The Final Month in South America.

Firstly, I apologise for the delay in posting this blog...but I have been too busy triapsing across the Argentinian countryside tasting wine and exploring the different cities this country has to offer. However this episode begins back in Peru.
 

Our time in Peru was unintentionally short lived due to the dangerous protests that were causing problems at the Peru/Bolivia border, however it was a truly fantastic week and well worth the extra flight costs.
We left La Paz in the early morning of the 3rd of July and arrived in Cusco that same day. We had the afternoon to explore as much of the city as we could, and we enjoyed the few hours that we had in the massive market located in the centre of the city. We had also coincided our arrival into Cusco with the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the "discovery" of Machu Picchu (despite the fact it had been inhabited by over a hundred years by the Incas prior to this).

In the evening we attended the briefing to our Inca Trail that departed the following day. We were slightly worried as our guide Reuben casually informed us that we may have to skip the famous Dead Woman´s Pass (the 4215m elevation that is ultimately the greatest achievement of the trek) and go via the valley due to snow fall. Not only were we worried we would miss the opportunity to climb the slope but we also realised that snow meant only one thing - freezing conditions!

The following morning we arrived at the corner of the street ready to board the bus...which was nowhere to be seen. We could only laugh as we soon discovered (after initially being frightened we´d been left behind) that we had forgotten to change the times on our phones and as a result we spent an extra hour standing in the freezing cold at 4:30 in the morning.
The first day trek was comparatively easy, however we were introduced to the Inca stairs which make up much of the remainder of the walk, and provide the extra challenge for the hikers.
For the next three days we were treated to perfect weather as we made our way along the Inca Trail.
The climb up Dead Woman´s Pass was a fantastic and exhilirating one and a half hour ascent at a quick pace, and to see the view of the surrounding mountains from a 4215 elevation was spectacular. An American guy and I raced ahead of the group to experience the view from the top before it was disrupted by the remainder of the hikers and porters.
 

The final day we were woken earlier than the previous days in order to get through the checkpoint and get to Heaven´s Gate (the viewpoint from which one can see the whole of Machu Picchu) before sunrise. On the final night before groups make their way to Machu Picchu it is compulsory for all hikers to camp at the one site, and as a result it becomes a race to get to Heaven´s Gate to get the best view of the sunrise over the ancient city before the crowd. Our group was the second last to pass through the checkpoint, however I was determined to reach the top before the 499 other hikers so along with my new Scottish friend David, I ran to the top and managed to arrive before all but three hikers. Again the view was unlike anything else, and the city was much grander than I had expected.

When the rest of the group arrived we descended into Machu Picchu and spent the next two hours touring the city and exploring each of the important monuments which are incredibly still intact.
There was then the option to climb the mountain that stood next to Machu Picchu city, Huayna Picchu, and was slightly higher, so I set off with the two Scottish boys from our group. After a quick 30 minute walk that was almost vertical we arrived at the top and had a great birds-eye view over the city.
We had a slightly different experience of Machu Picchu than the regular visit as it was the celebration of the 100th anniversary. Consequently, the 1500 visitors that come daily from Cusco were prohibited from entering and instead I walked past the Peruvian President, along with a number of other officials. There was also a stage set up and dancers performed a number of traditional routines. The whole experience seemed a bit surreal and it was a bit of a juxtaposition seeing all of the modern day sound equipment positioned on a centuries-old city.
When we left the mountain after lunchtime we went down to Aguas Calientes where we were served a buffet lunch. This was no surprise considering we had been truly spoiled during the entire hike with each meal consisting of three gourmet courses cooked by our young old chef.

