Thursday and Friday were long days but well worth it - Colca Canyon is absolutely incredible. I thought the landscapes I have seen over the past few weeks would be hard to top, but the canyon and nearby valley are beautiful - giant, green mountains as far as you can see with a river running all through the valley and small towns along the hillsides. It was so picturesque that it almost looked fake - and my weak attempt at describing the place definitely does not do it justice.
My group of four had great weather on both days and hiked a lot - 6 hours total on Thursday (mostly downhill into the canyon), and 4 hours total Friday (all uphill from the bottom to the top - legs are still killing me). We stayed in bamboo huts in the bottom of the canyon on Thursday night and the huts had grass roofs and dirt floors. And our "oasis" had zero electricity. So you can imagine that arriving there in the dark on day 1 and leaving again in the dark on day 2 at 5am made things a bit interesting (for navigation and for hygiene). But all in all a great two days.
This morning I arrived in Cusco, Peru, a mere 80km from Machu Picchu. The town is completely overrun with tourists (which I guess is to be expected), though it still has some local character as evidenced by the festive street parade this afternoon in the Plaza de Armas. Kind of a dull, sleepy afternoon here as I wait for Renee to get here tomorrow morning. Tomorrow we will plan our next few days here, which will revolve around our visit to the Lost City of the Incas. Very psyched.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Arequipa, Peru
Another stop along the Andes means another visit to a picturesque town set in a valley below snow-capped volcanoes. So far Arequipa is pretty cool - decent size town with the most beautiful Plaza de Armas I have seen so far (I think most South American towns have this centrally located square/plaza). But I came here for the canyon trek, and after some initial setbacks last night and today (tourist low season = less availability for 2 day treks, the bus route to Cusco is shut down due to striking workers, etc.), I just booked my trip and am set to leave on a two dayer to Colca Canyon tomorrow morning at 3:30am. There will be lots of hiking so it should be good prep for Machu Picchu next week, and tomorrow night will be interesting as I rough it in some bungalow in the bottom of the canyon. Also, Colca Canyon is over twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. I am psyched.
Getting here yesterday from Chile was a bit of an adventure. To cross the border into Peru, one has to hire a collectivo which is a group taxi - not many buses make the relatively short trip from Arica to Arequipa. Thankfully two other people from my hostel were going the same way so the three of us pulled up to the bus station in Arica and were instantly mobbed by collectivo drivers trying to get our business - they were literally sticking their heads in the windows of our cab and yapping at us before we got out. It was a total mess, and once we picked a driver one of us had to watch our bags by the car, another had to take our passports to get tickets, and another had to pay some b.s. parking lot tax in Arica before we could leave. Anyway, we made it through the border along with two other Chileans in our cramped car (six in the car, total) and then boarded a bus for Arequipa a little while later. And that six hour bus ride was the scariest one yet as our driver apparently did not feel the need to use the brakes very often. Some of the turns this guy made around the sides of the mountains were incredible/terrifying. But we made it.
Getting here yesterday from Chile was a bit of an adventure. To cross the border into Peru, one has to hire a collectivo which is a group taxi - not many buses make the relatively short trip from Arica to Arequipa. Thankfully two other people from my hostel were going the same way so the three of us pulled up to the bus station in Arica and were instantly mobbed by collectivo drivers trying to get our business - they were literally sticking their heads in the windows of our cab and yapping at us before we got out. It was a total mess, and once we picked a driver one of us had to watch our bags by the car, another had to take our passports to get tickets, and another had to pay some b.s. parking lot tax in Arica before we could leave. Anyway, we made it through the border along with two other Chileans in our cramped car (six in the car, total) and then boarded a bus for Arequipa a little while later. And that six hour bus ride was the scariest one yet as our driver apparently did not feel the need to use the brakes very often. Some of the turns this guy made around the sides of the mountains were incredible/terrifying. But we made it.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Arica/misc.
