Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar
After a good nights sleep, in a bed! after the last two nights spent on a night bus we got up and got on a bus to Vina del Mar. After the weather didn't go our way in Mar del Plata (Argentina) we hoped the chilean equivalent would preform a bit better. We arrived around midday and after lunch we eventually found our hostel after a bit of confusion. We finally got in a cab and assumed it would take us to where we wanted to go. Little did we know cabs don't work the same here. We got dropped off on the motor way in-between the two cities with the driver telling us to get out and take another taxi. For some reason it was ridiculously cheap so we didn't kick a fuss and went to get another cab to our hostel. While standing on the side of the motorway looking for a taxi, we put together a few observations and worked out how the system works. The cabs aren't private and run on set routes and set prices. Once we worked out what kind of cab and the direction we needed to get, we managed to jump in a half full cab and get to the hostel.
Still completely shattered from the insane amount of hours spent on a bus, we spent the whole evening relaxing and recovering in our room. The following day we got up and decided to check out Valparaiso, just a short drive from Vina del Mar. Valparariso is the third largest city in Chile. It use to serve as the main port in South America but since the Panama cannel was created it has almost been made redundant other than local goods. The city had a really cool old feel about it. It felt semi neglected as most of the old buildings had seen better days, but also there weren't many new buildings or grotty modernist buildings so the city had a really genuine feel about it. We started by taking one of the characteristic cable-cars up one of the many hills. Locals use these to get to and from the city, they look like they haven't been serviced for a century, really legit. The houses crawl up the steep hills that surround the city and are all painted bright colours. From the top of the cable car we couldn't get over how much it looked like an extremely overpopulated Wellington. With the dock, the harbour, and the city at the foot of similar shaped hills surrounding it, it really did resemble it. Kind of scary to think Wellington might look that populated in 30years or so. From the top we walked back down towards the city down the steep old streets. After an amazing lunch we continued to explore the old streets. All the big colonial mansions are painted bright colours and in one area everything has all been restored and maintained so its a really nice area to walk around. The other thing that adds to Valparsiso's character are all the murals painted on the walls. There is one section of the city full of murals called the "open air museum".
After a full day of exploring, we got back on a bus to Vina Del Mar. That evening we met up with Sergio (a friend from Santiago) and checked out a couple of Vinas bars.
The following day we got up, packed our bags, then headed to the beach for one last day on a South American white sand beach. The morning was cloudy but by midday it cleared up and became a scorcher. We spent the day just relaxing on the beach as the crushing waves were deadly, a bit too lethal to swim in. After a full day on the beach we headed back to get our bags from the hostel then got a bus back to Santiago to enjoy one last South American night out.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Mendoza - 08/02/2011
After another 10 hour night bus we arrived in Mendoza early morning. We were quite excited to explore Mendoza as there was a big earthquake quite awhile ago in the 1800s that destroyed and flattened the town. Expecting to see a kind of equivalent to Napier, for some reason that was not the case. It turned out there isn't a lot to see or do unless you go at least an hour out of the city which was not ideal for us being so short on time. We had a look around and went to a few parks, as we were extremely tired with all the travelling and not staying in a bed for a few nights we settled for some mcdonalds. To our amazement we bumped into a couple of british guys we met in Iguazu which was pretty crazy. After a quick catchup and once we finished our meal we headed back to the bus terminal to return to Santiago.
The trip over the Andes was pretty amazing with incredible harsh landscape. Beautiful scenery. By the time we reached the top to cross the boarder from Argentina to Chile it was freezing! We were not prepared for that coming from 30o. Shorts and jandals are far from ideal in snowy and icy conditions. Luckily we didn't have to stick around, once we got our passports stamped and bags checked we were back on our way to Santiago.
The trip over the Andes was pretty amazing with incredible harsh landscape. Beautiful scenery. By the time we reached the top to cross the boarder from Argentina to Chile it was freezing! We were not prepared for that coming from 30o. Shorts and jandals are far from ideal in snowy and icy conditions. Luckily we didn't have to stick around, once we got our passports stamped and bags checked we were back on our way to Santiago.
Cordoba - 07/02/2011
We took a 10 hour night bus from buenos aires to cordoba as soon as we got back from mar del plata. We were trying to get to Mendoza but there wernt any buses so late (midnight) so cordoba it was! On our bus we met a german guy who is studying in Santiago. It turned out he was visiting a friend of his from Germany who is studying in cordoba. So lucky for us as we got a free guided tour around the city! Knowing nothing about cordoba we found out it us the second largest city in argentina and was well worth the stop. We saw some beautiful churches but what was really cool was a paved reflected outline mirrored all the buildings around the city centre. A very nice touch.
We made a quick stop to get some amazing huge ice creams then carried on through beautiful pedestrian only streets, parks and buildings. We saw people pulling down a small very old building to replace it with big apartment blocks which was very sad. We then watched in amazement as this extremely talented spray paintest did some pictures and unfortunately missed out of some of his work. After having an amazing steak for dinner we headed back to the bus terminal to head to Mendoza.
We made a quick stop to get some amazing huge ice creams then carried on through beautiful pedestrian only streets, parks and buildings. We saw people pulling down a small very old building to replace it with big apartment blocks which was very sad. We then watched in amazement as this extremely talented spray paintest did some pictures and unfortunately missed out of some of his work. After having an amazing steak for dinner we headed back to the bus terminal to head to Mendoza.
Mar del Plata - 06/02/2011
We thought a couple of days relaxing on a nice sunny ohot beach would be a perfect way to spend a part of our last week in south America. We heard mar del plata was the place to go and where all argentinians spend their summer months on the beach. This sounded like what we were after so after our slow and frustrating morning we caught a 5 hour bus to mar del plata. We arrived at about 930pm and were extremely shocked at how cold it was (15o). After being in at least 30o heat for 6weeks it was a shock to the system. We didn't muck around and quickly caught a taxi to a hostel, luckily enough they had room for us. We were extremely tired so we got a quick bite to eat then headed straight to bed. We got the giggles as a guy in our dorm had an extremely funny snore, but we quickly fell asleep. After a good nights sleep, (catching up on some from the lack of from the night before), we woke up eager to get to the beach. We stepped outside and were completely shocked how cold (22o), windy and overcast it was but yet everyone was still heading to the beach like it was Copacabana in rio! A bit confused and extremely cold we just couldn't bring ourselves to go to the beach so we explored the city centre in hope the weather would warm up a bit. We really enjoyed the relaxed feel of the place with everyone in holiday mode. However we decided to move on in search for the heat.
Last night in Buenos Aires - 05/02/2011
After a jam-packed few days in Buenos Aires we had managed to see almost everything we want to. We spent the Saturday exploring a couple of parts of central city we missed along with a bit of shopping and relaxing in a few of Buenos Aires many parks, partly in preparation for the sure to be massive Sarurday night in Buenos Aires. By now we had learnt that Argentineans are very late starters when it comes to going out so we didn't even start our night off until 11 or so. We drank Stella Artois from litre bottles which was a strange concept for us and met several others from the hostel to hit the town with. Two o'clock rolled around which meant it was time to make our way to Polermo, the party district. Unfortunately for us everywhere has door charges which made it hard to see what Buenos Aires had to offer so we spent our evening in the one club. We really enjoyed the club and were with a cool bunch of people so partied away until 7 having no idea what time it was, until we went to get some fresh air outside when we realised the sun was up.
We taxied home and went straight to bed forgetting our plans. Necane woke up around 1pm realising we were supposed to checkout of the hostel two hours ago.
We taxied home and went straight to bed forgetting our plans. Necane woke up around 1pm realising we were supposed to checkout of the hostel two hours ago.
Tigre - 04/02/2011
After a busy few days in the middle of Buenos Aires, we decided to head out of the city for the day. We took a train to a small district called Tigre, an hour out of the city. We didn't feel like doing much, so after a nice lunch we spent the day chilling out in this beautiful relaxed town, walking along the river and sitting in the sun.
We headed back into the busy Buenos Aires that afternoon and found a massive street Market so we spent the evening exploring that and buying a few bits and bobs. We got back to the hostel later on to find a sneaky Argentinian had helped themselves into Necane's bag. Luckily they missed her iPhone but her wallet had been taken. Probably to the thief's disappointment they didn't get a big score in terms of cash but we had to spend the evening trying to contact people to cancel the cards and found they had already cracked the visa for a couple of hundy. Very disappointing to happen after a completely trouble-free trip but it was far from the worst thing that could have happened.
We headed back into the busy Buenos Aires that afternoon and found a massive street Market so we spent the evening exploring that and buying a few bits and bobs. We got back to the hostel later on to find a sneaky Argentinian had helped themselves into Necane's bag. Luckily they missed her iPhone but her wallet had been taken. Probably to the thief's disappointment they didn't get a big score in terms of cash but we had to spend the evening trying to contact people to cancel the cards and found they had already cracked the visa for a couple of hundy. Very disappointing to happen after a completely trouble-free trip but it was far from the worst thing that could have happened.