We arrived late into Cusco that evening and spent the last few hours packing our bag for our early departure the following morning.
It was freezing as we woke up at 4:30 the following morning only to discover after having showered and packed our bags that we had again forgotten to change the times on our phones and we now had to spend the hour of 5am wondering around the deserted hostel.
After a long day of flight delays due to the continuing volcanic action in Chile we arrived in Buenos Aires.
The excitement began from the moment we checked in at Art Hostel as we had a little reunion with Maryam and Saleem.
The rest of the weekend we spent exploring Buenos Aires and making the most of Saleem´s last few days in the city before he headed back home to America.
On Saturday night our plans to enjoy the famous Buenos Aires nightlife were ruined by the election which was to run the following day (and as a result everything was forced to close early the night before).
Instead we enjoyed the live Argentinian band who came to play in our hostel and spent the early hours of the morning enjoying the company of other hostel guests on the roof terrace. We also tuned in to the Copa America game, the soccer competition that involves a team from each country in South America.
Saleem left for the airport the following morning and we began to plan our trip around Argentina. Nina and I had three weeks and Maryam two, so we arranged to be back in Buenos Aires for her departure on the 24th.
The past two weeks we have been travelling around the Central and Northern parts of Argentina: Buenos Aires - Rosario - Cordoba - Mendoza - Salta - Puerto Iguazu - Buenos Aires.

Our schedule was fairly tight, with every second night for the first week spent on a bus getting from one place to the next.
Strangely enough however it didn´t seem rushed, and the few days we spent in each city was enough to give us a taste of its character and allow us to explore the best sites.
Rosario was the first city we visited, and perhaps remains my favourite. We checked into a lovely little family-run hostel, La Lechuza, before heading out to explore the last hours of the day. We walked down to the river and walked along the pier and watched the hundreds of young people who had discovered the pier as a nice place to spend the evening skateboarding and drinking mate´.
That evening we met two Australian boys who had been in Rosario for two weeks, having initially only intended to stay for two nights. They told us the best parts of the city to visit the following day and we spent the evening in their company along with twelve French exchange students who were currently studying in the city.
We woke early the next morning and were heading towards the city´s monument before I spotted a nice little clothing boutique. An hour or so later we exited the shop, each with an extra bag in hand and a slightly smug expression on our faces.
We climbed the city´s monument and were treated to a magnificent view of the entire city and the river that wound around the outskirts.
We headed back to the hostel that evening after spending the rest of the day visiting the sites of the city and admiring its architecture. Juan, the owner of the hostel entertained us until 10pm that night when we headed back to the bus terminal to make our way to Cordoba.

Our hostel in Cordoba was the worst we had stayed in yet- the floors were covered in cigarette ash, the surfaces were dirty and the staff were useless- they were completely disinterested in maintaining any form of hygiene and organisation.
The two days we had in Cordoba we spent admiring the various art galleries (although unfortunately few were open) and went for a long walk in the central park. We managed to find the best gelato in the city where Nina and I indulged in chocolate tart with brownie and dulce de leche (a sweet spread that is everywhere in South America and has a similar flavour and consistency to condensed milk). Maryam went for the banana split dessert to satisfy her everlasting sweet tooth- three flavours of icecream with banana and dulce de leche smothered on the top.

We also found another few shops where we all purchased a little something. When I got back to the hostel I noticed for the first time that the woman had charged me $98 Argentinian pesos instead of $398...and that perhaps it was karma for the fact that when I first arrived in Argentina the ATM dispensed a $10 instead of a $100. Either way I was happy with my absolute bargain!

The next stop was Mendoza, the famous region in Argentina known for its history of wine production. We were overwhelmed with relief as we arrived at the Empedrado Hostel to find a very clean, friendly atmosphere with many other bonuses such as a gourmet breakfast (eggs and pancakes!) and free wine tasting that evening.