Arrived in Arica early this morning and spent most of the day outside. Decent beach town but not a whole lot going on and the beaches are pretty empty (it is a Monday I guess). Was going to try for a surf lesson tomorrow but I have decided to head out a day early to Arequipa, Peru - canyon country - so I can set up a multi-day trek there before I leave for Cusco Friday night.
Not much to write home about Arica, so some very general observations on South America thus far:
- everyone here loves ice cream (ice cream stands are all over)
- all bottled soda is/has expired, be it three days or three months (seriously. cans are fresh)
- stray dogs live in every town
- graffiti is in every town, regardless of how developed it is and including the random towns I have passed on bus trips
* the graffiti here is particularly strange, as most of the stuff I can translate is harmless yet it takes away from some beautiful places. e.g. in Mendoza there is a giant outdoor park, and my bro and I were walking along and saw that someone had spray-painted nonsense on some trees. Why? Not cool.
Besides the above, South America has been a great place to visit and I trust it will continue to be so. I will leave you with one last observation: I was eating lunch outside today and a rather large, older woman walked by wearing a hot pink shirt that said ¨Feeling Naughty¨in English in big black letters. I hoped/feared she knew what that meant, but I did not bother to ask.
Not much to write home about Arica, so some very general observations on South America thus far:
- everyone here loves ice cream (ice cream stands are all over)
- all bottled soda is/has expired, be it three days or three months (seriously. cans are fresh)
- stray dogs live in every town
- graffiti is in every town, regardless of how developed it is and including the random towns I have passed on bus trips
* the graffiti here is particularly strange, as most of the stuff I can translate is harmless yet it takes away from some beautiful places. e.g. in Mendoza there is a giant outdoor park, and my bro and I were walking along and saw that someone had spray-painted nonsense on some trees. Why? Not cool.
Besides the above, South America has been a great place to visit and I trust it will continue to be so. I will leave you with one last observation: I was eating lunch outside today and a rather large, older woman walked by wearing a hot pink shirt that said ¨Feeling Naughty¨in English in big black letters. I hoped/feared she knew what that meant, but I did not bother to ask.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
San Pedro - 1, Yellowstone - 0
The geyser trip was a success as I found a different spot in town that runs Sunday tours. After a false alarm last night around 8pm with the tourist agency initially saying that the cops closed the geyser park for today due to bad weather (which obviously would have cancelled our trip), they changed their minds last minute and we ended up going this morning at 4am. Well worth the 3:45 wakeup.
El Tatio is the name of the geyser park and it holds the highest altitude geysers in the world at 4,750 meters (almost 15,000 feet), and it puts Old Faithful to shame. There are geysers everywhere. Dozens and dozens of them. And it´s not like you sit in some bleachers and wait for one to erupt - you literally walk around the field and there are steaming pits and shooting water everywhere you look, some big, many smaller. Definitely dangerous (the welcome station hands out tourist brochures that include how to treat burn victims), but truly a sight with the snow-capped mountains and volcanoes in the background.
After a tour of the grounds and some breakfast, we walked to some of the bigger ones that have strict paths you have to follow when viewing them, then we had the chance to go for a dip in the hot springs there. Was awesome, but freezing when we got out (only three of our group of twelve went in) - was 10 degrees Celsius below zero when we arrived at 6:30 but was slightly warmer when we went for a swim. Unreal.
I think San Pedro has been my favorite stop yet as it is such a unique place and has a lot of personality for a small town. Was a great stay, and I am leaving here tonight for Arica which is a coastal surf town and one of the northern-most in Chile. Should be a good stopping point before heading north into Peru.
El Tatio is the name of the geyser park and it holds the highest altitude geysers in the world at 4,750 meters (almost 15,000 feet), and it puts Old Faithful to shame. There are geysers everywhere. Dozens and dozens of them. And it´s not like you sit in some bleachers and wait for one to erupt - you literally walk around the field and there are steaming pits and shooting water everywhere you look, some big, many smaller. Definitely dangerous (the welcome station hands out tourist brochures that include how to treat burn victims), but truly a sight with the snow-capped mountains and volcanoes in the background.
