Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Fine Dining..

And so I present our youtube video of the nightmarket in Beijing where we feasted upon scorpions, among many other delightful treats!



Saturday, May 31, 2008

Fine China


What an adventure!!
China was gorgeous and we had the time of our lives..
Heres a BRIEF list of Highlights:

-Beaches in Hong Kong
-30 Hour train ride (not particularly a highlight, but quite memorable nonetheless)
-Luxurious Yangtze riverboat cruise from Chongquing to Yichang.. filled with adventure
-Viewing the Terra Cotta Army in Xian
-Riding bikes on the 16k City Wall in Xian
-Dumpling feast in Xian
-Hiking 30 towers on the Great Wall in Beijing
-Seeing the Olympic Park in Beijing
-Acrobatics Show in Beijing
-Eating strange foods such as: starfish, scorpion, snake and centipede!!

It was great! In Hiroshima, Japan now.. more to come soon!!

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Oh, India!


Wow. Where do I begin??

Lets start with the Pre-India travel conversations shared with various people we've met along our journey so far. These conversations are always the same: where are you from, where have you traveled to and where are you going next?

During the weeks leading up to our journey to the subcontinent, we told these people of our intent to travel all over India- always receiving the same responses.

It starts with an almost mischievous grin followed by one of the following questions/comments:

"Good luck"- most popular response

"Hope you don't get the Malaria"

"Don't you know that the temperature can get up to 120F this time of year?"

"You'll either love it or hate it"

and my favorite.. "wow, thats pretty crazy"



Ladies and Gentlemen, let me be the first to say that these people were crazy. Indeed, India is absolutely insane but it is so deeply amazing at the same time that words could not even begin to do it justice. India is a myriad of sights, smells, tastes, sounds, people and animals (yes many, many animals) paralleled by no other country on earth. It's sensory overload every time you walk out the door and I am so in love.

Hmm, let me try to paint the picture for you...

I could walk outside of this internet cafe at this very moment and immediately witness at least 3 of the following things:

a. 6 cows, 4 dogs, 2 monkeys a cat and a donkey

b. A group wedding (saves money) consisting of 120 brides and grooms.. all marriages arranged

c. A camel hauling veggies past a wild pig dragging a dog carcass to his home for a late night snack.. uh yeah, we actually did see this just yesterday

d. No gringos cause it is officially the "off season" (uh, 120F will do that) prompting every passing Indian to strike up friendly conversation making me feel much more important than I really am

e. Absolutely no rhyme or reason when it comes to traffic in these diesel-soaked streets. I'm talking auto-rickshaws passing elephants and regular rickshaws which are stopping for a group of beautiful saari-clad Indian women walking right next to a a few cyclists that are dodging several motorbikers which are trying to be careful not to hit the 32 Brahman cows that are standing in the MIDDLE of the road eating grain with camels which spilled off of a cart that collided with a taxi that had quickly swerved out of the way to avoid a group of street dogs which were just leaving an open area on the side of the street where an old man is defecating a few feet away from another person begging for money after he shows you all the flips and tricks his pet monkeys can do


And apparently, we've only just touched the surface as we are off to VARANASI tonight.


Okay, so on a serious note though, India has been such an eye-opening experience for both of us. It has reinforced my appreciation for all the opportunities I have to make a successful life for myself. India has been hard for me in many ways but this poverty has been the most difficult thing to experience.

Imagine your mother and father, or even your grandmother and grandfather- many of them breaking their backs working like dogs in this blistering heat trying to provide anything for their families, their babies. Imagine their children frantically begging and scraping just trying to eek out a meager living so they can eat at night. All of them: man, woman and child- relentlessly working day in and day out for pennies.

It is poverty on a level that I've only read about and never experienced.. this is a country in an economic upswing?

Nine times out of ten, when approached by an Indian person in the street, the first question asked isn't your name- it is, where are you from? As if they are trying to imagine your life for one brief moment from what they know from western film and television- some so inquisitive, it's as if they daydream of experiencing a similar life.. flattering, yet I can't help but feel guilty for being so damn lucky to have what I have.

On a side note, did you know that in 20 years, India is expected to surpass China's population?