At 2pm we left our hostel and began a tour of two of the vineyards closeby. We were shown the winemaking process and were given a taste of each of the wines at the close of the tour. Unfortunately as it was winter the landscape looked fairly barren and there were no grapes on the trees, however it was nice to see a taste of the Argentinian countryside.
We also visited an olive oil factory where we were shown the very simple process in place to produce the different varieties of their extra-virgin olive oil. When we stepped into the factory we were met with the glorious olive fragrance and we struggled to leave after inhaling it for ten minutes.
We were given a taste of the different varieties and then made our way back to Mendoza as this last stop signified the close of the tour.
That evening we continued drinking wine as we participated as pupils of the wine tasting session. The woman directed us as to how wine should be properly tasted and then allowed us to decide for ourselves whether we liked the flavours of the local wine...which we certainly did.
We had a free day in Mendoza to wonder the city again, and as many of the museums were again closed we spent much of the time soaking up the sun in the central park where there was a festival to celebrate the wine in Mendoza. Each individual -man, woman and even child were given a small bag with an apple and a popper of wine.
As we made our way back to the bus terminal we were grateful that we had decided to make the detour to Mendoza as we were satisfied with our visit to the city.
As we completed each step of our journey the duration of the bus trips began to increase, as did the ticket prices which are surprisingly expensive! Overall we spent nearly $550 on buses (over half of our budget for the entire three weeks in Argentina) however it was well worth it to see these impressive cities.

We were all looking forward to Salta as we had discussed it would be the destination where we would be able to have a bit of a splurge and do some outdoor activities...and that we did.
Our first day in Salta was beautifully sunny and was perfect for the whitewater rafting we had booked for the day. We spent a few hours going down the rapids and had a great time admiring the surrounding landscape.

Before being served lunch Nina, Maryam and I walked to the middle of the bridge and took turns bungee jumping, plunging towards the freezing river below.

After the swinging and hanging in the air I was dropped into a boat and brought to shore where I watched the others nervously drop.
We had a delicious lunch, returned to Salta and topped off our already perfect day with another (guilty) clothing purchase and a traditional Argentinian beer - Quilmers.
The following day the weather had changed rapidly and there was a harsh wind blowing through the city. We wondered around the Plaza and the surrounding streets however we then had to get back to the hostel to prepare for our 24 hour bus ride to Puerto Iguazu...which we were all beginning to dread.

Our day in Iguazu Falls was unfortunately dominated by the poor weather- the first rainy day we had experienced in the trip so far. We saw the falls from a number of different viewpoints and managed to get a few photos in the spray, and in the afternoon we went on the walks through the rainforest.

We arrived back in Buenos Aires exhausted, but very satisfied. After a night out in Crobar, one of the biggest clubs in the city, we must now farewell Maryam who flies back to La Paz tomorrow. It has been a fantastic few months with her and she has become one of my best friends, which is amazing considering the short time we have known each other. The feelings of sadness are shadowed by my excitement to see her when I have a month in the UK in November.

Nina and I now have a few more days in Buenos Aires to walk around the different districts before we head to Rome. It has been an incredible few months on this continent, and I plan to come back in the new future to explore the rest of the territory that I am yet to visit.

A Festive Farewell to Bolivia

June is the month for festivals in La Paz. Over the past few weeks we have attended a number of traditional Bolivian celebrations in and around the city including El Gran Poder, Aymara New Year and San Juan. Traditional Bolivia is also the theme for the Bolivian Express issue for this month, so each of these interesting and very different celebrations has been documented by one of the interns.

Early on Saturday morning as Nina and I awoke after a big night out we could hear the sounds of the parade that is characteristic of the Gran Poder. The Gran Poder is an annual event that celebrates both Jesus Christ and the Pachamama (Mother Earth), tying together both Catholic and Andean beliefs. It continues throughout the entire day and is a festival that brings together not only the different cultures, but is attended by Pacenos (citizens of La Paz) of all ages.

The parade celebrates the different traditional dances of various Bolivian cultures, and the importance of these dances for the participants is evident in the preparations taken to both practise the dance and make the very elaborate costumes. For some dancers, practise begins months prior to the day in order to perfect the routine. These days there is criticism surrounding the festival as some believe it to have forgotten it’s religious origins and has become more commercialised. Some Paceños are beginning to complain that the costumes are mere representations of the individual’s wealth and prestige.

