Change in Altitude

Here is some video from the Sambadrome at Rio Carnival.


From Rio I had a lot of long days in transit. I caught a bus to Sao Paulo and then spent the night in the airport. After flying to Cuzco, Peru via Lima, I realized that with only a 6 day layover I didn't have much time to waste. On arrival in Cuzco I booked a night bus to the city of Puno on Lake Titicaca and near the Bolivian border.




(It seems like some names should be retired from use for modes of transportation.)

From Puno I caught a bus over to Copacabana, Bolivia for the day. Copacabana was a very attractive little town with an amazing number of people selling hats.


(This woman was not selling hats, but I bet she could have got me one if I would have asked.)

After some serious investigation I was unable to locate anyone in Copacabana named Lola or Mr. Barry Manilow, so I headed back to Puno and went on a boat cruise around Lake Titicaca.





From Puno, I caught a bus back to Cuzco and then a train to Agua Calientes (the town next to Machu Picchu).

The day I arrived in Agua Calientes was very nice, but I was pretty tired and decided to wait until the next day to visit Machu Picchu. This would also give me a chance to head up first thing in the morning and beat some of the rush.

The evening before I went to Machu Picchu the rains arrived. There was a thick cloud around the ruins when I walked in at 6:00am.

The cloud/mist made it a little hard to see or comprehend the scale of the ruins. It did, however, also add a certain interesting element. This was heightened by the fact that I didn't see any other people for about 30 minutes after entering the ruins.


(If you look in the middle of this pic you can see a crazy curved tail rabbit. If you have seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail you may understand why I was scared for my life while taking this photo.)

After a while I decided to take a little nap and wait for the sky to clear up. I am not sure that everyone was impressed by my location in the guardhouse toward the top of the ruins, but a few other tourists took pics of me. Unfortunately, the rain got worse before it got better. Eventually, by early afternoon things began to clear up.


(Above and Below: Llamas in the Mist)


I think that the views from Machu Picchu are more impressive than the ruins. It was cool when the clouds cleared to realize how dramatic the scenery was.


The late morning/early afternoon brought much bigger crowds and a rainbow of ponchos.



After several hours at Machu Picchu and a hike up Waynapicchu mountain, it was time to head back to Agua Calientes and catch the train to Cuzco.



I spent the next couple days in Cuzco, the heart of which is very attractive. Somewhat annoying, are the hundreds of hawkers trying to sell you stuff or panhandle some change. One shoeshine man was particularly keen to make a sale. Despite showing him the hole in the bottom of my worn out sneakers, he thought they could use a good shine. Eventually, I convinced him that it was not going to happen and he went off to harass someone else. However, the next day he saw me and was back at it. I somehow still resisted the sales pitch and my shoes remain unshined.

A sales pitch that was harder to resist was the opportunity to try the local dish "cuy del horno" or guinea pig.



I can say that I probably would not eat guinea pig again. It was a little funky, but not terrible. The bigger deterent for me is that there were tons of bones and not much bang for the buck. As a testament to growing up in the comforts of western society, I am a very lazy eater and don't enjoy dealing with bones unless it is really worth it (i.e. I don´t order buffalo wings, but would eat a t-bone).

Another downer to the guinea pig was that it made my hands smell a little funky and there is a surprising lack of soap throughout Cuzco public restrooms. This gave me added concern about the food prep. After walking back to my hostel to wash my hands (with soap), I decided to choose my Cuzco eating establishments more carefully.

On my last night in town, I ventured up to see the Inca ruins of Sacsayhuamán, which sit above the city. The ruins are a series of large rocks that are very precisely layed together. As with the many other giant stone ruins throughout the world, it is amazing to me that 1. people were able to move such large stones and 2. that they thought it was a good idea.



The walk back down provided a nice view of Cuzco at night.



The next morning I got up early and headed to the airport. I flew from Cuzco to Lima, where I caught another flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. Someone (you know who you are) told me that San Jose is a nice city to walk around. That is not true. There are a few scenic bits.



And some interesting characters, but on a whole, San Jose is another dump of a 3rd world capital city. Also, there seem to be a large number of shady characters that are glue sniffers.

(Exhibit A) (I am starting to think about Bar exam prep)


In my time walking around San Jose I began compiling a Jeff Foxworthyesque list of things that may indicate you are in the 3rd world.

1. No one ever has change. No matter how small the currency you use, there is never change.
2. There are more people trying to shine shoes than there are wearing them.
3. Every taxi (or other motor powered transport) needs gas as soon as you get in.
4. There are no street signs. If there is one, there won't be another for blocks, so you have no idea where you are.
5. Meat is stored at room temperature or higher.

