TRAVELLING SOUTH AMERICA

The border was not far from Copacabana in Bolivia and the next destination was Puno. There had been mass demonstrations here over the past month or so, regading some mining contract going to a Canadian company. It had been impassable and quite dangerous for foreigners especially. The reason I stopped in this Un-inspiring place was to visit the Uros Islands.

I did,however, find a place to stay that was not freezing cold day and night. I also discovered a bargain with a taxi driver, I would be picked up and taken to the boat which would take me to the Islands, a small tour and back again ( all for about $6). We arrived on the floating islands and were greated by the Quencha indians that lived on their, they are all dressed in colourful clothes. The inhabitants gave us a demonstration on how the islands are constructed, from reeds, then talked about how they survive out in the middle of this lake. They trade alot with people on the mainland and their children attend schools there also. Their lives are very basic and the islands are 10m x 10m ( some bigger ) with 10 families living on each island. It was a very impressive place and way of life.  The following day I got warm after 10 days of not being. I ate Alpacha which was great and also had picarones ( doughnuts ) with syrup on, atraditional Peruvian dish. The next evening I left for Arequipa.

This was a journey that was both sweet and sour. The scenary was amazing, huge mountains and vast landscapes but the bus was terrible, very hot, boxed in by fat Peruvians with smelly food and crying babies. I was glad to reach Arequipa, it was warm and I had been informed it was a beautiful place. After a little trouble finding a hostel I went to meet up with a German from Puno.

Arequipa is not a huge place, manageable and like most cities the main square is bustling and the focus of the town. It is a nice place but there is nothing outstanding about it. There was a reason to come here apart from being on the route up the coast, to visit Colca Canyon – the second deepest canyon in the world ( the first being in Peru also about 30 miles away ). After spending the weekend partying in the hostal I had arranged to go with Aimar ( from Bilbao ) and Nicole ( from Switzerland ) on a three day trek into the canyon.

The Excursion starts at three in the morning when you are picked up for the 4 hours trip to the main town in the Canyon for breakfast. I have found the ability to sleep on buses but this was impossible. Its was cramped, cold and the driver was playing load music. I think this was to keep him awake, so as he was driving very fast nobody complained. We arrived for breakfast, its was high in the mountains which meant being cold again but the breakfast was good ( with tea ).

After breakfast we travelled to the canyon via 2 picturesque villages. Our first stop and the reason for getting up so early, too see condors, they wake up early also. There many people there to see these huge birds, we waited for an hour to catch a glimpse of 2 condors that flew overhead, as if posing for the cameras, it was good to see and worth the wait. We then packed up in the van and headed to the starting point of our trek.

While we were waiting to start, many people at the end of their trek arrived to take minibuses home, alot of them looked distressed, that does not bode well I thought. The last day of the trek is up from the bottom of the Canyon. We set off, with our guide and after a short walk along a road started the 4 hour decent in to the canyon. It was hot, very hot and the paths were steap (it is sometimes worse going down than up) and very winding. Our progress down was slow and our goal always in sight. The views were amazing and the flora very interesting, Cactai and very strange looking trees. Once at the bottom and after a wait for the stragglers, we had a short ascent into the town , well about 4 houses and a hostel. It was a welcome relief and our lunch was waiting for us when we got there (Chicken rice and chips – this got very boring throughout Peru). The hostal was great but basic. I explored the village and was amazed by the irrigation channel that flowed through the place, constant running water for this side of the canyon from the waterfalls which in turn came from the glacier. It was a strange night, everyone very tired and a very funny conversations with not everyone speaking the same language. We all got an early night on the concreteesque beds, it did not matter though.

We awoke early the next day, not until about 8am, to set off on the next four hours, it was a hotter day. Our guide, like yesterday, said it would not be hard today, did we believe him, probably not. The fairly flat route took us through a proper village with a church the Spanish built in 1670, why they bothered to go down there I do not know. Our guide started to tell us about the plants (some of the cactus fruits from this area only are used to colour makeup) and the walk was calm until we reached a very steap hill. We set off and to be fair it was 30 mins very hard work but at the top there was someone selling drinks and various fruits from the canyon, we tried them all, amazing, very sweet or very sour but refreshing. The remainder of the this days walking was very hot but downhill, passing a few more villages until we reached the Oasis, which is where we were staying that night. This place was out of this world, it had 4 or five hostels which all had swimming pools which were fed by a waterfall, all fresh water, very refreshing and all set at the bottom of the Canyon surrounded by sheer cliff faces and amazing flowers. The afternoon was spent baking in the sun, in the pool or lazing around in hammocks. We called also see the path up the hill we had to take tomorrow.

