First of all in an update of status, neither the earthquake in Peru nor the riots in the Bolivian representatives office has affected me. My stories are a little less picante!
Ive fallen in love with Bolivia. After a whirlwind of touring from Buenos Aires to Lima, I decided I needed to hang out in one place for a while. Sucre, in the heart of Bolivia, a colonial town full of Bougainvillea, salteñas, spanish lessons and warmth (finally) was the place. For the first week, my hostal was 2 kilometers from the center so each day I had to walk past the street mercado where dump trucks would unload their enormous piles of oranges onto the streets. After my 5th day walking past the fruit that was on the same dirt that trucks and dogs traversed did I finally succumb and buy half a kilo.
Of course, this is the heart of Bolivia so there couldn't be a few days without protest and demonstration. The judiciary capital is in Sucre while the de facto capital is in La Paz. Sucre didn't want the capital to move to their city and fill it more than it was already so they closed shop. The next day, they had a demonstration that looked more like a carnival with protesters tying themselves to trees. The only ways I and my new South American travel buddy, Natasha, were affected is that we couldn't buy chocolate and we had to go look at dinosaur tracks instead of trekking!
Onto Potosi and the silver mine tours where we adorned ourselves in outfits more suited for a ghostbusters film than a mine. I don´t know how many meters we descended (over 25 I'm sure) but I'm so glad I had a friend to hold my hand. It was freaking scary down there! After walking for 10 seconds we were in complete darkness and the only thing I could think of was how stupid we were for climbing into a mountain weeks after a 7.9 earthquake! We ate coca leaves, payed homage to the owner of the mountain, Tio, who looked like a replica of the devil, drank 96% alcohol with the miners (yeah yikes) and overcame extreme dizziness due to the lack of oxygen. I sincerely don't know how the mines do it but I do not envy their lifestyles and lack of sunlight.
I'm now writing from Tarija which has stolen my heart! Because I am the only gringa here, people began to recognize me as I wondered around. Never have I met friendlier people. Every time I sat down, someone would join me on the bench or at my table to ask me what the heck I'm doing alone. I was befriended by 3 Chapacos who took turns taking me out with their friends and to meals. Ive spend the majority of my time here with Val and Oscar who've taken me rowing on a lake, to eat all the street food I would have been to timid to try otherwise, and on buses full of indigenous people to tiny pueblos. I was even invited to Sunday dinner at Oscar´s house with his entire family as the first foreign visitor. As soon as I told his sister that the food was better than in a restaurant, they were taking photos of the gringa at their table. It was a truly amazing experience! My spanish is finally taking shape...
I find it ironic that Ive befriended maybe the only 3 people on the continent that don't drink. The only reason this is funny is because Tarija is like the Napa of Bolivia and the reason I came. The leader of my wine tour (where I was the only person) was Mormon so she didn't have a drop. Not even after she made me take part in the Tradicion del Valle d Vino: La Ceremonia del destape de la dama Juana. After I had to make a wish for myself, my friends and the country and taking a sip of wine after every wish, I had to drink wine out of a 2 meter long tube. Think beer bong but twice as long and full of wine, at 10 in the morning! I was offered a job serving wine at the upcoming wine festival in Tarija but alas, I will be in Mendoza then, trying their wine.
Yes Bolivia and especially Tarija, I will miss you dearly!!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Her name was Lola!
There is no other way to put is except that I am officially living my dream! There have already been some really high highs and low lows but I think that's what I was craving. Everything to the extreme. I was fortunate to be able to have 2 of my best friends with me to share my tumultuous start. From eating guinea pig to escaping bed bugs, from climbing mountains and chasing buses, there are no 2 other people I would have chosen to share the first moments of this adventure with. If funny how much more you can love someone after freezing your ass off with them, and snuggling! (winter at 4000 meteres is nothing to joke about, especially w/o heaters, thats why we have llamas)
I must be sentimental because only yesterday, Kristen flew home and the week before that, Tim. I can honestly say I believed I was the happiest person alive when Tim and I were dancing on the stage and across the dance floor, Kristen and Lynne were on the bar! Of course we saw them, how could we not, but waving and doing the white mans point was still necessary. All of this dancing is what seriously altered the contents of my backpack (someone else liked my purple jacket too). After some donations and replacement wool shopping (gotta have that baby Alpaca) I think I'm back on track. I just pray that warm weather is close.