Sure, it's one thing to hear about it- we are all bombarded by these sad stories from all over the world everyday. Hell, I'd bet that over 50% of the people who started reading this post have stopped by this point. We hear about it so much that we become desensitized- never fully conscious of the dire conditions that plague the rest of this massive world. It is heartbreaking to watch this everyday- and I've only been here for a week.

On the bright side, as I witness this amazingly backbreaking work ethic I am reminded by the vital instinct of all humans to strive to survive. Until a firsthand experience, it is impossible to try to empathize, to understand. I can't even fully empathize or understand because I've never been forced to live under the conditions I've seen during this past week.

This vital instinct is a true testament to the perseverance of the human spirit and the will to make a better life- day in and day out.


This country is truly amazing in so many ways.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Thailand is My Land 2

Have a look at our video via Derek's helmet-cam. I am the one in the pink "STAFF" shirt/red helmet and our buddy Chris is the one with the blue shirt/blue helmet..

Keep a look out for how hectic the traffic is, all the temples and all of the KFC delivery guys..

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have officially fallen in love with Thailand.. well, SE Asia in general..

Bangkok was fun but Chiang Mai was where its at. We spent our days exploring the area via motorbike. Being my first time riding, it was one hell of a place to learn.

Here are some quick highlights:

-Taking our motorbikes out of the bustling city and into the mountains to find a quaint and quiet little coffee farm to have one sensational cup of the brew

-Spending an entire day learning how to prepare traditional Thai cuisine.. you should have seen/tasted some of our masterpieces.. might I recommend my yellow curry?

-Massages from hardened criminals at the Women's Prison.. lots of pent up anger and aggression = one hell of a massage.. see below

-Attending a Muai Thai Boxing match and watching the blood fly.. we even saw two tenacious girls duke it out. The highlight was watching four fully drunken, fully blindfolded guys trying to put the hurt on one another in the ring

-Late nights filled with lots of laughter and lots of locals

Currently writing this from Siem Reap, Cambodia.. Angkor Wat was absolutely breathtaking and I wish my pictures could begin to do it the justic it deserves.. We seem to ALWAYS be on the move and we will find ourselves in Bangkok tomorrow morning..

More to come!

Friday, April 18, 2008

A Proper Pampering at the Women's Prison

If you ever find yourself in Chang Mai, Thailand..

..might I suggest paying a visit to the Women's Prison


$10.00 Will buy you a 1.5 hour one hell of a traditional full body Thai massage complete with some crazy hot herbal treatment.

We're going to need to return to the prison in a few days after we trek up into the surrounding hills- as we have decided to spend a couple of nights with some of the tribal peoples in the area in order to learn more about their cultures, customs and practices.


Just in case you were wondering......

Over 100 years ago, theses Hilltribe peoples migrated south from China into what are now Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. Apparently, they know very little of the modern world. The six major tribes are the Karen, the Hmong, the Yao, the Akha, the Lisu, and the Lahu. With the majority being nomadic farmers- they tend to migrate whenever they feel as though the soil at their present location is becoming depleted.

We are also arranging a whitewater rafting trip- on a bamboo raft..crazy. Also, an afternoon elephant ride through the dense jungles which comprise most of northern Thailand.

We've heard stories from other travellers of being pressured into smoking opium during their stay in these villages..


This could get quite interesting..

Monday, April 14, 2008

Thailand is My Land..

สวัสดีปีใหม่-Sawatdi pi mai

April 14, 2008


1:30PM- Depart Singapore International Airport

3:25PM- Arrive Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi)

3:31PM- Customs/ Acquire checked luggage

3:43PM- Jump through several hoops trying to find reasonably priced transportation

4:04PM- Acquire reasonably priced transportation

4:35PM- Arrive at our $10/night hostel which just so happens to be the most beautiful place I've ever set foot in!!

4:41PM- Leave the Hostel to explore the area

4:42PM- Get completely doused with ice cold water and some sort of pasty flour-type substance


4:43PM- Realize that it's Songkran, The Thai New Year!