After a tour of the grounds and some breakfast, we walked to some of the bigger ones that have strict paths you have to follow when viewing them, then we had the chance to go for a dip in the hot springs there. Was awesome, but freezing when we got out (only three of our group of twelve went in) - was 10 degrees Celsius below zero when we arrived at 6:30 but was slightly warmer when we went for a swim. Unreal.
I think San Pedro has been my favorite stop yet as it is such a unique place and has a lot of personality for a small town. Was a great stay, and I am leaving here tonight for Arica which is a coastal surf town and one of the northern-most in Chile. Should be a good stopping point before heading north into Peru.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
San Pedro, revisited
Ok, I definitely passed judgment on this town too early. Granted, my first impression of the place was clouded by how shady my arrival was: at night, in the dark with few street lights, no luck at my first hostel, bugs in the bathroom of the hostel I eventually stayed in, and barking dogs as I tried to fall asleep that first night. But I woke up yesterday and the sun was out, the bugs were gone, the dogs were quiet, and I explored the town and determined that San Pedro is actually very cool. The dirt streets and stone walls of shops and restaurants are not very welcoming at first, but a quick glance inside one of the doorways usually reveals some kind of hidden gem of a cafe or shop. There are several restaurants here that have great outdoor terraces under thatched roofs and the food is quite good (though this town is very expensive by South American standards as they take advantage of being an oasis in the desert/tourist hotspot).
Yesterday afternoon I did a tour/hike of some of the surrounding areas that was put on by one of the tour agencies here. We visited and trekked around the Cordillera de Sal, Valle de Muerte (originally was Mars Valley instead of Death Valley but the two words en Español were confused over time), and Valle de la Luna. The landscapes are incredible, and the rock formations definitely look like something from another planet or from the moon (hence the names) due to all the seismic activity. We hiked up to points where we could look all around and see the huge Salt flat just south of San Pedro, the Volcanoes to the east (two are 6,000m high and snow-covered, and the one erupts with smoke and ash once a year according to our guide), and the Andes on much of the horizon. At one point during a hike a storm blew in pretty quickly (I was corrected that some parts of the Atacama desert are the driest places on Earth, but this part where we are gets the occasional rain storm). The wind was blowing hard and throwing rocks and sand into my legs and the legs of the other ten or so people on the hike. Was kind of painful but made it more fun I think. Then it cleared to reveal a rainbow, and we climbed to a peak then ran down a massive sand dune into Death Valley. Sounds surreal but it is true - wish I could upload some pictures here to show you guys what I am referring to. The day ended with a hike through Moon Valley where we watched the famous San Pedro sunset from on high and it lived up to all the hype. Sounds like a story book, I know. It was great.
Minor setback today as my guide from yesterday told me there was a tour available for Sunday (tomorrow) to go see the Geysers and hot springs in the area, but I went to the tour agency and they do not run tours on Sundays. Kind of bummed as I am leaving here Sunday night to head north, but I will make do renting a bike and exploring some more.
Yesterday afternoon I did a tour/hike of some of the surrounding areas that was put on by one of the tour agencies here. We visited and trekked around the Cordillera de Sal, Valle de Muerte (originally was Mars Valley instead of Death Valley but the two words en Español were confused over time), and Valle de la Luna. The landscapes are incredible, and the rock formations definitely look like something from another planet or from the moon (hence the names) due to all the seismic activity. We hiked up to points where we could look all around and see the huge Salt flat just south of San Pedro, the Volcanoes to the east (two are 6,000m high and snow-covered, and the one erupts with smoke and ash once a year according to our guide), and the Andes on much of the horizon. At one point during a hike a storm blew in pretty quickly (I was corrected that some parts of the Atacama desert are the driest places on Earth, but this part where we are gets the occasional rain storm). The wind was blowing hard and throwing rocks and sand into my legs and the legs of the other ten or so people on the hike. Was kind of painful but made it more fun I think. Then it cleared to reveal a rainbow, and we climbed to a peak then ran down a massive sand dune into Death Valley. Sounds surreal but it is true - wish I could upload some pictures here to show you guys what I am referring to. The day ended with a hike through Moon Valley where we watched the famous San Pedro sunset from on high and it lived up to all the hype. Sounds like a story book, I know. It was great.