Tim and I met up in Argentina to overlap the last month in his 10m legacy and the the first month of mine. Didnt recognize him at first with the beard. A week and half course was given on the art of the Argentine alfajore, beer, steak, wine and accent. I've begun a love affair with empenadas! Who new? The biggest challenge I had in Buenos Aires was my complete lack on sense of direction. Im blaming it on the southern hemisphere but really, never has my intuition led me so astray!
On to Bolivia where we did a 4 day jeep trek through the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat. 2 flat tires, a tamale made of llama, altitute sickness cured with mate de coca (coca tea leaves), lakes, villages, llamas, volcanoes, geysers, dulce de leche and beds made of salt later we arrived at the salt flats. Breathtaking white flatness until the earth met the sky. Crazy beautiful.
Tim and I also did a 3 day trek in the northern part of Bolivia, starting in the mountains and ending in the jungle. Being my first overnight hike, I didnt want Tim to know how nervous I really was but he was amazing and actually let me believe I was a bad-ass!
Picking up Kristen in Lima proved to be fairly difficult with buses delayed because of strikes around the country. Luckily we flew instead of hopping on a 20hr bus after getting off a 30hr bus. AND while on the plane a new obsession was born when they passed out Princessa chocolates. Damn I love was Nestle has done for Latin American chocolate! yum
Cusco was amazing with Inca ruins, 3 best friends (Lynne joined the mix living in Cusco as a guide), a great hostel overlooking the plaza and a nightlife we nearly died for (there is never such a thing as too much dancing, but wow!). It was no surprise we stayed for a week. Look at the pics of Machu Picchu (Kristen and I climbed Huaynu Picchu, the mountain in back) and the Inca town of Ollantatamba that I fell in love with. In Ollanta, there was a fermented corn drink called chicha de maiz, that if served was signaled by a broom covered in red cloth outside the restaurant or house. Of course we tried it and of course we were silly after all having shared what must have been a liter glass!
Tim flew home to move to SF, leaving Kristen and I up to our own devices and took off to Lake Titicaca. We did the 17km walk from Copacabana to Yampupata and then rowboat to Isla del Sol. Yeah, we might have started the walk a little late but it was a gorgeous one along the coast. We arrived in Yampupata ready to hire someone to row us to the island. The only person to step up was a 70+ yr old man who when asked, said it would take an hour to get there. An hour in, we were barely half way there and the sun was setting over the island. Also the wind was pretty strong and everytime he paused I thought it was due to a heart attack. I was sure we were going to crash into the rocks. I asked the man if I could help and with a huge smile, he said "si, si , si!" Holy crap! I know I used to row but this was really difficult, immediately blisters formed and my back was sore for a couple of days but the lake was gorgeous and we made it (barely) before dark. Thank god he let me take starboard though or we all would have died!
Back in Peru, Kristen and I went to Canyon del Colca to see the condors. After being in a bus full of French girl scouts (no, not as sexy as it sounds) who bought flutes of all things, we were so happy that we were actually able to see the condors! They were huge, the canyon insane, the photos wont do it justice.
IN Arequipa, we ate the best cebiche Ive ever had. We tried to replicate it in Lima but everything is a little worse in Lima. That is where I am now, planning my next course of action while Amanda lets me crash in her spare room. I guess that is one thing better here: really HOT showers! I was taken by Bolivia and it's fairly inexpensive so I think I'll head there next and take some spanish and cooking lessons. Ill send you a recipe Bruce!
To the 2 best travel partners:
Kristen-thanks for being stubbornly kick-ass even though you were so sick
Tim-thanks for being so wonderful and patient as I'm beginning this trip
Love you both
Love you all!