We really seem to have a knack for absolutely perfect timing with our destinations.. more to come!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

A Short Stint in Singapore


Simply put, the rest of our Australian adventure was absolutely fantastic! After our diving voyage, we drove to Airlie Beach for one amazing week. We managed to pass the time by hopping around the Whitsunday Islands via sailboat and kayak- sunbathing at every deserted beach we could find.

Our next destination was Melbourne which just so happens to be one of the most sensational cities I've ever visited! However, having only a few short days in a city with so much to offer- we only managed to skim the surface.. On the brightside, its a wonderful excuse to visit once again! The highlight was going to an Australian Rules Football match or "Footy" at the MCG stadium- what a night!!


If you don't know what this sport is then watch this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_hqosNvv5E


After Melbourne, we took a few days to say our bittersweet farewells to Sydney..


And so here we are in the lovely island nation of Singapore (aka safest city ever) staying at a hostel in "Little India". Stray cats roam the streets and have such an affinity for venturing our rooms. The city is gorgeous and clean but there are lots of rules and laws with fines for seemingly everything. For example, if you are caught chewing gum, the fine is $1000..

During a morning jog yesterday, Derek and I got caught in a wild monsoon.. quite interesting. Afterwards we visited the Lian Shan Shuang Lin Buddhist Monastery and learned about much of the history and politics of such a culturally eclectic city- complete with Chinese Prime Minister and Indian President.. how cool is that?

Off to Thailand tomorrow!!!





Thursday, April 3, 2008

The Ocean Breathes Salty..

Yar!


We found ourselves returning from our Great Barrier Reef Excursion just a few short days ago,

Filled with new fantastic memories, I'll share some stories..


..and this is how they go..


T'was quite the warm eve on March twenty-five,

When we began to assemble a seasoned and salty crew,
We had planned on a SCUBA dive

or two (ten, actually)..




Our vessel, at first sight, was quite a bit of a fright- as I know it would've scared even you..









Having been a long while since me last dive, I prayed and prayed to stay alive..


While under the crashing waves of the big, deep blue..












Once aboard, our Captain assures us that his nautical skills are anything but new, and- in any dire situation, he'd know exactly what to do..





Yar, and so our journey began through the rough and salty seas,

makin' me quite weak in me knees- had me missin' that sweet and solid ground..

But after only one dive, I felt so alive to see what a bounty I had found..

The most remarkable creatures I've ever seen: some nice, some mean- were among us,

swimming all around..




We saw Sharks, both ancient..










and new..













Not to mention, plenty of Turtles too..







We witnessed giant Sting Rays and a pair of Skates,

all, while encountering several venomous Sea Snakes..








Most memorable would be the World Famous wreck of the Yongala which, in 1911, tragically found the sea floor,


Bound for Townsville that faithful day, not knowing what was in store-
that the weather
was oh so poor..








During our trip, our only complaint was the cook who, despite being very nice, would undercook the rice and make it quite the chore to chew (Amy, if you're reading this, I am very sorry but we both know it to be true)..





Such a teriffic experience for our fantastic group of four

who knows just what else this unbelievable trip will have in store....

Thursday, March 20, 2008

1 Ford Fiesta, 2 Intoxicating Islands and 3000 Captivating Kilometers

Wow.


This past week in New Zealand has been an absolute whirlwind of infinite excitement!


Instead of boring you with all the stories and whatnot, I am going to write a brief list of highlights...








- Driving stickshift on the lefthand side of the road.. Crazy!



- Blackwater Rafting in a subterranean river marvelling at Glow-worms lighting up the ceiling.



- Plenty of Wine Tastings



- Bungy Jumping the Second Highest Jump in the WORLD.. over 440 Feet into a canyon.. no hands.. head first!










- Camping DIRECTLY under a VERY active Railroad Viaduct








- Visiting the Longest-Named Place in the world




- Having limited radio and only 4 awful CDs: Best of Tears for Fears, Best Irish Drinking Songs (volume 3), Best of Moby and Gregorian Chants to the music of the Beatles


- Camping on a completely gorgeous and deserted beach





- Driving through a Rainforest to get to a Glacier













- Getting our car to pony-up to 170 km/hr




- Not getting a speeding ticket (although Dan can't say the same)







- Taking our poor car off road to camp in the river bed of a gorgeous valley with spectacular views





-... and plenty of debauchery inbetween!