La Boca - 03/02/2011
We had a slow start from the night before but after a late breakfast we got on our way to La Boca. From what we had heard and from the photos we had seen, La Boca looked like a cool neighbourhood that characterised Buenos Aires. Old colonial houses all painted crazy bright colours. Once we arrived we were overwhelmed by all the stereotypical tourists, who had just hopped straight off the tour bus. The crowds of people made it an extremely unauthentic experience along with the locals exploiting it touristically for all it's worth, dressing up for photos and selling souvenirs. We tried to see it for what it used to be but the crowds got to us so we escaped to a restaurant for an amazing Argentinian steak. After our delicious feed we headed back to the central city to explore down by the waterfront. Along with the grand government buildings there is a modern iconic bridge that crosses the cannel. While it was cool during the day, we knew from photos it was much more impressive at night, so we returned later on and spent the evening down there.
La Recoleta Cemetery - 02/02/2011
02/02/2011
We woke up the following day ready to explore this cemetery for the rich and famous. We had heard so much about it but yet we had no idea what to expect. As soon as we entered the cemetery we were instantly amazed. Unlike anything else we had seen, graves and tombstones were inexistent. Instead, these excessively grand tombs replaced them. At first we were so amazed just by these grand and intricately decorated structures that mark the life of these once famous people. Then we had a closer look. Expecting the doors of the tomb to conceal some kind of shrine or altar, we got the fright of our life when we peered in and saw the coffins just sitting there. An arms length away. They were literally modern-day mummies.
As we explored the streets of the dead, it took us a few hours to even begin to get used to what we were seeing.
While we found it an extremely weird and exhibitionist way of burial, it did have a nice family aspect to it. Each tomb was designed to house a whole family. You could look down and and see endless racks for coffins going deeper and deeper into the ground. A lot of them were still well maintained, but lots had been forgotten about and had fallen into disrepair. The windows had smashed and fallen in on the coffins and water had got in and started to rot things away. Some coffins had fallen down and the lids were prying open. Extremely creepy. We spent the whole day exploring these streets, so amazed but so creeped out at the same time.
After we had had enough in the cemetery, we moved onto this floral sculpture nearby. It was a massive, mechanical flower. It's steel petals open with sunlight and close when the sun goes down. Very cool.
That evening we went on a pub-crawl through buenos aires nightclub district that the hostel organised. Thinking it would be a small group of people from our hostel, we weren't entirely impressed when we realised there were 100 odd people on it. It took away from the legitimacy of the clubs because everyone was tourists so we decided to split our ways from the group.
We woke up the following day ready to explore this cemetery for the rich and famous. We had heard so much about it but yet we had no idea what to expect. As soon as we entered the cemetery we were instantly amazed. Unlike anything else we had seen, graves and tombstones were inexistent. Instead, these excessively grand tombs replaced them. At first we were so amazed just by these grand and intricately decorated structures that mark the life of these once famous people. Then we had a closer look. Expecting the doors of the tomb to conceal some kind of shrine or altar, we got the fright of our life when we peered in and saw the coffins just sitting there. An arms length away. They were literally modern-day mummies.
As we explored the streets of the dead, it took us a few hours to even begin to get used to what we were seeing.
While we found it an extremely weird and exhibitionist way of burial, it did have a nice family aspect to it. Each tomb was designed to house a whole family. You could look down and and see endless racks for coffins going deeper and deeper into the ground. A lot of them were still well maintained, but lots had been forgotten about and had fallen into disrepair. The windows had smashed and fallen in on the coffins and water had got in and started to rot things away. Some coffins had fallen down and the lids were prying open. Extremely creepy. We spent the whole day exploring these streets, so amazed but so creeped out at the same time.
After we had had enough in the cemetery, we moved onto this floral sculpture nearby. It was a massive, mechanical flower. It's steel petals open with sunlight and close when the sun goes down. Very cool.
That evening we went on a pub-crawl through buenos aires nightclub district that the hostel organised. Thinking it would be a small group of people from our hostel, we weren't entirely impressed when we realised there were 100 odd people on it. It took away from the legitimacy of the clubs because everyone was tourists so we decided to split our ways from the group.
Buenos Aires - 01/02/2011
We arrived into buenos aires after the most amazing night bus. Our seats were like first class on a plane, personal tvs, seats that recline flat, and meals served with a vino. We navigated the subway and made our way from the bus terminal to our hostel. After we had settled in, we set for the streets just exploring the busy city centre and admiring the grand colonial buildings that line the streets. That night we decided to go a tango show as everyone said it was a must do. We arrived at the venue and were escorted down to this amazing basement theatre. The beautiful brick work was decorated with wine bottles. Included in the show was a three-course meal, so we sat down and ordered. Being in Argentina we had to go for a steak. Soon after we finished our incredible meal the show started. The show had live singers, a traditional band, as well as an indigenous band, this amazing guy who swung ropes and of course tango dancers. Never having seen tango before we were amazed at the intricate and sometimes dangerous (on the males behalf) footwork as the girls flick their legs so quickly between their partners legs, putting their manhood on the line. There were also lots of daredevil lifts that had the audience really applauding. It was quite serious and intense but so beautiful and amazing to watch. Although it wasn't quite Frano's cup of tea the overall show was a great experience, and the show definitely had it's highlights.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
San Ignacio 31/01/2011
The following morning after visiting the falls we hopped on a bus south. We decided to make a stop at San Ignacio instead of going direct to Buenos Aries. At San Ignacio there are a series of ruins from the Jesuits misionareis. We got off the bus, paid a guy to look after our bags and navigated our way to this abandoned civilisation. The roofs of all the structures had rotted away and fallen in so only the stonework wall remain in a similar way to Machu Picchu. The majority of the ruins were modest houses but the church and monumental buildings were really impressive. We walked around the ruins exploring all the overgrown parts with roots and vines climbing over them. It was a nice change as they were so un-commercialised and there wasn't a whole lot of tourists wondering about.
After we had finished we picked our bags up and got on a bus towards Posadas where we could get a bus to Buenos Aires from. A few hours later we were well on our way to the city that never sleeps.
After we had finished we picked our bags up and got on a bus towards Posadas where we could get a bus to Buenos Aires from. A few hours later we were well on our way to the city that never sleeps.
Iguazu Falls - Argentina. 30/01/2011
We woke up bright and early (partly due to the time difference from brasil) ready to explore the Argentinean side of the falls. We met up with the others at breakfast then set off on the bus towards the national park. It is a common tactic to see Devils throat first "to beat the crowd", apart from EVERYONE does that. So we took a gamble and did another part of the park and returned later. So far it paid off as for the majority of the morning we had the catwalks to ourselves. We set off into the bush and before we knew it, we were swarmed by a pack of Coatis, racoon like ferrets. These coatis go nuts around food, normally attacking. They often have rabies so it is highly recommended to keep clear of them. We didn't quite realise how crazy about food they were until they ambushed Necane for her bag which previously had an orange in it. Some nice lady got her bag off them and we continued our walk into the bush. We saw the most amazing butterflies, a squirrel and a couple of big iguanas. We finally reached the upper catwalks and made our way along the mouth of falls we were looking at the previous day. The walkways had been built so that you are looking right down the falls, providing amazing views. After we had explored the upper walk ways we made our way down to the lower walk ways to get a different perspective, looking up at them. This was equally impressive. While the Brazilian side had better panoramic views, because they curved around, you also got amazing views of all the falls while being in them from the Argentinean side. We then made our way down to the river to take a boat out into the falls. And by into, we literally mean into. We hopped into the boat and it took close enough to two of the falls to get photos without soaking our cameras. They then told us to put them away into the dry bags and next thing we knew it they had driven the boat right under the falls so we were getting completely pelted with masses of water. While we couldn't see much other than excessive amounts of water, it was so exhilarating to literally be under the falls. After we dried off in the 35o heat we got some lunch and made our way to devils throat. Our gamble paid off as everyone was now exploring what we had done that morning and now there was no line for the train to Devils throat. A long catwalk stretches across the head of the waterfalls towards Devils throat. There was still remnants of the old walkway which was washed away in a flood. We reached devils throat, and it looked like an insanely big hole sucking millions of litres of water into oblivion. There was so much spray we often couldn't see much, we could only hear the roaring thunder of the water crashing down. It was amazing to look down on what we were almost standing in the previous day on the Brazilian side. Such an incredible site. Unfortunately like much of the falls, it was impossible conditions to get photos that do it justice, but it was more the experience of being there.
We then returned back along the catwalk back to land and took a boat down river. After the amazon it was a bit too touristic and less impressive as it might be for others but we did see another caiman which we were not expecting. We then made our way back to the hostel after a full and amazing day exploring a truly mind blowing natural wonder. A definite highlight of the trip.
We then returned back along the catwalk back to land and took a boat down river. After the amazon it was a bit too touristic and less impressive as it might be for others but we did see another caiman which we were not expecting. We then made our way back to the hostel after a full and amazing day exploring a truly mind blowing natural wonder. A definite highlight of the trip.