Feel free to add to this list if you would like.


I leave San Jose tomorrow and head to La Fortuna, which sits next to one of Central America´s most active volcanoes. Wish me luck!


-Ben

Officially the Biggest and Baddest Post Ever

Warning: This blogpost is very long because it is long overdue. A lot of fun and bad computers in Paraguay have limited my ability to post recently. As I try to rush this out from a Cuzco, Peru bus station, I make no promises about the quality of spelling or the factual content of this post. Also, if anyone saw video footage from Carnival on television that vaguely resembled me, I assure you that it was someone else.

From Buenos Aires we headed north. Our first stop was at a place called Carlos Pelligrini. There we had the opportunity to be exposed to a variety of wetland wildlife. We saw alligators, capybaras (the world's largest rodent, which a hitchhiker told me were quite tasty), giant toads, and lots of birdlife. As good as Buenos Aires had been, it was nice to be back exploring the countryside.







The morning we were due to leave Carlos Pellegrini brought a rain storm. As we headed along the dirt road toward Paraguay, the road became increasingly slick. Eventually we got stuck and had to try to get the truck out of the mud. After a few unsuccessful hours, the sky really opened up and we retreated onto the truck to wait it out. When it became apparent that we would not be going anywhere for quite a while, I decided to have a little fun in the mud.





We ended up spending the night in the truck, where it was roughy 100 degrees (F) - 40ish C). Unfortunately, we were stuck next to a mosquito filled swamp. Eventually, we cut up a mosquito net and taped it over a couple windows. However, it was difficult to get the tape to stick because all of the condensation from our breath. The next morning saw another brief shower and after a few hours, we decided to try and get out. Just as nearly all hope was lost for the day, there was a miracle in the form of a man on a tractor. This was a very welcome sight and soon we were back on the road.

Behind schedule, we put in a big driving day and got to Trinidad, Paraguay. Trinidad is home to some old Jesuit ruins which were interesting.



Also, we were able to visit a mate factory in Trinidad. Mate is basically a tea that most of Argentina and Paraguay are completely addicted to.



More exciting than the ruins or the mate factory, however, may have been the campsite's massive swimming pool (complete with diving board and slide). After being stuck in the mud for over 24 hours and little poolside R&R was a nice bonus and helped improve everyone´s mood.



(Note this picture was taken in the campsite owner's minivan. I am not sure if this feature has hit the States, but I hope so.)

From Trinidad we headed to Asunction, Paraguay´s Capital, which is a nice enough city, but not overwhelmingly interesting. I spent a fair amout of time sampling empanadas around the city. What Asunction does offer is a glimpse into a less affluent South American city. Parts of Asunction reminded me of African cities and it certainly did not feel as European as Buenos Aires or Santiago. After a couple days in Asunction, it was time to head for Brazil. Actually, we were headed to Iguazu Falls, which is basically the border intersection of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.

The border was extremely busy and a little crazy. A mild dispute about a visa forced me to subsidize a borderguard's pay in order to leave Paraguay. I must say that this left a bad taste in my mouth about an otherwise pleasant country.

Over the border bridge there were tons of people trying to sell stuff. Hats, sunglasses, tv antennas, and even butt pants. I am not sure how this guy ended up with his selection, but he seemed to like it.



At our campsite in Foz de Iguazu (Brazil) there were several other overland trucks which made for quite the festive atmosphere at night. By day, however, there was some world class waterfalls to check out. On our first full day, several of us> checked out the Brazilian side of the falls on foot and by helicopter.







Near the Brazilian side of the falls is a birdpark that was filled with exotic birds.


(For those of you who don't recognize it, that toucan is attacking my camera box)



The following day, we headed to Argentina and got to see the falls from a few different perspectives on foot and by boat.





Some lingering problems with the truck came to a head at Iguazu, but we had the option of jumping on another truck for the ride to Paraty. I decided to go for it. It was a nice chance to experience a different truck for a couple days, hear some different stories, and read some new books.

Paraty is a nice beachside town in Southern Brazil. While there, I went diving with some friends on the first full day and then did a big boat cruise on the next day. The diving was ok. I saw a few interesting things that I had not seen before, but it wasn´t that colorful or breathtaking. More impressive was the scenery of the islands and coastline of Brazil. Both days were filled with amazing views.



The boattrip also gave us several chances to swim and work on a few tricks. I mainly focused on my backflip with mixed success.



(This faceplant didn't feel great.)



From Paraty it was off to Rio de Janiero for Carnival. I have wanted to see Carnival for years, especially after seeing several Mardi Gras celebrations in NewOrleans. My days in Rio were jam packed between experiencing Carnival by night and trying to squeeze in a few major tourist attractions during the day.