Minor setback today as my guide from yesterday told me there was a tour available for Sunday (tomorrow) to go see the Geysers and hot springs in the area, but I went to the tour agency and they do not run tours on Sundays. Kind of bummed as I am leaving here Sunday night to head north, but I will make do renting a bike and exploring some more.
Friday, March 20, 2009
San Pedro de Atacama
After spending 23 hours on a bus - which actually was not too bad until the last few hours as I slept and read a lot and the scenery was great - I made it into town here last night around 9:30. It was a little shady, as the bus station was not actually a station but really an outdoor dropoff point. I was trading emails two days ago with a woman who ran a hostel here who said she would pick me up at the bus stop. She was not there, so I tagged along with two Americans to their hostel as it was pitch black out, found out that their hostel had no empty rooms, then found one down the street. The bed was clean and the room pretty simple, though the bathroom left a little to be desired. Im exploring town now to see other hostels and likely stay there for the next two nights.
San Pedro itself is in the middle of nowhere in the Atacama desert. According to a couple books, this desert is the driest place on Earth and no measurable precipitation has ever been recorded. The town itself is very small, with dirt streets and stray dogs wandering around (the dogs are a consistency so far in South America). Right now I am typing on a dirty keyboard with a cat in the chair next to me, so that´s cool. Going to go walk around a bit and check this place out, as there are some awesome sights around this area. Adios.
San Pedro itself is in the middle of nowhere in the Atacama desert. According to a couple books, this desert is the driest place on Earth and no measurable precipitation has ever been recorded. The town itself is very small, with dirt streets and stray dogs wandering around (the dogs are a consistency so far in South America). Right now I am typing on a dirty keyboard with a cat in the chair next to me, so that´s cool. Going to go walk around a bit and check this place out, as there are some awesome sights around this area. Adios.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
St. Patty´s in Santiago
I am a day late, but Happy St. Patrick´s Day to all my Irish and Irish-loving friends out there. My brother and I arrived in Santiago, Chile yesterday evening and sadly our St. Patty´s celebration was less than exciting. The bus ride from Mendoza was good, with amazing scenery as we snaked through the Andes (on some of the turns we found it better for peace of mind to not look out the window and down the mountain where our windy road continued).
Santiago is a big city set in the valley of the Andes. It looks pretty from afar but definitely has a different feel than the smaller town of Mendoza. Our hostel is solid and spacious, but the neighborhood is not that great, and we ended up only finding a pizza place for dinner last night and slightly warm beer from the supermarket - the South American version of celebrating our Irish heritage, I guess.
My bro flies back to the States tonight and I will be sad to see him go as we have had a great time together. I basically planned most of my trip up until this point, and now I have ten days to get to Peru. I think I will be heading up north on an overnight bus this evening to a desert town called San Pedro but I need to hammer out those details this morning before Greg and I go explore the city (since I have nothing booked at the moment). We shall see...
Santiago is a big city set in the valley of the Andes. It looks pretty from afar but definitely has a different feel than the smaller town of Mendoza. Our hostel is solid and spacious, but the neighborhood is not that great, and we ended up only finding a pizza place for dinner last night and slightly warm beer from the supermarket - the South American version of celebrating our Irish heritage, I guess.
