Musings on culture and other stuff

All the countries we visited, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Ecuador were distinctly different in many ways, but I thought I would add some in general reflections of our impressions of people and customs since places was pretty well covered in our previous posts.

The people--Tour guides and Lonely Planet caution travelers to beware of thieves and the risks of muggings, which did present itself as a realized risk for us, but most all of the people we met on a daily basis couldn't be more gracious, generous and happy to help unwitting, woefully naive travelers, despite the barriers presented by language.  We were constantly interrupting residents to ask for directions and always received the best attempts to point us in the right direction.  Oftentimes even unsolicited, citizens would offer assistance when they guessed we needed it.  Chilenos and Argentinians are very affectionate, almost always kissing both cheeks in a greeting.  Couples are not shy about demonstrating public displays of affection.    Siesta time--usually between 12 and 5 if often practiced in all the countries but most especially Argentina and Chile; stores are closed in observance.

Police checkpoints were standard in all 4 countries, more so in Argentina and Chile.  We were told that they were searching for young gangs and drugs.  At the occupy location in Buenos Aires, police stood at the ready with billy clubs and their shields.  Occasionally police dressed in camos would have AK-47's strapped to their bodies.   Military posts and artifacts are popular cultural sites in Argentina and Chile.  In Chile we saw the military performing a sort of show and recruit session in a local park; they had their prized jeep outfitted with large weapons with opportunities for tourists or citizens to try on a helmet and get a photo op sitting in the jeep or with one of the uniformed soldiers complete with his cash of weapons.     My Polish friend and I couldn't resist the opportunity to hop into the jeep for some g.i. jane pretending.  

Food--everyone asks what did we eat in South America if we didn't eat carne, jamon or pollo.  Granted it was often difficult to find food that didn't contain meat in it.  We did spend a lot of time in panaderias eating baked goods; but even these had plenty of servings of meat.  Occasionally when we would even say somos vegetarianos, we would still receive dishes with meat in them.  We were cautioned not to eat fresh vegetables or fruit for fear of contamination but we ate these foods usually in seemingly appropriate restaurants, avoiding roadside stands that had these foods.    Empanadas con queso and choclo con queso became favorites of mine at roadside stands though.  Although many a visitor would tell tales of succumbing to stomach distress during their travels, we were fortunate not to have experienced this discomfort.  You would think we drank our fill of good South American coffee but you would wrong.  As it turns out, all good coffee is reserved for export so we never had decent coffee.  Coffee is more brown water than anything else. Nescafe is numero uno coffee supplier in all of the countries we visited and most of it is instant.  Natural juices were hard to come by.  Often  we got a mixed juice concoction reminiscent of Hawaiian Punch or Tang.  Supermarkets or Supermercados had large containers of apple juice and orange juice, which were a treat.  Gilly and I drank a great deal of Coca Cola or Sprite by necessity.  Drinks are rarely if ever served with ice.   Dulce- or sweet concoctions are common provisions on busses and seen everywhere especially in Argentina.  Mate is a bitter, grassy tea extremely important in social settings.  As previously posted, it is most often served in gourds with a metal straw.

Catholic church reigns supreme throughout all the countries we visited.    Rarely did we see any other denomination or sect throughout our time.  Although we did meet some young Mormon missionaries when we were in Argentina.   Almost every hill or elevated park has a statue of Christ and the Virgin Mary, along with crosses and other religious symbols being ubiquitous.  Most stores are closed in observance of the sabbath.

Families come out in droves on the weekends to spend time together.   There are countless child centered activities in parks and on beaches with various carnival type rides to inflatable bounce houses to climbing walls and pony rides.    School vacation was in full swing when we arrived.  It did not resume until right after Carnival.    Futball or soccer is the most popular sport with many adults tuning their tv or radio to the current game.

Westernization and the influence of globalization is strongly felt.  Nescafe, Nestle, Coca Cola advertisements and products are everywhere.  It was refreshing to see Peru have it's own cola, called Inca Cola, but then we found out that Coca Cola pressured Inca Cola to selling half their company.    Product endorsements adorn tee-shirts, hats, etc.    Gilly and I stopped a young girl, wearing a Boston University Terrier sweatshirt to inquire about her connection with our son's alma mater and she had no knowledge of the University.  American music (with English lyrics)  from the 70's and 80's were constantly blaring from car radios.  Rarely do you hear music originating from South America.    