Sunday, March 9, 2008

We slept in a Chillean Park this Morning

Yep.

Flight into Santiago at 5 am. Hostel check in at 2 pm.

Homeless.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Forgive Me Father, For I Have Sinned..

Yep.

First of all, please forgive me for the following.. my grammar just so happens to be lacking at the moment. Running on no sleep whilst composing my accounts of this evening at 7 am.. I am simply trying to stay awake for the free breakfast at our hostel.. one must take advantage of the eggs (huevos) as they are really hard to come by in my neck of the woods..

Our fast and furious night in Lima was filled (to the brim) with restaurants, bars and MANY crazy/insane locals... One minute I thought we were going to have to fight these guys, the next- we were like best buds.. stories for another time and place though, of course.

Around 2am, after countless Pisco Sours, we venture into the largest of all the casinos in Lima.

Casino Royale, AKA The Deathstar.

Feeling quite saucy, I belly up to the roulette table and pony-up 400 soles (aka mucho american dollars) and put it ALL on Black.

Bad move.

Poor form.

The ball spins round and I anxiously await it´s arrival.

Red 27.

Damn...

So, now, I am over 100 U.S. dollars down. Should I stop??

Yes.

Do I??

No.

Immediately, I saunter on over to the balckjack table (Dad, I know you can appreciate this)..

I sit, with large audience, and continue to gamble for the next three hours..

Long story short- I left that poor, poor casino high and dry..

Winning back the 400 I lost and walking out the door OVER 500 soles ahead.

Vegas, here I come baby..

Thursday, March 6, 2008

In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle..


And now, back to civilization.

After navigating through over 50k of dense Peruvian Jungle and Cloud Forrests for the past few days- we've decided to take it easy in Cuzco today.. maybe even get a massaje or two.

The Inca Trail is a vast road comprised of slick, lichen-ridden boulders complete with massive amounts of altitude change.

Sitting here, even now, my calves and quads continue to echo with the incessant pain of thousands of ancient stairs.

The rain was relentless. The altitude sometimes hovered around 14,000'. "Dead Woman´s Pass" was a nightmare, as you could imagine. Additionally, with our track-record of withstanding extreme backpacking conditions- we were prepared for ANYTHING and, therefore, brought WAY too much with us. Our packs were around 20kg- which just so happens to be the Legal Limit for the Porters who carried other people's packs... can you say badass??

That being said, the Inca Trail was THE highlight of our trip so far!! Aside from the adverse conditions, the trail really wasn't that hard and the Inca Ruins (six separate sites) we visited along the way were truly a treat.

Again, conditions aside, this was the most luxurious camping we have ever experienced. Pancakes and porridge in the morning, afternoon tea (complete with fresh popcorn), and gourmet lunches and dinners that would make even Wolfgang Puck a very jealous and sad man.

Our guide, Rubens, was a very interesting individual- and, for the sake of keeping this site clean, I will spare details.. lets just say that he´s had more than a fair share of coca leaves in his day.

Our group was so much fun! There were fourteen of us from Canada, UK, USA and Holland.. we all got along very well and I´m sure that we´ll stay in touch for years to come.. and always remember that certain special train ride home.

Needless to say, Machu Picchu was somewhat of a spiritual experience- There´s a reason why it's one of the world wonders. Machu Picchu really was one of the most beautiful cities I´ve ever seen. So stunning, in fact, it gave me the chills..

As for tonight, partying at the Loki Hostel, yet again. We just cannot seem to escape this place.. too much fun. Tomorrow, we fly back to Lima at 7 am, stay there for a night, then fly to Santiago and stay there for a night. Then its off to New Zealand, baby!

South America has been a blast but there´s a whole other world we´ve yet to visit......

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Gettin´ all Cultural en la Cocina

Yesterday was a big day, my friends.



Four of us from the hostel met up with our beloved Cusqueñan friend (Deiter) around 11am. He had promised to give us a grand tour of the city. Remember now that Deiter was the same bloke that convinced us to trespass into the Incan Ruins a few days ago..