Foz do Igauzu - Brasil. 29/01/2011
We arrived into Foz do Igauzu bus terminal after a night bus from Sao Paulo. While we are getting better at the whole night bus thing, even when you do sleep, it's not the same as good nights sleep in a bed. After a bite to eat and once we had sorted out our plans and orientation for the day we set off on a bus towards the Brazilian side of the falls. On the bus we met a traveller from Israel and ended up exploring the falls with him. The Brazilian side provided great panoramic views of the falls as the majority are on the Argentinian side. We could not believe the size and pressure of them. There was so much mist we were getting spray 50metres up, it made some pretty amazing rainbows. It took us a couple of hours to walk along the Brazilian side; taking photos, exploring and just observing one of the worlds natural wonders. At end of the path you get to Devils Throat which is where most of the water falls. They have built a catwalk so you can walk right out, almost underneath it. While the water doesn't directly fall on you, we came out completely drenched from all the mist. It didn't make for the best photographic conditions but it was so incredible to be that close to something so powerfully beautiful.
After we were satisfied with the falls we got on a bus and made our way to the Argentinean side. We were quite curious as how our first land border crossing would go, as this is where you hear the stories about corruption etc, but it was so smooth, one of our easiest yet. We arrived on the Argentinean side and our Israeli friend showed us a place to stay. Once we had settled in we cooled off in the pool. The hostel put on an all-you-can-eat pizza for dinner so we had a bit of a pig out and met a few people to do the Argentinean side of the falls with the following day.
After we were satisfied with the falls we got on a bus and made our way to the Argentinean side. We were quite curious as how our first land border crossing would go, as this is where you hear the stories about corruption etc, but it was so smooth, one of our easiest yet. We arrived on the Argentinean side and our Israeli friend showed us a place to stay. Once we had settled in we cooled off in the pool. The hostel put on an all-you-can-eat pizza for dinner so we had a bit of a pig out and met a few people to do the Argentinean side of the falls with the following day.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sao Paulo - 28/1/2011
We arrived into Sao Paulo late afternoon and took a taxi to a hostel with the two Swedish girls we met. After we had settled in, we went out for a pizza and drink with them before an early night. The following day we got up early to explore the city as we were moving on that afternoon. We soon discovered Sao Paulo isn't the prettiest of cities. In fact it was quite ugly. Most of the colonial buildings had been pulled down so it was just a concrete jungle of ugly office buildings. The people seemed to be very work orientated so the city didn't have a good vibe from a tourists perceptive. Our impression was just a big, dirty city with a high crime rate. Luckily we were only around for the day so we explored the city then made our way back to the bus terminal that evening to get us bus to Foz do Igauzu.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Ilha Grande - 26/28/1/2011
After an extremely full on stay in Rio we decided we wanted somewhere quiet to relax for a few days. We met a kiwi traveler in Rio and he had just come from an Island called Ilha Grande (big island) so we hopped on a bus towards there. Three hours later we arrived at the closest town, we met a couple from London and sorted out a boat to the island with them. We relaxed on the roof of the catamaran as we sailed towards the island. We arrived at the village on the island and as we were getting our bags ready to go search for a place to stay we were approached by a local lady who was renting a house. We ended up staying the first night there along with the British couple and two Germans we had met on the boat over. We had a relaxed evening and all went out to dinner and had a few drinks after. The following morning we got up bright and early to find a place to stay for the second night. After we found a place we got straight on a boat to go to a remote beach on the island. After a 40 minute boat ride we were dropped at a small port and set off on foot into the bush towards the beach.
It was well worth the travel, the beach was so amazing. Golden White sand, clear blue water, no boats and no crowds. Perfect.
We spent the whole day, right until 6, relaxing on this amazing beach. Lying in the sun and swimming in the completely transparent ocean. Just what we needed after our hectic time in Rio. That evening we met up with the others after dinner for a couple of quiet drinks, great way to finish our stay in Ilha Grande.
The following morning we got up, packed our bags and got on the ferry back to the mainland to continue our travels down the coast towards Sao Paulo. With nothing booked we were hoping we would be able to jump on a bus without waiting all day. We had to walk from the dock to the bus terminal with our bags and all. In 38 degree heat it's not exactly pleasant. Once we arrived at the bus terminal, dripping in sweat, we saw a bus heading to Sao Paulo loading up. We met a couple of girls from Sweden in the same boat as us and we all managed to get on the bus without getting proper tickets. The whole free styling travel, booking as you go, was working out for us and seemed like a more enjoyable and exciting way to travel.
It was well worth the travel, the beach was so amazing. Golden White sand, clear blue water, no boats and no crowds. Perfect.
We spent the whole day, right until 6, relaxing on this amazing beach. Lying in the sun and swimming in the completely transparent ocean. Just what we needed after our hectic time in Rio. That evening we met up with the others after dinner for a couple of quiet drinks, great way to finish our stay in Ilha Grande.
The following morning we got up, packed our bags and got on the ferry back to the mainland to continue our travels down the coast towards Sao Paulo. With nothing booked we were hoping we would be able to jump on a bus without waiting all day. We had to walk from the dock to the bus terminal with our bags and all. In 38 degree heat it's not exactly pleasant. Once we arrived at the bus terminal, dripping in sweat, we saw a bus heading to Sao Paulo loading up. We met a couple of girls from Sweden in the same boat as us and we all managed to get on the bus without getting proper tickets. The whole free styling travel, booking as you go, was working out for us and seemed like a more enjoyable and exciting way to travel.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Rio de Janeiro - 21-25/1/2011
As we flew over Rio de Janeiro we began to realise what all the fuss was about. It has some of the most exciting landscape, harsh green mountains dropping into white sand beaches.
We arrived into Rio and were greeted with a stinking hot 37o. We were getting by with our spanish everywhere else, but of coarse Spanish was useless there and we knew it would be an interesting week not knowing a word of Portuguese. While our Spanish is so basic, we felt like experts in comparison. Anyway we went through the most relaxed customs yet, then managed to get on a bus towards Copacabana. With no hostel booked we took to the streets with our big bags in search of a place to stay. We found a place a block back from the beach and decided that would do us just fine. Once we were settled in we went for a wonder around the streets of Copacabana then spent the evening having a few drinks.
The following day we got up bright and early to get some of the sites ticked off. We started with the Christ statue, but being a Saturday a Cruise ship spoilt the party with a million mindless tourists being led around like sheep. We decided to check the city out and return later on. We navigated the city looking for all the colonial buildings, museums, cathedrals etc along with the markets and anything else we could find. The heat didn't make it easy but we managed to walk around and see everything including an amazing theatre and the most intricate, over the top interior at the monastery. We then returned to take the tram up to see the iconic Jesus statue that looks down over Rio. While the statue was mildly disappointing (as all the cool postcard photos are from a helicopter) it had an amazing panoramic view over the city with all the islands, beaches, mountains, skyscrapers and slums all in one view. Pretty exhilarating. After getting some shots we returned to Copacabana and went straight to the beach. We had never seen a beach so packed. The whole stretch was covered in people just as we had imagined. We did manage to find a nice spot to enjoy some afternoon sun and a swim. That evening we had a few drinks at the hostel before heading to Lapa. Lapa is where a lot of the bars and clubs are, but better known for the world famous street party. The streets are closed off and swarming with thousands of people, street vendors selling drinks, loud music, street performers and lots of people dancing Samba. We started our night off with a Caiprhina, a delicious Brazilian drink from one of the street vendors. We were with a local girl so she was showing us around and took us to see "the most beautiful steps in the world". Necane was overly excited when she realised this was where Snoop dogg and Pharell filmed a videoclip, and insisted we returned during the day because we didn't have cameras on us.
We wondered back towards the main party stopping along the way to watch a bit of Samba. We ran into some Argentinians and Brazilians staying at our hostel and ended up parting on until the early hours getting back at 5.
The following morning we had a bit of an expected late start to the day. After a feed we headed to Sugar loaf mountain, the other iconic site of Rio. We met another kiwi on the bus so caught the gondola up with him. The view from to the top was even more spectacular than from the Christ.
After our site seeing, once again we spent the afternoon on Copacabana beach relaxing and enjoying the buzz of Rio de Jeneiro.
The following day we booked a favela tour as 20% of rio's population live in slums. We were expecting the tour to be a drive through the slums so we were quite surprised when we were told we ride up on the back of motorbikes an descend down through the slum on foot.
We each hopped on the back of a bike and before we knew our driver was hooning up the windy, dodgy road. Each holding on for our dear lives as the crazy drivers went for smallest gaps overtaking trucks and racing each other. After the first 30seconds of completely shitting ourselves, the rest of the ride was extremely exhilarating. Once we got to the top our perception of what a slum looks like changed, as we realised there is a lot more order to their neighbourhood than we previously thought with corner stores, internet cafes, ATMs etc, despite not officially owning the land. We started to decend down through the favela as our guide turned and said if we see anyone with machine guns they're the drug cartels, and to put down our camera. That put us on edge but as we started walking through the thin, footpath sized streets we realised we were in good hands as almost every person we walked past was friends with our guide. As expected, it was dirty and smelt even worse, some parts much worse than others. The residents would add to houses the only way they could by building up which made us wonder about the quality of their workmanship and probably the lack of foundations underneath it being on a hill. Apparently slips have greatly been reduced since they built an aqueduct down the clip face. It was extremely eye opening to see the conditions people live in, yet we were quite surprised in the order and efficiency they live their lives. It really just seemed like a big poor neighbourhood, mind
you, we didn't get to see the influence and control of the drug cartels, which is probably a good thing.
