recommend it, but god it was nasty!
We wandered around the city the next day and saw all 6 items on the list in the book. We were done by lunctime so we searched around and found a shopping mall further out. It was weird, the mall was so unbelievably modern. And all the big names were there. I found a really lovely pair of Merrells which I snapped up for about 70 euros - sorry Tom they´re mine!
On the way back to the hotel to collect our bags, we found a cemetery were instead of gravestones, there were little houses where the coffins were placed. Literally hundreds of them. It was like walking around a small town. The reason we went in was because it is the resting place of an Irish woman called Eliza Lynch who was a key figure in the country´s fight for independance. Weird.
We made it to the airport with hours to spare but we were fed up of Asuncion at that stage. We had a flight to Santa Cruz in Bolivia and then a connection to Cochabamba. There was a 90 minute delay on the first flight which meant we were in danger of missing our connection. We landed an hour and a half later in Santa Cruz with 10 minutes to get to the next plane. We had to go through imigration first, then out into the main terminal and back through security. Somehow we made it onto the plane. Don´t ask me how. Then after a quick 35 minute flight we landed in Cochabamba.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Iguacu Falls (Brazil)
Just waiting to catch a bus back to Foz. The Brazillian side of the falls is far better I think. Such amazing panoramic view, and you can get right up close to the Devils Throat, still cant believe it. You can stare at the falls for hours and hours.
Our hotel in Argentina was brilliant. The Riotropic. If you're coming to see Iguazu in Argentina, I recommend it highly. There are only 10 small cabins in the complex and a swimming pool. The owner, Reme, is a French man who travelled to Argentina and ended up staying. He built the place over the last couple of years. Its the most welcome we have been since we arrived. Last night, on our way into town, he drove by us and offered us a lift. He brought us out of his way to a gorgeous little restaurant - which cost 25 euro for both us - full courses and everything, love the peso!
This morning, Reme called us a taxi to take us the Argentinian border, then onto the Brazillian border and onto the Falls. The taxi man was so nice. He looked after all the admin for us with our passports. When we got to the Falls, he ran out of the car into the builing to make sure we could store our rucksacks for the day. He then brought us in, and got the locker keys for us. I cannot believe how nice he was - but soon realised when we got back to Brazil and found grumpy faces on all the staff. Really wish we could spend more time in Argentina.
So its off now to the bus station in Foz to head up north to Asuncion in Paraguay. We'll catch a flight there tomorrow which will take us into Bolivia. The Salt Flats are getting closer! Can't wait!
Tom and Tadhg arrived safely last night so they should be enjoying their first day in Rio today. Check out Tadhg's blog for their updates. That's all for now!
Our hotel in Argentina was brilliant. The Riotropic. If you're coming to see Iguazu in Argentina, I recommend it highly. There are only 10 small cabins in the complex and a swimming pool. The owner, Reme, is a French man who travelled to Argentina and ended up staying. He built the place over the last couple of years. Its the most welcome we have been since we arrived. Last night, on our way into town, he drove by us and offered us a lift. He brought us out of his way to a gorgeous little restaurant - which cost 25 euro for both us - full courses and everything, love the peso!
This morning, Reme called us a taxi to take us the Argentinian border, then onto the Brazillian border and onto the Falls. The taxi man was so nice. He looked after all the admin for us with our passports. When we got to the Falls, he ran out of the car into the builing to make sure we could store our rucksacks for the day. He then brought us in, and got the locker keys for us. I cannot believe how nice he was - but soon realised when we got back to Brazil and found grumpy faces on all the staff. Really wish we could spend more time in Argentina.
So its off now to the bus station in Foz to head up north to Asuncion in Paraguay. We'll catch a flight there tomorrow which will take us into Bolivia. The Salt Flats are getting closer! Can't wait!
Tom and Tadhg arrived safely last night so they should be enjoying their first day in Rio today. Check out Tadhg's blog for their updates. That's all for now!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Iguazu Falls
Under duress from my worried mother, I thought I had better update this again. Yesterday, we ended our drreaded 15 hour bus journey, which wasnt actually that bad. Slept for much of it. When the put on the movie, it looked as if it was going to be in english, but no, they had changed the language to Spanish. Then a lady got up and went to the front of the bus to tell the driver it was in the wrong language, and he changed it, yes he changed it to portugese, with Spanish subtitles! Ah well, it was a crap movie anyway.
When we reached Foz do Iguacu (Brazil) it was cold, real cold. Wasnt expecting that at all! Only brought 1 jumper with me, no coat, 4 tshirts and 3 pairs of trousers. We got a bus to the centre only to walk back to the bus station and get the proper bus to the falls but it was pissing rain. I kid you not it rained like Ive never seen before. When we got to the falls we decided to go back and do the Brazillian side on Sunday. So we hopped back on the bus, collected our luggage and began the not so simple border crossing into Argentina.