Coming from a town with a giant Jesus statue, I felt a certain need to see the Rio's.



(Above: Christ of the Ozarks for those of you unfamiliar with Eureka Springs)



Also, I was able to get to a soccer game, which was a lot of fun as two local teams battled to a 4-4 tie.



Other highlights included a couple trips to Copacabana beach, which is an impressive stretch, but was absolutely heaving with people.



And finally one evening, some friends and I headed up the Pao de Acucar (Sugar Loaf Mountain) to get a great view of the city.



As for Carnival, it was great! It was different than I expected and different from New Orleans Mardi Gras. The highlights of Carnival had to be the parade at the Sambadrome and the ball I attended. Generally, the street party scene paled in comparison to New Orleans. A Brazilian who I sat next to on the bus to Sao Paolo suggested part of that is likely because of the "crime problem" in Brazil.

New Orleans has some great parades and I have always really enjoyed catching beads and doubloons. That said, I can´t think of a New Orleans parade that could keep me in concrete bleachers from 9pm to 530am. This was exactly what my friends and I did on our night at the Sambadrome.



The floats and dancers are very impressive, but most impressive was the way the crowd got into it and thousands of people sang along while cheering the Samba dance companies.

(A video of this will be posted as soon as I can find a computer that is fast enough.)

Beyond the Sambadrome, Rio Carnival has several smaller parades. Some of these are very oraganized, while others are seem to be impromptu parades called blocos. Below you can see some people in a bloco parade near my hotel and the traffic jam the parade caused.





My last night in Rio was spent at the Gay Costume Ball. Which has been described as "probably the most famous night in the series. A truly exotic collection of characters take to the two floors and a grand entrance is de rigueur - the ball is broadcast to the whole of Brazil. A flamboyant crowd with lots of drag queens and their admirers." My friends and I tried to piece costumes together out of the limited backpacker wardrobes from the truck.


Not surprisingly from the description above, we were well out done in the costume department by locals. Sadly I was nervous about losing my digital camera, so the only pictures I have at the actual ball are on a disposable camera. I will try to post some after I get back, but the event was certainly not one to miss.

With about 2 hours of sleep after the Ball, I headed to the bus station for a ride to Sao Paulo where I caught a flight to Peru. Hopefully I can write in the next week or so about Peru and Bolivia.

Cheers,

Ben

You Can´t Tango Without Cash

Arriving in Buenos Aires, it was time to put away my warm clothes. It has been in the low 90s here, which is a bit of a shock after Ushuaia. From the end of the continent we spent a lot of says driving. It was 3040 kilometers to Buenos Aires. Along the way we saw some nice sunrises and sets and stopped in Puerto Madryn to see some wildlife.




In Puerto Madryn we saw elephant seals, sea lions, armadillos, fox, and a colony of penguins.





From Puerto Madryn it was a lot of hours driving north, which in my case meant a lot of reading time. I made it through a couple of books when I wasn´t looking out the window. When we arrived in Buenos Aires (BA) it was a little shocking to be in a big city again. BA is huge and has everything that big cities have and more. There was....

(1) Lots of traffic (Note the road sign I pasted in is for 1 side of the street. I believe Av 9 de Julio has 14 total lanes. )



(2) Fine Dining. You can´t find a kosher McDonalds just anywhere.



(3) Celebrities. Check out the guy from ¨Weekend at Bernie´s¨



(4) Culture. Buenos Aires and the Tango are linked at the hip.



A little overhwelmed by options in BA, I decided to take a day trip to Colonia, Uruguay. Colonia is a very quaint small tourist town. It has lovely old buildings and several nice cafes with views of the waterfront. In many ways it reminded me of small town Portugal.



After the day trip to Uruguay, I decided to take BA by storm. I visited highlights like the colorful Boca district.



Saw the Recoleta, which is where generations of Buenos Aires´ society have their final resting places. (Please note on the left hand side of the photo I pasted in a statue of a man wearing what appears to be a bathrobe. This may be something I consider doing for my final resting place.)



I took in a tango show.

And wandered around the streets for countless miles taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of BA. One thing that should be mentioned is the amazing status the Simpsons seem tohave in Chile and Argentina. I have seen more Simpsons paraphenalia in these few weeks than I have seen in my entire life. There are shirts with Homer in the Che Guevara pose that say ¨Duff or Muerte.¨ This mural featured Bart and Evita Peron.



Also for you enjoyment, there is Spanish Simpsons on TV.

From here I head north. Only a few more days in Argentina and then here comes Paraguay.

-ben