My bro flies back to the States tonight and I will be sad to see him go as we have had a great time together. I basically planned most of my trip up until this point, and now I have ten days to get to Peru. I think I will be heading up north on an overnight bus this evening to a desert town called San Pedro but I need to hammer out those details this morning before Greg and I go explore the city (since I have nothing booked at the moment). We shall see...
Monday, March 16, 2009
Some more South American experiences
So Greg and I have had some more down to earth South American experiences in the past 48 hours. Starting with his encounter with a fiesty stray dog in Vina del Mar (Chile) on Saturday morning that wouldnt leave him alone, then with his bus ride from Santiago that took three hours longer than advertised/expected. Once he got here we managed to break a window in our bedroom as a couple of bees got through our only open window (a glass paned door, actually), and the glass was very thin which we found out after Greg smacked the second bee. Then the ATM machine ate my card on Saturday evening after I withdrew money. And obviously the bank was closed, so he and I went over this morning and thankfully were able to bypass a huge line to speak with a rep there, successfully communicate and prove my identity (in Spanish), and get my card back. Whew. Would have been pretty bad if I couldnt recover it. Thankfully we had a great Argentine barbecue at the hostel last night to make me feel a little better before heading to the bank this morning.
But all is well now. The hostel staff doesnt care about the window, my ATM card is safe, and now we´re going wine tasting on another beautiful afternoon. The town of Mendoza is great, complete with several park squares and lots of outdoor restaurants/cafe´s. The surrounding geography is amazing as well and we got a nice dose of it yesterday on horseback at the base of the Andes. Very cool. I am trying to cut down on my use of the term "awesome" as a British girl here commented that Americans use that word too much, but this place is awesome (and I told her that several times).
But all is well now. The hostel staff doesnt care about the window, my ATM card is safe, and now we´re going wine tasting on another beautiful afternoon. The town of Mendoza is great, complete with several park squares and lots of outdoor restaurants/cafe´s. The surrounding geography is amazing as well and we got a nice dose of it yesterday on horseback at the base of the Andes. Very cool. I am trying to cut down on my use of the term "awesome" as a British girl here commented that Americans use that word too much, but this place is awesome (and I told her that several times).
Saturday, March 14, 2009
El Omnibus
I arrived in Mendoza, Argentina this morning after experiencing the famed South American overnight bus ride for the first time. I have to admit - it was a nice trip despite lasting 13 hours. I paid up a few pesos for the fully reclining seats that were super comfortable, and the bus staff served a decent meal and a light breakfast.
After a quick bus-wide bingo game, I spent the first 2.5 hours watching The Prestige with English subtitles on the TV which was satisfying, and I was able to sleep on and off for almost seven hours (would never happen on a plane for me). I´ll take it. The last hour was great as we approached Mendoza: the sun was rising over some vineyards, lighting up the Andes mountains (some snow-capped) on the horizon. A pretty romantic moment for me and the sixty year old man in the seat to my right.
I am at the hostel now waiting for my bro to get here, as he is en route from Chile. The place is nice - basically a big house with it´s own backyard. Have not seen our room yet though so I will reserve final judgment until then. Would love to get into the room sooner rather than later, as I stink.
After a quick bus-wide bingo game, I spent the first 2.5 hours watching The Prestige with English subtitles on the TV which was satisfying, and I was able to sleep on and off for almost seven hours (would never happen on a plane for me). I´ll take it. The last hour was great as we approached Mendoza: the sun was rising over some vineyards, lighting up the Andes mountains (some snow-capped) on the horizon. A pretty romantic moment for me and the sixty year old man in the seat to my right.
I am at the hostel now waiting for my bro to get here, as he is en route from Chile. The place is nice - basically a big house with it´s own backyard. Have not seen our room yet though so I will reserve final judgment until then. Would love to get into the room sooner rather than later, as I stink.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Last day in BA
I have been having a fun time in Buenos Aires and the nightlife and dining has definitely lived up to all the hype. Last night I had one of the best meals ever - a giant steak served with this pumpkin mash, fries, roasted onions and peppers, a baked/fried thick piece of provolone, and a fried egg. It was an obnoxious amount of food, so of course I ate it all because I was starving and it was delicious. It cost $10. Awesome.
