Spent the day figuring things out, lodgings, tickets, frustrating hostel rules that change from person to person you talk to. The clouds rolled in and was colder today. Watched "Dirty Dancing" in the bar today and felt homesick. Tonight is the last night of the 3 day "carnival" they have been putting on at the hostel. Last night was "magic" night and we watched a guy do some magical things with some headlamps in various colored lights and glass balls. Tonight is the masquerade ball with free "jelly" shots. I am ready to not be in a hostel, waking up in the middle of the night to hear drunk young 20 somethings trying to convince other young drunk things to shower together. It's an all nighter here...
Taking the train to Aguascalientes tomorrow morning, and then Machu Picchu on Monday, then back to Cusco Monday night to party!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
You can never have enough pictures, right??
It's Miley!
See the chicken legs??
Horrible picture of me, but this is the "unappreciated structure of the city" that Wyatt wanted to document.
Old school check out stands.
The women all wear the bowler hats, the full skirts with tights or high woolen socks, loafer shoes, sweaters tucked into the skirts, and usually have a huge pack on their backs loaded into the bright Peruvian colored striped cloth, and their long black braids hang down their backs.
Olives and garlic.
We got a room after waiting roughly 6 hours to see if there were any availibility. It's high season here, so the city is teaming with people, at least half of which seem to be tourists. But at least this hostel is super equiped and there is just about anything you would want or need, with only a minimal bit of annoyance. The space is huge, great common areas, really good internet, full bar (they even have vodka cran!!), great food, the most comfortable and big dorm beds ever, tons of activities, travel agent, great views, anyway, I have been taking notes on the things I like about all the hostels we go to for when/if Wyatt, Shannon, and Adrianne ever start theirs I can whip out my notes and we can have the best little hostel around!!
Last night we pretty much just hung around here, had the meal here which was wonderful! Some of these hostels have really got it figured out with the food! And this one basically has a working kitchen/restaurant all day from breakfast till late night food, which is nice. Then we just had a few glasses of wine, played some dominoes, met some people, and went to bed around 9:30, totally out of our minds tired at that point and hardly being able to function. So nice to get a full night sleep, felt so good waking up this morning!
I am having a hard time adjusting to the altitude, I get winded really easily, it's so weird to feel so out of control, just going up the stairs makes me have to rest. I have noticed a little bit of an improvement today, so maybe by the time we do Machu Picchu in 3 days I will be running up the mountains!
This city is beautiful! We got to see a lot more of it today and it's a lot of fun to walk around. It's like the perfect tourist photo op around every corner, Mom, it will give you a lot of experience with your new camera!!
We saw a funeral today, with a sad procession of horns following behind, and flowers strewn everywhere.
Then a little later we saw a parade, some sort of celebration for the Virgin Mary which was full of pomp and ceremony with a statue of Mary hoisted up and Peruvian men and women decked out in the most amazing native festive dress with sequins and bright stripes of color, and hats and full skirts, and banners, and so many flowers.
We went to a huge indoor market with clothes, and souveniers, and meats and fruits and rows and rows of fruit juice stands that looked like the ones in Brazil, and bulk bags full of flour and beans and spices, and crates of olives and cheese, and more, and more. It was so colorful, and the sights and smells you hit every few feet were so different and strong.
Now they are playing one of the most depressing movies ever made, Babel, that through a weird series of circumstance Wyatt and I have watched about 3 or 4 times now, but the signal is strongest in the bar where it is playing, so here I am, kinda watching it another time.
Last night we pretty much just hung around here, had the meal here which was wonderful! Some of these hostels have really got it figured out with the food! And this one basically has a working kitchen/restaurant all day from breakfast till late night food, which is nice. Then we just had a few glasses of wine, played some dominoes, met some people, and went to bed around 9:30, totally out of our minds tired at that point and hardly being able to function. So nice to get a full night sleep, felt so good waking up this morning!
