Chao! Nos Vemos en EEUU.

So friends and anonymous followers, this is the official final post from South America for me. I am counting down the hours now until I arrive to the airport and get taken away by a big plane. No more exciting stories or complaints about South American life, this is the end and it has been an exhaustingly enjoyable journey.

Buenos Aires has been the perfect place to round out the trip. Three weeks of chilling in a really cool city and seeing a lot of great things: Recoleta Cemetary where Eva Peron is buried, a Boca Jr. soccer match, el Caminito tango shows, antique fairs, huge beautiful parks, the pink house, etc. I know this city really well and am looking forward to the day that I return to Argentina to see everything I haven´t on this first time around.

Hopefully this blog has been something that has kept your interest throughout the duration. I know the frequency of posts diminished over time but that is because things stopped surprising us. We got used to the tempo of life, the buses, the hostals, the people and the food. This place started to feel almost normal. And now we are coming home and perhaps some reverse culture shock will set in.

This time, however, we will be able to tell you about it in person.

Thanks for reading and I hope to see each and every one of you very soon.

Katie

I needed a break..so I came to Uruguay.

Just for two days. I arrived yesterday by boat from Buenos Aires. It was just a three hour ride and landed in Colonia. Then all that was necessary was a two and a half hour bus ride and I arrived in Montevideo, capitol city of Uruguay. I arrived with the company of a friend, Aaron from NYC (same Aaron from volcano trek and Torres del Paine). For the remainder of last evening, we strolled the streets and took in some dinner. We then settled down for the night and planned out our next day in the city. We would wake up pretty early, rent some bikes and take them to the Rambla where we would ride till we grew tired and then we would throw frisbee and have a great day in the sunny weather. It was a great plan until we awoke in the middle of the night to rain beating down on the rooftop that didn´t stop until around noon. So we devised a plan over breakfast that took us to a couple museums and finally, a good lunch in the open air market down by the waterfront. Although we would have preferred plan number one, number two worked out just fine and we were thankful that it included the amazing traditional Uruguayan lunch of grilled-over-an-open-pit fire veggies (including but not limited to: eggplant, zucchini and sweet potato), chorizo sausage and filet migñon. After lunch, Aaron had to return to Colonia to catch the boat back to BA but I was able to spend more time in town before taking the bus to Colonia. I wanted to go the the Rambla and walk around a bit but the wind was so strong that I could barely step forward and I was already beginning to get soaked so I gave in and went on to the bus station. Now I am in Colonia preparing for an early bed time.

Speaking of early bed times...the reason I am here was partly to explore another country and also, as the title says, to get a break from BA. You see, when you have so many groups of friends in a place that is known for it´s nightlife, sometimes its hard to get a night in that doesn´t include a five a.m. bedtime. Since Hallye has left me for Bolivia, I have kept the friendships with the people we met before and have made new friendships in the city. I have Aaron and Dinesh with their apartment in Palermo, Aussie Chris who moves around the city and always seems to have a new Aussie friend of his own turning up, there are the Dutch girls that I met in Iguazu, the Norwegian girls I met through the dutch girls in the hostal, and some Dutch guys that met the Dutch girls in El Calafate, Argentina. So with friends like these and a new bar or club to go to every night, I began to be so sleep deprived that I felt like a zombie walking around the streets of Buenos Aires and decided that once the Dutch girls went back to Holland that I would take a break and get out of the city and into a bed! So here I am well rested and ready to tackle Colonia tomorrow. Likely I will treat myself to a good pasta lunch (notably good here in Italian-influenced Uruguay) and an afternoon in a cafe. I need to take advantage of my solitude here because I know as soon as I go back to BA, there is going to be more celebrating of something. The other night it was Dutch girls´s last night, the night before it was Dutch guys´s first night and tomorrow night it will probably be my first night back from Uruguay. I just can´t escape the madness! Luckily I have had good luck with the hostals lately. Before I left for Uruguay, I was in a hostal where the lady home made croissants for our breakfast! In the hostal waiting for me tomorrow night, I have my own room for the same price I have been paying for dorm rooms lately! However, it is hard not to think about what I have ahead of me in just six days....my VERY OWN BED in Louisville, Kentucky. That´s right folks, just six more days till my lovely face graces your presence once again. Aren´t you excited? Or have you enjoyed your respite from me?

Hopefully you are still reading, I have noticed that ¨0 comments¨ at the bottom of every blog entry and have wondered if I lost you somewhere along the road. But I keep writing in faith that a few of you are still following. Also, I enjoy writing this. It is different from writing in my journal where I am my only audience.

Well if you were wondering what the differences are that I have found between Uruguay and Argentina, let me begin. I will keep the comparison between Buenos Aires and Montevideo because these are the places that I know the best. It basically comes down to one major thing...while the porteños (people of BA) walk around in their Prada and Polo like they own the world with their surgically adjusted noses stuck so far up that they resemble the obelisk on 13 de Julio, the citizens of Montevideo are much more warm and relaxed...or that could just be the effect of all that dang mate that they are sucking from those gourds all day (inside joke only for people who have been to BA or MVD). That is all the comparison I have for you really. It just stuck out to me so much. In general, MVD is much more chilled out and humble. BA is a bit intimidating and fashionably self-important.

Well, I´m really looking forward to this early bedtime I have been raving about so I must be going. Stay tuned for a few more posts before the end of the trip. I am sure I will have some final words or something like that. Words of travel wisdom, reflection, what I miss about the US and what I can live without for the rest of my life, etc. All for the next installment.

Until then,
Katie

Bolivia

Hey everyone (if you are still reading)! It is Hallye. I am in La Paz, Bolivia now. I think Katie explained how we split up for the last two weeks of our trip. She wanted to stay in Buenos Aires and I wanted to go to Bolivia. So after our visit to Iguazu falls, I took a bus to Bolivia (it took two days!) and Katie returned to Buenos Aires.
First, I loved Buenos Aires and I am still kind of jealous that Katie is still there. Buenos Aires was both relaxing and fun. I loved sitting in the outdoor cafes drinking coffee or trying another Argentinian wine. I also loved how each neighborhood had its own personality. It was a difficult place to leave however our trip to Iguazu falls was wonderful. The current water levels did not allow us to take the boat out to the island by the falls, but the our view of the falls was still impressive. It is was much warmer in Iguazu than in Buenos Aires so we enjoyed the mist from the waterfalls spraying our faces.
Bolivia is completely different from its neighbor. The buses are old, the roads are either in horrible condition or not paved at all and there is visible poverty everywhere. However, for some reason...I love it. There are several reasons why I love it.
1. The people are incredibly friendly and always want to chat with you.
2. The food is not what I expected. I heard that food here is awful but I have found the opposite. I love salteñas (chicken or beef mixed with onions and peppers and wrapped in a pastry shell...similar to empanadas but a bit spicier).
3. There are so many interesting things to do here!!

My first stop was the Salar de Uyuni. This is where the largest salt flat in the world is located. The white salt stretches for almost 11,000 square kilometers and allows for some great photos where it looks like you are holding others in your hand. I will post some pictures. It worked out where I was able to a one day tour and still be able to see the Isla Incahaus (basically and cactus and rock island that is located in the middle of the salt plains), the hotel made of salt and of course the salt flat itself.

My next stop in Bolivia was Potosì. This city is famous not only for being one of the highest cities in the world but for its mines as well. The main reason I came here was to take a tour of one of the working mines and I am so glad I did it because it was an eye-opening experience. My book and our tour guide both claimed that enough silver was mined out of ¨Cerro Rico¨to build a silver bridge all the way to Spain...and that enough people died in the mines to build a bridge of bones all the way back. On the tour, I was able to walk through the tiny tunnels and learn the history of the mines, talk with miners and give them gifts that we bought them (dynamite, alcohol and coca leaves) and learn about some of the rituals that the miners do for good luck. The miners that we talked to were friendly and seemed happy to chat with us. Their ages ranged from 20 to 50 years old. They work for long periods inside the mine without coming out and will only chew on coca leaves while inside (they give you energy and suppress your appetite). They are also exposed to lots of harmful substances while working and therefore their life expectancies are cut short (some say only 20 years after they start working in the mine).

After Potosí I took a taxi to Sucre, the ´constitutional´capital of Bolivia. I enjoyed my time in Sucre (just over one day). The attractive white buildings, lovely plaza and cobblestone streets make Sucre a beautiful city. I hiked up the steep streets to where el Museo de la Recoleta was located one afternoon. The main reason I wanted to go here was to see an orange tree that is claimed to be over 1000 years old (and it was impressive) but I was pleasantly suprised at how much I enjoyed the rest of the monastary. There were some beautiful courtyards and very old pieces of art. After my visit to the monastary I went to a cafe that I heard had the best view of Sucre. I had two strawberry milkshakes and then trekked back down to my hostal to retrieve my backpack to catch my night bus to La Paz.

So here I am in La Paz now. I arrived about six thirty this morning and am waiting to hear if there is a bed in one of the dormitories at the hostal I am currently at (they are letting me use the free interent and breakfast...even though I am not technically staying here yet!). From La Paz, I plan to visit Lake Titicaca (claimed to be the highest navigable lake in the world) one day, go on a bike ride another day and then head back home.

I hope we still have a few readers and I will plan on doing one more blog entry to give my final thoughts on our trip!