Anyways, he took us all around the city- showing us museums, monestaries and ruins while explaining their signifigance in Spanish.. It was like two lessons in one! He was quite the tour guide. One of the museums contained mumified Incan remains which were fully intact.. some of them still had hair.. spooky. All in all, it was a very educational day.



After our city tour, we all went to a Spanish school to attend a Peruvian Cooking Class that Derek and I had heard about from some girls at the market a few days ago.


This experience was the absolute highlight of my trip to Cuzco..


We helped prepare and cook (and chow down, of course) an authentic Peruvian Dinner for over 20 people (mostly local but some international) consisting of a dish known as Arróz Chaufa or Chinese-style fried rice. We made many new friends.. everyone there absolutely adored us (of course) and our infinite charm.. Laughter was in the air the entire evening.


Afterwards, we all went to a delightful discoteque known as ¨Mama Africa¨ and danced until the sunrise..



Tuesday, February 26, 2008

We broke a few laws today so uh, we really should´ve gone to Peruvian Prison..

Thats right!

We hiked up to the entrance of the park of the Christo Blancó/Inca Ruins (aka Sacsayhuaman, pronounced ¨sexy woman¨) where we were greeted by ¨tourist police¨. These ¨police¨ wanted 40 soles (approx. 15 dollars US) as an entrance fee to continue the climb up to the park.

However, we are on a budget.

After our talk with the tourist police, this little Cusqueñan teenager approached us and advised us to follow him.. so we did. We talked to him for a while, exercising our Spanish skills, while he assured us that he´d taken others on this ¨free alternative hike before¨.

A bit scared and completely unsure- we continued to follow him up the street towards a residential neighborhood.

At some point, he leads us to a hill on the side of the road and tells us to cross this gnargly-looking barbed wire fence. Derek and I look at each other and decide that trespassing in a foreign country probably isn´t the best idea. However, tempted by the thrill of another adventure, I urge Derek that ¨everything is okay¨.. and I follow it up with a, ¨we can trust him¨...

While climbing through the tangled barbed wire, tearing our clothes, the harsh reality sets in that we really are doing something stupid... yet, again. However, we continue uphill- navigating our way through dense, sharp brush- hearts pounding with fear. At one point, we were definately on someone´s property and we have no idea whether or not there are any existing ¨make my day¨ laws on the books in Cuzco.. this notion alone added a little something special to the whole situation.

Finally, after all of the high altitude hiking, we make it to the top of the hill that overlooks Sacsayhuamán and the Christo Blanco- completely filled with a sense of pride and accomplishment. This Incan archaeological site truly is enormous and magnificent! (to tell you the truth, it would´ve been worth it to pony-up the 40 soles..) We sneak into the site through more dense brush, making certain that our presence goes unnoticed with the guards positioned down below. After entering the site, seemingly unnoticed, we have a look around. We climb around on the ruins and look out over the city. The sky was very clear today so the views were absolutely incredible.

After about 5 minutes on the site, we are confronted by a guard- sternly asking us for our ¨boleto¨or ¨ticket¨. Being the sneaky bastard that I am- I rifle through my backpack with such a contrived look of perplexity on my face. Immediately, I answer, ¨mi bolso esta abierto¨- loosly meaning ( I think, at least) that one of my zippers was open (which it was) persuasively saying that our passes must have fallen out.

Wow, doubt this guard has ever heard this same exact story from a couple of gringos before.. riiiiight.

He tells us to climb back down to where the rest of the guards are stationed, (aka the Lion´s Den) find the alleged guard who allegedly ¨checked¨ our tickets to begin with, and have that guard issue us new ones. We agree and start climbing down- meanwhile, this kid is freaking out. He keeps telling us to ¨esperar¨or ¨wait¨ until the guards leave.. uh, yeah right kid. This kid´s ¨loco¨state of mind really had me frightened. We continue to walk down to the gate, hearts pounding like crazy with the uncertainty of our almost certain fate of going to prison for trespassing. Again, we were confronted by more guards.

They proceeded to escort us off the site.

And that was it! No jail, no extortion, not even a slap on the wrist..