After the tour we returned to see the famous steps we had seen a couple of nights before. They are an ongoing project so the artist is always making additions. We met the, of coarse extravert artist and he showed us a couple of tiles from New Zealand, starring some korus, a kiwi fruit and a tiki. We then indulged in an delicious lunch before exploring a bit more of central Rio. Once again we spent the afternoon on the beach after a full day of exploring before heading around to Ipanema beach to watch the sun set behind the iconic Rio de Janeiro landscape. A great way to end an unforgettable few days in Rio.
We arrived into Rio and were greeted with a stinking hot 37o. We were getting by with our spanish everywhere else, but of coarse Spanish was useless there and we knew it would be an interesting week not knowing a word of Portuguese. While our Spanish is so basic, we felt like experts in comparison. Anyway we went through the most relaxed customs yet, then managed to get on a bus towards Copacabana. With no hostel booked we took to the streets with our big bags in search of a place to stay. We found a place a block back from the beach and decided that would do us just fine. Once we were settled in we went for a wonder around the streets of Copacabana then spent the evening having a few drinks.
The following day we got up bright and early to get some of the sites ticked off. We started with the Christ statue, but being a Saturday a Cruise ship spoilt the party with a million mindless tourists being led around like sheep. We decided to check the city out and return later on. We navigated the city looking for all the colonial buildings, museums, cathedrals etc along with the markets and anything else we could find. The heat didn't make it easy but we managed to walk around and see everything including an amazing theatre and the most intricate, over the top interior at the monastery. We then returned to take the tram up to see the iconic Jesus statue that looks down over Rio. While the statue was mildly disappointing (as all the cool postcard photos are from a helicopter) it had an amazing panoramic view over the city with all the islands, beaches, mountains, skyscrapers and slums all in one view. Pretty exhilarating. After getting some shots we returned to Copacabana and went straight to the beach. We had never seen a beach so packed. The whole stretch was covered in people just as we had imagined. We did manage to find a nice spot to enjoy some afternoon sun and a swim. That evening we had a few drinks at the hostel before heading to Lapa. Lapa is where a lot of the bars and clubs are, but better known for the world famous street party. The streets are closed off and swarming with thousands of people, street vendors selling drinks, loud music, street performers and lots of people dancing Samba. We started our night off with a Caiprhina, a delicious Brazilian drink from one of the street vendors. We were with a local girl so she was showing us around and took us to see "the most beautiful steps in the world". Necane was overly excited when she realised this was where Snoop dogg and Pharell filmed a videoclip, and insisted we returned during the day because we didn't have cameras on us.
We wondered back towards the main party stopping along the way to watch a bit of Samba. We ran into some Argentinians and Brazilians staying at our hostel and ended up parting on until the early hours getting back at 5.
The following morning we had a bit of an expected late start to the day. After a feed we headed to Sugar loaf mountain, the other iconic site of Rio. We met another kiwi on the bus so caught the gondola up with him. The view from to the top was even more spectacular than from the Christ.
After our site seeing, once again we spent the afternoon on Copacabana beach relaxing and enjoying the buzz of Rio de Jeneiro.
The following day we booked a favela tour as 20% of rio's population live in slums. We were expecting the tour to be a drive through the slums so we were quite surprised when we were told we ride up on the back of motorbikes an descend down through the slum on foot.
We each hopped on the back of a bike and before we knew our driver was hooning up the windy, dodgy road. Each holding on for our dear lives as the crazy drivers went for smallest gaps overtaking trucks and racing each other. After the first 30seconds of completely shitting ourselves, the rest of the ride was extremely exhilarating. Once we got to the top our perception of what a slum looks like changed, as we realised there is a lot more order to their neighbourhood than we previously thought with corner stores, internet cafes, ATMs etc, despite not officially owning the land. We started to decend down through the favela as our guide turned and said if we see anyone with machine guns they're the drug cartels, and to put down our camera. That put us on edge but as we started walking through the thin, footpath sized streets we realised we were in good hands as almost every person we walked past was friends with our guide. As expected, it was dirty and smelt even worse, some parts much worse than others. The residents would add to houses the only way they could by building up which made us wonder about the quality of their workmanship and probably the lack of foundations underneath it being on a hill. Apparently slips have greatly been reduced since they built an aqueduct down the clip face. It was extremely eye opening to see the conditions people live in, yet we were quite surprised in the order and efficiency they live their lives. It really just seemed like a big poor neighbourhood, mind
you, we didn't get to see the influence and control of the drug cartels, which is probably a good thing.
After the tour we returned to see the famous steps we had seen a couple of nights before. They are an ongoing project so the artist is always making additions. We met the, of coarse extravert artist and he showed us a couple of tiles from New Zealand, starring some korus, a kiwi fruit and a tiki. We then indulged in an delicious lunch before exploring a bit more of central Rio. Once again we spent the afternoon on the beach after a full day of exploring before heading around to Ipanema beach to watch the sun set behind the iconic Rio de Janeiro landscape. A great way to end an unforgettable few days in Rio.
Montevideo - urugauy 19-20/1/11
We flew into a wicked, modern airport at Montevideo with no plans. It took us a while to work out the bus system, but after a while we had managed to BOTH get on a bus with all our bags. We arrived at the old city and found a hostel to stay a few nights. We then spent the afternoon exploring one half of the old city. Montevideo had a very very different feel about it than the rest of the cities we have visited. A lot more relaxed. We got the impression of a better quality of life, and coming from Santiago, a population of about 7million and before that Medellin 3million, Montevideo's 1.3million seemed very mild. We had no idea Uruguay's population was smaller than new Zealand's.
The city felt quite quiet in comparison which was a nice change, and also felt very safe. We explored the streets and admired the wonderful old buildings. We found they were less grand but there were more old buildings than other cities, and less newer buildings in between the old buildings which made it quite beautiful. It also had lots of nice clothing stores so we did a bit of shopping too. After dinner we went down to the water front to watch another beautiful orange sunset. The following day we got up early to explore the rest of the city. After wondering through the beautiful colonial streets, we spent the afternoon relaxing on the beach, soaking up some sun. A relaxing way to conclude a short visit to Urugauy as Rio was sure to be a bit more hectic.
The city felt quite quiet in comparison which was a nice change, and also felt very safe. We explored the streets and admired the wonderful old buildings. We found they were less grand but there were more old buildings than other cities, and less newer buildings in between the old buildings which made it quite beautiful. It also had lots of nice clothing stores so we did a bit of shopping too. After dinner we went down to the water front to watch another beautiful orange sunset. The following day we got up early to explore the rest of the city. After wondering through the beautiful colonial streets, we spent the afternoon relaxing on the beach, soaking up some sun. A relaxing way to conclude a short visit to Urugauy as Rio was sure to be a bit more hectic.
Santiago - 17-19/1/11
We finally set foot in Santiago at about 6am. With a little trouble finding the address of where we were staying and some help of a taxi driver we were on our way to Sergio's (a family friend) apartment. We hadn't done much research on Santiago and weren't to sure what to expect but we first noticed the pollution was very bad and it was hard to see the Andes surrounding the city. To our luck the apartment we were staying in was right in the city centre. We set off almost immediately to explore the city and were surprised at what we discovered. We found many beautiful buildings including old colonial buildings and a fortress on top of a hill overlooking the city. Our long travels from medellin to Santiago finally hit us and we ended up crashing. We awoke the next day excited to explore more of the beautiful city. We caught a tram up a hill where the Santiago zoo lies. It was very strange going to a zoo after we had been to the amazon, felt really strange seeing animals in cages. What was especially hard was seeing a condor (the largest bird) in a cage where it could barely open it's wings to the full capacity with no room to soar like we had seen them do at colca canyon in Peru. However we were very much amused by a baby baboon. After we looked at all the animals in the zoo we took the tram to the very top of the hill where a large statue of Mary looks down over Santiago city. Very impressive in size along with amazing views, we were very much satisfied and headed back home to prepare for our early flight to Uruguay the next morning.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The Amazon 11 - 15/01/11
After an extremely early start, we arrived at a completely fog covered Medellin airport. To this point in our trip all our flights and transport had gone to plan, so we were bound to get a delay at some point. Our plane could not land so had to return to Bogota. We had a connecting flight in Bogota and unless the fog lifted quickly, we would miss the daily flight to Leticia. Quite nervous about the situation, luckily the plane returned in enough time for us to run to the connecting flight waiting for us. As our plane dropped below the thick cloud we got a preview of our next five days. Dense, rich forest went for as far as the eye could see disappearing into the horizon with rivers twisting through it. We landed in Leticia and were greeted with 30degree heat, 0 wind and 95% humidity. Without any plans and no idea what to do, we payed for our tourist entry ticket and jumped in a taxi towards the city centre. We walked around with all our luggage, dripping in sweat in search of a plan for the next four days. Our lack of Spanish didn't help the situation but we managed to work out a few possible deals. Many of them were day trips from Leticia and were less intimate experiences with the amazon. We ended up finding a guy who spoke pretty good English and he put a package together for us and found us cheap accommodation for the night.