I Belong in BA

If I never come home, you know where to find me and let me tell you why...Buenos Aires is where I belong. Now of course, I truly belong in Kentucky with my friends and family. But if I could magically transplant you all into Buenos Aires, all would be perfect in the world. Today while Hallye was trying to go to Uruguay (she didn´t make it...I´m sure she will tell you about that later), I was exploring another part of town called San Telmo. I arrived in this barrio (neighborhood) without a map nor any real direction. I just knew that I wanted to spend the day exploring another part of town and I knew how to get there on the metro. After climbing the metro stairs and standing on the side of 9 of Julio (the widest street in the world..like ten lanes or something crazy like that), I undauntedly made my way across the endlessly wide road to the other sidewalk and decided to sit myself down in the first corner cafe and figure out where in the heck I was. After sipping on a cafe cortado and cold water, I asked the waiter where the center of San Telmo was and he pointed down the street and told me four blocks. I paid the man and tipped him (ten percent...first encounter with tips in SA) followed his directions. Before arriving in San Telmo, I was unsure of what I would find. Some had described it as ¨older¨and ¨hippie¨. Great! I thought. I like old and hippie. But some had also described it as worn and uninteresting. What I found when I finished the four blocks was mindboggling and something new and exciting for me. The streets were filled with people mingling among tents and tables. As I got closer, I figured out that Sunday is Antique fair day in San Telmo. Even Better! I thought. I love antiques. So I kept walking and on every block I witnessed artists in the act of making art, musicians playing guitar, dancers dancing the tango, and tons of people selling cool antique EVERYTHING you can think of. San Telmo was 100 percent old and hippie and artsy and awesome and I loved it.

Another motive I had for going to San Telmo that day was to discover whether I liked it well enough to live there for the following week after Hallye and I part ways. I am really fond of the Palermo neighborhood and it was a tough choice. Palermo has heaps of parks and on weekends and weekdays alike people are filling the parks to play soccer and people are continuously running/walking/rollerblading/biking on the streets and sidewalks. Parks alone are enough to keep me in a place given my love for the outdoors but I also wanted to make sure I get to know all parts of BA. What Palermo has in parks and restaurants, it lacks in the streetlife that San Telmo has. It is difficult to avoid a free tango performance in the streets in San Telmo on the weekends and the demographic is much more diverse. So I came to a solution. I went ahead and booked a hostal in San Telmo for after I return from Iguazu Falls until I go to Uruguay for a few days. On the weekends and evenings, I can easily take the metro into Palermo for a jog and to rent a bike, and return to home in San Telmo when I need some culture. The beauty of public transportation!

After Uruguay, I also have a few days before my flight back home and I might move into the centro for a couple days. But who knows! Opportunities abound! But right now, Hallye and I are in Iguazù preparing to visit the falls tomorrow. It was a short flight up north to here where the borders of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay join forces. On Wednesday I will fly back to BA and Hallye will continue on to Bolivia. Next Monday, I am off to Uruguay to visit Colonia and the capital city Montevideo and will return the following Wednesday. There is still plenty left for me to see in Buenos Aires. One day I will go to the gigantic Recoleta cemetery where Eva Peron is buried. This is supposedly the most beautiful cemetary in the world and one of the most sprawling as well. Also, I have some shopping to do (I am going to try and fit in with these chic porteñas at least once before I leave) and maybe will treat myself to a real tango dinner show. I have to tell you though. The hostel and 20 hour bus ride life is wearing on me and I am looking forward to coming home. Magically, I have budgeted superbly and am now able to spend some money on good steak dinners and wine.

So good wine, steak, tango, parks, discotecas, attractive spanish accent (and people), style, art, culture, is making me wish I was born porteña...

...do I really wish I was born Argentinian? If I didn´t mind corrupt politicians, smoking a pack a day, and being valued second always to men, then maybe. But I do mind.

So I´m happy being a Kentucky girl.

Katie

We decided to go to Europe.

Yep, we did. We had a little extra money so we bought a flight to Europe. Actually, this is a joke. We are in Argentina at the moment but you wouldn´t know it based on the outdoor cafes we choose to dine at and the lack of dark-skinned latinos to remind us that we are still in South America. Buenos Aires really lives up to it´s reputation as being the most European city in South America. There are big open parks, functioning metro services, trendy shops, and a LOT of style. I will delve more into Buenos Aires in a moment, but allow me first to get you up to date.

After hiking the W trail in Torres del Paine, Hallye and I and our Aussie friend Chris took off for Argentina. We took the bus across the border into Bariloche, Argentina. This was a lovely mountain resort town with some of the best winter sports attractions in South America. Unfortunately we arrived a little too early to enjoy the winter activites as it is still late fall around here but we enjoyed what the city had to offer nonetheless. Bariloche was filled with chocolate shops and winter gear shopping. Because of the high volume of german/austrian/swiss immigrants years back, we really felt like we were in a little village in the alps. The city is situated on a lake and the snowy mountains stood on the other side. All of the architecture had this European influence and the gastronomy was also tell-tale of swiss and german settlers. We took the opportunity in Bariloche to relax and take it easy after our hiking adventure. Our hostel was very comfortable and we were able to watch movies and take short day hikes around town up to great look-outs of the mountains. In Bariloche we took advantage also of the delicious chocolate shops on every corner and great argentinian wines that are sold for about 2 dollars a bottle (and here cheap does NOT mean bad).

After we felt that we had had our fill of Bariloche, we took the 20 hour bus to Buenos Aires. Here, dinner starts at 9, bars start at 12 and discoteca starts at 2. For this, I have just recently woken up (1:00) and am getting my day started. I do not feel like I have wasted half a day as I would at home because I know that the day will end at midnight. The first hostal we stayed in here was in the centro (downtown). We didn´t last very long there because it was filled with a bunch of British soccer hooligans who just sat in front of the big screen all day smoking cigs and drinking and watching football. We found few people that wanted to be social there so we decided to move to a different part of town. Now we are staying in a hotel in Palermo, the trendy upscale part of town. This is also where our friend Aaron is renting an apartment so we are not far from him and his friend and have visited their place numerous times to pass the hours after dinner before going out.

We have already had the pleasure of seeing a soccer match here in BA and let me tell you, it was the experience of a lifetime. Our group of six headed out the day of the match to buy our tickets to the Boca Juniors game and by the time we arrived at the ticket office, the general admission tickets were all sold out and we were forced to by platform tickets for about 20 dollars a piece (which is considered big spending here on a ticket). We were a little bummed about the fact that we were going to be sitting in a nice comfortable seated section..we were wanting the loud raucous experience! Well, we concluded there was nothing to do about it so we left the ticket office and went to have a few pregame beers in a bar nearby. Our pregame celebration was cut short by the fact that bars are prohibited from selling alcohol two hours before game time (to avoid already rabid fans from getting drunk and killing eachother). We left and went down the street and found out that this guy was selling beer to people by pouring it into empty three liter coke bottles. So we got a few and continued enjoying the pregame atmosphere.

All of us were decked out in Boca gear that we had bought earlier in the day so we fit right in with all the fellow Boca fans. Boca (the team loved by BA) was playing a team from Venezuela so it wasn´t hard to decide who we should be rooting for. The only problem was that as we were walking to the stadium that was several blocks from the metro stop where we got off, we apparently were still treading through rival territory. Fans for the other BA team which was not playing that day, would yell at us as they drove or walked by. It dawned on us why we had been seeing other Boca fans with jacket zipped up over their jerseys in 75 degree weather. NOT a good idea to sport your jersey before you get to the stadium. You are bound to get your butt kicked by SOMEONE. There was even a truck that drove by filled with half toothless men yelling at us and banging sticks on the side of the truck. We were a little scared by them and picked up our pace as we walked to the stadium.

So as we were waiting for kickoff, we were hanging out on a side street sidewalk drinking beer and hanging out with other Argentinian Boca fans. We ended up making friends with a few of them and they suggested that we enter with them and perhaps we could make it into the ¨popular¨section where all the crazy fun happens. This ended up working for Hallye and I because we entered with the Argentinian girl we made friends with. Side note: Hallye and I were basically celebrities that night. Not only were we two of just probably about 20 girls in the entire stadium, but apparently everyone thought it was cool that 1) We were female 2) We were American and 3) we were soccer fans wearing the BOCA jersey. IN LIKE FLYNN!

So we got in with the girl (basically ushered past everyone in line because of our female-ness) and made our way to the popular section. Ok picture this...you know on tv (if you have ever seen a pro soccer match on tv) that certain section in the stands where people are jumping up and down for 90 plus minutes chanting and throwing stuff and playing drums and being crazy??? That is where we were! We were in the middle of crazy fan fun chanting the Boca chant and getting our eardrums blown out by the big drums right next to our heads that didn´t stop playing for the duration of the match. We were fist pumping the entire night and acting like we knew the words to all the songs. Luckily Boca scored two goals in the second half and kept the Venezuelans at zero so we didn´t have to worry about trying to exit this madness among pissed off men. It was a championship game, too, so a loss really would have been detrimental to Hallye and my safety.

So basically we are enjoying BA´s vibe and atmoshpere and are taking full advantage of the nightlife. There are gorgeous parks just near our hotel and we love to spend time in cafes and parks. I have picked up jogging again since BA is a great place for running (nice wide and flat surfaces). Monday we set out to Iguazu Falls (google image this!). I will return to Buenos Aires and stay here for the next few weeks before flying home on the 19th. So our trip is coming to a close! You can expect some more postings though as we still have a lot to see and do and tell you about. For now, I have to go though and probably take a nap....Saturday night is quickly approaching. Hope everyone is still reading and enjoying. Be in contact soon.
Katie

up D8!