I am having a hard time adjusting to the altitude, I get winded really easily, it's so weird to feel so out of control, just going up the stairs makes me have to rest. I have noticed a little bit of an improvement today, so maybe by the time we do Machu Picchu in 3 days I will be running up the mountains!
This city is beautiful! We got to see a lot more of it today and it's a lot of fun to walk around. It's like the perfect tourist photo op around every corner, Mom, it will give you a lot of experience with your new camera!!
We saw a funeral today, with a sad procession of horns following behind, and flowers strewn everywhere.
Then a little later we saw a parade, some sort of celebration for the Virgin Mary which was full of pomp and ceremony with a statue of Mary hoisted up and Peruvian men and women decked out in the most amazing native festive dress with sequins and bright stripes of color, and hats and full skirts, and banners, and so many flowers.
We went to a huge indoor market with clothes, and souveniers, and meats and fruits and rows and rows of fruit juice stands that looked like the ones in Brazil, and bulk bags full of flour and beans and spices, and crates of olives and cheese, and more, and more. It was so colorful, and the sights and smells you hit every few feet were so different and strong.
Now they are playing one of the most depressing movies ever made, Babel, that through a weird series of circumstance Wyatt and I have watched about 3 or 4 times now, but the signal is strongest in the bar where it is playing, so here I am, kinda watching it another time.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
So, got on the bus in Calama, and it was a pretty nice bus, the best part being that Wyatt had the most leg room he has ever had on a bus, ever. And we got to watch a Jean Claude Van Damm movie, something with death in the title where he is a corrupt, herion addicted cop who goes into a coma after beign shot in the head, and comes out of it a changed man. It was great. Then, they put on Madagasgar 2, the buses are really well stocked with sequals of movies, most of which are really bad. We have been shown Princess Diaries 2, and The Pink Panther 2, and then the animated one.
We arrived in Arica around 6am, disoriented and tired. Did not sleep well. Were immediately ambushed by the bus company representatives trying to sell us tickets to Cusco, but at an inflated price. We, alternatively went to catch the train to Tacna, the border station into Peru. The train was an old, 2 car chugger that had tiny windows with bars across them, and filled up with locals and backpackers crowding the isles. It was an hour and a half ride, most of which I had to pee desperately badly, which coupled with lack of real sleep, sent me into a little breakdown wondering if I would make it to the station. But Wyatt (Mr. A plus, as my dad has started refering to him, pretty acurately, I think) talked me down, we looked at the water and endless sand we could see through the little windows, and we got to the station with no issue. Also on our way, almost to the station when the train was just going down the middle of the road with the rest of the traffic, we saw a hospital made from those big shipping crates you see on ships, made of heavy metal, with doors cut into them. Then through another immigration line, and we were in Peru. Went to the bus station and found tickets to Cusco, routing us through Arequipa. The bus station was pretty cool, colorful, the sun was out and warm, there was a marching band playing outside, and some new flags being raised, it seemed like a pretty big deal, but was not able to quite discern what was going on. But was happy to get some food and sit back and take in what seemed to be a celebration. The hills circling the town were marked with huge drawings and words, it was pretty crazy looking.
The next bus we got on was a little nicer than most the buses we have been on, and was pretty empty too, which was nice to not be fighting people for space, the window was open, and it was a really pleasant ride! There were some strange parts about it all though. The flyer for the bus company we were on, Cruz del Sur, advertized high security, movies, internet, hot food, and...bingo. The security ended up being one of the employees going down the aisles with a small video camera before we set out and video taping all of our faces. We got a few movies, and yes, strangest of all, we played bigno with the numbers being announced over a horrible microphone. We also watched as miles and miles of desert passed us by, with hills and valleys of sand passing us by, with the occasional view of snow capped mountains. So strange to be passing through this desolate countryside, mountains, sand, desert, so far inbetween us and the next town and often without seeing another car until we reach the outskirts of the town.We got into Arequipa at 6:30ish with about a two hour wait, which we thought we would just hole up with some food in some corner of the station. Well, instead, we got ushered into a swank waiting lounge of cruz del Sur, with complimentary drinks, the nicest bathrooms I have used yet, a movie playing, and free wifi! So we sat on the comfy couches, and squinting through burning eyes used the internet, brushed teeth, all that fun stuff. It was totally surreal arriving in the poorest country we will visit, and being in one of the fanciest rooms/situations we have been in. Throw in gettin on another 10 hour bus, and it was all the stranger.