The following day we got up and went down to the port to start our trip up the Amazon river. After a short boat ride, we arrived at our first stop, Marasha natural reserve. A surprise visit back to Peru, the right bank of the river is Colombian and the left is Peruvian. A personal guide was waiting for us with two pairs of gummies, then we set off into the jungle. Treading through ankle deep mud, we made our way deep into the Amazon. Along the way we came across many interesting plants and creatures. Amazing sounds came from the massive trees with vines hanging off them and insanely big weird roots. Along the way we found ants carrying leaves 30times their size as well as fire ants. Termite nests so big the trees would bend over. Tiny, incredibly toxic frogs. A centipede, various spiders and other insects, and a million types of birds. We reached our accommodation after an hour of trekking through the amazing jungle. The only way to describe it is a massive bad-ass tree hut on stilts. It was amazing with cool board-walks between the different spaces, lots of hammocks and one section was floating on the lake. We arrived just in time for lunch, which was just as impressive as the place. After the amazing meal we went to observe the animals, including toucans, guacamayas (big colourful parrots) and the weirdest animals we have ever seen, tapir. They look like pig elephants. The build of a big boar, the skin of an elephant but with short stubbily hair and a small trunk. Very strange. They flicked their trunks up and we quickly feed them bananas before they bit our fingers. We then set off onto the lake in legit Amazonian hollowed out tree canoes with our guide paddling at the back. He gave us a full tour of all the plants, birds and wildlife including the ridiculously giant Lilly-pads and visit to the monkeys. We held bananas out and noticed all the trees starting to move along with some screeching. The next thing we knew the monkeys had jumped onto the canoe and were eating the bananas out of our hands and climbing all over us. After a full circuit of the lagoon we returned back to do some Paraná fishing. We threw our lines out and pulled up a tiny feisty Paraná within seconds. Our guide caught another type of fish and gave us an unexpected demonstration of the capabilities of the Paraná teeth. He held the two fish together and before we knew it the Paraná had ripped into the other fish, blood squirted everywhere. The food chain continued as a lingering bird scored a free lunch downing the Paraná in one big gulp. We spent the afternoon fishing them up off the jetty then chilled out on the hammocks until the sun went down. We had another amazing meal for dinner then we set off back onto the lagoon once it was dark to see if we could find ourselves a caimán (croc). With eyes wide open and slightly nervous, we searched the surface of the lagoon for a pair of eyes staring back at us. After a couple of false sightings we began to have our doubts. Before we knew it our guide was hanging out of the canoe. Wondering what the hell he was doing, we soon realised when he surfaced holding a baby caiman by its throat. He passed it back to us to hold onto while he paddled back to show the other groups. It made several decent attempts to escape but we managed to contain the distressed creature that would have happily taken a finger. To finish off an amazing day we spent the rest of the evening having a few drinks with a couple of yanks we had met. And as we were back on Peruvian soil Frano got to enjoy his favourite beer. The next morning we had a early start at 5am. We headed out onto the lake in a canoe with our guide gently paddling so we could experience the amazon waking up. It was breathtaking as the sun slowly came up behind the thick jungle and the static surroundings came to life as the chorus of sounds from the animals signified a new day.
After breakfast it was time to move on. We set off into the jungle to get a boat further up the river. While we were waiting, a local lady came along with a sloth. Officially the laziest creatures on earth. They have the tiniest face, a long neck, a fat torso, big long nails, and move so slowly we have no idea how they survive in the amazon. We both held the strange thing. They cling on to you with their long nails with no intention of letting go.
We hoped on a boat up river and our first stop was a tiny amazonian village. All of the kids from the village had caught animals to make tips off. Strange birds, turtles, a caiman, monkeys, but we were only interested in the baby jaguar. It had the most amazing pattern. It was 18months old so it was so cute, but big and ferocious enough you didn't want to mess with it.
We then set off to an indigenous village further up the river. There was a big traditional style hut with a group of native ladies dressed up in ceremonial clothes. The did a dance and some people joined in on the "ceremony" but it really wasn't entirely authentic, just a show for tourists and a chance to make some tips.
Next stop was a bush walk through another type of jungle and what we had previously seen. We did a circuit looking out for animals and creatures. Half way through was an enormous Sabre tree with the biggest roots and huge gorge of the jungle vines you could swing off.
We got back on the boat and headed for Puerto Narino which is a small town on the Colombian side, famous for the rosaro (pink) dolphins that hang around in the lakes.
We had lunch at the place where we would spend the night before heading out to spot some dolphins. Unfortunately it started pouring down just as we got there so the boat turned around to take us back to the town for a city tour. Other than an ambulance, and a tractor for the rubbish, motor vehicles are banned which made a pleasant change as you could freely walk the wide footpaths. As we missed the dolphins earlier, we decided to take the kayaks back out. We paddled up the lake in a double kayak. The coordination proved to be more difficult than expect and involved us both flicking water on each-other and our paddles clashing. We eventually worked out a rhythm and hooned it up to the dolphins favourite spot. As it was late afternoon all the tourist boats that disturb the shy dolphins had gone home so it was just us and the weird dolphins surfacing around us. Unlike the dolphins we know, these ones are strange. For starters they are pink. They are also fresh water, have strange heads and fins. They are extremely shy which made it impossible to photograph. None the less, very cool sitting in the kayak as they would surface around you. We paddled back to the lodge with an amazing Amazonian sunset behind us. Similar to the northern lights, the sky had a rainbow effect, a wonderful spectrum of colours in the clouds as the sun dropped.
Once again we stayed in a wicked Amazonian cabin and another amazing meal was included. We spent the evening playing cards with another traveler.
The following morning after breakfast we walked through the jungle to Puerto Narino. We climbed a large lookout tower which has a panoramic view of small city, the rivers and lakes and the never ending forrest. We met another kiwi up the top and had a yarn to him about our travels while we waited for our boat.
Our boat arrived and we set off to monkey island. We set off into the jungle with our guide to find some monkeys. We didn't actually have to do much finding. Our guide armed us both with a banana in each hand and within seconds monkeys were swarming us. From every direct and out of every tree, monkeys were crawling all over us fighting for their share of the banana. Very strange experience to have a dozen monkeys on your arms, body, head and face!
We continued our trek through the island and the next thing we heard was ridiculously loud thunder that shook the ground. And of coarse within seconds, the rain followed. This wasn't just normal rain, but heavy, heavy amazon rain. Within a minute we were completely saturated from head to toe and had no choice but to embraced it. It wouldn't be a proper visit to the amazon without walking through the jungle in the pouring rain, and it was also quite refreshing as it was so hot and humid.
The path quickly flooded and before we knew it we were trekking through ankle-deep water. By the time we got to the canoes to cross the lagoon they were half full with water but we hopped in anyway. The lagoon was completely covered in lilies and the ginormous lilly pads. Our guide fought his way through the obstalcals with his awe as we sat and observed the amazing scenery but more so the ridiculously sized lilly pads. We reached the other side of the lagoon and continued our trek through the dense jungle back to where we started where a full buffet lunch was waiting for us.
We spent the afternoon chilling with the baby howler monkey and the other collection of animals before getting a boat back to Leticia. The following morning we had one last amazon experience before we had to fly back to Medellin. We hoped in a mototaxi (a three-wheeler covered motorbike) and went to see some serpents. We arrived at the place and had a small walk through the jungle. We saw all the infamous snakes, including boa-constrictors, anacondas, and a whole range of tiny to massive snakes, the largest was 8metres long and 80kg. A great way to end an extremely exciting and amazing trip to the amazon.
The following day we got up and went down to the port to start our trip up the Amazon river. After a short boat ride, we arrived at our first stop, Marasha natural reserve. A surprise visit back to Peru, the right bank of the river is Colombian and the left is Peruvian. A personal guide was waiting for us with two pairs of gummies, then we set off into the jungle. Treading through ankle deep mud, we made our way deep into the Amazon. Along the way we came across many interesting plants and creatures. Amazing sounds came from the massive trees with vines hanging off them and insanely big weird roots. Along the way we found ants carrying leaves 30times their size as well as fire ants. Termite nests so big the trees would bend over. Tiny, incredibly toxic frogs. A centipede, various spiders and other insects, and a million types of birds. We reached our accommodation after an hour of trekking through the amazing jungle. The only way to describe it is a massive bad-ass tree hut on stilts. It was amazing with cool board-walks between the different spaces, lots of hammocks and one section was floating on the lake. We arrived just in time for lunch, which was just as impressive as the place. After the amazing meal we went to observe the animals, including toucans, guacamayas (big colourful parrots) and the weirdest animals we have ever seen, tapir. They look like pig elephants. The build of a big boar, the skin of an elephant but with short stubbily hair and a small trunk. Very strange. They flicked their trunks up and we quickly feed them bananas before they bit our fingers. We then set off onto the lake in legit Amazonian hollowed out tree canoes with our guide paddling at the back. He gave us a full tour of all the plants, birds and wildlife including the ridiculously giant Lilly-pads and visit to the monkeys. We held bananas out and noticed all the trees starting to move along with some screeching. The next thing we knew the monkeys had jumped onto the canoe and were eating the bananas out of our hands and climbing all over us. After a full circuit of the lagoon we returned back to do some Paraná fishing. We threw our lines out and pulled up a tiny feisty Paraná within seconds. Our guide caught another type of fish and gave us an unexpected demonstration of the capabilities of the Paraná teeth. He held the two fish together and before we knew it the Paraná had ripped into the other fish, blood squirted everywhere. The food chain continued as a lingering bird scored a free lunch downing the Paraná in one big gulp. We spent the afternoon fishing them up off the jetty then chilled out on the hammocks until the sun went down. We had another amazing meal for dinner then we set off back onto the lagoon once it was dark to see if we could find ourselves a caimán (croc). With eyes wide open and slightly nervous, we searched the surface of the lagoon for a pair of eyes staring back at us. After a couple of false sightings we began to have our doubts. Before we knew it our guide was hanging out of the canoe. Wondering what the hell he was doing, we soon realised when he surfaced holding a baby caiman by its throat. He passed it back to us to hold onto while he paddled back to show the other groups. It made several decent attempts to escape but we managed to contain the distressed creature that would have happily taken a finger. To finish off an amazing day we spent the rest of the evening having a few drinks with a couple of yanks we had met. And as we were back on Peruvian soil Frano got to enjoy his favourite beer. The next morning we had a early start at 5am. We headed out onto the lake in a canoe with our guide gently paddling so we could experience the amazon waking up. It was breathtaking as the sun slowly came up behind the thick jungle and the static surroundings came to life as the chorus of sounds from the animals signified a new day.