A group of us from the hostel went to a show last night at the local cultural center and it was a tango/acrobatics performance. I will admit that I was skeptical going into it and it does sound strange, but it was super cool. There was obvious tango dancing which was neat to watch, but there were also trapeze acts, one guy dancing on a high wire (literally), and other crazy stuff. Very glad we went.
Today I`m getting some things together in prep for my departure tonight to Mendoza to meet my bro. Very psyched, and I am okay with leaving BA as, though it has been a nice visit, it is a very urban place and I think it has less appeal for someone who has lived in a big city before like myself. No matter - my first taste of Argentina has been a great one (minus most of the local guys here who either have mullets, mohawks, or Kenny G hair). We`ll see what stop #2 has in store.
A group of us from the hostel went to a show last night at the local cultural center and it was a tango/acrobatics performance. I will admit that I was skeptical going into it and it does sound strange, but it was super cool. There was obvious tango dancing which was neat to watch, but there were also trapeze acts, one guy dancing on a high wire (literally), and other crazy stuff. Very glad we went.
Today I`m getting some things together in prep for my departure tonight to Mendoza to meet my bro. Very psyched, and I am okay with leaving BA as, though it has been a nice visit, it is a very urban place and I think it has less appeal for someone who has lived in a big city before like myself. No matter - my first taste of Argentina has been a great one (minus most of the local guys here who either have mullets, mohawks, or Kenny G hair). We`ll see what stop #2 has in store.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
B.A.
Buenos Dias. I arrived in Buenos Aires yesterday after an enjoyable flight that actually arrived 20 minutes early, which I am told rarely happens here. I was welcomed by an airport police dog taking a hot one on the floor next to my flight's baggage claim belt. Thankfully I avoided contact, got my bag, and got a taxi to town pretty quickly.
Buenos Aires has been very cool so far. Recoleta, the neighborhood where I am staying, is nice and there are a lot of bars and restaurants within walking distance as well as some big tourist attractions that I will check out today. Everyone at the hostel is very nice and they are from all over - Australia, New Zealand, France, Canada (Quebec), and exotic Houston. Last night I went out with the Australians and the guy from Houston and we had a good time. Had a great meal at this place near us that consisted of some empanadas, cazuela (an Argentine stew that is a local specialty), and some local beer and wine. Split four ways it cost $10/person - very cheap and delcious. Also we finished dinner after midnight and the restaurant was decently crowded which was crazy (to a gringo like me) for a Tuesday. Afterwards we went to this outdoor bar called Milion that is in an old three-story mansion that a couple friends recommended before I arrived here - was a solid spot. If it was in NYC you'd have to get a table or where pants or something lame. Chill here, and one guy there was sporting a well-crafted pair of cutoff jean shorts.
This morning I woke up early to walk to the bus station and purchase a ticket to Mendoza so I can be on time to meet my bro there this weekend. I think I did pretty well speaking Spanish on my own to the two women behind the ticket counter, though once they started asking me what part of the bus I wanted to sit in I had to enter full tourist mode and pull out my Spanish phrase book/dictionary. Oh well, I am learning.
Buenos Aires has been very cool so far. Recoleta, the neighborhood where I am staying, is nice and there are a lot of bars and restaurants within walking distance as well as some big tourist attractions that I will check out today. Everyone at the hostel is very nice and they are from all over - Australia, New Zealand, France, Canada (Quebec), and exotic Houston. Last night I went out with the Australians and the guy from Houston and we had a good time. Had a great meal at this place near us that consisted of some empanadas, cazuela (an Argentine stew that is a local specialty), and some local beer and wine. Split four ways it cost $10/person - very cheap and delcious. Also we finished dinner after midnight and the restaurant was decently crowded which was crazy (to a gringo like me) for a Tuesday. Afterwards we went to this outdoor bar called Milion that is in an old three-story mansion that a couple friends recommended before I arrived here - was a solid spot. If it was in NYC you'd have to get a table or where pants or something lame. Chill here, and one guy there was sporting a well-crafted pair of cutoff jean shorts.