Thank you, Christo.

We booked it back to the central plaza- and here we sit, reliving our eventful day in Cuzco.....

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Cuzco, The City Where We Booze-mo'

Have you ever eaten chicken soup?

Why, of course you have.

I really used to adore this meal.



Until last night that is.

Derek and I decided that we needed yet another adventure last night at 8pm. So we popped into a local restaurant just down the street from our hostel. It was a small, hole in the wall type place (which only serves one dish a night, apparently) but we were starving so we deemed it acceptable. We sit down and a young woman greets us with two piping hot bowls of soup. Immediately, we dig in. Everything is going great until I bring a heaping spoonful of chicken foot (pictured above) to my mouth..




We definately have iron stomachs, but the soup was a bit much. Following the soup was a bird entree. Now, I'd like to believe it was chicken too but who knows. We haven't seen too many pigeons in this city which could be a bad thing- if you know what I mean. With my leftover "chicken", I fed a few of the stray animals that were wandering around this restaurant.. So I guess I did my good deed for the day.

I washed dinner down with a delicious Inca Kola, we got the check and got the hell outta there.

How much was the food?

5 Peruvian Soles or, approximately, 90 U.S. cents per person... what a steal!

We returned to our hostel, threw on our togas and went straight to the bar to try and settle our stomachs with the sauce.



Boy, did it do the trick.



(Pictured below: Derek and I doing the International sign for "birdfoot")

Derek and I hadn't been to a toga party together in over 10 years.. we had such a blast! We met several interesting people from all over the world.. including a hot little Canadian number who had a seamstress custom fit her toga. What
an amazing night!

We have a week until our Machu Picchu expedition so we are just counting down the days.. We met a few girls last night who work in a local orphanage so we might try to be productive and do the same...

Thursday, February 21, 2008

24 Hours in Lovely Lima..








News!!

Regarding my previous post of the ¨Lima Lunch Fiasco¨: This Just In.. Breaking News.. Derek and I DID NOT, I repeat, DID NOT get sick from our ¨lovely¨ lunch at the restaurant entitled, ¨Rico Menu¨!! However, I am almost positive that I now have new and exciting protozoan friends scurrying around my intestines- but I feel completely healthy regardless.

Anyways, the rest of Tuesday, Feb. 19th went well! We ended up meeting Sarah and Lisa- two lovely ladies travelling from Berlin. The four of us ate some dinner and saw the movie ¨Desperacion en una Noche¨ aka ¨Gone Baby Gone¨ at the local cine.. good flick I might add. Afterwards, we all got some drinks on the balcony of a swanky restaurant which overlooked the city and ocean.. absolutely gorgeous! We sat there for hours just laughing hysterically..

We all awoke the following morning to take an organized city tour of Lima. The tour itself was a bit on the cheesy side but- fun and informative nonetheless. We visited Incan ruins and museums, the main square, a beautiful monestary and underlying catacombs complete with the remains of over 25,000 dead people.. awesome.

Afterwards, we all decided to get a bit crazy and go to some clubs. We all drank ONE, I repeat, ONE Pisco Sour at the first place we went to and I swear that the bartender had spiked it with some GHB, or equivalent, ´cause we were ALL 3 sheets to the wind afterwards.. We danced for a bit, got some food and listened to some of the live and local, Bob Dylan-esque talent.. such a beautiful evening! Well, it was beautiful until we had to leave the bar at 3:15 am in order to catch our 5:00 am flight to Cusco, Peru.. awful.

So now, we´re in Cusco! Cusco is a marvelous mountain city where llamas roam the cobblestone streets and Machu Picchu is only a stone´s throw away! Now, correct me if I am wrong, but I have been told that Cusco is the oldest continually inhabited city in the Americas..


Tomorrow, we plan on doing some hiking to various sites of archaeological interest. Also earmarked, are plans of taking a bus to Puno, Peru. From there we would travel to Lake Titicaca (largest, most gorgeous high altitude lake in the Americas) and stay a night or two on the Bolivian side of the lake; a place known as Copacabana where you stay on some exotic island in the middle of the lake..