The last day as expected was not pleasant. It began at 5 in the morning under the stars with headlights on and without any breakfast. The path was extremely rocky with huge steps up in places, very windy and steep. I set off at a good pace, following this Brazilian dude who had left his french girlfriend to go up on a mule, this was a good move as she would not have made it. 3/4 of the way up I lost all my energy (lack of food I reckon), it took a long time to do the rest but finally made after about 2 hours. I immeadiately serached for the women who sells sugar filled stuff at the top, bought a few things at heavily inflated prices and sat down to feel proud of myself.  After breakfast in the town we set off back to Arequipa, stopping at a few viewpoints on the way (you could see many Volcanos at one place). I got back to the hostel and had a few beers some food after a well earned shower.

There was a choice of where to go after leaving Arequipa. I could go inland to Cusco and the mighty Machu Pichu or continue up the coast(I need to come back through Peru and so can do the other route on the way back). I had not been near the sea for a long time so decided to carry on along the coast.  I went on to Nasca, the place with the ancient lines that form shapes such as animals, birds and spacemen. No one really knows what they are for and why they are there but we do know they have been around for a long time. These lines are huge and can only be viewed from the air, you need to catch a flight, for about 100 Dollars, that takes you on a death defying 45 min flight. I decided to go and see if I could get this flight cheaper face to face as I could not afford this price. I arrived and spent 2 days in Nasca, could not get any discount what so ever but ate lots of Chinese food and improved my Spanish by annoying the receptionist at the hostel(she had nothing better to do). The town is non descript and has nothing much else to offer, this place can be avoided if you are not taking a flight. These flights are more geared to the pilot having a good time than seeing the lines I was told. There was an ok museum but quite expensive, as much as 4 chinese meals!!!

A short trip away from Nasca is Ica which in itself is nothing to see but 8kms away is Huachachina. I headed for one night to see this place. Huachachina is a little oasis in the middle of huge sandunes. It is lots of hostels surrounding a lake with the sounds of people sandboarding and very load sand buggys racing around the desert. You can go sandboarding and take a trip in these buggys for a small price and it is worth doing. Sanboarding was more difficult than I thought(I did not have a good board). I also discovered that walking up a huge sandune is very hard and takes a long time but worth the effort, especially around the time the sunsets. Definately worth a visit even if just for 1 night.

I would finally reach the coast in Paracas. This is a fishing village and has the attraction of the Balestos islands a short and inexpensive boat trip away. I think this place has been described as the poor mans Galapagos. It is that, you will see a variety of seagulls and some sealions and walrus type things. The trip is inexpenisve and so worth doing but do not expect to see whales or anything remotely exciting (this is a bit harsh). I stayed here for 2 nights and 3 days when 1 afternoon would have been enough. I do not know why but I was happy to be by the sea, the weather was good and I had a balcony in my room. Its is a nice quiet place with good seafood, I was just saving myself and some money for Lima.

The Capital of Peru, many people said it was not worth going to, it was big, dirty and nothing to see. I would not let that put me off though as you have to see things for yourself. It seems like a huge city though, as big as London. The bus took 1 hour to get from the outskirts to the centre. I arrived and headed to the area called Miraflores, which is an upmarket area and contains most of the hostels, bars and clubs (essential stuff). I arrived quite late, drank a beer and got an early night. The next morning I rose early with the intention of having a haircut and getting my beard shaved off. After this I wandered along the coastal path in Miraflores and took in some sights. I had decided to move hostels, there was no one at this hostel and it felt like I was intruding in someones home. I found a Loki hostel (Loki being Norse god of mischief) and moved there, as it was the weekend. That night we went to the best club in Lima and got in free, a good time was had. The following day (plus hangover) a few of us mustered the strength to go on the free walking tour of central Lima. It was a very interesting 2 hours. A very enthusiastic and knowledgeable Ozzie guy filled us with information on the birth of Lima as a city by the Spanish, how the Spanish conquered the great Inca army (with a lot of luck I might add) and some modern history including the shining path movement and the amazing new to be president and his colourful counterparts. Well worth doing (it is free be you need to tip the guide). Following all this cultural activity, our heads filled with knowledge and stomachs with chinese food from the vibrant Chinatown we headed back to the bar and another heavy night followed, even heavier actually. The weekend was over and I had to leave, me and Lucas, shortly followed by Lori the very confident Swedish Bartender took a bus up the coast to Mancora. Did I enjoy Lima? Was it worth going to? It is an OK place with a few really good attractions, a weekend is sufficient and there is some great neighbourhoods to walk around, there is also good nightlife in Miraflores and Baranco.

