Yes it has been some time. I recovered fully from the stomach problem, and have been enjoying the AWESOMELY DELICIOUS food that Buenos Aires has to offer. Its heavily influenced by theItalian immigrants that arrived in the 19th century, and mainly involves meat and more meat. The ice cream is unreal too.
Anyway, just a short entry, to confim I am alive and well and currently in Puerto Iguazu, going to see the falls on the Argentinian side tomorrow and the Brasilian side the following day. really looking forward to it, I have wanted tovisit here for a long time, this is what I have to look forward to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguazu_Falls
Friday, January 30, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
For 22 hours I called This Bus ´Home´
Lima to Cuzco, overnight 22 hours. You aren´t allowed to poo on the bus, only urinate, as the stewardesses reminded everyone every couple of hours.
On that subject, I am still suffering from my stomach infection/food poisoning whatever it is I have. Its been about 9 or 10 days now and a real pain in the ass, literally. I saw a doctor yesterday who prescribed me some pills and a special diet, which involved consuming nothing but apple juice for 12 hours. This is tantamount to torture in Argentina, land of GIANT steaks and all food portions in general. Just about to have my first meal, plain rice. Can´t wait.
Some cool rocks at the top of Waynapicchu
Waynapicchu being the bigger mountain (hence the name) that overlooks Macchu Picchu. Only 400 people per day are allowed entry to it, we had to get up at 5am to get into the first 400 that day
Hey, You, Get Off Of My Cloud
Now I know how Mick Jagger felt when he wrote this song, I wish that bloke in the beanie hat wasn´t there, spoiling my photo!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Photos
A Couchsurfing friend of mine, the amazing Peak, is a professional photographer. You can tell she is a genius with a camera as she managed to make me look not too bad in these photos from my time in LA staying with her! Makes up a bit for all my pics that lost. The link to her site and the photos is here (she also says some nice stuff about me, I bribed her):
http://blog.peakness.com/?p=1134
http://blog.peakness.com/?p=1134
Monday, January 19, 2009
Macchu Picchu
We made it! The worst ever organised trip to MP was a success. Almost. Mike didnt make it to the top of Wayna Picchu as he needed a poo whilst we were queing for entry to the exclusive peak overlooking the ruins (only 400 people allowed in per day) so he missed out on the 1 hour climb. I went up on my own, it was quite tiring but worth it for the view and tranquility. Another hour to get down as it is so steep. Anyway, got MP out of the way, really looking forward to getting out of Peru and into Buenos Aires.......
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Peru....Poo
This photo was taken in Quito in Lima. It´s Mike, carrying his skateboard in a pretty cool little street. So, what was Lima all about I hear you say. I don´t know is the answer. We stayed 3 days, it seemed pretty cool but I saw very little, disabled by diarrahea brought on by foolishly drinking a juice that must have been made with tap water, which my delicate English stomach didn´t agree with.
As such, I spent the next 3 days in close proximity of the hostel we were staying in. Lima did seem pretty nice, it´s cheap, got fairly good weather, a beach, although to be fair Peru doesn´t do it for me like Colombia did, or I expect Argentina and Brasil to.......anyway, we left Lima for the 22 hour coach drive to........
.....Aguas Calientes AKA Machu Picchu Pueblo. We will be going up to Machu Picchu tomorrow morning, hopefully to see the sun rising. It´s a bit of smash and grab job, we are doing this in a very shoddy and ill prepared manner.
Fact-Machu Picchu is South Americas most important archeological site.
Fact-It has been around for a very long time.
Fact-It was discovered in the 20th Century.
Fact-Some people spend years planning their pilgrimage here, even Aguas Calientes is unreachable by car, let alone the site itself, which lay buried for centuries for the good reason that it is bloody hard to get to.
Fact-Mike and I made no preperation whatsover and arrived in Cuzco, the nearest city, with no idea of what we were doing, other than we wanted to see Machu Picchu.
Fact-We should just make it in time back to Lima for our flight to Buenos Aires. Just.
Anyway, enopugh facts for now. Machu Picchu should provide for some awesome photos which I look forward to posting here soon.
I have been quite unlucky in Peru. I have been ripped off at the border by money changing blaggers, had my mobile half inched and got the runs. Surely nothing else can go wrong?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Lima
So we are kind of rushing now, left Quito after 2 nights as it was COLD and we want to be somewhere HOT! 18 hour trip to Mancorra on Peru coast, scruffy little beach town. Stayed in a hostel on the beach, quite nice but not nice enough to stay more than a night. Oh yeh, got ripped off at the border by some guys changing money, mugged over for about 20 quid, will blame that one on not being at my sharpest after the coach journey. So another 18 hour coach journey later (although the best coach i have ever been on i may add) am in Lima, probably for a few days. Then Cuzco for the Machu Pichi thing and then Buenos Aires, which ironically i am looking forward to, despite the fact that Argies dont seem to like us English for some reason......and then the big one, Brasil for the whole of Febuary.........
Viva Pasto
And its crzy carnival. As previously, I am a little bit behind schedule with the blog. Now i think about it, i dont think i even wrote about Cali. Crap. Or maybe I did. Anyway, spent almost a week in Cali for the Feria de Cali, a week long salsa festival, with parties and concerts everynight between Boxing Day and New Years day. I can now dance salsa, albeit not incredibly well, and also much better when drunk!
Friday, January 9, 2009
I Love This Photo
So I am putting it on my blog. In Ecuador, its cold and a comedown from the fun in Colombia. On way to Peru, where it willalso be cold, although we´ll probably stop off at a beach resort on the way to warm our bones.
This photo was taken outside a club called "Lado B" in Pasto during the Carnaval de Blancos y Negros, a wild 3 day annual carnival where the locals paint each other, spray each other with foam and talc and generally make a huge mess of their otherwise bland town.
On one day of the carnival everyone paints their face white, the next day black. This provided me with the opportunity to be totally un PC and do something you couldn´t do in the UK, I had a black face for a day. Its a really old tradition here and no one could understand why it wouldn´t be posible at home when I tried to explain. God bless Colombia.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Cali
Been here since the 27th for the Feria de Cali, traditionally a Salsa festival although now it hosts all sorts of music (well Salsa, Merengue, Reggae and Reggaeton). Basically the city parties every night for a week with concerts in various locations and a carnival atmosphere everywhere.
Have been hanging out with some great CSers, dancing salsa, drinking Aguardiente http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aguardiente , eating great food and sleeping in late. We´ve been to salsa concerts, beerfests, reggae concerts and house parties. I´m kind of partied out to be honest right now, looking forward to some form of normality in the next few days, although the fact that we will be moving on soon doesn´t really bode too well for that wish to come true.........
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