Heather says....HOLA! It´s been a while! I´m staying in Cusco for a while, perhaps a month, perhaps three, as I´ve found an English teaching gig and a phat-pad. I share a kitchen and a bathroom with 2 Peruvian guys and a Swedish chiquita. My room has lots of natural light and is quite spacious....heather is a happy camper! I start teaching on May 6th, and so I´m currently in Quillabamba, a pueblo about 7 hours by bus from Cusco (yesterday was a long, beautiful, treacherous ride). There are very few tourists here which means lots of staring. Having been in Cusco, aka Gringo-landia, for so many weeks now has made me forget that I stand out in the majority of Peru. It´s hot and humid and I love it. I only wish there was a large body of water close by for me to jump into. Unfortunately, the closest beach worth going to is north of Lima...very far away. No vale la pena! (It´s not worth it!) My spanish is coming along, and I have a book of grammar I´ve been studying, not diligently, but a little :) With the start of English classes I will have a regular daily schedule, which I , surprisingly, very much look forward to. Rise early for class at 8am until 9:30, then I have all day off. I will start again at 4pm and teach until 9pm. Leave home early and get home late! I look forward to being busy! This is why I decided to take my last few days of vacation-life-style in the jungle, with feet up, sipping juice and soaking up the sun.
Breakfast was awwwwesome this morning, two glasses of banana juice! About four bananas blended with a can of condensed milk and algorobina. The latter is a very popular ingredient, used in all freshly prepared juices and lots of other goods too. It is the concentrate of a fruit we are all unfamiliar with in the US but I´m thinking of carrying back, as it´s super good for your health. Every bottle I´ve seen for sale has pictures of muscle men on it. Freshly squeezed orange juice is still my favorite, of course, and so I had that with dinner last night. Que rrrrrrrico! The oranges in Quito are too sour and adding sugar doesn´t help much as it doesn´t dissolve and therefore adds a crunch to your juice, but the fruit here is perfect!
I have lots more photos and will post some soon. Hope all is well up there in the first world. I miss it terribly! Sending love and hugs and un beso de muchos colores! Chau chau

Wild Patagonia

Hello everyone!! It is Hallye and once again I apologize for not posting for so long. I think that last time I posted I wrote about our first impressions of Chile. I LOVE CHILE. It has just gotten better the further we travel down south. Santiago was very cool for a big city...our week in Angostura (wine country) was wonderful and relaxing...Pucon was great because we climbed an active volcano....and now we have just returned from the very southern tip of Chile (Patagonia). It was incredible how close we were to Antartica. We visited the Torres del Paine National Park where we completed a four day, three night trek. Luckily, we met some other travellers who wanted to test their fitness on the 85 kilometer hike with us. We started the ¨W¨ (the name of the trek) on what seemed to be the opposite side of most people. We setup camp around lunchtime and set off on the first leg of the journey- Glacier Grey. The hike itself was not too difficult (until it got dark on the way back!) and each viewpoint that we came to was more beautiful than the one before. We reached the best mirador to see the glacier glistening as the sun started to set. You could not have asked for a prettier scene.

The second day we started off about an hour later than we planned however we still made it to the next part of the ¨W¨ - Valle de Frances. On this part of the trek we watched avalanches come rumbling down the snowy mountains. It was a strange noise - a crack and then a thundering boom. However, the craziest thing about these avalanches is that they were so loud and we were still pretty far away from them. The Valle de Frances was a difficult hike (the muscles around my hips felt like they were ripping apart the entire time), but the view at the end of hike made it worthwhile...I will try to post some pictures later! Camping that night was interesting. I kept waking up trying to decide if the noises that I was hearing was wind, the nearby river or avalanches.

Our third day was the longest hike. We started off at eight that morning and reached our stopping point at about four that afternoon. However, we made great time because we originally thought this part would take at least nine hours and we had to carry our backpacks the entire time. It was a pretty hike. We went on gorgeous beaches of the lakes and through patagonian farmland filled with cows. The last part of this hike was fairly difficult. Actually that is an understatement. I was really not sure if I would make it up the steep, rocky hills. It helped being with three other people because we silently pressured and pushed eachother to keep trekking up the vertical and never-ending hills.

We camped that night at a campsite about forty five minutes from the infamous Torres del Paine. We set our alarms for a little before six in the morning (so we could see the Torres with the sunrise) and then made some hot drinks to attempt to keep ourselves warm. The next morning we woke up and started hiking up to the mirador in the dark...and rain. Luckily our trekking buddies (Chris and Aaron) wore their headlamp lights to light up the trail (but my book light worked pretty well too...thanks Allison!). Looking back at this part of the hike, I am glad that it was pitch dark out because it was so incredibly steep - I do not know if I would have made it up the hill if I had seen how long and steep it looked. Once we reached the top we had to wait for at least thirty minutes for the sun to show itself through the rain clouds. It was cold, windy and rainy. We ate chocolate and trailmix to keep ourselves warm. The sun began to peak from behind the mountains and shine a bit on the base of the Torres and at one point there were signs of a rainbow. The clouds never fully lifted but the views were still amazing! We will post some pictures soon...but for now here is a link to a google image- http://guia.ojodigital.com/albums/userpics/Torres-del-Paine.jpg

We quickly made the descent back to the campsite, drank some hot tea, packed up and started the last leg of our trek. This last part was not too difficult even though by this point Katie and I were both hurting a bit from our rented hiking boots. And truly, the worst part was the last 7 kilometers to the bus that we chose to walk instead of catching the shuttle bus.
Overall- I think that past week has been the best part of our trip thus far. I catch myself saying this every week or so about something that we do...but deciding to spend the little extra money and time to travel to the end of the world was a great decision.
We have a bus to Bariloche, Argentina in a few hours so I am sure we will have some posts about Argentina soon! All my love, Hallye

Doing the W

So we did it. Hallye and I have completed our four day trek of what is known to Patagonian trekkers as the W trail in Torres del Paine national park. In total,we clocked around 85 Kilometers in four days. That is over fifty miles! This was no walk in the park either..it was a hard trek up and down and around some massive rocks and hills. The W trail is named so becuase it takes the form of a W when trekked from one point to the other. The first day after getting off the catamaran which took us to ou first campsite, we set up camp and started off on our first hike. On the bus to the park entrance, we met up with an Aussie who shared his plan of attack for the trail with us and invited us to join him. That made four of us and our little group bonded quickly. The first day was a 7 hour total hike which we did in just 5.5 up to Greys Glacier. Along the way, we took turns setting the pace, got to know eachother, and made up a team name and cheer. We were known among the four of us for the next three days as TEAM PAINE. And little would we know then that we were truly a force to be reckoned with. We sustained minor injuries, cold nights, and rain while breaking almost every time estimation that the trail guide had set for us. After seeing the glacier on the first day, we gladly returned to camp in the dark and prepared for our first night in the patagonian cold.

As I have said, one of the greatest parts about travelling is the people you meet. I do not think I could have made it through the four hard days and three cold nights without the people I was with through it all. At night, Aaron, Chris,Hallye, and I would pack into one of the tents after fixing a warm meal and play cards by flashlight and listen to music and sip on whiskey *which served as an instant warming device*. We had good times and forgot the fact that we would be cold in the middle of the night and have to wake up the next morning super early just to begin another day of trekking. The two guys kept Hallye and I moving at a quick pace *even though Chris said we were making them walk faster than they would by themselves. Hallye and I are very proud of ourselves for accomplishing such a feat and I think Aaron even referred to us once as GI Janes.

On the second day, we woke up early to trek up Valle Frances where a panoramic view of all the snowy mountains could be seen. After just a couple hours of trekking, I had to stop because my boots had rubbed the back of my heel so much that the entire area was exposed revealing the underside of a blister. I had a lot of blood on my socks and it hurt so bad so I had to turn around and go back to camp. I missed out on seeing the view that day. The others say it was absolutely amazing. I did not loose out completely however because I had made it far enough to see a mountain that was producing avalanches every several minutes. I found a rock to sit on and just watched and listened for the loud thundering cracks followed by ice and snow tumbling down. It was a good thing I chose to rest because the next day required us to trek for eight hours with our packs on towards the next campsite. I woke up feeling better and was able to keep up with the others on that long day.

The weather we had down there was beautiful. We were worried when arriving in Puerto Natales because the Strait of Magellan was clouded over and we could barely make out the form of Tierra del Fuego across the way. We feared it would be like that all over the southern tip but we actually had sunshine for three days. On the final day, we got up at 6 so we could hike up to the actual torres and see them drenched in pink and orange of the sunrise. That morning proved to be our first experience with wind, rain, and cloud cover.We didn´t get to see the melange of colors on the huge towers but they were visible nonetheless. After that we headed back to catch the bus back to Puerto Natales to stay the night. Now Hallye and I are waiting for our 1 oclock ride to Bariloche, Argentina. We are looking forward to the cheaper prices and huge steak dinners. We also have plans to reunite TEAM PAINE in Buenos Aires for a celebratory week. The next couple weeks therefore are going to be filled with enjoying ourselves. Trekking the W allowed us a reward. It is waiting for us now in Argentina. Until next time...
Katie

Getting Serious

It´s Katie again and I´m letting you know that Hallye and I are getting serious. Gettin´serious about climbing, that is. We are not playing games here. This hike we are about to undertake is not for children. Starting on Saturday we are going to be doing some intense hiking. Six hours a day for four days and camping hard core style at night in Torres del Paine national park near Chile´s southern tip. This leisurely stroll to the top of this volcano was just a warm up, now its time for us to pull out the big guns.