The next bus was even fancier, but in weird ways. We got satelite radio, this is the bus that actually had internet, we got a cultural video on Peru while we waited to get our "box lunch" meal, and again, played bingo. By the time the movie was put on I was asleep. Woke up this morning to the sun coming up and playing across the hill tops, reflected in pools at the base of them. We arrived in Cusco again, around 6:30. Thought I was feeling fine, no signs of altitude affecting me until I got off the bus and tried to put on my pack and nearly fell over trying to catch my breath and feeling dizzy. But, we have a few days to just cool out and acclimate, and should be just fine. Caught a cab to our hostel that is apparently THE hostel to go to, and were told that we have to wait till their check out at 1 to see if we can get a bed. So that's what we are doing, waiting. The views are amazing as we are up on the hill above Cusco, the place is huge, I guess is an historic landmark that was remodeled a while ago to become a hostel, and provides pretty much anything you would ever need. And is a huge party spot as well, so we will see how that goes. Seems pretty good for a few nights till we get our barings.
Also, a little side note, I want to send a HUGE congratulations to my wonderful friend Amanda and her husband Ross who just had a baby girl, who I can not wait to meet and lavish with attention!!!
We arrived in Arica around 6am, disoriented and tired. Did not sleep well. Were immediately ambushed by the bus company representatives trying to sell us tickets to Cusco, but at an inflated price. We, alternatively went to catch the train to Tacna, the border station into Peru. The train was an old, 2 car chugger that had tiny windows with bars across them, and filled up with locals and backpackers crowding the isles. It was an hour and a half ride, most of which I had to pee desperately badly, which coupled with lack of real sleep, sent me into a little breakdown wondering if I would make it to the station. But Wyatt (Mr. A plus, as my dad has started refering to him, pretty acurately, I think) talked me down, we looked at the water and endless sand we could see through the little windows, and we got to the station with no issue. Also on our way, almost to the station when the train was just going down the middle of the road with the rest of the traffic, we saw a hospital made from those big shipping crates you see on ships, made of heavy metal, with doors cut into them. Then through another immigration line, and we were in Peru. Went to the bus station and found tickets to Cusco, routing us through Arequipa. The bus station was pretty cool, colorful, the sun was out and warm, there was a marching band playing outside, and some new flags being raised, it seemed like a pretty big deal, but was not able to quite discern what was going on. But was happy to get some food and sit back and take in what seemed to be a celebration. The hills circling the town were marked with huge drawings and words, it was pretty crazy looking.
The next bus we got on was a little nicer than most the buses we have been on, and was pretty empty too, which was nice to not be fighting people for space, the window was open, and it was a really pleasant ride! There were some strange parts about it all though. The flyer for the bus company we were on, Cruz del Sur, advertized high security, movies, internet, hot food, and...bingo. The security ended up being one of the employees going down the aisles with a small video camera before we set out and video taping all of our faces. We got a few movies, and yes, strangest of all, we played bigno with the numbers being announced over a horrible microphone. We also watched as miles and miles of desert passed us by, with hills and valleys of sand passing us by, with the occasional view of snow capped mountains. So strange to be passing through this desolate countryside, mountains, sand, desert, so far inbetween us and the next town and often without seeing another car until we reach the outskirts of the town.We got into Arequipa at 6:30ish with about a two hour wait, which we thought we would just hole up with some food in some corner of the station. Well, instead, we got ushered into a swank waiting lounge of cruz del Sur, with complimentary drinks, the nicest bathrooms I have used yet, a movie playing, and free wifi! So we sat on the comfy couches, and squinting through burning eyes used the internet, brushed teeth, all that fun stuff. It was totally surreal arriving in the poorest country we will visit, and being in one of the fanciest rooms/situations we have been in. Throw in gettin on another 10 hour bus, and it was all the stranger.