As for right now, we accidentally chose the ¨party hostel¨again and there just so happens to be toga party- either tonight or tomorrow..

Maybe Derek and I will be able to attend while revisiting those tender memories of a certain, infamous, toga party he took me to when I was only in the eighth grade..

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The Lima Lunch Fiasco..

Ha! Ok, so I really wish I had some pictures to help do the following description justice BUT here it goes...

So, Derek and I took a flight out of Santiago at 8am on Monday, Feb. 18th after only 2 hours of sleep.. this is becoming an awful trend of ours. After a luxurious flight with LAN airlines (highly recommended if travelling through South America), we arrived in wonderful Lima, Peru.

The city of Lima has a current population of apporox 9 million and a taxi driver population of over 200,000!! It is a bustling coastal city with a rich history and endless character..

Oh and p.s., we were specifically told not to even think about even brushing our teeth with the water.. Apparently, Montazuma lives in the plumbing down here too..

So, anyway, we arrive at our hostel (Barranco Backpackers´Hostel is absolutley immaculate, they even give you a towel) around lunchtime and we are absolutely famished! Completely disoriented in the heat and humidity, we start wandering around in search of a place that serves pollo (the safest of foods in these parts). We came across a few different cafes which looked very dirty inside so we trudged on. Finally, after what seemed to be hours of wandering, we saw a menu posted outside of a small building which had "pollo" written all over it. Without even looking inside, we decided to enter.

Mother of God.

What an awful decision.

We found ourselves sitting in a windowless 10´x 15´room with a corrugated sheet metal ceiling that was completely eroded away in one corner. Immediately, a young Peruvian woman asks us if we want "Cerviche". Disoriented and famished, we respond with a "Hell yes", thinking that we´re going to get a couple of frosty beers.

Ha! What we got was the furthest thing from it..

She proceeds to bring out a plate of what looked like seaweed and vomit. It turned out to be a cold, raw, squid plate complete with onions and, of course, seaweed.

We began to feast.

After all, we were hungry and in no state of mind to make any sound decisions. However, we didn´t even touch the pitcher of lemonade that she had also brought out- I mean, we didn´t want to get sick afterall.

So, long story short.. We ate a fair amount of the vomit salad and the lukewarm pollo that accompanied it. The total bill was 8 Peruvian soles or 2 us dollars for the both of us. We paid the check and got the hell out of there- but not before our waitress asked us if we would eat there again- we screamed yes, in spanish, and ran out.

A few minutes later, we entered a legitimate bar and drank away the lukewarm memories of the Lima Lunch Fiasco.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Argentina.. oh so classy

Scary. This word would be an understatement when describing our bus ride from Valpo to Mendoza on Thursday. Our driver navigated primative switchbacks through the Andes which could rival those found on Bolivia´s "Death Road"..

It was so worth it though..

Arriving in Mendoza that afternoon, we were nothing short of impressed. After an intense 8 hours in that filthy bus, we needed to relax.

The streets of Mendoza were clean, the people were nice and the vibe was just what we needed. We took a cab to Hostel Lagares.. AKA the Ritz Carlton. Lagares is the nicest hostel in the southern hemisphere.. the rooms are spotless, showers are hot, kitchen is usable and, most importantly, bedbugs: nonexistant.



Mendoza is a wonderful city with so much to offer! The inviting climate and vineyards remind me of northen cali while the girls remind me of southern heaven. We rented bikes

during our first day and explored the entire city. We found the streets to be lined with shops, cafes and loads of character.

Yesterday, we rented bikes again and took a tour of several outstanding vineyards. We spent 7 hours riding around the countryside and tasting impressive wines. We were also able to catch glimpses of the famous Aconcagua Peak.. the highest in the westen hemisphere (think I might have to wait till next year to climb it). After visiting 4 vineyards and a liquor factory (where genuine Absinthe is still manufactured, yum yum), riding the bikes became quite interesting.. Sharing a one lane road with speeding cars was a bit intense.

Valparaiso, quick and dirty..

Although, we only managed to spend 24 hours in Valparaiso- we definately made the most of it.