Trash--It's everywhere.  Few and far between towns even make an effort to keep trash away from the thousands of stray dogs that roam the city streets, parks, beaches.  Oftentimes garbage bins were overflowing.  I believe this is what kept many of the dogs we saw in Buenos Aires and other cities so robust and well fed.  If I had any wish for South America it would be spay and neuter all the stray dogs, give them a good cleaning, vaccinate them against canine diseases and ideally find homes where they were loved and cared for.  The problem with stray dogs effected me greatly until I left.

Language--My college level Spanish was clearly not sufficient to help us avoid constant miscommunications and misunderstandings.  It didn't help there  were different dialects, with Castellano--Argentinas with their Italian accented version of Spanish and Chilenismos --Chileno Spanish, which is spoken very fast with lots of idioms and slang; when we were in Puerto Natales, the hostel posted a list of common slang expressions.    Then there is the indigenous languages.  The Mapuche of Patagonia is the largest indigenous group in Argentina.    Quechua is a common language in Peru and Ecuador.    The Indigenous populations, as in North America, have suffered exploitation, genocidal campaigns at he hands of their conquerors.    They are fighting to protect the last of their undeveloped territory in the Amazon against unyielding forces.   They continue to struggle to reclaim their rights to property, justice and equality.

Regressing to childhood in the Cloud Forest

Ecuador has many natural gems, but they are hard to compare to the Amazon.  We only had a few more days left to spend in Ecuador and had to be selective as to what we could see and do without traveling too far.  So the first day back we decided to climb up to the Volcano Pinchincha crater right in Quito.  The volcano is is accessed fairly easily by taking the telerifico or cable car; at the base of the mountain, where the cable car deposits you, the altitude is 12,800 feet.  There is also an amusement park right there.  We clearly had not given enough time to acclimatize before we embarked on this climb.  At about 13,000 feet my heart was pounding menacingly in my chest and I was gasping for air with almost every step forward.  Seeing a few brazen souls jogging past me on the well marked trail did nothing to buoy my self confidence.     It was getting harder and harder to sustain recovery.  At 13,500 to 14,000  I finally resigned myself to not getting to the peak of the mountain/ volcano, but I wanted to see the crater.    We trudged on further in hopes we would catch a glimpse of the crater.  A young man from Holland who had just returned from the top stated that that crater was actually on the other side of the peak and would be another hour of straight up climbing.  He cautioned us to reconsider as the ominous looking clouds were beginning to spread over the area and the distant sound of thunder was closer.  Since the pounding in my head and chest was not abating, with the coca leaf candies having little effect, I was happy to turn back.  The young man from Holland was a purser for KLM airlines for over 35 years and had previously lived in Quito with his parents who were missionaries until he was 18.  He stated that the mountains that surround Quito was his playground; clearly he was more accustomed to the altitude than we were.

The following day we awoke early for a tour of a cloud forest and the town of Mindo.  It was a two hour drive just to get there but worth the drive.  We shared our time with a nice young man from New Zealand who had recently been volunteering in Costa Rica and was next going to the Galapagos to do volunteer research work.    Our first stop was to a butterfly garden.  The next stop was a trek to waterfalls with a cable car ride over a deep river canyon.  This was a cloud forest, which is different in degree mostly in vegetation,  moistness and temperature.    They are cooler in temperature and usually higher in altitude.  They  are moist, cool, green, and lush.   A mist often clings to the side of the mountains and between the rain, mist and cool temperatures, the conditions are ripe for the many epiphytes, plants that live on other plants, to grow almost out of control! Moss is everywhere, as are orchids, ferns, and reportedly multiple bird species, however we really didn't see any.  We hiked a very muddy,  steep rustic path towards a series of waterfalls.  Footing was often difficult, but after 1.5 hours we arrived at the last series of waterfalls, all without seeing anyone else until we started our return back.    Our next stop was ziplining over yet another gorge.  Unfortunately it had started to rain gently when we arrived and the mist and fog increased in density to the point that we couldn't see the gorge at all.  Probably a good thing as I might have chickened out.  Our instructions were in Spanish and only with the translation from a young lady who was in front of us did we get any idea of how to do this.    The excitement apparently deadened my memory receptors as I didn't remember how to apply the brakes.  Our first trip was apparently just a trial run as no braking was required.  The speed self regulated as it was a relatively flat transverse of the canyon; it was nonetheless exciting anyway.  We next had to hike to an elevated platform and the young man was attempting to communicate with the staff member on the other side of the canyon to untwist the cables on which we would travel;  there was a series of miscommunications between the 2 with our young staffer getting progressively more frustrated; this did not inspire any confidence in the safety of this adventure nor was it helped with his attempt to shake off the water from the cable as the rain increased in intensity.    The only instruction I got was where to put my nondominant hand, behind my head on the cable, using the special gloves which were provided.  I have no idea how fast I was traveling into the fog but it was fast enough for sure. Because of the thick fog,  I didn't see the opposite platform until I was practically on top of it.  Without time to respond in a rational manner, I did nothing and slammed into the brake, giving my brain a good jostle.  Suddenly I remembered that I was supposed to pull down on the cable with my gloved hand to brake.  Well at least I will remember for the next time.  After drying off, we had an invitation to try tubing down the Mindo River, but none of us wanted to get wet all over again so we declined.  We went instead to a wonderful restaurant that was opened by a couple from Michigan.  Along with the great food, they also sold their creation of organic Mindo chocolates.  How could I resist that?