Despite this criticism, the costumes are in a league of their own and are an incredible display of clever handicraft. Nina and I arrived at the parade later in the morning to catch a glimpse of the dancers up close before the big crowds start arriving later in the afternoon. As I was covering the Gran Poder for the magazine I managed to interview a few of the dancers while they caught their breath, and this was an interesting way to learn about the opinions of the evolvement of the festival of those involved.

Later in the evening we visited the parade for a second time, however we waited in line for over two hours before we were allowed through the gates due to the masses of people eager to enter the festival. It gave us the chance to meet some Bolivians and enjoy the taste of the traditional Bolivian beer, Pacena.

Two days later at around 7pm we made our way to Tihuanacu for Aymara New Year. It is rather ironic that this is celebrated at the ruins in Tihuanacu considering the ruins represent the history of a different people entirely.

Warned of the -20 degree temperatures that are typical of the evening we wrapped up in our many layers and made our way to the town centre. We were all suffering from a cold and were slightly worried about the fact that it was another 7 hours until the celebration began. As midnight finally arrived we had already been in the cold for three hours, had eaten as much as we could bare and were all struggling to keep our eyes from closing. The atmosphere of the night was much like New Year anywhere in the world…everyone was very relaxed drinking and dancing along to the live band.

At 12:30pm we made the executive decision to go home. We were all sniffling and couldn’t see ourselves surviving in the cold until 6am when the Aymara people celebrate the New Year. We still managed to soak up as much of the evening as possible and were glad to rid us of the overpriced entrance fee that was being charged to foreigners!

For the next few days we were back in La Paz finalising our articles and booking different hostels for the rest of our trip. Nina and I were forced also to research the problems at the border between Copacabana and Puno that have caused mayhem for the past few weeks. Many travellers have been stopped from crossing between countries or have otherwise been forced to walk miles as bus lines have refused to transport tourists due to many attacks on buses. We ended up booking a flight to Cusco from La Paz to avoid the dangers that continue to arise in the area and to avoid overstaying our visa in a country where there is a price to pay for neglecting the rules.

Bolivia is known throughout South America for having the World’s Most Dangerous Road, a very narrow, windy, steep 63km strip of rocky road that winds up at the small village of Coroico. Eager to make the most of this road, more commonly known as “Death Road”, we signed up with Gravity tours to mountain bike-ride down the road.

As the road has resulted in many casualties over the years, before beginning the ride each person must sign a declaration saying the company takes no responsibility for any injuries or deaths which occur during the five hour descent.

The journey begins on asphalt, however it is not long before we arrive at the rocky surface that we become so familiar with for the rest of the day. It is thrilling to ride down through the trees with an incredible view across the valley. At some stages of the ride it is slightly unnerving as you can see the 500m-drop to the bottom and stories start arising about the many deaths that have occurred along the way.

Within the first few kilometres of the ride we were told to put our cameras away and get off our bikes to pass through what appeared to be a very strict checkpoint. Each car that was descending the mountain was checked for chemicals that could be used in the production of cocaine, and each car that ascended for the actual substance itself. As we were without bags the guards considered us fairly harmless, and we passed through without being searched.

We were fortunate enough to have the owner of the company, Alistair, on our ride as he was testing our New Zealand guide, Chad, as to whether he was good enough to join the Gravity team. Alistair informed us that there are over thirty companies that take groups down the death road, but that there is only one other he would recommend to take. I understood his reasoning during the ride when I would watch as other group leaders flew down the hill encouraging the riders to keep up, neglecting to give any sort of guidance to the ignorant riders. Alistair told us that it is these companies that are the ones responsible for the deaths on the road, and he said the cause of many is testosterone exceeding ability.

Interestingly enough Alistair (slightly frustratingly) told us that if one of the other companies loses a rider over the edge they will often wait for the Gravity guides to come and rescue the person, knowing that they have the correct safety equipment (which many of the companies lack).