Following another late night in Lima I had the propspect of a 18hour bus ride up the coast to Mancora. After spending 1 month being cold I wanted some sun and a beach and to not have to wear many clothes for a some time, this is what South America is about, right? I decided to miss out on A few places, such as Trujillo and the nearby beach resort (it is similar to Mancora) and Huarez, which is a beautiful and picturesque place in the mountains and good for hiking etc, which I was disappointed in missing but these are the tough choices you have to make when travelling. This time of year Mancora is the only place in Peru and Ecuador that it is warm day and night and there is hardly, if any, rain. I was also going there to work in a hostel for 3 weeks or so.

I arrived after a long bus journey(18hours is a normal length of trip in South America). I checked into my hostel and hit the beach. I did not have a job at this time and so started my search. There are three main hostels where you can wotk. After a few days it was between Kokopellis, where I was staying and The Point. Loki hostel is full of drunk, young travellers and surrounded by bars and clubs (ish) that bang out music (ish) to the early hours. I like my sleep and so I did not want that. I could not get any work at Kokpellis although this was my first choice. The Point welcomed me in for a 2 and a half week stint. I had to help celebrate the National day of Peru and the swearing in of the new Peruvian President. A big celebration and I was in the right place to do it, as half of northern Peru had descended on Mancora.

The celebrations were great, lots of music and dancing and parties on the beach. I started work on the friday, mid celebrations. The hostel was busy and I was thrown in at the deep end with the Friday night shift. I did not mind, it was easy as I made up drinks and there is no measuring system, you just pour depending on how much you like the person!! There was a good mix of young, old, Peruvian and foriegners.

Mancora for 3 weeks seemed like quite a long amount of time, it is not a huge place and after 2 days you have seen it all. I found, however, that after 3 or 4 days it grew on you and you slipped, into the way of life, there is good food and reasonable prices, a good beach with plenty of  sporting activities such as surfing and kite surfing. There was a good buzz about the place and the three weeks kind of flew by. I was working 5 hours a day and relaxing by the pool or on the beach, reading or playing pool the majority of the rest. This was interspersed by eating fish off the grill or cerviche ( the Peruvian raw fish with lemon juice) and enjoying cervezas on the beach. This was working….The general commute to work was getting out of the pool and walking 10 meters to stand behind the bar ( I will try and find a similar job when I return home). During my weeks in Mancora I enjoyed some good times and met some great people, Mitch, Matt, the Nowrwegians who lived in the jungle, Margot Kieron, the monster, Sanne, Jo Jo, Juan and Rodrigo (the management), two south africans and many Peruvians who made my stay a good one. All good things must come to an end as they say, after my travelling crew had caught up to me, we moved on to Ecuador, 2 hours to the north. My last night of work was timed to be the world famous (Mancora famous), Point hostel full moon party. It was a very busy night and I did not get to experience the music that much as I was working but good music and the beer was flowing….it went on to the early hours. If you are in Mancora for this night it is worth a visit, it the most organised party and  has western style music (which after 3 weeks of Peruvian crap it was welcome).

Heading into Paraguay now, with the consensus being why are you bothering. Well that is why I am bothering I suppose. The closest town to Iguazu falls in Paraguay is Cuidad de Este. It is a border town and has little or no tax on purchases, so you can buy anything there at a knock down price. I need a camera, I will put this to the test. I have learnt from experience that these towns are a little shady to say the least, everyone who has been to this town says it is the shadiest.