On Sunday we decided to repeat our previous Sunday's activity of renting bikes and travel in the opposite direction on Amazonas Avenida.  We rode our bikes for countless miles, going through barrio after barrio, to the point of exhaustion.  I have no idea how far it was to the end of the road that is closed to motor vehicle traffic; clearly we were outside of the city proper of Quito.    What a great treat this is to residents and tourists alike.  Although there were many options for other tours we could have done on our last full day in Quito, all of them required considerable travel to get there.  We decided we stay closer to Quito and started with some Ecuadorian nationalism with the changing of the presidential guard, which occurs every Monday at 11 a.m.  There were considerable crowds standing at the base of the palace awaiting this event.  Several nice women invited me up to an elevated viewing platform so I could get a better look.    The president (Correa) stood out on the balcony along with numerous dignitaries from neighboring countries and of course the military.  He made a brief speech waving to mostly adoring citizens.  After the event was over there were protests from about 25 citizens.

We walked to the Basillica Cathedral where we climbed the 211 stairs to the top for an amazing view of the city and the surrounding mountains.    We finished off our remaining time in Quito with a quick tour of the Botanical gardens and then a final meal.    Returning to our hostel to retrieve our bags, we said goodbye to our fellow travelers we had befriended and called for an early taxi to take us the 2 hours to the airport. It didn't seem real that we were leaving our wonderful adventure to return home after 3 months.  Although I wouldn't have ever guessed  in the beginning that 3 months seemed way too short a time.  We've already started to develop our next travel plans.

The Ecuadorian Amazon and more.....

Arriving in Quito, we hailed an airport taxi to drive us to our hostel for $25; our hostel was 1.5 hours away, but with traffic took 2 hours.  Our hostel was lovely with a wonderfully cozy room with a private bathroom.  The hostel was converted from a 1900's home with beautiful wood floors and multiple antiques throughout.  It was across from the Spanish Embassy and off the main thoroughfare, Amazonas Avenida, making it easy to travel to and from.  Our first day there, we took an open bus city tour for $25.  (Ecuador's currency is the dollar so no need to convert here)  We missed the last bus and needed to take the city bus for 25 cents.  We returned to our hostel, which also had a travel agency associated with it and arranged for a tour of the Amazon for 3 nights and 4 days.  On Sundays the main thoroughfare Amazonas Avenida actually closes down to motor vehicle traffic until 3 p.m. so we rented bikes at our hostel and joined hundreds if not thousands of like minded citizens and tourists in biking, and in many cases, rollerblading or just walking.  We rode to several different large parks, one of them was the old airport that had been recently converted into a recreational park.  Hundreds of families were enjoying recreational activities with their children in these parks.  One park had the largest skate park ramp I have seen.