We like to pretend that it is actually that serious. In reality, this is the most physically exhausting activity that I will have done in my life but I am not sure that it will be as intense as I have set it up to be. I guess we will find out in a couple of days. After google imaging fotos and seeing other travellers´pics of the Torres, I am positive at least of one thing; that it might end up being the most beautiful natural phenomenon that I have ever laid eyes upon. And even though at the end of the four days I might not be able to walk, undoubtedly it will be worth every rock climbed.

We left Pucòn today and are now in Puerto Montt. We have our flight to Punta Arenas tomorrow and will then take a bus to Puerto Natales to stay the night and begin our hike the next day to Torres del Paine. Pucòn was a real treat. We met some great people and even gained a travel buddy for the next few days. Chile is really proving to be a wonderful experience for both Hallye and I and even though we might not make it to every country we previously planned on visiting, we are relishing every day in Chile and not regretting any of the time we have spent in any part of this continent. Really, middle and southern Chile look a lot like Kentucky. Everyone we have met (Chileans and foreigners alike) have raved about this region of Chile saying it is the most beautiful. It really makes me appreciate the beauty we have in Kentucky which I often take for granted becuase it is so familiar to me. Hearing other people talk about how beautiful out type of landscape reminds me of how great I have it at home.

Well, I must be getting back to the hostal for some rest. Tomorrow we have a day of travelling and gathering supplies for the hiking and camping. We must get together our tent, cooking gear, sleeping bags, gas for the stove, food and everything else that goes together with a big trip like this. I´m so excited. Hallye is too. It will be a challenge but you can expect some good stories to come out of it.

Hope everyone is well and welcoming the summertime over there. It is approaching winter down here but still comfortably warm.

Sweet Home, Angostura

It´s Katie, and I´m breaking the law right now. Hostal law, that is. The sign says no computer use after midnight in order to keep things peaceful for the other guests. However, I am ninety nine percent certain that Hallye and I are the only guests in the hostal right now. My plan is to deny that I can read the sign written in spanish that says what time the computer must be turned off in the case that I am caught by the hostal owner. For the past two hours I have been trying to fall asleep but that is not happening for me right now so I will fill you in on the last week and hope that by the end I will be droopy eyed and ready for bed.

Last week, Holy Week for all you Christians out there, was spent in the cozy home of a Chilean family in little Angostura, Chile right outside of San Fernando. Hallye and I spent the week eating grapes from the viñard, getting fattened up by Señora Carmen´s home cooking, and climbing the hills to see the views in central Chile´s wine country. By the end of the week, Carmen and Carlos´s three sons had returned from Santiago to spend easter break with their parents so we had the pleasure of mixing with some chileans of our own age as well. During the week, before the boys came, Hallye and I visited a nearby beach (Pichilemu) for a day and on another afternoon visited Casa Silva winery in town. Gabriel, Alejandro, and Lalo were all home on Friday and they treated us to a night of music, wine, and pisco in their home. Saturday and Sunday were also celebrated Chilean style as we attended a reenactment of the crucifixion of Christ at Angostura church and were shown how the chileans grill out with an ¨asado¨ the night before we left. The grill out, which was attended by multiple members of the Silva Henriquez family, was a feast containing nothing but meat. Pork and beef kabobs and filets were roasted and toasted and stuffed in our bellies. There was no such thing as potato salad and apple pie at this grill out...just MEAT!!! ...and wine of course. It was delicious.

We were sad to say goodbye to our substitute chilean family of the week. They were more generous than we could have ever imagined; allowing us to feel as if their home were ours. And it was truly special to spend the easter weekend with a family, instead of alone in a hostal. By Sunday we had made friends with the boys and even some of their friends and are hoping for them to visit the United States someday so we can treat them to just a fraction of the hospitality they showed us. Carmen, I believe, was just as sad to see us go and she even sent Hallye and I packing with some chocolate easter eggs and a bag full of grapes. We found them so eager to help us out with anything and the boys´uncles even helped plan the remainder of our time in Chile.

Right now we are in the southeastern lake town of Pucón, Chile. It feels a little resort-y with the smattering of restaurants and tour agencies lining the strip, O´Higgins Boulevard. It is a resort town, however, that hosts a number of travellers eager to climb the Villarrica Volcano overlooking the lake at it´s base. The views are beautiful here not only of the snowy volcano and shimmering lake, but of the swiss and german influenced architecture as well. Tomorrow Hallye and I will wake up early to stamp on the cramp-ons and climb the snow capped beast ourselves. We set out at 7:00 tomorrow morning and will get back late afternoon tomorrow. I can´t really explain how excited we are. Today you could see smoke coming out of the top of the volcano and tomorrow we will actually be right there!

Our excitement is also growing for our upcoming trip to Punta Arenas, Chile where we will take on a four day hike to the Torres del Paine (google image this, its incredible!). After we are done here in Pucón, we will fly from Puerto Montt down south to the end of the world..literally almost...to the southern tip of Chile to do this hike. It will be six hours a day for four days and camping at night. This might be the biggest thing Hallye and I have either done in our lives. I can´t believe we are doing it still, but we won´t regret it when we get to the lake and see the torres. We will be renting all the equipment there. The weather is cold and rainy but everyone we have heard that has been there has raved about it. Not only that, but the Chileans we met could not stop telling us how southern Chile (Patagonia) is the most beautiful of all the country.

Before I get too far into this adventure, I can´t get ahead of the volcano that is looming in the distance for tomorrow. I will report back on this and hopefully have pictures to share soon. Until then, I must try to get back and get some shut eye for the ascent tomorrow. Nothing would be worse than to fall headfirst into molten lava because I couldn´t stay awake..haha.

Well, hope the weather up there is getting nice and warm. The climate here right now is equivalent to October up there. Just perfect. Also hope everyone had a nice Easter and talk to you soon.
Katie

Give a little...

A peaceful day for Pax, it´s been. I sat down directly in front of a giant bowl of aji (like salsa but waaaaaay better. It makes any mediocre meal excellent!) for almuerzo in the mercado (lunch in the market). I know you know, but let me remind you how awesome it is to eat a full meal in SA: enormous bowl veggie soup with big hunks of yucca, like potato but better, made more delicious with fresh lime and aji...a segundo (second course) of fried fish, moist steamy rice, and salad dressed with salt and lime and aji, mmmmmmmm....and then some mate (tea) usually the same delicious flavor of cinnamony herbs, though I have no idea waht they steep the water in to make it so riiiico. All of this for S./2.50...that´s 2.50 soles...that´s under a dollar. MUUAAHAHAHA....ughmm, excuse me, got a little carried away.
After lunch I found some Sao Paulo, a wood used to burn indoors and flavor the air. This way my room will smell like a church ceremony! Also, some all natural tobacco, already rolled for me. 100 cigarillos for S./15...I lost my american spirit pouch of no additive tobacco waaaay back in Quito so this is very good news. No more filters for me! (Tongue in cheek)
I went outside to sit in the sun and work on a bracelet. After a minute a woman walked up and offered me some bananas - thanks! have some chocolate! - she thanked me and God -Happy Easter! - a moment later an old old old woman, bent over at the waist for the rest of her life surely, walked over with her cupped palm leading the way -here, have some bananas! - I offered, she smiled a toothless grin....everybody wins! Later, a group of niños gathered round to watch the making of the pulsera (bracelet) I was working on . I finished and tied it round the wrist of the shyest little chica. With the remaining string we all worked on a few new bracelets. They were fast learners...these kids, living on the street, doing what they can for food and warmeth...they amaze me. So bright! Their eyes tell stories their mouths will never reveal, for it´s nothing worth speaking of, to them...
I have made a habit of saving every bit of food that´s not being eaten and passing it out. Every one apreciates a banana, a slice of chocolate, or left overs. I actually plated some food left behind by a gentlemen sitting across from me and gave it to a disabled man playing a flute on the corner. I asked the servers permission, a little nervous about what his response might be, and he only said - what a good heart - and smiled. Everyone looks out for each other here. It somehow seems more human, more raw flesh and still yet, more soul...it stands out here, as I´m not accustomed to the poverty. What stands out more is a man who obviously has little, waking a girl on the cold stone sidewalk, so that she may receive the last coin he has in his posession.
Much love, Heather Pax

Spoke to soon...