We got a bus the Brazillian border and got our exit stamp, only the bus driver hadnt waited for us. So after 45 minutes standing in the rain and cold cold wind in a jumper and no coat (im so happy I changed out of my shorts before the bus) we hopped on another bus to the Argentinian border where the bus driver happily waited while our passports were stamped. We arrived a few minutes later in Puerta Iguazu (Argentina) and found our hotel eventually as its located about 3 miles outside town, and up two long narrow dirt tracks. Its lovely though, a log cabin kinda thing in the jungle. Very exciting!
Today we trekked back into to buy a coat, which I did, though I dont know how much I paid for it cos I havent figurred out the currency exchange rates yet. But then we hopped on another bus, so many buses, to the Argentinian side of the falls.
Incredible! Unreal. The Iguazu falls are out of this world. To anyone who has seen Niagara Falls, Iguazu is 20 times bigger and better. The sheer volume of water is incredible. We did all the trails in the park which allwed for some spectacular photos. We also went on a river boat which brought us right in under one of the big falls - there are over 200 waterfalls here but the Devils Throat is by far the biggest and most spectacular. Needless to say we were soaked on the boat. I mean ringing wet. The coat I bought protected my upper body somewaht but my god my trousers were dripping. And we had to walk for ages like that. But the hassle we had getting here and how wet we got really was worth it in the end. Its an amazing place. Tomorrow we have to head back to Brazil to Foz to catch our bus the Asuncion, Paraguay, so we are going to look at the Brazillian side of the falls, where there are supposed to be some great panoramic views.
Thats all for now folks, just gonna head out for some well earned dinner. Will post again in a couple of days!C
When we reached Foz do Iguacu (Brazil) it was cold, real cold. Wasnt expecting that at all! Only brought 1 jumper with me, no coat, 4 tshirts and 3 pairs of trousers. We got a bus to the centre only to walk back to the bus station and get the proper bus to the falls but it was pissing rain. I kid you not it rained like Ive never seen before. When we got to the falls we decided to go back and do the Brazillian side on Sunday. So we hopped back on the bus, collected our luggage and began the not so simple border crossing into Argentina.
We got a bus the Brazillian border and got our exit stamp, only the bus driver hadnt waited for us. So after 45 minutes standing in the rain and cold cold wind in a jumper and no coat (im so happy I changed out of my shorts before the bus) we hopped on another bus to the Argentinian border where the bus driver happily waited while our passports were stamped. We arrived a few minutes later in Puerta Iguazu (Argentina) and found our hotel eventually as its located about 3 miles outside town, and up two long narrow dirt tracks. Its lovely though, a log cabin kinda thing in the jungle. Very exciting!
Today we trekked back into to buy a coat, which I did, though I dont know how much I paid for it cos I havent figurred out the currency exchange rates yet. But then we hopped on another bus, so many buses, to the Argentinian side of the falls.
Incredible! Unreal. The Iguazu falls are out of this world. To anyone who has seen Niagara Falls, Iguazu is 20 times bigger and better. The sheer volume of water is incredible. We did all the trails in the park which allwed for some spectacular photos. We also went on a river boat which brought us right in under one of the big falls - there are over 200 waterfalls here but the Devils Throat is by far the biggest and most spectacular. Needless to say we were soaked on the boat. I mean ringing wet. The coat I bought protected my upper body somewaht but my god my trousers were dripping. And we had to walk for ages like that. But the hassle we had getting here and how wet we got really was worth it in the end. Its an amazing place. Tomorrow we have to head back to Brazil to Foz to catch our bus the Asuncion, Paraguay, so we are going to look at the Brazillian side of the falls, where there are supposed to be some great panoramic views.
Thats all for now folks, just gonna head out for some well earned dinner. Will post again in a couple of days!C
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Sao Paulo
Well it's Thursday and we spent our first (and only night actually) in Sao Paulo. We left Rio at 10am on a really really really comfortable bus. The seats were huge, te reclined the whole way back. There were foot rests and even complimentry food and drink. If you're travelling long distance in South America, busing is a great and inexpensive way to do it. The scenery on the way was pretty nice, lots of rolling hills, which reminded me of Tuscany. Leaving Rio and again arriving in Sao Paulo, you catch a glimpse of the favelas, and it really is an eye-opening experience. It's hard to explain but the poverty is a little overwhelming. And they go on for miles and miles. It really is incredible.