Our bus for the Amazon left at 11 pm. for a seedy, oil developed city of Lago Agrio, where the entrance to the Amazon and the Cuyabeno Reserve was.  The bus left from an tiny and overcrowded bus terminal near our hostel.  For some reason we were told to arrive 1.5 hrs. before departure.  Our bus seats were all the way in the back of the bus near the bathroom.  As we were to find out the bathroom was locked the entire time and was only for the use of the bus staff (and the driver's girlfriend).  This was for an 8 hour trip.  The bus made only one rest stop at a truck stop.  We arrived in the lackluster town of Lago Agrio at 6 a.m.  All the roads in this town were developed by courtesy? of the oil industry that developed the entire town as well.  We walked about 1.5 miles to a restaurant where we told we would meet our tour operator or guide.  When we arrived it appeared that everyone had the same idea as the restaurant was packed with Amazon bound tourists, many of them had been on our bus as well.  We had to share a table as there were none available (interesting since all the other restaurants on the street had no customers).  The mother and daughter were from Australia and were  bound for another lodge in the same reserve.  While we were waiting a husband and wife who were on our bus were robbed of their backpack, right in the midst of the crowded restaurant.  We finally met our tour guide and after two hours we were escorted to a van for the two hour ride to where our boats would take us to the Samona Lodge.  We passed large pipelines and oil vent fires and noticed evidence of definite clear-cutting.  We arrived at our motorized canoes along with a group of about 8 of us all destined for the Samona lodge, which was two hours away at a breakneck speed.

The lodge had about 20 plus huts with thatched roofs.  Our hut was connected on the other side of the bathroom with another hut with a nice couple from France.  Most of the other tourists were from Europe. We spent time with young people from Denmark, Germany and Switzerland; a nice couple from Holland and a couple from Canada.  Prior to leaving there was an influx of tourists from Australia.  The huts encircled a large dining area, kitchen and lounge area with hammocks.  All the huts were on stilts, for good reason.  We were told that we were now in rainy season and the river was rising in the short time we were there.  One night we spotted a large cayman right outside the kitchen area.   Bugs are everywhere in the Amazon.   The second we arrived I went to sit on our bed, with its mosquito netting hoisted above it, and sat on a large black ant that bit me.  No ordinary ant was it as the sting of the bite lasted until the following day and we were told that those ants can cause fevers.  Luckily that didn't happen.  Some nights we had flying roaches and flies the size of my fist.  Spiders came in all sizes.  Our neighbors in the adjoining hut pointed to our common thatched roof at the largest spider I have ever seen.  It's legs were like a daddy long legs on steroids with a body close to the size of a tarantula.  Luckily the next day he had departed.  We were introduced to a large tarantula that was on one of the beams in the lounge area.    He hung out there until the last day.

Everyday our tour guide, Rom, took us out in a motorized canoe that traveled rivers, tributaries and lagoons that emptied into the Amazon River basin.  The river we were on was Rio Aguarico.  The array of flora/fauna is astounding.  We saw multiple bird species, some familiar and some not from Toucans to "stinky turkey's (not sure what the scientific genus was on that one).      We saw a Harpey Eagle, which actually will eat monkeys.   We saw Iguanas, Caimans, Snakes of all types including the famed Anaconda, river dolphins and a pink river dolphin.  We were told that there were manatees as well but we didn't see them.    We saw assorted monkeys so playful and agile.  After dinner we went into the Amazon to search for nocturnal wildlife.   We watched beautiful sunsets in the lagoon.   We went swimming off the boat into the Lagoon; well I didn't, but Gilly did.    We were told there are 5 tribes living in the reserve that have their own distinct dialect.  On our last day there, we went into one of their villages and assisted in making Yucca bread, starting with uprooting it, pealing off it's outer skin and cutting it up into chunks; it is then grated into small morsels, which is then strained to remove all the liquid and finally heated on a large pan.  Nothing is added to make the bread.  We ate tuna salad rolled in our freshly made Yucca bread.

While in the village it started to pour rain and lightning.  Everyday there was rain, but then it would clear and we would scour the river banks for reptiles sunning themselves.  We went to another part of the village to engage in a ceremony with a local Shaman.   First we all got to practice using a blow dart, with harmless darts of course.   Our guide talked about the use of the psychoactive substance common to Shamanic ceremonies, called Ayahuasca and his own experience using it when he was an apprentice.  He thought that too many people were abusing; misusing the substance and the sacred practice of using it was being corrupted;  and  and opined that because of bad publicity, many Shamans were ceasing to practice.    We weren't offered any Ayahuasca, thankfully.    But we did get a semi permanent tattoo using the liquid from a seed.