When you are entering Paraguay at this point, the bus will not stop at the immigration for your passport stamp. It is necessary to leave the bus at the first stop, in the city centre, then walk back to get your stamp. The bus terminal is quite a long way from this point and the taxis are very expensive. We got our stamps and headed to what seems like the only hostel in town, there are hotels but they are alittle more expensive. The hostel was 20 mins outside the centre, in an expensive taxi. We did not have a reservation, after eventually arriving (taxi driver did not know the way) the hostel looked closed and the gate locked. The taxi driver rang the “doorbell”, which in Paraguay is clapping you hands loudly. There was life and we had a bed for the night. I needed to first get my camera, I was ready to run the gauntlet of Cuidad del Este.

After 1 hour of bargaining and walking between shops I had bought a camera, checking later that I got this particular camera cheaper then possible on Amazon. There were no real problems in CDE, I was offered a few items of contraband but is was all good natured. There was alittle hustle and bustle but it was all ok. I double checked everything worked in the shop before leaving as exchanging the camera or getting a refund would be nearly impossible I think..

The next morning I set off for the capital, Asuncion. Before this can happen I wanted to go and see the Itapu dam (apparantly one of the 7 modern wonders of the world, the is a bigger dam now in China, so this is out of date or not true). It is a 30 mins local bus trip out of the centre and a small walk. You need to get there before 9.30 or you will have to wait until 2pm for the tour. This was not explained to us and so we arrived late. There is a small zoo to visit also, which contains the animals that were rescued when the dam was built, apparantly. So missed the dam and got on the bus to the capital. 5 hours, buses during the day seem to take a lot longer. Arrived in Asuncion at about 8pm, the black cat hostel.

Asuncion, what can you say? It is not very lively and there is nothing much to see but it has a certain charm to it, which seeps into you after a couple of days. Would I go back, no. I did not do much in the capital ,was just there.The best place I visited was the museum on human rights, as in pretty much every other South American country there were attrocities during the 70´s and 80´s, when (apparantly) Operation Condor was initiated by the united states, lots of tortures and deaths of innocent people. Asuncion is a place of vast contrasts, the price of a good flat to rent is about 50 pounds a month, whilst a 20 min taxi costs about 10 pounds, not tourist prices either, weird. Lots of old men with young girlfriends, this stems from one of the wars with Bolivia where many Paraguayian men where killed.

After Asuncion I needed to head to Bolivia. There were 3 options, through Argentina, across the wide open nothingness of the Gran Chaco or the final option was up the river and into the Jungle. There is a certain lack of information about any sort of travel in Paraguay. Back to Argentina was awkward and expensive. I went for the Gran Chaco route, a long bus journey. I wanted to stop in the Menonite stronghold of Filadelfia. This is a settlement of German (really Russian) amish like people. The town is full of German shops and a strange German like dialect is spoken. The buses were difficult and due to the fact that Filadelfia is not on the main bus route I would have to have waited at the border for 5 hours in the middle of the night. After peaking to another person (Patrick Armstrong) who had been there on his bike he said stay cleat its not worth it. After summing all this info up, I headed straight for Santa Cruz in Bolivia on a mammoth 28 hour (could be 40) bus journey.

Finally left Buenos Aires and heading Northwest to the second biggest city in Argentina, Rosario. We will be here for Semana Santa(Easter weekend). After not much sleep the night before, which is the norm in BA, We slept on the bus, which is becoming very easy also. We arrived at the wrong bus station in Rosario, so had to catch a bus to the centre. We, after wrong info, caught the right bus in the wrong direction, so had to disembark further away from our hostel. To catch a bus in Argentina you need coins, which nobody seems to have. We were stuck along way away with no money(coins) and all the shops were closed for siesta/bank holiday/because they felt like it. Taxi it was.

Arrived at the hostel and we were pleasantly surprised(all the good hostels were booked for the holiday weekend). It was full of Argentinians with we are going to party all weekend written all over their faces( which they did), so no sleep for us. We actually met some great people this weekend, very funny and friendly and some girls took little rachel under their wings.