This morning I woke up early to walk to the bus station and purchase a ticket to Mendoza so I can be on time to meet my bro there this weekend. I think I did pretty well speaking Spanish on my own to the two women behind the ticket counter, though once they started asking me what part of the bus I wanted to sit in I had to enter full tourist mode and pull out my Spanish phrase book/dictionary. Oh well, I am learning.
Monday, March 9, 2009
complete
Today I hired a taxi to drive me around town which actually was pretty cheap, and gave me a good excuse to try out off-color phrases in Portuguese from my little Lonely Planet language book. My trip to Rio as a tourist is now complete, as I visited the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado mountain as well as Pao de Acucar (Sugar Loaf), a mountain on the shoreline that requires use of a cable car to get to the top because it is so steep. The views from the top of both places are easily the most beautiful I have ever seen and the statue of Christ is massive up close. I know I haven´t traveled that much, but I can´t imagine there are many cities as beautiful as Rio.
Unfortunately I did not get a chance to go hang gliding but I am headed to Buenos Aires in the morning, which should be good. But if I spoke Portuguese I may have stayed here a lot longer.
Unfortunately I did not get a chance to go hang gliding but I am headed to Buenos Aires in the morning, which should be good. But if I spoke Portuguese I may have stayed here a lot longer.
The Real Rio
I got to experience the local flavor of Rio over the weekend, starting on Saturday night with a great dinner at this spot in my neighborhood. Open air restaurant, lots of people, great Brazilian food and good Brahma beer. I went with a friend of a friend who is from Rio and was very glad to see what the locals do on a Saturday night. We walked around for a bit after dinner then he drove me around, and we drove through Copacabana where I had two of the more interesting experiences that night. Copacabana is notoriously more dangerous than Ipanema and Leblon at night, and that was confirmed by a road block we had to drive through that my friend called ´the blitz´: two cop cars and about six cops were standing on the side of the road that they turned into a one-lane passage. As we approached, my friend turned the dome light on in our car so the cops could see in - and they were glaring at us and every car as we drove by, apparently checking for illegals, drunk people, or anything out of the ordinary. He said it was pretty standard. Oh also they had bulletproof vests and machine guns on their hips. Solid.
Literally five minutes later (was probably a little after midnight at that point) as we were turning around to drive back to Leblon, a car about 20 yards ahead of us ran a red light. As I was pointing this out to Bernardo he did the same thing. When I asked him why, he responded that in that area it´s safer to run a red light than to sit at one as you´re an easier target for robbery. Welcome to Copa.
Yesterday I saw Barra (pronounced like Baja) which is a beach town further south of where I am. Beautiful place, not surprising. Today I´ll be doing some tourist things though - hoping to head up to the Christ the Redeemer statue shortly. Leaving for Buenos Aires tomorrow so I´ll be trying to pack it in today. Hope everyone is well.
Literally five minutes later (was probably a little after midnight at that point) as we were turning around to drive back to Leblon, a car about 20 yards ahead of us ran a red light. As I was pointing this out to Bernardo he did the same thing. When I asked him why, he responded that in that area it´s safer to run a red light than to sit at one as you´re an easier target for robbery. Welcome to Copa.