The next bus was even fancier, but in weird ways. We got satelite radio, this is the bus that actually had internet, we got a cultural video on Peru while we waited to get our "box lunch" meal, and again, played bingo. By the time the movie was put on I was asleep. Woke up this morning to the sun coming up and playing across the hill tops, reflected in pools at the base of them. We arrived in Cusco again, around 6:30. Thought I was feeling fine, no signs of altitude affecting me until I got off the bus and tried to put on my pack and nearly fell over trying to catch my breath and feeling dizzy. But, we have a few days to just cool out and acclimate, and should be just fine. Caught a cab to our hostel that is apparently THE hostel to go to, and were told that we have to wait till their check out at 1 to see if we can get a bed. So that's what we are doing, waiting. The views are amazing as we are up on the hill above Cusco, the place is huge, I guess is an historic landmark that was remodeled a while ago to become a hostel, and provides pretty much anything you would ever need. And is a huge party spot as well, so we will see how that goes. Seems pretty good for a few nights till we get our barings.
Also, a little side note, I want to send a HUGE congratulations to my wonderful friend Amanda and her husband Ross who just had a baby girl, who I can not wait to meet and lavish with attention!!!
Our day in Chile!
Eating our weird dinner in Calama, waiting for our bus to Arica.
We made it to Peru!Passing into Chile
Over the mountain pass, switchback city
Crazy canyon.
The other side of the bus had better views of these huge rocks jutting up out of the ground.
Salt flatsNorthern Argentina
Border of Argentina, headed towards Chile, middle of nowhere. We almost left without someone too, and then the bus driver decided to do a count as we were driving away into the hills and seemed very embarrassed to have to back up back to the immigration stop to pick up the guy.Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Crossing borders....
So, Wyatt and I are sitting in a small bus station in a small town called Calama in northern Chile waiting for our next bus that comes in about two hours. We just ate a weird meal of salad made with mealy peeled tomatoes and slivered onions and that´s all, and a greasy chicken and fries meal covered in ketchup and mayo. Wow.
The ride here was breathtaking. Leaving Salta and heading through northern Argentina, we went through the most amazingly scenic passes. Riding by huge hills, past totemic rocks reminding me a little of Utah or Arizona, mountains in layer upon layer of color, blazing against the blue sky. We passed the biggest cacti I have ever seen, salt flats, and half frozen ponds that herds of small llama/deer, past little groups of donkeys, and trailed up a mountain full of switch back roads causing everyone to get out their cameras and felt like we were on a tour. Got through the exit station in Argentina, and then rode into Chile. There the scenery changed and it felt like we were on the moon, huge hills of gritty grey sand, and craters, and rippled earth in large mounds. Then went through the Chillean customs easy as can be. And the whole time we were listening to an amazing soundtrack, a medley of the most famous minute of the most famous sons since the late 70´s. ¨Guilty feet have GOT no rythym¨.....still ringing in my ears. Now we are just waiting...
The ride here was breathtaking. Leaving Salta and heading through northern Argentina, we went through the most amazingly scenic passes. Riding by huge hills, past totemic rocks reminding me a little of Utah or Arizona, mountains in layer upon layer of color, blazing against the blue sky. We passed the biggest cacti I have ever seen, salt flats, and half frozen ponds that herds of small llama/deer, past little groups of donkeys, and trailed up a mountain full of switch back roads causing everyone to get out their cameras and felt like we were on a tour. Got through the exit station in Argentina, and then rode into Chile. There the scenery changed and it felt like we were on the moon, huge hills of gritty grey sand, and craters, and rippled earth in large mounds. Then went through the Chillean customs easy as can be. And the whole time we were listening to an amazing soundtrack, a medley of the most famous minute of the most famous sons since the late 70´s. ¨Guilty feet have GOT no rythym¨.....still ringing in my ears. Now we are just waiting...