Our guide introduced us to the bountiful resource of the Amazonian jungle from dies made from seeds, above,  to a wide variety of medicines.  We experimented with sap that treats stomach ailments, which I called the Milk of Magnesia tree as it looked and tasted just like it.  We chewed the bark of a the Anesthesia tree but were cautioned not to swallow the juice or we would become too sedated to walk out of the jungle.  We saw ants that are used to stitch wounds.    The wealth of the Amazon is sadly seen as the oil reserves that lie beneath it and for this reason it is seriously in jeopardy.    I had read that the President Correo had put to bid leasing of the Yasuni National Park, I believe south of the reserve we were in.  Only the Oil industry came forward with enough?  I was told that it was because the world bank refuses to loan $ to the country because of Correo's political ideology; he's a socialist.  Therefore he put the bid out there.  The citizens of the country are expecting that it is not a done deal and that it will be put on the ballot for a vote.  One can only hope as the biodiversity and altogether richness of the Amazon is too valuable to be traded for oil.  Already the damage by the oil industry has taken a huge toll.  There was a recent suit by 30,000 Amazonian inhabitants against Chevron for pollution and previous devastation by Texaco has not been forgotten by the people of the Amazon.

Our last day, we were awoken for a 5 am bird watching canoe trip.  We saw a lot of bats at that hour.  I have heard that there are more bats in this part of the Amazon than anywhere in the world, which is nice because they eat the bugs I don't like.  We were sad to leave such an amazingly tranquil yet exciting place.      We attempted to take a plane back to avoid the previous undesirable bus ride, but it was full so we were forced to take a bus.  We opted for another company thinking our chances of having a better experience would be greater.  Alas we were wrong.  This bus had no bathroom at all nor any air conditioning and what was worse, it was a local.  It stopped about every 1 mile or so to either let people off or let people on.  It was standing room only until dark.  Then we started to make time.  There was a loud Chuck Norris movie playing  with Spanish Dialogue to make sleep impossible.  Our first bathroom stop was amusing as all the men got off to urinate right out of the bus.  The french woman we had shared a hut with and I got off and inquired as to where the woman's option was; he pointed to a building with a row of doors.  We traipsed over there and found most of the rooms to be open pits in the floor.   Well beggars can't be choosy, right?

Ending our adventure in Ecuador.

Traveling back into ancient history

The next day we checked out of our hostel in Cusco to travel presumably by bus, but it turned out to be a jam packed van, to Ollantaytambo; where we would then travel by train for Agua Calientes for our last stop before Machu Picchu.  We are told that we must leave our large packs in Cusco, which I find out is not because they don't "allow" them on the train as we were told, but because they won't fit on the crowded passenger van.  We pack our day packs to the brim with supplies and clothing needed for 3 days.  The Peruvian rail line is a fairly luxurious train with comfortable seats, offerings of drinks and snacks.  There are wide windows and skylights to view the surrounding environment, which is becoming increasingly lush resembling a rainforest.  We follow a rushing, raging river the entire way.  We arrive in Agua Calientes (hot  water) amidst a throng of tourists and vendors alike.  We are told this is the off season and can't imagine how crowded this place is during the "on" season, which is June and July.  As we walk to our hostel up a steep walkway, we are solicited from every possible venue for a variety of services, mostly restaurants and massages.   If one is interested in purchasing mass produced Peruvian articles, then this is the town.  I have the feeling that much of it is manufactured in China.   Rushing streams pour from every possible sector into the swollen river.    We don't really have time to dine out at the numerous restaurants so we check into the hostel to get ready for our 5:30 a.m. bus departure for Machu Picchu.  We have to meet with our Machu Picchu tour guide we had previously arranged, who tells us about the specifics of the day, starting with our early hike at 7 a.m. to Waynu Picchu.  We are told that only 400 are allowed to hike Waynu Picchu each day.  The reason we are told is because someone fell to his death as it was overcrowded with tourists.  Now two hundred are allowed to climb up at 7 and another 200 are allowed to climb up at 8. As we were to find out, the steep, winding path can't accommodate more than one person at a time.