Roasario is a small place in comparison to Buenos Aires. That said it would only take 2/3 days to see everything and get a feel for the city. There are museums, the modern art museum looks better from the outside than the art inside it. Most people and attractions are centred around the river Parana with parks and a large monument being the most interesting. We also took a boat cruise around the Isla Verde which can be cheap and is definately worth doing.

The last night there we spent talking to the guy who worked at the hostel and his friends, as the hostel was now empty. It was a good night with swear words being taught by both sides and alot of Fernet was drunk. The next morning we were rising early to catch a bus to the port in BA and then straight onto a ferry, which was heading to Colonia in Uruguay.

Arrived in the sleepy town of Colonia. This a fairly small town and a great escape from the hustle of BA (only a hour away on the ferry), it has the feel of a cross between cornwall and greece, small houses, a lighthouse, great restaurants and beaches. This place can be explored within a day, 2 at the most. We enjoyed a very relaxing 2 days here in a great hostel with two guys from Belgium, Lens and D. They were coming to the end of their trip and had good knowledge and some good stories of their travels. We then hopped on  bus to the capital Montevideo for a 4 day stay until our 2 week stint working on a farm starts.

Montevideo. In terms of capital cities that we have visited this place seems very laid back and has a nice vibe. Again we have picked a great hostel with a organic outlook, fresh home cooked bread for breakfast. It is based in an old house that feels like you are a guest of the homeowner the minute you arrive. We have the bonus of knowing some people who live here and they have offered to take us on a 2 day tour of the city, this is always a bonus.

Throughout the 2 day tour we visited many sights old and new in Montevideo. Drove La Rambla along the coast and visited the historical centre, our guides had great knowledge of the turbulent history of Uruguay. We also went to the rural farmlands and coast of the capitals territory. The capital itself is alot less vibrant than Buenos Aires and in seems to be only worth a visit for a couple of days as there is not that much to see, unless you have friendly tour guides who will drive you around the city.The final day in Montevideo was a national day for workers, this meant everything was closed, I mean everything, to add to that it was raining, cold and dull. We spent this day in the hostel with a deck of cards and some red wine, could have been worse I suppose.

Monday morning and we are heading to work on a farm for 2 weeks, Estancia Don Santiago. We arrived at the bus station to be told that we would be picked up 3 hours late, an animal was very sick which I hope was not a sign of everything to come. There was an American bar that we could wait in, in which I had my first Chivito ( a special Uruguyian sandwich ), this was a steak sandwich with an egg and so not really that impressive or innovative but tasty. Hugo and Maria eventually came to pick us up and drove us through the night to the farm, we were shown to our basic but functional room, given an alarm clock and told to be up by 7 am, no bedding in period then.

We woke at 7am to milk the cows, it was cold, very cold but we were wrmed by the sight of the 10 cows we were about to become very personal with as the sun rose over the rolling fields, our time here will be good we thought. Woman are scientifically proven to be better at milking cows and so I was not going to upset this law of nature and I did not. It took me half an hour to release enough milk for a strong cup of coffee, this would improve. After cleaning up and breakfast, including hot tea, the dairy production line continued with using the milk to make cheese ( for sale ). This was a fairly simple process and after one lesson from Hugo we were able to make cheese on our own the following days.Men, however, are better at making cheese.

Our daily routine always started this way and after getting into the rythm of waking up early it was a nice start to the day, the sun was always shining and the cows were always ready. The farm was based on organic living and homeopathic remedies from plants that were grown on the farm, there was also a tourist aspect which involved people coming, ridng horses, walking and eating asados.They sold animals and cheese and rented out land to grow soya on. There were a variety of revenue streams on the farm but money was not the driving force, they loved the country and nature.  The farm had been in Hugo’s family for 4 generations and there was good history to be told (small museum on tha farm is great).

Our time on the farm was amazing, we have learnt alot about sustainable living, the use of plants in everyday life, making soap, cheese and how amazing Uruguay is and how much it is loved by the Uruguayians. Everyone on the farm was great, Hugo, Maria and their families. They were very patient people and had to be at times and enjoyed teaching people about their way of life and beliefs. ( there is a stone circle near to the farm which had ancient healing powers according to Maria. This place has been used by shamens for 100 of years). The next stop is Punto Del Diablo, 4 hours along the coast towards Brasil. There are other coatal towns,Punto Del Este for one, but this place has been recommended by nearly everyone, especially the Uruguayians which is a good sign.