Yesterday I saw Barra (pronounced like Baja) which is a beach town further south of where I am. Beautiful place, not surprising. Today I´ll be doing some tourist things though - hoping to head up to the Christ the Redeemer statue shortly. Leaving for Buenos Aires tomorrow so I´ll be trying to pack it in today. Hope everyone is well.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Dia doys (day two)
Pretty good Saturday so far after a jet-lagged 11 hour sleep last night. It was cloudy for most of the day here which probably was good for me not getting badly burned by the sun, though likely bad because it prolonged the inevitable. Not surprisingly, I am very white compared to just about everyone here. Thanks, New York.
I walked the beaches of Leblon and Ipanema today (got my picture-taking out of the way this morning and I felt like the only one with a camera) and parked it on Ipanema for a while. There are volleyball courts everywhere and it seems like everyone is a pretty good player. There are also games of fut volei going on some of the nets - literally volleyball without using your hands/arms. Insane to watch how good these guys are, partly because I´d be embarrassed if I stepped onto the court and tried to use soccer skills (I don´t have any). It´s played two on two on a full size beach vb court (with net) and I watched several long rallies with guys using their heads, chests, thighs, feet, and even tops of shoulders - and with good accuracy. Unreal.
Tonight I´m meeting up with a friend of a friend for dinner then a night on the town. Should be fun and I´m excited to experience what cariocas do on their Saturday nights in Rio.
Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend.
I walked the beaches of Leblon and Ipanema today (got my picture-taking out of the way this morning and I felt like the only one with a camera) and parked it on Ipanema for a while. There are volleyball courts everywhere and it seems like everyone is a pretty good player. There are also games of fut volei going on some of the nets - literally volleyball without using your hands/arms. Insane to watch how good these guys are, partly because I´d be embarrassed if I stepped onto the court and tried to use soccer skills (I don´t have any). It´s played two on two on a full size beach vb court (with net) and I watched several long rallies with guys using their heads, chests, thighs, feet, and even tops of shoulders - and with good accuracy. Unreal.
Tonight I´m meeting up with a friend of a friend for dinner then a night on the town. Should be fun and I´m excited to experience what cariocas do on their Saturday nights in Rio.
Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Made it
Rio is awesome and hot - 93 degrees when I landed today. Eddie C´s friends hooked it up with a ride from the airport which was great, and I´m staying in a flat in Leblon (neighborhood right next to Ipanema - 3 blocks from the beach).
The city is absolutely beautiful, though North versus South is quite a contrast when you´re driving from the airport. The north section is the poor part of town and the south is the wealthier/more touristy part where Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon are. The two sections are separated by the mountain on which the famous Christ the Redeemer statue stands, and the statue faces north. Quite a sight.
I´m going to go stroll the beach right now with my gringo feet, and then have my first dinner somewhere outdoors (much better temperature here when the sun goes down). I´m thinking steak, beer, and bed. Will let you know how that goes.
The city is absolutely beautiful, though North versus South is quite a contrast when you´re driving from the airport. The north section is the poor part of town and the south is the wealthier/more touristy part where Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon are. The two sections are separated by the mountain on which the famous Christ the Redeemer statue stands, and the statue faces north. Quite a sight.
I´m going to go stroll the beach right now with my gringo feet, and then have my first dinner somewhere outdoors (much better temperature here when the sun goes down). I´m thinking steak, beer, and bed. Will let you know how that goes.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
It's time
Just about ready to leave for the airport. Very excited and a little anxious - looking forward to getting down there and into the thick of it. One thing I learned before this trip even started is that Texas barbecue and Lone Star beer, while delicious, are not the ideal food and drink choices for the night before a 12 hour plane ride. I'm glad I have an aisle seat.
Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful well wishes and great send-off's. My next post will be from down South in Brazil. Until then...
Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful well wishes and great send-off's. My next post will be from down South in Brazil. Until then...
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Numero Uno
Getting ready to leave for South America on Thursday, and getting some last minute things together in the meantime. As this is my first blog post, I'll take this opportunity to ask that the kids who may comment on my posts keep the language clean and appropriate (for the most part). You know who you are. Thanks.
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