This coastal port had lots of character. The houses were painted with every different color of the rainbow, the steep and curvy streets were littered with creative murals and there seemed to be quaint little cafes on every corner.

We spent the entire day exploring the city- appreciating the ocean views from the hilltop. For lunch we ate at a cafe that only served one dish which consisted of french fries, scrambled eggs, onions and steak.. well, at least the atmosphere was good.


The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful. Derek and I got toasty at a local bar- just down the street from our hostel (Hostel Yoyo is just like a bedbug farm by the way).. quite fun but not conducive to our 7am wakeup the next day to catch our bus to Mendoza. The only food we could locate was a "Completo"... I hope to God that I never eat another hotdog at 7am..

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Argentina, anyone??

Derek and I arrived in Santiago, Chile yesterday and founnd it to be a very bland and sterile place to be. Don´t get me wrong, we were only there for 24 hours so we didn´t get the chance to experience all of it but- we decided to get out quickly..

So, we fled to Valparaiso, Chile early this morning. Valparaiso is a very colorful and beautiful city nestled in the hills on the coast of Chile.. approx. 2 hrs. away from Santiago. The immense character of this place made for a very enjoyable day of exploring. However, we met an englishman who highly suggested a trip to Mendoza, Argentina. Argentina was not on our original itinerary but we just booked a bus ride there for tomorrow!!

Supposedly, Mendoza is a "must see" with much to do.. including a 40k bikeride/winery tour!

Tell you all about it when we get there..

Ciao

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Oh Brazil, How I love Thee..

One word. Wow. Carnival was one of the most amazing experienes of my entire life and I will surely be back again next year! Carnival really is THE biggest party on the planet and New Orleans has got absolutely nothing on Rio. I wish I could fully convey my experiences through the follwing but it is just not possible.

Please bear with me as I am in a VERY strange Chilean cafe while writing this.

Derek and I stayed at the El Misti Hostel in Botafogo Beach which was QUITE interesting. Upon arrival, we were placed into the Female Dorm (aye, aye, aye)!! We met people from all over the world at El Misti.. Places such as Norway, UK, Finland, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Chile, and Brazil of course. For the most part, we never met another person from the US! With a few exceptions (me), most people at the hostel (about 80 total) had quit their jobs to travel for months on end. Crazy!

We frequented the "Blocos", which are dozens of organized street parties occuring all over the city. Hundreds and hundreds of people would follow a huge truck which played live Samba music while traveling around the block. Lots of drinking (fortunately, I am keeping a journal) and Street-Meat involved. The Blocos were nothing short of amazing!! Costumes were a must. I wore waterwings and a snorkel.. for 4 consecutive days.. oh so goofy. However, the costume seemed to do the trick with the ladies because I have never gotten so much attention....

Brazillian women LOVE to kiss. Oh, and did I mention that they are the most stunning people on the planet?

At one particular Bloco in the Centro part of Rio- I met a group of local Brazillians that truely touched my heart. We ended up spending several days and nights laughing, singing (Dancing Queen), drinking and dancing together. My absolute favorite night in Rio was spent at a BBQ at Leos house. We danced and sang until the sun came up! This group of people had some of the kindest hearts of anyone on this earth. I really appreciated how genuine they all are.

I will NEVER forget Pedro, Julia, Leo, Kimon and Juliana. I love you guys!!

Pedro is The International William Charles, by the way. We are just like brothers!

The Sambadromo was also a spectacular event. You really need to see it to believe it. A parade of THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of people from different Samba Schools around the area perform with the most intricate and ornate floats Ive ever seen. Some of the floats were fun and had skiers tearing up a slope- while others were highly controversial consisting of dead babies and bloody births.. yuck.

Dont get the wrong idea. Derek and I didnt just drink the whole time. We hiked up Urca Mountain- neighbor of the world famous Pao de Azucar or Sugar Loaf and took the tram. We saw the famous Christo Statue.. so quintessential to Rio. We visited the beaches of Copacobana and Ipanema. We also took the Trolley up into the hilly town of Santa Teresa.. so beautiful!!


Rio De Janiero is truely spectacular with seemingly endless amusing activities.

With such sweet memories of Rio, I am absolutely destined to return!!