Monday, August 24, 2009
Cotten candy and popcorn, and roasted peanuts.
People lined up along the water, street dogs laid out.
Market stalls.
Scary little animals.We have been enjoying our time here in Salta. There are a lot of people, busy pulse to the air, but it has been relaxing for us. We spent our first night in one hostel we hated, so we decided to move down the street to a lovely place with brick archeways, white washed walls that are brilliant in the sun, and a little courtyard with a pretty fountain that is not working right now. There is a big kitchen and back patio as well, and it is usually quiet, and must have, in it's day, been just a gorgeous house. It is the annex to another hostel that is more of the typical backpacker feel, with tons more people, and a really nice rooftop patio/bar with such nice views of the surrounding city and mountinas! the first night inour new placde, the main hostel hosted a bbq, and we decided it sounded like a nice idea to go and so glad we did! The food was really some of the best we have had since being here! There is so much meat consumed in this country, but it is rare that you go to eat it and there is any color other that a dark, well cooked brown to it. This bbq had some of the best grilled meat I have ever had, with the perfect amount of pink and tons of flavor. Add to that sausages, fresh sides and salads that were all wonderful, and as much wine as we could drink, and that I still get a kick out of watching Wyatt eating meat. It was fun, we got pretty drunk on the wine, and the fernet and coke we kept running back across the street to our room for, and we talked to a bunch of people who we had actually seen where we were staying in Mendoza. Ah, the gringo trail...
Yesterday was Sunday, so the city was pretty closed up as always, but that was ok, as we were both feeling pretty sluggish. Went to the grocery store and found REAL orange juice! It was in the cooler and everything, not sitting on the shelf, way too sweet with ahrdly any resembolence to anything from fruit. And in addition to that we made a fruit salad. Then we walked down to the market area nearby to where we had taken the pod up the mountain, and found that that was the place to be on a Sunday. Families were walking all together in herds, there was a large pond with in paddle boats, and some in small row boats with oars that were pretty funny to watch touring around in circles, the dad's looking stoic but a little frusterated, but you know the kids were loving it. There was every kind of handycraft you would think, the alpaca wool sweaters, socks, hats, etc. pan flute music, empanada and super pancho stands everywhere! It's amazing what people put on hot dogs here! Corn, green olives, mayo, potato chips! Kids were walkign around with slices of cake as big as their faces, getting all over their faces. Cotton candy and balloons. It felt like we were at the fair, it was pretty rad. We ended up eating there, getting some empanadas to go, and going to the movies. We saw G.I. Joe in spanish in a cool old theater with old leather seats with wood armrests, and the clicking of the film real. And everyone brought there herds of little kids the the movies too.
Today we have been lazy, reading in the park, getting food, and not getting to go to the Modern Art Museum because it was closed, unfortunately. Tomorrow we head on, and out of Argentina. First a 9 hour bus ride to Calama, then wait about 4 hours to get on our connecting bus for Arica, on the border of Chile and Peru. We will arrive in Arica about 6 in the morning, take a train across the border into peru around 10. Then try to figure out a bus to get to Cusco, either going directly there, or detouring to Puno on Lake Titicaca, it will depend on times mostly. So will for sure be at least a few days until I post again, and probably the hardest string of travel all in one go. But, very excited to be going, and not sure what to expect leaving Argentina for a much poorer country. But, I think it will be an adventure.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
This is the big wheel that hauled us up the hill. We got our own pod, or "unit" as they called it going up, which was supewr cool, until I started getting a little light headed and my fear of hights kicked in a little, but it was cool to see the city from that vantage point.
Us going up!
Sprawling Salta. It is huge, but when you are walking the streets it doesn't feel like it. It is awesome here, the sun is out and warm, everything is starting to be cheaper, and the people are striking! And we are feelign relaxed because we were unsure of our onward travel until we got here, and were a little stressed about it, but everything is worked out, and rthings are good.. Here until Tuesday, and glad of it. I like this city.
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