Hi all! Heather reporting. Change of plans! As rich as Ayacucho was, the pay at the language institute was nearly half of what teachers make in Cusco. Ergo, here I am, Pacha Mama´s bellybutton. Lots of gringos here, as Katie reported, and therefore lots of tour guides eager to elarn to communicate with the masses. It´s strange to be in such a spot, and I quite miss the smaller pueblos. There is a McDonald´s at the corner of the Plaza de las Armas. EEEK! Where am I!? BUT, I just ignore it and smile politely at the throngs of Peruvians eager to hand out their ads for massages, pedicures, and happy hours...all the things people like when they are on vacation. This makes it difficult to walk around the plaza, as I´m quite nervous I´m going to give in and splurge on a full body rubdown....oooh, how nice it would be, after months of terribly uncomfortable beds and all day long back pack hauling hikes...avert yer eyes mah lady, i keep telling myself, and don´t listen either!
Speaking of back aches, ouch. I hiked around the ruins outside of Cusco today. Tickets are outrageously expensive for non students, and yours truly, for some unknown reason, did not bring her student ID. I paid about $50 for a ten day pass to 16 sites around the area. I´m going to back tomorrow, and the next day, and the next....no but seriously, I´m more focused on getting the most out of this pass than I am getting a job. Have no fear, the balance will be found. Until then, I will sit on the hill, staring down at what used to be occupied by some of the most distinguished peoples in history, absorbing the sun and loving life. Love you guys too! Until next time...PEACE! , Pax

Katie´s Bad Dream

It went something like this...In this dream I was sitting on a bus with my ipod playing softly songs of Jackson Browne or Julieta Venegas or something. From what I remember of it my eyes were sore from coming in and out of sleep and some crazy action film with Steven Segal was on the television. I looked to my left out the window and to my horror, I saw four lane highways. I saw medians neatly trimmed with green grass free of litter. There were road signs made of metal with printed letters on them intead of mile markers painted on wooden slats. In the distance there were skyscrapers and Hyundais, Chevys and Toyotas weaving throughout the lanes. NOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I thought to myself...my trip is over! How could this be?!? I am back in the United States, back home. This is terrible, this trip was supposed to last for months. I put my fists to my eyes to clear my vision from the sleep. Then I realized that I wasn´t dreaming. This was real life. I hadn´t left South America, just the third world. I said to myself, ¨Oh I´m in Chile now. What a relief¨.

So that´s how it went, this bad dream of mine that wasn´t a dream after all. Turns out that on this 26 hour bus ride into Santiago, I had woken up with dawn and forgotten that I was in the first world again. Chile is indeed a different world from the rest of South America that we have seen so far. Santiago is just like Chicago or New York. The cities around the country are just like the cities in the United States. The development level is almost equivalent and the Chilean middle class is just like the North American middle class. In this regard, Chile is no different from what I know at home. However yesterday, I decided that Chile is the most beautiful country I have ever seen in my life.

Sure Ecuador and Peru are beautiful. Ecuador is beautiful in a raw, natural way. The untouched moutains are impressive and green. You can always see glimpses of the jungle wherever you are in the lush forests seen on the coast as well as the highlands. Peru is beautiful because of it´s ruins and ancient Inca sites. Within an hour´s drive anywhere you can see the most amazing ruins that you don´t think possibly could still be intact. But Chile...is the most beautiful so far. Driving into Chile from Ecuador, the entire time we had the sea on our right and the Atacama desert on our left. The dunes were all one color and rose higher and higher until they turned into big brown mountains. We were able also to see the sun set over the Pacific which is the first time I have seen that yet on this trip. Upon leaving the northern desert region, the hills got shrubbier and the sea disappeared. We were headed inland to Santiago. As I said, Santiago is just a city. A beautiful city, but just a city. It wasn´t until yesterday that Hallye and I got a glimpse of the real Chile.

My friend Adria came to Chile over a year ago to teach in the English Opens Doors Program. During her stay in Angostura just about two hours west of Santiago, she had the pleasure of meeting a family that was not her homestay family. She became great friends with the Señor and the Señora of this house and their three sons. Adria spent the summer basically in the house of this family and kept in good contact with them. When she heard that Hallye and I would be going to Chile, she contacted the boys to let them know we were coming and the oldest boy Gabriel quickly contacted me to find out when we would arrive. In Santiago, I got a message from Gabriel inviting Hallye and I to Angostura to eat lunch with the family yesterday on Palm Sunday. At lunch, Señora Carmen invited Hallye and I to stay at the house for a few nights in order to get to know some of the surrounding towns before continuing on.

Basically, we cannot believe our luck and the generosity of these people. After lunch, Gabriel and his brother Lalo took us on a tour of Angostura on their motorcycles. Angostura is apparently known world-wide for it´s wineries. Later, Gabriel took us to his grandfather´s parcela (farm) where we were then able to climb the hill and see the landscape. This is when I decided Chile was the most beautiful I have seen yet. The bluest sky was set behing the green hills and the brown viñas below. I couldn´t believe that this continent just keeps getting better and better.
Back at the house, Gabriel´s entire family stood around the computer to help us plan the rest of our travels in Chile. Everyone gave his/her opinion on the places they believe to be most impressive.

So today Hallye and I are burdened with the task of deciding which places will make it on the itinerary. We have to decide between the lakes of Pucón, the shores of Viñas del Mar, the glaciers of Torres del Paine and the nightlife in Valparaiso. Not all, unfortunately will make it on the list. But until we decide, we are resting comfortably in the most beautiful place of them all...the house of this wonderful Chilean family.

Cusco to Santiago

Hey everyone! It is Hallye and I am sorry for not keeping up with the blog. I am just having too much fun. Our trip has been everything that I could have hoped for so far. Katie and I visited Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley last weekend. We arrived the Machu Picchu Pueblo, Aguas Calientes, by train the night before our visit to the ruins. It was pouring rain and when we woke up the next morning at four thirty it was still pouring. We had to arrive at the ruins early enough to obtain a ticket to climb Waynapicchu (the mountain that you see behind the ruins in pictures). When we passed through the admission gate at Machu Picchu, I was so excited to be there! I was looking around and trying to see the wonderful stonework around me when I tripped, fell and sprained by ankle! But the sprained ankle did not dim my experience of the ruins. We went on a guided tour of the ruins, climbed Waynapicchu (which had incredible, but also mostly clouded views of the ruins below) and took some great photos.

We loved Cusco (and the wonderful people we met there) but as always were ready to move on. Katie and I went searching for a bus ticket to Arequipa, Peru but quickly decided that we rather continue on to Chile. So we hopped on a bus to the border and we were in Iquique, Chile the next day. We quickly noticed differences between Chile and the other countries (Peru and Ecuador) that we have visited. The roads are better (as well as the drivers...they actually believe in letting pedestrians have the right of way), the language is spoken quicker and with more slang and there are more rules and regulatons. What I mean by rules and regulations is, for example, we had to pass through a checkpoint on our bus where they semi-searched our bags, there are signs telling people to turn on their car lights when its dark, we get receits back with our purchases, there are no passing signs next to dangerous spots on the road....These were all things that Peru and Ecuador lacked. BUT Chile is a more expensive than the last two countries. I guess that is what we trade for first world-ness.

We are in Santiago, Chile now and loving it. The weather is perfect (sunny, not too warm, not too cold), there are beautiful parks and plazas and the people are very friendly. I will try to be better about writing on the blog. I must go now because I believe there are some Brazilians waiting for the computer (which is why this blog post might sound a bit scattered!). I miss everyone at home and please let us know of any thoughts you have on our trip with comments! Love, Hallye

Llameme Profesora Walker

Hola a todos!

I´ve been preparing for this interview with a language institute for a few days now, rather nervous and very hopeful. As it turns out, I pretty much had the job before I walked into the office with my fancy new pants and personal statement memorized, hanging off the tip of my tongue. I will be teaching Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the evening. At the beginning of May I´ll also pick up some Saturday classes. This schedule means two important things: I can still teach at a ´colegio´ during the day hours, and Ayacucho is now my home for at least the next three months. Looks like vacation is almost over!

And just in time for semana santa! Last night was the very first procession, pictured at right. A mass of people walked past the plaza carrying this massive structure honoring the Catholic saints. Everyone not helping to haul this prettiest of fiery beasts, held a small candle and a smile. Portions of the streets were decorated with dyed sawdust which they spread over the dirt like a shaved carpet, creating beautiful images that depict different saints and aspects of nature. This is just the beginning. It will only get more exciting and far more grandiose.

SALUDOS! <3 Heather Pax

Ayacucho

Esperame suerte!

Hola a todos. Heather reporting. If you are reading this, please know that I miss you, but think I never want to leave :)
I had some puca picante the other day, a local traditional dish made with beet and peanut sauce that drenches potatoes and pork. best served with a cold dark beer, which is very filling. there were leftovers, of course, and so i wandered the plaza in search of a hungry belly. usually not hard to find, but everyone was eating already! so i stopped to talk with Antonio, a sunglasses salesman, and offered the leftovers to some artisans sitting beside him. gladly! they said, and we all introduced ourselves. though i couldn´t stop staring at this beautiful peruvian girl, a guy named Ahmed was paying attention to what i was saying about ´chillin in ayacucho´... ´looking for a teaching gig´...and he said, why don´t you meet me here on monday morning and i can introduce you to the director of a language institute around the corner. what what!? ears perked, big grin, ´why, that would be great. thank you, ahmed´.... and now I have an official interview on friday. hopefully, on april 6th, i will be standing in front of a classroom full of adults eager to learn english. hence the title of this post: wish me luck!
yesterday i left the city for a few hours to visit the river watatas. tranquility! the river was filled with boulders smooth as seals from the continual rush of river over their backs. it was laundry day, apparently, because there were families lining the river washing clothes, blankets, shoes, mattresses! one family finished up, loaded the car, and drove right up next to the shore to wash the car. they were also taking baths fully clothed. brr! i tested the water, and thought better of hopping in. good decision, as it turns out. the pacha mama was thirsty and the skies opened up to quench her. it pouuuured! thank goodness there was a bridge for us all to huddle under, shreiking with the thunder rolled and the lightning struck. as the rain came down, so did some of the hillside. hence the boulders already in the river. exhilirating!
the week of semana santa is coming up, the biggest holiday in peru, and celebrated most vigorously in this very town. preparations have begun and almost all the buildings i walk into smell like fresh paint. i ahve to be very careful not to walk under the many ladders along the street, set up for repairs, and i wake up every morning, EARLY, to banging hammers and buzzing saws.
more pics are up on facebook. paz!
pax