We hadn't booked anywhere to stay so when we arrived at the bus station, 6 hours later, we hopped on an underground and headed into Jardins, which is listed in the travel books as a nice safe area. We located a hotel in the uide book and decided to stay there, but got off the metro too early and ended up having to walk about 3 miles with 20kg bags on our backs. Not pleasant, but at least we got there.
Sao Paulo is a lovely city. We headed into the centre today and the buildings and streets are rather nice. We've got the rest of the day to explore before we hop on bus number 2 to Fozde Iguacu - a whopping 15 hour journey - I hope this bus is as comfy as the last!
We hadn't booked anywhere to stay so when we arrived at the bus station, 6 hours later, we hopped on an underground and headed into Jardins, which is listed in the travel books as a nice safe area. We located a hotel in the uide book and decided to stay there, but got off the metro too early and ended up having to walk about 3 miles with 20kg bags on our backs. Not pleasant, but at least we got there.
Sao Paulo is a lovely city. We headed into the centre today and the buildings and streets are rather nice. We've got the rest of the day to explore before we hop on bus number 2 to Fozde Iguacu - a whopping 15 hour journey - I hope this bus is as comfy as the last!
Rio (contd)
So what else is there to do in Rio other than the Sugarloaf and the Christ statue? Well, turns out loads! We found a tourist office near the hotel and the lady was incredibly friendly, and practiaccly gave us a full listing of everything to do in the city. She obviously loved her town! We kinda felt guilty when she asked how long we were staying, and we told her we were leaving tomorrow! Her faced dropped, but she pointed out the better sights to see and we were on our way.
We wandered around, what can only be described as the real Rio. Away from all the tourist traps. It really is a safe enough city, as long as you know where to avoid. We found our way to Lappa, the centre of art and culture in Rio, bordering San Therese, which is the most beautiful part of town with some gorgeous architecture, and right at the edge of a favela - though we didn't venture too far up there!
That evening, after a lot of walking, we decided to take in a samba show - how could you come all the way to Rio and not go to a samba show?? The music was great. A band of six guys played some really nice tunes while we sipped the local brew and some cocktails. It was a great night. But we then had to head back to the hotel for our early start the next day, and long trip to Sao Paulo.
We wandered around, what can only be described as the real Rio. Away from all the tourist traps. It really is a safe enough city, as long as you know where to avoid. We found our way to Lappa, the centre of art and culture in Rio, bordering San Therese, which is the most beautiful part of town with some gorgeous architecture, and right at the edge of a favela - though we didn't venture too far up there!
That evening, after a lot of walking, we decided to take in a samba show - how could you come all the way to Rio and not go to a samba show?? The music was great. A band of six guys played some really nice tunes while we sipped the local brew and some cocktails. It was a great night. But we then had to head back to the hotel for our early start the next day, and long trip to Sao Paulo.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Rio
We finally arrived yesterday at 7pm after a long 10 hour flight from Madrid. Have to say though, the flight wasn't so bad, even though the video machine wasn't working so there were no movies, oh yeah and my sleeping pills didn't work! But, mum, you'd have been proud of me. It was pretty bumpy but after a while I just forgot about it. Even got a few hours kip!
So on our first day, we decided to take it easy. We were so tired last night we ended up heading to be around 10. Got up at 6 this morning and headed out. The hotel is grand, the room is a bit small, but the rooftop swimming pool and bar make up for it! So we strolled along the Copacabana this morning, and headed into the centre. First impressions are, it's a lovely city, clean and friendly, though the cab driver from the airport excused himself for speeding but the area was very dangerous and didn't want us to get hurt! I'm sure there are bad parts to the city but we haven't yet seent them, and hopefully we won't run into any trouble.
After heading into the centre, we decided to do some of the touristy things, ie the cable car up to the Sugarloaf mountain - which was amazing. Scary at the same time, but the panaramic views are breathtaking. You can wander around on top for ages and never get tired of the view. We then headed over to the Chirst statue at Corcovado. Touts were trying to get us to forgo the train and go with them in their taxis but we decided to get the train anyway. All I can say is, Wow! It was a thrilling and steep uphill climb through rainforest, and the views topped even the sugarloaf. Coming down was just that little bit more thrilling as you glance over the edge of the carriage into a enormous drop.
That's about it for the moment. We've just located a shopping mall and I need to buy some clothes cos I hardly brought any with me! Hasta luego!
So on our first day, we decided to take it easy. We were so tired last night we ended up heading to be around 10. Got up at 6 this morning and headed out. The hotel is grand, the room is a bit small, but the rooftop swimming pool and bar make up for it! So we strolled along the Copacabana this morning, and headed into the centre. First impressions are, it's a lovely city, clean and friendly, though the cab driver from the airport excused himself for speeding but the area was very dangerous and didn't want us to get hurt! I'm sure there are bad parts to the city but we haven't yet seent them, and hopefully we won't run into any trouble.