I must be sentimental because only yesterday, Kristen flew home and the week before that, Tim. I can honestly say I believed I was the happiest person alive when Tim and I were dancing on the stage and across the dance floor, Kristen and Lynne were on the bar! Of course we saw them, how could we not, but waving and doing the white mans point was still necessary. All of this dancing is what seriously altered the contents of my backpack (someone else liked my purple jacket too). After some donations and replacement wool shopping (gotta have that baby Alpaca) I think I'm back on track. I just pray that warm weather is close.
Tim and I met up in Argentina to overlap the last month in his 10m legacy and the the first month of mine. Didnt recognize him at first with the beard. A week and half course was given on the art of the Argentine alfajore, beer, steak, wine and accent. I've begun a love affair with empenadas! Who new? The biggest challenge I had in Buenos Aires was my complete lack on sense of direction. Im blaming it on the southern hemisphere but really, never has my intuition led me so astray!
On to Bolivia where we did a 4 day jeep trek through the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat. 2 flat tires, a tamale made of llama, altitute sickness cured with mate de coca (coca tea leaves), lakes, villages, llamas, volcanoes, geysers, dulce de leche and beds made of salt later we arrived at the salt flats. Breathtaking white flatness until the earth met the sky. Crazy beautiful.
Tim and I also did a 3 day trek in the northern part of Bolivia, starting in the mountains and ending in the jungle. Being my first overnight hike, I didnt want Tim to know how nervous I really was but he was amazing and actually let me believe I was a bad-ass!
Picking up Kristen in Lima proved to be fairly difficult with buses delayed because of strikes around the country. Luckily we flew instead of hopping on a 20hr bus after getting off a 30hr bus. AND while on the plane a new obsession was born when they passed out Princessa chocolates. Damn I love was Nestle has done for Latin American chocolate! yum
Cusco was amazing with Inca ruins, 3 best friends (Lynne joined the mix living in Cusco as a guide), a great hostel overlooking the plaza and a nightlife we nearly died for (there is never such a thing as too much dancing, but wow!). It was no surprise we stayed for a week. Look at the pics of Machu Picchu (Kristen and I climbed Huaynu Picchu, the mountain in back) and the Inca town of Ollantatamba that I fell in love with. In Ollanta, there was a fermented corn drink called chicha de maiz, that if served was signaled by a broom covered in red cloth outside the restaurant or house. Of course we tried it and of course we were silly after all having shared what must have been a liter glass!
Tim flew home to move to SF, leaving Kristen and I up to our own devices and took off to Lake Titicaca. We did the 17km walk from Copacabana to Yampupata and then rowboat to Isla del Sol. Yeah, we might have started the walk a little late but it was a gorgeous one along the coast. We arrived in Yampupata ready to hire someone to row us to the island. The only person to step up was a 70+ yr old man who when asked, said it would take an hour to get there. An hour in, we were barely half way there and the sun was setting over the island. Also the wind was pretty strong and everytime he paused I thought it was due to a heart attack. I was sure we were going to crash into the rocks. I asked the man if I could help and with a huge smile, he said "si, si , si!" Holy crap! I know I used to row but this was really difficult, immediately blisters formed and my back was sore for a couple of days but the lake was gorgeous and we made it (barely) before dark. Thank god he let me take starboard though or we all would have died!
Back in Peru, Kristen and I went to Canyon del Colca to see the condors. After being in a bus full of French girl scouts (no, not as sexy as it sounds) who bought flutes of all things, we were so happy that we were actually able to see the condors! They were huge, the canyon insane, the photos wont do it justice.
IN Arequipa, we ate the best cebiche Ive ever had. We tried to replicate it in Lima but everything is a little worse in Lima. That is where I am now, planning my next course of action while Amanda lets me crash in her spare room. I guess that is one thing better here: really HOT showers! I was taken by Bolivia and it's fairly inexpensive so I think I'll head there next and take some spanish and cooking lessons. Ill send you a recipe Bruce!
To the 2 best travel partners:
Kristen-thanks for being stubbornly kick-ass even though you were so sick
Tim-thanks for being so wonderful and patient as I'm beginning this trip
Love you both
Love you all!
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