Living up Peru

Katie again, just updating about the last few days. As our time in Peru is coming to a close (very quickly, we leave tomorrow for Arequipa and then Chile in a few days), we are making sure that we are living it up to the max in this incredible country. It helps that we returned today from our visit to Machu Picchu. While we were there, it rained pretty much the entire day and fog was covering our view of the ancient city from our perch on Wayna Picchu but it was impressive nonetheless. Last time I wrote, I left off telling about our City tour that we were taking. Seeing the ruins that day was great but the best part ended up meeting a group of fellow travellers who we ended up hanging out with for the next couple days. Hallye and I have decided that one of the very best parts about travelling is meeting new people from different parts of the world. Our little group consisted of a Canadian, a Brazilian, and three Isrealis. After the tour, we made plans for dinner and then the obligatory visit to the discoteca. Cuzco has an amazing nightlife and we were lucky to meet good people and experience it with them. The first night, Hallye and I danced until 5:30 in the morning. Upon arriving to the hostal at around six, we found that we were just in time for breakfast which prepared us perfectly for a day spent in bed. That night, we met our friends for dinner and a movie (in the hostal) and a couple hours once again dancing at the club. Although we were scheduled to board our bus at 8:30 that morning, we did not pass up another chance to stay out and have some fun. We still had no problem making it to our second day tour which ended with a train ride to Aguascalientes where we stayed the night before going to Machu Picchu. Now a little bit about the great visit to MP: As some of you know, Hallye and I made plans to climb Wayna Picchu, the mountain that stands at the back of the city as seen from most touristic photos. In order to do this, it is necessary to take the 5:30 am bus up the mountain in order to get a ticket to climb. These days, they only let 400 people a day climb Wayna because its foundation has been slipping at a rate of about one centemeter a month (I think that is the figure). So we wanted to be the first there to ensure getting one of the 400 tickets. This meant waking up at 4:30 in the morning and catching the bus with all of the other travellers intent on making the climb. Up before dawn we were and one of the first 30 `people at MP that day. After securing our ticket, we could see people running towards the control trying to get one as well. Little did they know, the 400 mark wasnt reached until later that afternoon because the day had begun with a downpour of rain which likely kept most visitors at bay until the following day. Our guide took us on a two hour tour in the morning and before 11:00 we began the ascent to WP. THe hike was almost straight vertical at some points and the slippery rocks made for a dangerous climb. Once we reached the top, we were disheartened to see all of the fog blocking our view of MP. We stayed up there for nearly two hours waiting for a break in the clouds so we could snap some photos. The rain got a little harder and we made our way back down. Altough the fog throughout the day took away from some of the grandeur of MP, it still allowed for some amazing views (and creepy with all of the clouds). We were at MP just about all day and afternoon it seemed and were glad to get back and get dry clothes on and some dinner. We got an early night´s sleep (for once) and woke up this morning to get the train back to Cuzco. Tomorrow we are off to Arequipa and then Chile before the week is over. This past week has drained some our funds due to nights out at the clubs and trains to Machu Picchu but it was all entirely worth it. We are looking forward to meeting more great people in Santiago de Chile and living up our twenty-two-ness yet again even though it might mean an early ticket home. If you would like to donate a few dollars so we can make it to Argentina just contact me and...just kidding.

Hallye will have more on MP and our visits to the other ruins shortly.
Love you all,
Katie

"The world is a great book...

...of which they who never stir from home read only a page." St. Augustine

This quote made me feel better during a short bout of homesickness. Sent to me from an English teacher currently living in Lima, Peru, I imagine this has helped her regain confidence many times. It easy to slip into the ´what the heck am I doing here?´mind set. It passes easily, as I snap photos of protests in the street and precious little ones curious to see their faces on the LCD.
Making friends is important here for this very reason. This afternoon I am having lunch with a Shaman I met the first night here. Yesterday I went to his hostal, Mamaculla Wasi, to check it out and was greeted with such tranquility I could think of nothing better to do but focus on my breathing. I will be switching over to this mind-body-spirit healing home shortly. There is a beautiful patio surrounded by bouganvilleas and giant palms to relax and do yoga. I´ve been waking up with the overwhelming urge to say Om, and no I´m not kidding. So, I do. It would be much nicer to do so outdoors surrounded by flowers though, instead of sitting on a lumpy mattress with neon lights buzzing above my head, able to reach out and touch both dusty walls that close me in. Yesterday I passed the day with his young daughter, swimming in a neighbor´s pool and then hopping over to a sauna and vapor room, where huge stacks of herbs sit on the steamer and make one feel as though they are inside of a giant cup of chamomile tea! Simply wonderful!

Above are a few photos taken very recently, and now that I have found a computer with an SD card sot, more are on the way!
1. Gabiel and I, standing in front of a statue in the Plaza de Armas in the center of Ayacucho. Gabiel, his brother Yefferson, and I passed some time today chatting with an indigenous, Quechua speaking woman who loved touching my face and hair, repeatedly saying ´gringa linda´. Most kids are bilingual around here, speaking both Castellano and Quechua and make for great, no shame translators and teachers. We also had fun drawing different animals, all with live models, including a pig and a parrot.
2. Sisters in the plaza, mom is in the backround on a bench. These little girls sell candy while their mom knits hats and things to sell. They were very excited to have the picture taken, and their mom seemed quite proud of how adorable they are.
3. Corn cake from the Choclo festival! This tasted even better than it looks. Hard to beleive, but true.
4. Chicho, age 4. He was playing with some friends near the ´mirador´, the lookout from which all of Ayacucho is visible. It took him some time to warm up to the camera, as his older female friends were trying to position him as if he were made of modeling clay, but once they scooted over and let him breathe I couldn´t resist snapping several closeups of his adorable little seed covered face. It was very hard to walk away from this crowd. I almost tried to fit him in my backpack. ;)

paz y amor a todos!

The Navel of the Universe

If you are confounded by the title of this blog post, allow me a minute to explain. Cusco, also known as Cuzco, also known as Q´osko (by the Inka) is a word meaning...you got it...navel of the universe. The Inca believed that their precious Cusco was indeed the spiritual center of the world. They worshiped their land as if pachamama (mother earth) had chosen their ancient city as the centrifuge of natural and supernatural power. The fact that they also named the city after a body part also shows how important the relationship between body and spirit was for them. This fascinating history is what Hallye and I (Katie) find ourselves surrounded by all day now. We arrived in Cuzco yesterday at 4 in the morning after a 22 hour bus ride from Ayacucho, where Heather is hard at work setting up a teaching job right here in this city. Hallye and I share a bit of jealousy when thinking that she will have the opportunity to spend more than our self-allotted week here. The city is just beautiful, although filled with more tourists than we have seen in one place this entire trip. Not only are there shops around every corner selling traditional Cuzceñan art and artifact, but the natural beauty surrounding the city is extraordinary. The hills around Cuzco give it a personal, closed in feeling while the architecture is stunning ( a mix of modern, colonial, and even some existing Inca formations). At night, the stars which seem close enough to pick right out of the sky are so illuminating and the cold andean chill that appears when the sun goes down works together with the supernatural aura from the awareness of Inca history and makes the hairs stand on end. The other night on the bus as we were just miles from town, I looked out my window to see what was around me. I could barely make out the shapes of the hills in front of the dark blue/black sky. But as I looked directly to my left, I could see the big dipper made of stars bigger seeming than I have ever seen in my life.

Yesterday, after sleeping the better part of the day and recovering from the long journey, Hallye and I laid out some basic plans for the next few days and then set out on foot to look around. We were greatful for the tourist presence and at the same time overwhelmed. We are not used to having so many white people around us and felt a little uncomfortable in our overworn backpacker´s clothing. Most tourists are here for just a week or two to see Machu Picchu and maybe a few other towns and we imagined that they looked so good and well put together because they had three suitcases a piece. We couldn´t help but feel like we stood out EVEN MORE now among all of the chic looking tourists, than we did when we were the only white people in a pueblo of indigenous folk. I have stopped wearing makeup and some of my shirts have holes in them. I also am wearing the same outfit today that I have the past two days because our clothes are being washed and, I imagine, line dried because it has been almost two whole days since we turned them in and it has rained. But we adore this simple lifestyle and have no intentions of spending precious money on new clothes or haircuts. We like being backpackers and realize that one day we too will have the chance to take three suitcases on a two week trip and wear nice clothes and buy lots of things that we want so bad and eat in nice restaurants with the other white people. Right now, we are incredibly happy looking like we haven´t seen civilization in days and doing as the majority of Peruvians do searching out the dollar menus.

Today, all though it is pouring right now, we have planned to go on a city tour to some of the ruins around Cusco. Sacsaywaman and Q´enqo are two places on the itinerary. In a few days we will make the expensive trek to Machu Picchu. We will also climb Wayna Picchu, which if you don´t know, is the taller mountain that stands behind Machu and can be seen in most pictures of the ruins. This trip alone will cost what about two weeks of travel has cost us so far during this trip but it is something we can´t pass up.