After heading into the centre, we decided to do some of the touristy things, ie the cable car up to the Sugarloaf mountain - which was amazing. Scary at the same time, but the panaramic views are breathtaking. You can wander around on top for ages and never get tired of the view. We then headed over to the Chirst statue at Corcovado. Touts were trying to get us to forgo the train and go with them in their taxis but we decided to get the train anyway. All I can say is, Wow! It was a thrilling and steep uphill climb through rainforest, and the views topped even the sugarloaf. Coming down was just that little bit more thrilling as you glance over the edge of the carriage into a enormous drop.
That's about it for the moment. We've just located a shopping mall and I need to buy some clothes cos I hardly brought any with me! Hasta luego!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Dublin Airport
Well folks, we're sitting at gate B28 waiting for the flight to Madrid. Looks like a delay on the flight before it so we may be here a while! But starting to feel the excitement now!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
1 Week to go!
It's Sunday August 24th, and in 6 days time, Niamh and I are flying to Madrid for a stopover on our way to Rio de Janeiro, where the trip of a lifetime begins!
For almost the entire month of September we'll be traveling from Rio to Sao Paulo, then on to the awsome Iguazu Falls (definitely going to be a highlight!) After that we head up to Asuncion in Paraguay to catch a flight to Cochabamba in Bolivia, where we'll start to acclimatise to the altitude. Then it's up up up to 4,000 meters and the salt flats of Bolivia for a 4 days excursion in a land cruiser, seeing volcanoes, multi-coloured lagoons, giant cacti and, well, salt! Then it's up to La Paz to meet up with Tom and Tadhg, followed by a catamaran crossing of Lake Titicaca which brings us into Puno, Peru. A few days later we begin the 4 day trek of the Inca Trail, ending in the lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu. No doubt after an exhausting hike, we'll be living it up in luxury in Lime before returning to the emerald isle.
I'm not sure what to expect. Everyone who's been to South America tells me I'm definitely going to experience a culture shock. Tijuana is probably as latin as I've ever been, so that's what's running around my head. But I'm sure it's going to be great. What's been on my mind for a while is mosquitos. And sand flies. I hate insects, really hate them. And there will be no shortage of them where we're going. We have the DEET and the nets so I'm sure we'll be ok, but it's when you hear of outbreaks of Dengue Fever in Asuncion and Rio that you're kinda worried. Saying that, if you only think about that kinda stuff you won't end up enjoying yourself. It's just nerves I guess. South America is a long way away but it's one of those places I have always been fascinated about and have always wanted to go to, so rather than thinking about the down sides, I'm just gonna enjoy every minute of it, and make sure I have the best trip of my life.
Wow, I wrote a lot more than I though I would. I'll probably add bits and pieces over the next week to get into the habit of updating this blog. So until next time!
For almost the entire month of September we'll be traveling from Rio to Sao Paulo, then on to the awsome Iguazu Falls (definitely going to be a highlight!) After that we head up to Asuncion in Paraguay to catch a flight to Cochabamba in Bolivia, where we'll start to acclimatise to the altitude. Then it's up up up to 4,000 meters and the salt flats of Bolivia for a 4 days excursion in a land cruiser, seeing volcanoes, multi-coloured lagoons, giant cacti and, well, salt! Then it's up to La Paz to meet up with Tom and Tadhg, followed by a catamaran crossing of Lake Titicaca which brings us into Puno, Peru. A few days later we begin the 4 day trek of the Inca Trail, ending in the lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu. No doubt after an exhausting hike, we'll be living it up in luxury in Lime before returning to the emerald isle.
I'm not sure what to expect. Everyone who's been to South America tells me I'm definitely going to experience a culture shock. Tijuana is probably as latin as I've ever been, so that's what's running around my head. But I'm sure it's going to be great. What's been on my mind for a while is mosquitos. And sand flies. I hate insects, really hate them. And there will be no shortage of them where we're going. We have the DEET and the nets so I'm sure we'll be ok, but it's when you hear of outbreaks of Dengue Fever in Asuncion and Rio that you're kinda worried. Saying that, if you only think about that kinda stuff you won't end up enjoying yourself. It's just nerves I guess. South America is a long way away but it's one of those places I have always been fascinated about and have always wanted to go to, so rather than thinking about the down sides, I'm just gonna enjoy every minute of it, and make sure I have the best trip of my life.
Wow, I wrote a lot more than I though I would. I'll probably add bits and pieces over the next week to get into the habit of updating this blog. So until next time!
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