We arrive at the designated bus stop prior to 5:30 and find numerous tourists already in line, which ascends up the hill.  We are told that there are 20 buses available.  We wait for about 20 minutes and board a bus that transports us up the twisty, bumpy dirt road to arrive at Machu Picchu.   We had originally thought we would walk up to Machu Picchu instead of taking the bus as many were doing, but happy we decided against it when we found out the conditions of the steep trail and how exhausting the climb up Wayna Picchu and the ruins of Machu Picchu were.      The clouds and fog hovered over the mountains surrounding Machu Picchu and the ruins, which we seemed to have all to ourselves.  We were scrambling around to snatch as many photos and explore the ruins before our climb at 7 and before all the masses descend on the most popular and best known archaeological site on the continent.  We were hopeful of catching the sun rising over the jagged, lush mountains.  At one point I get lost in a maize of staircases and ancient building structures and am uncertain how to get back to the starting gate for Wayna Picchu.    I manage to arrive to the gate, slightly exhausted and thirsty.  We stand in line waiting for the 7 a.m. start.  I never do see the sun rise over the mountains as we make our start.   The narrow rock path bordered on the sides with thick vegetation with occasional ropes for the more steep sections and precipitous drop offs winding it way up Waynu Picchu.  Altitude makes the going a little more difficult.  We arrive at the top with multiple other hikers and attempt to find room on two crowded rocks for our picture moments and then there is a scramble to change places.   Clouds dot the floor of the view point.  On top, we meet a nice couple from Canada.  He confides that he is having trouble with agoraphobia.  We all go down together, which had I done it alone might have been more anxiety provoking for myself due to the damp, steep, narrow stairs, but talking him down dissipated my anxiety completely.   We make it down with time to spare before our tour and walk around the ruins.  We notice that the tourists have started arriving in droves and dot the entire Ancient landscape.  Our tour is very informative and tiring as we navigate the numerous steps, up and down, the ruins.  Reportedly the ruins were built as a summer temple for the king and took over 85 years to build but was never finished, like most of the Inca ruins we visited,  and was abandoned before the invasion of the Spanish, no doubt why it is still intact.   While searching for another lost city, an American historian Hiram Bingham came upon the overgrown ruins while being guided by a local boy.    There was no written archive of Machu Picchu other than the chronicles kept by the Spanish so the purpose and history of Machu Picchu remains largely a mystery.

We return exhausted to Agua Calientes in a driving rain.  We eat at a local restaurant and what I think is a vegetarian meal turns out to have ham (jamon) in it.  The waiter is effusively apologetic but I have a sick feeling in my stomach.    We end up catching an early train for Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley, which we find is a smaller charming town without all the hustle of Aguas Calientes or Cusco.  Although we are getting rather tired of ruins, we attempt to visit Inca ruins that stand sentinel over the town; however we find out that the required pricey ticket allows one to visit multiple other sites but as we don't have time nor inclination to visit other sites, we forgo this activity.  After two days relaxing and enjoying local culture, we return to Cuzco for a flight to Lima and a planned bus to Huaraz.

Unlike our previous Peruvian bus experience,  our next bus experience out of Lima, a large sprawling city, is less than ideal.  Again we opt for the night bus but it is overcrowded and cramped.  There is quite a long layover before the bus leaves so we spend it across the street in a huge shopping mall, eating and using wifi at the local Starbucks.    Gilly finds a travel agent and buys our plane tickets from Lima to Quito, Ecuador.  This will be the planned stop after we leave Huaraz, Peru.  We arrive at the small bus stop in Huaraz early in the morning.  The city itself is large, bustling, chaotic and run down.  It was reportedly hit with a massive earthquake in 1970 and still looked like it was in the process of reconstruction everywhere.   Unlike most cities, this did not seem to have a "better side."  In the Lonely Planet, it describes the town as not winning any beauty contests.  An understatement.  However, what drew us was the fact that it is nestled among some of the prettiest mountains of the world.  There are 22 summits over 6000m that make it the highest mountain range in the world outside of the Himalayas.  Of course we wouldn't really have time to climb any of these summits but we wanted to at least see what is referred to as a high adrenaline showpiece.   We were pleasantly surprised that our prearranged driver was at the bus stop and drove us to the very nice hostel that was also prearranged through the tour agency in Cusco.  The owner immediately invites us to have a delicious and full course breakfast.  We nap in our room until late morning and then walk around the city, looking for some redeeming qualities.  We do find some great restaurants but not much else.  We make arrangements to take an early morning tour to Laguna 69, that is nestled in the Andean landscape.    There are a few one day treks/hikes, which given our abbreviated time is all we can afford.