Our tour is set to leave in about 20 minutes but I´m not sure if it will leave considering this sudden downpour. If we don´t go, Hallye and I will most likely spend the afternoon in a real touristy cafe sipping on the best coffee we have tasted so far here in South America. This is one of the perks of being in a tourist town. Us northamericans know what a good cup of coffee should taste like. I guess we can thank Starbucks for that. And then again not, because all of the good coffee is being shipped out of these countries to them at a higher price and poor Hallye and I are suffering the consequenses when in every small town we ask for coffee and a jar of instant is plopped down in front of us. So next time you go to Starbucks, think about Hallye and me when you are drinking your espresso macchiato and feel sorry for us because our coffee sucks. But then again, no need to feel sorry for us because while usually our coffee is not worth the 30 cents we pay for it, we are seeing one of the Wonders of the World this week and for that we are extremely lucky.

Until next time,
Katie

Hi everyone! Heather here. Ayacucho has indeed been fun...The choclo festival, museum and artisan mall we all visited yesterday, the friendly folks, and rich history have made it a wonderful place to visit. The internet connection is also extremely fast and everything is cheap! So while Katie and Hallye boarded a bus early this morning, I´ve decided to stay here for a couple more days in order to initiate conversations with some English language schools in Cuzco.
This means I have the chance to get some work done, as well as check out more of the culture this city is steeped in. Namely, Chochango, a corn soup sweeted with mint and spiced with hot peppers, and Puca Picante, a dish of meat and potatoes seasoned with spicy peanut sauce. I heard rumor of this delicious sounding sauce all the way back in Quito and have been on the prowl for it ever since. They also sell jars of all natural peanut butter! I think I got the last one in the store, and paid a hefty price (15 soles, in comparison to the 4.50 I usually spend on a huge afternoon meal). I have so missed my daily ration of peanut butter though, as it is not very common in SA, and I´m glad to know Ayacucho is on top of things.
As far as the WWOOFing situation goes, I´ve heard back from three organic farms on Colombia, all open to dates and lengths of stay, but none in Peru or Ecuador. This means, as I said above, I will focus on finding a teaching position in Cuzco, and reserve working on the farm for a little later in the trip, once I´ve migrated back north. Hopefully I will have company on the farm as a friend from Lexington, Nik, will be arriving in mid May. He will have recently graduated from UK with a forestry degree so there is a good chance he´ll be willing to shack up on the farm for a while. An average day reguires 4-8 hrs. of work, but at least 2 days a week are free, allowing for short trips to explore the area. Much to look forward to!
Today I am going for a hike up to the ´mirador´, a lookout at the top of a hill overlooking the city of Ayacucho inside this giant valley I´m slouched in at the moment. It will be nice to get out of the hustling city for a few hours and hopefully take some photos that capture the whole city. The cultural center is hosting a free film fest so I´ll check out Penelope Cruz´s latest film, ¨La Nina de tus Ojos¨which translates to ´the daughter of your eyes´. I really enjoy going to the theatre in SA. While in Lima we all went to ´La Teta Asustada´, a beautifully made film, like a moving photograph, each still worth framing and hanging on your living room wall. It followed a young woman´s transition to independence after her mother dies and she is forced to take a job as a maid to raise money for a casket. She is afflicted with what the locals call La Teta Asustada which causes her to fear evil in the form of ghosts and men. It is not something many people beleive in, especially not doctors, but is very real for her. It was passed on to her from her mother who was violated by soldiers during the years of terrorism in Peru. Many women were forced to protect themselves the only way they could think of, which was to block the entrance through which a man might try to violate her. She did this with a potato. It was something women did in the past, only, during times of extreme danger. Yet the tradition carries on through our main character, suffer as she may. Like the potato inside of her, her resolve won´t budge, and she endures physical sickness and much lonliness because of it it. It is a harsh reality to face, but the movie depicts what we see around us every day, and incites many questions about what is invisible to tourists like us. I highly recommend seeing it, even if you don´t speak spanish. The story will not be lost.
To continue on about how little of this Peruvian life we can grasp, the ´Museo de la Memoria´we visited made for a heavy hearted afternoon. The violence Hallye cited was a mere 20 years ago. The majority of it took place during the year I was born, 1983. That means that most people I see walking down the street have some memory, certainly terrible ones, of the horrific violence that took place. I suppose they would rather not recount it, and I wonder how selfish I am willing to be by asking for their thoughts or stories. So far, I´ve gotten little reaction. Simple responses: there was a lot of violence, unnecessary, and worthless. I can´t imagine I would want to talk about it much either. I pray for peace all over the world, and am so very thankful for the peace that reigns here now, allowing us to visit with the mere worries of petty theft. I salute those who survived and extend sincere condolences the families who lost loved ones and the ´desaparecidos´ themselves. If you would like to learn more about a Peruvian foundation of mothers who lost their sons, called ANFASEP, visit <<http://qillqakuna.iespana.es/ANFASEP,%20madres.htm>>

Paz y amor a todos, Heather

Ayacucho, Peru

Our stay in Ayacucho has been wonderful. We came to Ayacucho not knowing too much about the city except its strong connection with the violence in the 80s and 90s and that it would put us one step closer to Cusco. We were lucky enough to notice a poster for a Choclo festival. Choclo is a type of corn that we have grown to love here. When we saw this poster we knew that we had to go to the festival. So yesterday (Sunday 22nd), we hopped on a packed combi and headed to a small town about an hour away from Ayacucho. Combis are small bus-vans. They have about four rows of seats (including the driver´s row) and they seem to fit about sixteen to twenty people inside. There is no legroom, you are lucky to get a window seat and even luckier if the window actually opens. SOMEHOW we have grown to love this way of transportation for small side trips and we use them more and more often as we travel around Peru. It is helpful that everyone else in the combi is in the exact same position as yourself and friendly.

Anyways, we arrived at the Choclo festival and immediately began our tour of the grounds. Tents were setup by the Choclo growers and judges were inspecting the choclo. We were in heaven when we reached the section of tents where they were selling all sorts of choclo-based goodies. We tried choclo bread, choclo cake, choclo picante (spicy) and a choclo casserole. We also got to try some Chicha - a local drink that is make of seven different types of seeds. We found a great spot on the hillside overlooking the tents a stage where they presented the ´largest humita in the world.´ A Peruvian family (consisting of baby, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother) invited us to sit with them, take a picture with them and even let Heather hold their adorable baby! Our rest on the hillside allowed us to prepare ourselves for a ´patchamanca.´ The patchamanca consits of potatoes, pork, humitas and peas that are all cooked together in an inground earthen stove. We were wise to split the patchamanca between the three of us because it was huge!

Our entire experience of the Choclo festival, the combi rides and the tasty treats was truly the best Peruvian culture experience we have had thus far. While there were a few other gringos at the event, I felt like we were enjoying the festival and appreciating the culture with Peruvians. I hope, and believe we will have many more experiences similar to this one.

Today (Monday 23rd) we visited el Museo de la Memoria. The museum is about the violence that engulfed Peru during the 1980s and 1990 but it particularly focused on the violence launched by both the homegrown terrorist group Sendero Luminoso and the Peruvian military. We learned that twenty six thousand people in the Ayacucho region alone died during the violence (beginning in 1980). We read about families whose loved ones disappeared during the time as well as reading accounts of military and Sendero Luminoso attacks on individuals who they believed were supporting the other side. One picture showed a stadium that we recognized as the same stadium where we attending the Choclo festival the day before. This stadium was basically used by the Peruvian military as a torture camp. Then, our tour guide also told us about how a small mall close to our hostal was the setting for some violent attacks by the Sendero Luminoso. Katie and I (Hallye) visited that mall earlier that morning.

Eerie is a word that has come to my mind several times walking around Ayacucho. We were slightly creeped out when we left the museum and it definitely added to the eeriness of the city but at the same time another word that we have used to describe Ayacucho is ´sassy.´ People are friendly, interested and curious to why we are here. The city is buzzing with activity at both day and night. I think this shows (for us), how this city has overcome, or at least working through, its troubled, recent past.

I miss everyone. Love, Hallye

Lets play catch up!!

This post will be a rapid recounting of the past couple weeks that we have left you all in the dark on. The past several days have been filled with travel. The material is thin and the activities have been scarce, therefore you have missed nothing. I guess travellers always reach a point in moving throughout entire countries when certain stops are obligatory, where nothing really happens but a bed and a day or two of rest is necessary. Leaving Huaraz, we headed to Lima (one of those obligatory stops). We wanted to go to Lima for one: just to say we went and two: because it is a meeting point for travelling south on the Panamerican Highway to other Peruvian hot spots. After a long over nighter from the mountains, we spent our first day in Lima sleeping it off. Good thing we woke up with a lot of energy because we treated ourselves to a night out in the trendy Barranco in the south part of Lima. The next day again, we were somewhat lethargic from the previous night´s activities and chose to spend the hot hot afternoon in the movie theater enjoying a Peruvian film ¨La Teta Asustada¨. Another day in Lima was spent seeing the sights and then we continued south. Lunahuana, a town is Peru´s southern wine country, was our next stop. We were so excited about the oncoming harvest festival where we heard speak of free wine samples but were dissapointed to find the town nearly deserted upon arrival (although free wine samples were still easy to find). The trip to wine town would have been a total bust if it weren´t for the Aussie couple we met on the first night. For the next few evenings, we met up with our new friends for Pisco drinks in the plaza and fresh crawfish soup dinners. We even went whitewater rafting with them one day and had a really good experience with that. It´s the end of the rainy season so the water is really high. After another pitstop in Paracas, Peru, we moved on to Ayacucho where we are now. Cuzco is in the near future and Machu Picchu! More on that very soon.