I arrived in Punto Del Diablo at around 8pm, it is a small place and it was out of season so everywhere was closed; Luckily the hostel picked me up from the bus stop otherwise I would have been walking around all night. The roads are all sand and there is not many clear signs fro anything. The hostel was really nice, a big, homely house. It was not however very busy. The next day I had to get to the next town to withdraw money (there is no ATM in this town). I took the 30 min ride to Chuy on the Brasilian border. It is actually in Brasil and Uruguay at the same time and not really in either country, so there is a big duty free aspect to this place ( it is a dump). Got some money and got soaked by the downfall and made my way back to Punto Del Diablo. The bus had the A/C on cold all the way, cue me being ill for a few days.

Decided to move hostels as this place was out of the town a bit. Moved to a hostel on the beach, great view, great beaches, the actual hostel was not as nice though, can not have it all I suppose. There were people staying there, which is always good. Spent the next few days trying to learn Spanish, relaxing on the beach and watching films. Punto Del Diablo is a beautiful place and a must for anyone traveling this route. This was off season and so many bars were closed but the charm of the place there to be seen without the tourists. It is a fishing village with great beaches (good for surfing) and a national park right next door. In the summer months apparently 20, 000 tourists flock here from Argentina, Brasil and Uruguay (Gen Pop 600). I am very glad I came here at this time.

9/3/11

We have set out to travel north, from El Calafate, up the East coast of the country. It is a long journey as there are not many places to stop between El Calafate and our next destination, Puerto Madryn. This means the buses are expensive amd tahe up to 20 hours to get here, via Rio Gallegos ( the windiest place in the world). The reason to come here was to see Penguins, sea lions, sea elephants in their natural environment and the chance to see Orcas feeding on the cute little baby sealions. There are plenty of places to see these animals but the greatest chance of seeing the orcas was within Pennisula Valdes. The tour will be arranged for tomorrow. We have met up with some people and are trying to hire a car or sought out a guide for a cheaper price than the ones quoted in the excurion places. have found a great hostel, El Gualicho in Puerto Madryn, Unfortunately its is very hard to camp around here.

11/3/11

We went on the tour yesterday of the Pennisula. Had a great guide who spoke in English and Spanish to help us learn (which is needed). We left around 9.30 amd went to the penguin colony first of all. It was the end of there season here and so there were not as many as anticipated but still great to see. Next was the elephant seals. Big fat and lazy. we emcountered foxes, llamas, armadillos and plenty of buzzards and a skunk. The group of us wanted to catch the orcas (3% chance) feeding, so went up to the place where most sightings are, Punte Norte. There hadd been a few sightings in the morning but usually come back at high tide to feed. We waited at the sealion colony for 4 hours but no sightings. I would have gone to a differnt penguin colony in Punta tomba if i could do this again, more penguins and everthing we saw today buy you can walk amongst them. It was very interesting having a good guide as he new plenty about the area and the flora and fauna.

15/3/11

Las Grutas, this was our next destination. We decided this after reading an article in a small magazine, it painted the picture of a small resort, mainly for Argentinians with small coves, its own microclimate and great beaches. We had not really been to a beach as yet so decided to stopover there to give it a try.  It was a great little town and it did have great coves and beaches but unfortunately the seaoson had finished and everywhere was closed or closing. There were no campsites and only 1 hostel to choose from. This would be a good place to go in season but we had to leave and decided to head to Mar del Plata.

16/3/11

Mar Del Plata is the summer resort for everyone from Buenos aires, it is about 6 hours drive south from the capital and surprisingly big. We headed there to stayy the beach and relax/save money before we headed to BA. All the campsites are situated outside the city but are easily accessed by bus. We stayed at camping Faro, which is a huge place, situated very close to the beach. The place was deserted, maybe two other camping parties on the site ( it was after the summer had finished). The days were spent on the beach when it was not to windy and cooking food on the Parilla ( bbq). There are a few things to do in the city but I think its is geared for eating,drinking and sunbathing.  There are other smalled resorts up the coast, which were recommended, but after the Las Grutas mess we decided to play it safe. Next on To BA by train, this is the cheaper option and will make a nice change from the bus.