The ride was a truly exhilarating experience, and ironically there wasn’t a moment when I really felt unsafe (which says something-wait until you see the road!). I was glad we each decided not to compromise our safety and to go with the most expensive company.

At the end of the ride we were given a souvenir t-shirt and were taken to the Animal Refuge in Coroico. We were served a buffet lunch, were treated to clean bathrooms and showers and were given the opportunity to visit the various wildlife housed in the refuge.

I was feeling very sick by this stage (from a big week) so I opted not to do the flying fox however Maryam and Nina flew across the valleys and said it was a very fun experience.

We then began the three-hour ascent up the same, very windy road and arrived back in La Paz at 9pm that same evening. Having been invited by Vampi to go to “Ignition”, a very exclusive party in the wealthy district of La Paz, we took off our biking clothes and replaced them with our best attire. San Juan, a typically Spanish festival, falls on the 23^rd of June as is likewise celebrated in South American nations. Ignition was a party designed to coincide with San Juan and provide the youth with an event to enjoy the evening.

Walking through the entrance to the party as five ‘gringos’, we felt very obviously out of place, as there was not another foreigner within a hundred miles of the party. After a few drinks, dancing and laughs with our Bolivian friends, the feeling faded and we enjoyed the night.

Saturday night we hosted a small gathering at our apartment to catch up with our friends. Gato and his girlfriend, Guido, Vampi, Darko and a few of their friends joined us for some rounds of Four Kings and to sit around and enjoy our view over La Paz.
Sundays are very slow in La Paz, as like many other world cities, everything closes and there is little to do. We spent the day organising further our trip and finalising our flight details.

Monday morning we left for a two-day journey to Lake Titicaca. We boarded a micro for 17bs and arrived in Copacabana three hours later. Copacabana is a small lakeside town that thrives on tourism and is known for serving trout, the fish that was brought to the lake many centuries ago to provide the citizens with some protein for their diet.

We checked into Hostal 6 de Agosto and spent the afternoon wandering through the few streets in the town. We visited the Cathedral and admired its internal gold decoration, however having spent so much time in Italy there are few churches that live up to those exquisitely-decorated Cathedrals in Roma.

We had an early dinner at Coffee-Shop Copacabana, where we were served an extremely generous portion of spaghetti Bolognese as we watched the sun set over the lake. Having booked our tour of Isla Del Sol for early the following morning, we had a very early night.

The following day we travelled by boat from the Northern end of the Island to the South, stopping in three small villages along the way. There was little to do at the villages aside from sit by the lake and soak up the sun, so this is exactly what we did. Being a water person, I was glad to finally be by the water after being in a landlocked country for two months.

When we arrived back in Copacabana that same afternoon we had a few hours to kill before our bus left for La Paz…so what better to do than sit down in a café and eat! However it is important that I mention this experience, as it was at this particular restaurant that we were each treated to a gastronomic delight. Nina had fried eggplant with vegetables, Seni ate a plate of fajitas and I indulged in the best falafels I have eaten (aside from at the Orgasmic café in good ol’ Lismore). The journey home was much the same as the way there, and after a big day of travelling and eating we spent much of it asleep in the backseat of the micro.

 For the last few days we have been soaking up the scenes in La Paz that we have become so fond of over the past few months. Vampi, Seni, Nina and I have been enjoying the last of each others company before we head to Cusco and Seni returns to Denver to start Uni. It is going to be a sad farewell not only to the city that we have made our home but also the many people that we have made friends with here. We also met the two new interns for this month, and it is strange to think that the apartment will be so empty with only two. Tonight we intend on having a nice gathering at the apartment as a sort of farewell with the whole crew - Nina, Seni, Vampi, Robbie, Nieva, Darko, Ivan, Sharoll, Gato and Juan. Tomorrow we are entering the next stage of our journey, and it is a very exciting prospect for the both of us!