After breakfast it was time to move on. We set off into the jungle to get a boat further up the river. While we were waiting, a local lady came along with a sloth. Officially the laziest creatures on earth. They have the tiniest face, a long neck, a fat torso, big long nails, and move so slowly we have no idea how they survive in the amazon. We both held the strange thing. They cling on to you with their long nails with no intention of letting go.
We hoped on a boat up river and our first stop was a tiny amazonian village. All of the kids from the village had caught animals to make tips off. Strange birds, turtles, a caiman, monkeys, but we were only interested in the baby jaguar. It had the most amazing pattern. It was 18months old so it was so cute, but big and ferocious enough you didn't want to mess with it.
We then set off to an indigenous village further up the river. There was a big traditional style hut with a group of native ladies dressed up in ceremonial clothes. The did a dance and some people joined in on the "ceremony" but it really wasn't entirely authentic, just a show for tourists and a chance to make some tips.
Next stop was a bush walk through another type of jungle and what we had previously seen. We did a circuit looking out for animals and creatures. Half way through was an enormous Sabre tree with the biggest roots and huge gorge of the jungle vines you could swing off.
We got back on the boat and headed for Puerto Narino which is a small town on the Colombian side, famous for the rosaro (pink) dolphins that hang around in the lakes.
We had lunch at the place where we would spend the night before heading out to spot some dolphins. Unfortunately it started pouring down just as we got there so the boat turned around to take us back to the town for a city tour. Other than an ambulance, and a tractor for the rubbish, motor vehicles are banned which made a pleasant change as you could freely walk the wide footpaths. As we missed the dolphins earlier, we decided to take the kayaks back out. We paddled up the lake in a double kayak. The coordination proved to be more difficult than expect and involved us both flicking water on each-other and our paddles clashing. We eventually worked out a rhythm and hooned it up to the dolphins favourite spot. As it was late afternoon all the tourist boats that disturb the shy dolphins had gone home so it was just us and the weird dolphins surfacing around us. Unlike the dolphins we know, these ones are strange. For starters they are pink. They are also fresh water, have strange heads and fins. They are extremely shy which made it impossible to photograph. None the less, very cool sitting in the kayak as they would surface around you. We paddled back to the lodge with an amazing Amazonian sunset behind us. Similar to the northern lights, the sky had a rainbow effect, a wonderful spectrum of colours in the clouds as the sun dropped.
Once again we stayed in a wicked Amazonian cabin and another amazing meal was included. We spent the evening playing cards with another traveler.
The following morning after breakfast we walked through the jungle to Puerto Narino. We climbed a large lookout tower which has a panoramic view of small city, the rivers and lakes and the never ending forrest. We met another kiwi up the top and had a yarn to him about our travels while we waited for our boat.
Our boat arrived and we set off to monkey island. We set off into the jungle with our guide to find some monkeys. We didn't actually have to do much finding. Our guide armed us both with a banana in each hand and within seconds monkeys were swarming us. From every direct and out of every tree, monkeys were crawling all over us fighting for their share of the banana. Very strange experience to have a dozen monkeys on your arms, body, head and face!
We continued our trek through the island and the next thing we heard was ridiculously loud thunder that shook the ground. And of coarse within seconds, the rain followed. This wasn't just normal rain, but heavy, heavy amazon rain. Within a minute we were completely saturated from head to toe and had no choice but to embraced it. It wouldn't be a proper visit to the amazon without walking through the jungle in the pouring rain, and it was also quite refreshing as it was so hot and humid.
The path quickly flooded and before we knew it we were trekking through ankle-deep water. By the time we got to the canoes to cross the lagoon they were half full with water but we hopped in anyway. The lagoon was completely covered in lilies and the ginormous lilly pads. Our guide fought his way through the obstalcals with his awe as we sat and observed the amazing scenery but more so the ridiculously sized lilly pads. We reached the other side of the lagoon and continued our trek through the dense jungle back to where we started where a full buffet lunch was waiting for us.
We spent the afternoon chilling with the baby howler monkey and the other collection of animals before getting a boat back to Leticia. The following morning we had one last amazon experience before we had to fly back to Medellin. We hoped in a mototaxi (a three-wheeler covered motorbike) and went to see some serpents. We arrived at the place and had a small walk through the jungle. We saw all the infamous snakes, including boa-constrictors, anacondas, and a whole range of tiny to massive snakes, the largest was 8metres long and 80kg. A great way to end an extremely exciting and amazing trip to the amazon.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Santa Marta - 6 -9/01/11
We woke up, packed our bags and went to the beach for last time in Cartagena. After a feed in our usual restaurant, it was time to say goodbye to our favourite city, and set off on a three hour journey towards Santa Marta. On the way, we saw much more of the effects of the recent floods but much worse than what we had previously seen. Hundreds of homeless people lined the roads in front of their submerged villages begging passing motorists. The only place to live was on the road as it was 3 or so metres higher than the land. The road was also lined with scrawny, starving stock as there was no food because the grass was 2 metres below water. So horrible to see people so desperate.
We arrived in Santa Marta in the evening in search of an apartment and found a really nice one with an amazing beach-front view over the inlet. We settled in and went to explore the streets. After some dinner we went for a wonder along the beach. It was very different to what we expected. It was packed from the street to the sea with partying Colombians. We hung out at the beach and after a couple of brews we headed back to the apartment.
The following day we woke up early and went straight to the beach. There isn't much to say other than we spent the whole day relaxing in the 30+ degree sun, and cooling off with a beer or our favourite maracuya (passionfruit) smoothies. We ended our day by jumping on the banana boat (a long inflatable banana, towed behind a boat). As always, it results in the person behind you smashing into you every time you are thrown off by a sharp turn.
That evening we went back to the beach after some dinner but had an early night as we were getting up at 5 the following morning to go to Tyrona national reserve.
The next morning did not go to plan as a few mix ups lead to the bus leaving without us so we had to wait for a different bus several hours later. After an hour and a half on the bus we arrived to the park. Due to the recent weather, the dirt roads were no longer dirt and no longer sufficient for a bus. There were multiple times where the bus was on 45degree angles sideways and even more times it lost traction in the mud. The inedible soon came as we noticed mud flicking up on the bus apart from we weren't going anywhere. Next thing we knew the back wheels had dug a right big hole and we weren't going anywhere in a hurry. Of coarse the bus was taking up the whole road so the traffic began to build up behind us. The next thing some impatient driver decides he's going to take the outside, just off the road. And to no ones surprise he was in the same situation as us. We eventually got some traction, and slid sideways smacking into the impatient ute as we got out. Eventually it all worked out and we got to one of the very secluded beaches within the reserve before midday. We spent the first few hours relaxing on the beach before we hopped on a boat to a beautiful small beach to do some snorkelling. We explored the reef which contained a rich source of tropical fish and creatures before heading back to the beach for lunch. At about three the weather packed in so we headed back to Santa Marta. We spent the evening relaxing on the beach by our apartment enjoying one last amazing Caribbean sunset before taking everyone out for dinner to thank them for their wonderful hospitality. We then returned to the beach which was conveniently more busier and rowdy than the previous nights with louder music and much more dancing.
The following morning we got up at 5 to get on the road as we had a 16hour drive a head of us. On the way out of Santa Marta we saw much more of the flooding which was even worse than we had previously seen. There was so much water it looked like it was meant to be there until you got to a town and saw roofs sticking out.
With a bit of risky Colombian driving we made good time and got back to Medellin in 13hours. We were both gutted our trip to the Caribbean had come to an end but we had an amazing time and our exciting travels continue to the Amazon in one day.
We arrived in Santa Marta in the evening in search of an apartment and found a really nice one with an amazing beach-front view over the inlet. We settled in and went to explore the streets. After some dinner we went for a wonder along the beach. It was very different to what we expected. It was packed from the street to the sea with partying Colombians. We hung out at the beach and after a couple of brews we headed back to the apartment.