Chancos

Benoir the tortoise from Quebec suggested that before we leave Lima we visit Chancos for it´s natural suanas and banos termales (thermal baths). Our guide book also listed this pueblo as a hot spot for rock climbing, so we were all about it. We headed out for the day trip from Lima on a colectivo, a VW type mini-bus that stops every few minutes to pick up more passengers than it should, it´s heavy door sliding open just long enough to get the baskets full of produce on the floor and at least one foot inside the vehicle. Seating arrangements and bus fare are sorted out while the bus rumbles along the rocky, dusty road. Amidst the comings and goings of Peruvians, swithcing seats, rearranging my body into positions that seem impossible outside of a colectivo, my favorite necklace fell off without my knowing. I understand that one shouldn´t bring favorite peices of jewelry to a third world country for a 6 month trip. It´s not fancy; I paid nothing for it. The silver beads, one with turquoise and coral, the others with some ancient Japanese shorthand in gold, I strung together to make this peice were found buried on a beach in San Diego, and I figured they might be good for bartering or gifts along the way in S.A.
I didn´t notice it´s absence until after dipping into the thermal pool, hopping over to the sauna for as long as I could stand it, and spending another hour or so in the pool. While swimming I made friends with a little girl named Camilla, who wanted to learn how to swim. I love teaching little kids anything; it´s nice to feel helpful, so while Katie and Hallye recovered from the hot hot cave with a cold cold fanta I stayed in the murky green pool, unable to see my hand under water let alone the bottom floor of the pool. We had fun practicing floating and kicking and pushing off from the steps to glide across the water and start swimming. She was a fast learner and a terribly sweet little girl, and once I realized I had lost my necklace, I let her know that it was probably somewhere at the bottom of the pool and if it was found, it would be waiting at the front desk for her, as I wouldn´t be coming back to collect it. She looked at me rather curiously, tweaked her head to one side, and pulled her hand from the bag of beans she´d been snacking on and ran full throttle to a nearby shop, where her mother was chatting with a friend. In an instant she was back, with my necklace in her hand! Her mother followed close behind and explained that they had found it on a bus in the last town, no where near Chancos or the pool. What luck! I´m curious to see where those beads will follow me; there must be some magic inside. I thanked them both extensively and tried to explain how much I appreciated their help, and gave Camilla another necklace I made in Porto Lopez and a kiss on the cheek. These are the days I live for.

Livin large, not quite in charge

Hi there, Heather here. Again, apologies are in order for not having blogged in so long. The time moves slower here in a sense, but it´s also hard to find enough time amidst my ever-changing daily schedule to sit in front of the computer and organize my thoughts quick enough to report to all of you. Then again, it´s also quite a pleasure to relive the mass of foreign experiences I encounter several times all day.
Huanchaco: Surfing town, as Hallye mentioned. Paved roads and fancy hotels have been increasingly common over the past few years of tourists flocking to enjoy the powerful waves and try it out for themselves. I opted out of the planned surfing lesson with Juan Carlos as I´m trying to pinch pennies. Surfers abound though, and after talking with Paul, whose art show we were invited to, I received another invite to use his board while he gave me pointers and helped me catch waves. It is certainly as hard as it seems but worth every sore muscle it caused. The arms are the first to go, as paddling back out to catch another wave is very tiring. Then the legs, of course, as pulling yourself up out of the break is hard enough without having to propel your whole body out of the water and onto the board. THEN you have to regain your balance and stand up. This is tricky. Very tricky. Even more rewarding though, and I couldn´t stop smiling the entire time I was out there in the icy ocean. One perk of paying for a lesson is the wetsuit and a sizable board. Since I had to go with the freebie I had onoly a bathing suit and a short board, which makes it all a bit more difficult. I was still very proud of how well it went and very much look forward to doing it again. Matter of fact, we´re off to Lima tonight, and Paul recommended a great surfing spot an hour or so away. Hopefully the next blog will highlight the tubes of blue I´ve been sailing through ;)
I´ve been curious about the sub-culture of twenty somethings who wander the beach towns displaying their handmade jewelry. They are also usually carrying a musical instrument, and wide smiles that seem never to disappear. A simple life, often traveling in bands of like-minded youth. They work on their crafts, using shells and stones they find for earrings, necklaces, bracelets...and carve earrings and pendants from beach wood. They make music to entertain themselves, singing, playing flutes, guitars, and didgeridoos. They build bonfires at night, spinning fire and dancing around the periphery, and telling exaggerated stories. They always have something to talk about, and are always eager to share with girls walking alone along the beach, ignoring the implications of disinterest despite the ferocity with which I, in particular, may send. I´ve found them, after a short bit of research, observation and questioning, their lives are far less romantic or rewarding than they seem at first. Glad to know I can rule out being a gypsy, though sad to see my fantasy turn to ashes and smolder in the afternoon rain.
Trujillo: Quick stop. Long enough to try some straight pisco and ´to die for´ chocolate cake. Katie and I split a peice though, so we wouldn´t be ridden with guilt. That didn´t last too long though, because as I was handing my bus ticket to the attendant she told me to hold my breath as I passed the guard who was checking bags. Apparently a drink with dinner, before a bus ride, is strictly prohibited. Oops! Lesson learned.
Huaraz: The little Alps, they call it, and WHAT A VIEW! From anywhere in this charming mountain town, one can glimpse the terrifyingly high peaks draped in snow so white it´s almost blinding. I feel silly wearing sunglasses with a toboggan on but I already stand out anyway.
A lanky French Canadian named Benoir has provided us with many suggestions for enjoying Huaraz to the fullest, and quite a few have proven worthy. Among those, a hot maca fruit drink called ´mascarado´ (we think). We have had to ask for the name every visit, and the fact that I still am not 100% confident of it shows just how great it is. Benoir convinved us to go try it out easily, as his major selling point was: it´s so good for you! and has no alcohol! and it´s made with maca! and it´s so relaxing! Sure enough, fermented fruit is alcohol, a depressant, go figure. Still, it´s fun to enjoy the hot drink surrounded by Peruvians who are, like us, seeking shelter from the cold evening rain and a nightcap. It certainly relieves stress and an added bonus is the vivid dreams I´ve experienced. Some good, some bad, all very real seeming...therefore, consider this a friendly warning :) Maca root, however, is something to look into without apprehension. Close to miraculous according to folks here and avid enjoyers around the globe. It´s especially helpful for fertility and was actually prohibited by the higher ups of the Incan culture as a sort of population control as the soldiers benefitted from taking it before battle, but afterward they were getting a little too randy and had to be stopped! http://health.discovery.com/centers/sex/libido/maca.html
The 8th of March is National Women´s Day around this little planet of ours and I was very glad to see a parade marching down the main street of Huaraz as we stepped out to find an information center. We stopped to take pictures of the smiling and waving women, ranging from 5 to 90 I´d say, dressed traditionally and in more modern clothes, all with the common bond of sisterhood. Warming and thought provoking...and hard not to miss mama, grandmas, aunts and sisters, but simultaneously appreciate the company of strangers who have fought the same battles, victoriously.
Later that day we tried Cuy, the traditional delicacy of guinea pig. That´s my second ´first time ever´ of the trip (surfing was no. 1) and I enjoyed it more than I expected to. It´s little foot crunchy and covered in marinade didn´t deter me from biting into the thigh. Actually I was wanting more after sucking dry the bones of a quarter of the little animal we domesticate back home. I had a guinea pig once....I never did find out how he tasted though. To make this experience even more authentic, we were surrounded by locals enjoying the same dish. It´s quite a treat to eat on the street, under small tents and the care of terribly sweet old women, who look more like dolls than the persevering fighters-for-life that they are.
The hostal we´ve been staying in is run by one of these women that typify the culture here, Senora Meza. She has changed our sheets and made our beds and greeted us with warm, sincere smiles since we arrived, all of which we appreciate with equal sincerity. It´s such a treat to enter one´s room and crawl under perfectly neat covers, knowing she has washed these sheets with her aged hands, now likely immune to the cold we are so desperate to escape. The air is near bitter here, and I haven´t had enough blood flowing in either my hands or feet since we arrived. While hiking in the Quebrada Llaca, actually, the only real feeling I had in either extremity were twinges of pain. This took nothing away from the experience, though. Absolutely stunning, I only wish my cannon powershot did it justice and you all could see just how amazing the sights here are. (There´s always google :) We saw pletny of sheep, cows and horses grazing. Also a bird called the Caracara , which we first noticed in Cotopaxi, the volcano we visited in Ecuador. We strayed from the map Diana (of the Lazy Dog Inn) had provided, and followed a silver-green stream that flowed from the mountains we sought, Hallye and Benoir on one side, Katie and I on the other. Searching for a spot to cross over and meet our friends on the plain, Katie and I kept moving forward without any luck, and eventually completely ran out of path. Forced to maneuver steep ridges, grasping saplings and pathces of thick grass to balance our weight against moss covered rocks at staggering angles, we finally made it to a point in the rushing stream with a boulder in the middle and another on the far side. It took some serious team work and guts, and disregard for wet shoes and socks.Together, we made it, increasing our status on the BAMF-o-meter tremendously. Risin´ up!
I haven´t caught up completely bu the time has come for the last hurrah in Huaraz, as the Sra Meza would like us out by 8pm. Much love and warm wishes! Please send it back, as this is our second Friday the 13th of the trip, and tonight we leave for Lima, an 8 hour bus ride. Yesterdays bus ride was held up by a landslide, and required that we run through mud slop puddles away from large falling rocks. More on this later... PEACE!
Heather Pax