The following day we woke up early and went straight to the beach. There isn't much to say other than we spent the whole day relaxing in the 30+ degree sun, and cooling off with a beer or our favourite maracuya (passionfruit) smoothies. We ended our day by jumping on the banana boat (a long inflatable banana, towed behind a boat). As always, it results in the person behind you smashing into you every time you are thrown off by a sharp turn.
That evening we went back to the beach after some dinner but had an early night as we were getting up at 5 the following morning to go to Tyrona national reserve.
The next morning did not go to plan as a few mix ups lead to the bus leaving without us so we had to wait for a different bus several hours later. After an hour and a half on the bus we arrived to the park. Due to the recent weather, the dirt roads were no longer dirt and no longer sufficient for a bus. There were multiple times where the bus was on 45degree angles sideways and even more times it lost traction in the mud. The inedible soon came as we noticed mud flicking up on the bus apart from we weren't going anywhere. Next thing we knew the back wheels had dug a right big hole and we weren't going anywhere in a hurry. Of coarse the bus was taking up the whole road so the traffic began to build up behind us. The next thing some impatient driver decides he's going to take the outside, just off the road. And to no ones surprise he was in the same situation as us. We eventually got some traction, and slid sideways smacking into the impatient ute as we got out. Eventually it all worked out and we got to one of the very secluded beaches within the reserve before midday. We spent the first few hours relaxing on the beach before we hopped on a boat to a beautiful small beach to do some snorkelling. We explored the reef which contained a rich source of tropical fish and creatures before heading back to the beach for lunch. At about three the weather packed in so we headed back to Santa Marta. We spent the evening relaxing on the beach by our apartment enjoying one last amazing Caribbean sunset before taking everyone out for dinner to thank them for their wonderful hospitality. We then returned to the beach which was conveniently more busier and rowdy than the previous nights with louder music and much more dancing.
The following morning we got up at 5 to get on the road as we had a 16hour drive a head of us. On the way out of Santa Marta we saw much more of the flooding which was even worse than we had previously seen. There was so much water it looked like it was meant to be there until you got to a town and saw roofs sticking out.
With a bit of risky Colombian driving we made good time and got back to Medellin in 13hours. We were both gutted our trip to the Caribbean had come to an end but we had an amazing time and our exciting travels continue to the Amazon in one day.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Isla Rosario 5-01-11
We got up early to get a boat to Isla Rosario, a group of 27 islands 35km from Cartagena. We had a hectic start to the day fighting out way through people trying to find which boat we should be on before it left without us. We eventually found the boat and set off for the islands. On our way out of the port we got a new perspective of the old city, the castle and the skyscrapers. We passed many islands on the way, some with small villages and old fortresses, some private, and some untouched. Our first stop was a private island. We had a look around at the different parrots, flamingos, a peacock and the monkey before heading back on the boat for some snorkelling. They took us to a reef nearby where we got kitted up and hopped in the amazing bright blue, clear, warm water. We swam through the coral reef as hundreds of different species of fish past by us. It was so incredible to see the bright tropical fish of every shape, size and colour so close, and in their natural habitat, not behind a pane of glass.
After our amazing morning we went back to the island for an authentic Caribbean meal of fish, cooked whole, teeth, eyes, fins and all. After lunch we enjoyed some sun before heading to Playa Blanca, which translates to White beach. It was exactly that, with a massive stretch of white sand, glowing clear water and palm trees. Neither of us could believe we were sitting on the beach on a Caribbean island, drinking pina-coladas out of coconuts. We enjoyed the afternoon bathing in the sea and on the sand with the sun
on our backs. As the sun began to drop we got back in the boat to take us back to Cartagena. The wind began to pick up which made for a bumpy but extremely entertaining ride home as we were thrown up and down off our seats and everyone behind us was getting drenched. As we got closer to Cartagena it became calmer again as we watched the sun drop behind the city.
Unfortunately it was our last day in Cartagena, but it has been the most amazing few days and we leave feeling we have to come back here one day.
After our amazing morning we went back to the island for an authentic Caribbean meal of fish, cooked whole, teeth, eyes, fins and all. After lunch we enjoyed some sun before heading to Playa Blanca, which translates to White beach. It was exactly that, with a massive stretch of white sand, glowing clear water and palm trees. Neither of us could believe we were sitting on the beach on a Caribbean island, drinking pina-coladas out of coconuts. We enjoyed the afternoon bathing in the sea and on the sand with the sun
on our backs. As the sun began to drop we got back in the boat to take us back to Cartagena. The wind began to pick up which made for a bumpy but extremely entertaining ride home as we were thrown up and down off our seats and everyone behind us was getting drenched. As we got closer to Cartagena it became calmer again as we watched the sun drop behind the city.
Unfortunately it was our last day in Cartagena, but it has been the most amazing few days and we leave feeling we have to come back here one day.
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas 4-01-11
The following day we woke up a bit later from the late night before. We started the day off at the beach enjoying some sun and a dip in the beautiful sea. We then got ready and drove to the castle which protected the back side of the walled city from the pirates. The castle was purely for defence so it was rather basic and only contained one 'house' at the top where the governor would live. The fortress was marked by four turrets that outlooked each corner. The grand stone walls were terraced and contained canons in each of the holes. We walked around the walls of the old fortress admiring it and imagining what went on 400 years ago. We realised the best part was yet to come as we entered the maze of tunnels under the castle. We navigated our way through the 6" tall arched tunnels where the guards slept and protected the city. We made our way through all of the tunnels before descending down an escape route tunnel which drops a metre below sea level. It seemed to wind down forever as we noticed the walls getting damper and damper. Next thing our path had run out unless we wanted to start wading and eventually swimming through the water to the exit by the sea somewhere. We decided against that idea and headed back up the tunnel to the castle. We arrived just in time to enjoy a Caribbean sunset as the big orange sun dropped behind the horizon. We overlooked the city as the view showed the contrast of the old city opposed by the imposing towering apartment buildings on either side of the sun. We headed home after another amazing day in Cartagena.
The Walled City of Cartagena 3-01-11
The following morning we were woken up by the stinking hot day so we made ourselves some breakfast then went to cool off in the pool. We then went to explore the beach and have a look around and find the best spot to chill out. Much of the beach was filled with people trying to get you to buy sombreros, food and drink, clothes, jewellery, and everything else you don't want along with rides on their boats and jetskis. We managed to find a nice place to have a dip. We had never felt such warm ocean. It was the perfect temperature, cool enough to refresh you but warm enough to swim all day. In the afternoon we went to check the old walled city out. It was the most amazing example of colonial architecture preserved and restraint by the fortress walls.
We made our way through the narrow streets of the city admiring the beautiful Spanish architecture. We were completely blown away by the massive churches and the beautiful buildings that lined the streets, with overhanging balconies overflowing with vines and flowers. We had made our way through most of the city as the sun began to drop so we finished the remaining streets in dusk. As we lost light, we took a horse and carriage through the streets to see the city by night. The picturesque city composed of amazing architecture complimented with the backdrop of caribbean sea made for a highlight of our trip close to Machu Picchu.
After dinner we went to explore the area of town where we are staying before heading back to the old city where an electronic concert was taking place on the water front. We found a spot on the bridge and enjoyed some beers and the atmosphere of it all.
We made our way through the narrow streets of the city admiring the beautiful Spanish architecture. We were completely blown away by the massive churches and the beautiful buildings that lined the streets, with overhanging balconies overflowing with vines and flowers. We had made our way through most of the city as the sun began to drop so we finished the remaining streets in dusk. As we lost light, we took a horse and carriage through the streets to see the city by night. The picturesque city composed of amazing architecture complimented with the backdrop of caribbean sea made for a highlight of our trip close to Machu Picchu.
After dinner we went to explore the area of town where we are staying before heading back to the old city where an electronic concert was taking place on the water front. We found a spot on the bridge and enjoyed some beers and the atmosphere of it all.
To the coast 2-1-11
We got up and set off early for our long drive to the coast.
Tired from our minimal three hours sleep, we both slept for the first two hours of the trip. We woke up as we began our decent down from the mountains. The decline in altitude instantly made an increase in temperature and humidity, as well as the bush and scenery became more tropical compared to Medellin. On our 13hour drive towards Cartagena we passed by many small country villages, all living the most basic of lives, working the land and living in the most amazing straw-roofed houses. After driving through 13 hours of Colombian countryside we began to enter the Cartagena region when we saw the result of the recent floods. The land was completely submerged in flood water so vast it looked like a lake that is always there. The road was half a metre below the water level and being retained by sandbag walls. We then came into a couple of towns that were almost completely submerged with water up to the roofs of some houses. It was so devastating to see the few things these poor people have be taken away.
By the time we arrived into Cartagena it was dark and we were welcomed by some horrific traffic, and of coarse some horrific driving to go with it. We navigated our way towards the city centre and we both sat in amazement and excitement as we passed by the castle and old walled city all beautifully lit up. We arrived at the area where we would be staying but still had to find an apartment. The road side was filled with men holding signs saying "apartamento", so we spent a good hour or two being taken around apartments looking for the best one. Finally we found a sweet one 24 stories up with an amazing view of the buildings, beach and lagoon surrounding us. We unpacked, got a feed then got some much needed sleep after a massive day in transit.
Tired from our minimal three hours sleep, we both slept for the first two hours of the trip. We woke up as we began our decent down from the mountains. The decline in altitude instantly made an increase in temperature and humidity, as well as the bush and scenery became more tropical compared to Medellin. On our 13hour drive towards Cartagena we passed by many small country villages, all living the most basic of lives, working the land and living in the most amazing straw-roofed houses. After driving through 13 hours of Colombian countryside we began to enter the Cartagena region when we saw the result of the recent floods. The land was completely submerged in flood water so vast it looked like a lake that is always there. The road was half a metre below the water level and being retained by sandbag walls. We then came into a couple of towns that were almost completely submerged with water up to the roofs of some houses. It was so devastating to see the few things these poor people have be taken away.
By the time we arrived into Cartagena it was dark and we were welcomed by some horrific traffic, and of coarse some horrific driving to go with it. We navigated our way towards the city centre and we both sat in amazement and excitement as we passed by the castle and old walled city all beautifully lit up. We arrived at the area where we would be staying but still had to find an apartment. The road side was filled with men holding signs saying "apartamento", so we spent a good hour or two being taken around apartments looking for the best one. Finally we found a sweet one 24 stories up with an amazing view of the buildings, beach and lagoon surrounding us. We unpacked, got a feed then got some much needed sleep after a massive day in transit.
Feliz ano!
New years
We knew we would be spending new years with blanca lilias family and were excited to see if it would be crazier than our time spent with them on Christmas. Expecting an aguardiente shot on arrival we were surprised to see half of the family all relaxed and chilling out, quite different to Christmas. Expecting the rest to come any minute soon we were shocked when they came just before midnight. This is when we realised the party hadn't started yet. We all stood in a huge circle holding hands waiting for the countdown and a prayer was said. Finally the countdown came 3,2,1 "Feliz ano" and everyone went around and hugged each other quite sensibly, then the party started. Quite different to the celebrations before the new year we were used to, where it's a build up to 12o-clock with the big screaming hugs. Here the countdown is just kick-off. Just like Christmas there was drinking, dancing and a really good time with some finishing at 830am.
We knew we would be spending new years with blanca lilias family and were excited to see if it would be crazier than our time spent with them on Christmas. Expecting an aguardiente shot on arrival we were surprised to see half of the family all relaxed and chilling out, quite different to Christmas. Expecting the rest to come any minute soon we were shocked when they came just before midnight. This is when we realised the party hadn't started yet. We all stood in a huge circle holding hands waiting for the countdown and a prayer was said. Finally the countdown came 3,2,1 "Feliz ano" and everyone went around and hugged each other quite sensibly, then the party started. Quite different to the celebrations before the new year we were used to, where it's a build up to 12o-clock with the big screaming hugs. Here the countdown is just kick-off. Just like Christmas there was drinking, dancing and a really good time with some finishing at 830am.
Explora Parque and the Chiva Bus
Parque explora
On the 29th we set off on a scorching hot day on the metro to Parque Explora (Explorer Park), a massive interactive science museum. We started off with all the gimmicks and contraptions which included a roller-coaster for marbles to wind down, massive water-gun turrets, contraptions to pump water upwards and an enormous slinky. After we had a play around with the giant scale toys, we went to check out the aquarium. It held some of the most amazing species of fish. The tropical ones were the most beautiful with scales of an incredible spectrum of fluorescent colours. After we made our way through the aquarium we went to the reptile enclosure. It housed, an Anaconda, a boa constrictor and a range of other snakes. There were also turtles, reptiles and alligators. Next were the spiders including tarantulas. But the most poisons thing of all was a species of frog found in Colombia, the most poisoness in the world.
We then moved onto the interactive exhibits which contained lots of hands on activities. We stayed there until closing before going to meet everyone for our Chiva Bus.
Chiva buses are converted 70's trucks that were used to transport coffee around the country. They are now beautifully painted up and used as party buses giving tours around the city. Our bus contained several rows of bench seats and a dance floor in the middle. The open aired bus took the party around the city stopping at several of the parks that are epically decorated with excessive Christmas lights. We partied all night to the loud music and strobe-lights aboard the bus true Colombia style with lots of dancing and drinking.
On the 29th we set off on a scorching hot day on the metro to Parque Explora (Explorer Park), a massive interactive science museum. We started off with all the gimmicks and contraptions which included a roller-coaster for marbles to wind down, massive water-gun turrets, contraptions to pump water upwards and an enormous slinky. After we had a play around with the giant scale toys, we went to check out the aquarium. It held some of the most amazing species of fish. The tropical ones were the most beautiful with scales of an incredible spectrum of fluorescent colours. After we made our way through the aquarium we went to the reptile enclosure. It housed, an Anaconda, a boa constrictor and a range of other snakes. There were also turtles, reptiles and alligators. Next were the spiders including tarantulas. But the most poisons thing of all was a species of frog found in Colombia, the most poisoness in the world.
We then moved onto the interactive exhibits which contained lots of hands on activities. We stayed there until closing before going to meet everyone for our Chiva Bus.
Chiva buses are converted 70's trucks that were used to transport coffee around the country. They are now beautifully painted up and used as party buses giving tours around the city. Our bus contained several rows of bench seats and a dance floor in the middle. The open aired bus took the party around the city stopping at several of the parks that are epically decorated with excessive Christmas lights. We partied all night to the loud music and strobe-lights aboard the bus true Colombia style with lots of dancing and drinking.
Farm in Copacabana
Estefania's farm
On the 26th we slept in all day and recovered from the last couple of huge nights. In the late afternoon we headed off to a friend of our cousins farm, estefania. With 6 of us in the car it was luckily a short little drive to Copacabana about 30 mins away. Not really sure what to expect, we arrived at an incredible house. Our jaws dropped as we admired the house, pool, spa, outdoor living areas and a little lagoon. So amazing with a beautiful welcoming family as well. We chilled out in a cool outdoor area with a bar and nice view of the surroundings. They served us a delicious meal in an outdoor dinning area of beautiful juicy steak, corn, potatoes and salad. We then went back to the other outdoor area where we chatted, drank and danced most of the night before we spent the rest in the spa. It was just what we felt like after the last couple of big days and had the most beautiful view overlooking the valley and a mountain in front of us. The next day after a great sleep we did some fishing in their lagoon, went quad-bike riding and went for a swim in the pool. We had such a fun time and left at about 6pm on the 27th. After we left we got told the dad owns gold mines which is crazy, but explains the beautiful place!
On the 26th we slept in all day and recovered from the last couple of huge nights. In the late afternoon we headed off to a friend of our cousins farm, estefania. With 6 of us in the car it was luckily a short little drive to Copacabana about 30 mins away. Not really sure what to expect, we arrived at an incredible house. Our jaws dropped as we admired the house, pool, spa, outdoor living areas and a little lagoon. So amazing with a beautiful welcoming family as well. We chilled out in a cool outdoor area with a bar and nice view of the surroundings. They served us a delicious meal in an outdoor dinning area of beautiful juicy steak, corn, potatoes and salad. We then went back to the other outdoor area where we chatted, drank and danced most of the night before we spent the rest in the spa. It was just what we felt like after the last couple of big days and had the most beautiful view overlooking the valley and a mountain in front of us. The next day after a great sleep we did some fishing in their lagoon, went quad-bike riding and went for a swim in the pool. We had such a fun time and left at about 6pm on the 27th. After we left we got told the dad owns gold mines which is crazy, but explains the beautiful place!
Christmas
Christmas was a really different experience for us both as neither of us have been away from home before, and they celebrate Christmas eve as opposed to Christmas day. Around 930pm we headed off to amparo (Necane's aunty) and her families apartment on the night of the 24th where all Necane's aunties, uncles and cousins were. There were some prayers, speeches and toasts which gave a really nice feel to the special occasion before we had a delicious feast. We also got to try Necane's grandma's special dessert which was amazing! It was a passionfruit jelly-like creation with custard that complemented it very nicely. While we let our stomachs settle and waited for midnight we were drinking and dancing. When midnight came around we sat in a big circle and one at a time, when our name got called, we would receive a present with lots of cheering. It was lots of fun and we got beautiful presents such as clothing and accessories. After all the presents were opened we did more dancing and drinking until about 430am.
On Christmas day we all slept in and recovered from the night before. We then got ready and went to blanca lilia's (aunty in law) parents house where all her even bigger and crazier family were. On our arrival at about 4 in the afternoon we had to do aguardiente shots. We then had sancocho which is a popular soup and traditional to have have on Christmas. They make it in huge quantities so fed us all and had some left over too. Then we all partied, drank and danced all night having lots of fun till about 4pm. In the end we both came to the conclusion that it didn't really feel like Christmas but had such a fabulous time celebrating with all the family and experiencing a colombian christmas.
On Christmas day we all slept in and recovered from the night before. We then got ready and went to blanca lilia's (aunty in law) parents house where all her even bigger and crazier family were. On our arrival at about 4 in the afternoon we had to do aguardiente shots. We then had sancocho which is a popular soup and traditional to have have on Christmas. They make it in huge quantities so fed us all and had some left over too. Then we all partied, drank and danced all night having lots of fun till about 4pm. In the end we both came to the conclusion that it didn't really feel like Christmas but had such a fabulous time celebrating with all the family and experiencing a colombian christmas.
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