We were not told to prepare for the altitude for the tour of Laguna 69, but had we given it any thought we would have figured that out given it's location.  Parque Nacional Huascaran, the 3400 sq km national park encompasses almost the entire area of the Cordillera Blanca above 4000 m, according to Lonely Planet.     We find out that it is actually best to do this high altitude hike in two days.     It takes a 3 hour bus ride just to get to the park, which takes you higher and higher into the mountains.  The bus is crowded with tourists and we meet our old acquaintances, the Roses from Seattle that we met in Bariloche, Argentina.    They are traveling for an entire year.  Try as we might attempt to keep up with our younger travelers, but with each advancing step, we grow more lightheaded and struggle to breathe.  Our rest stops grow more frequent and less restful.  It's amazing how many bulls we see munching on vegetation all along the trail even on the most ridiculously steep inclines.  I secretly wish I could climb on board one of them and get a lift.   Gilly keeps assuring me that over the steep rise that the Laguna will be located but alas when we clamber over the top, we see a plateau at the base of a glacier and no Laguna.  A young Peruvian man on his way back tells us it's at least another hour's climb straight up.  A sign tells us it is 3 km.  My head is throbbing as I continue to gasp for air and realize that as the bus is set to depart at 3, I would be unlikely to make it back to the bus.  I decide the effort is not worth it.  We decide to relax on the plateau, which is a nice camping spot.  We probably made the right decision as the weather turns to rain and the blue lagoon lake would undoubtedly be impacted by the cloud filled sky.  We take a leisurely walk, taking in the beauty of the waterfalls and mountain peaks, surrounding the trail and return back to the bus and await our more fit travelers to return.  There is little talk on the way back as everyone appears exhausted.  I am disappointed that I quit as I have never quit a hike before even though I think it was the right decision.    The bus is jostled to and fro over a potholed road making my headache that much worse.   There is a traffic jam on the narrow road that turns out to be because a car has driven over the edge of the road and has landed about 30 feet below.  We return to our hostel in the rain about 3 hours later.  The following day we take a collectivo that is crammed full of travelers, about 15 in all to another archaeological site.  Gilly and I sit squeezed in front with the driver.  We make numerous stops to let passengers off and take new ones on.  We arrive at a site of ruins that predate the Incas where mummies had previously been housed.   After our visit, we decide to attempt a trekkers trail back to Huaraz, about 6 km but it veers off and lands us back on the road after about 3 km.   Before the road, we meet multiple locals who all ask in Spanish, what country are we from.  One elderly gentleman after we answered his question asked us for a tip (propino).   We finally hail another collectivo to take back to Huaraz.  By the time we arrive it is pouring rain and lightning.  We hail a motorcycle cab to take us to our Hostel for our 11 pm bus to Lima, where we are supposed to board a plane taking us to Quito, Ecuador.  Once we arrive at the airport, however, we find out that the tickets Gilly purchased in Lima were for Iquitos, Peru, which is near the Amazon.  I had wondered why the tickets were so inexpensive.   Luckily we arrived many hours before our flight so we were able to exchange our tickets for Quito, Ecuador.

Peruvian airlines were not as plush and luxurious as Argentina's airline, but we were happy not to be on a bus.  Once we went through security, it was similar to America in their procedures but more indiscriminate.    They confiscated all of our water and even our peanut butter because it said creamy, as the agent pointed to the sign reading no creams with pictures of face creams.  We tried to explain that the peanut butter was not in that category, but he wasn't buying.

Onto Quito, Ecuador and the Amazon!

Sprinting to the finish in Peru

The drive through more desert terrain from Arica, Chile to Arequipa, Peru started with a small adventure.  After leaving our hostel in Arica we thought we were catching a bus to Arequipa, since we had bought a bus ticket.  We arrived at the bus station and were shuttled on foot across the street to the International bus terminal where countless numbers of travelers were milling about.  Our temporary guide showed us to an old, beat up Chevy sedan with 3 other passengers in the back of it.  We were told that the driver would drive us the hour or so through customs to a border town where we would then board a bus.  The driver nor any of the passengers spoke English.   Gilly and I sat squeezed in the front of the Chevy along with the oversized driver.  We weren't confident that the Chevy would even make it all the way and the driver sped through stop signs, tailgated made us less confident that we would survive the journey.  Customs in Peru was a relative breeze compared to Argentina and Chile and the drive.    The bus station at the border town was different with money changing tables set out on the bottom floor.  No ATM's there.  We changed just enough to have a meal before our bus was to leave.  Various people soliciting you for every service and item available.  The bus company staff speak English and offered to store our bags, let us use their bathroom and free wifi.  It's a 2 hour time difference from Chile and after we are escorted to another bus terminal again across the street, we are told that we must pay to use the terminal of 1 sole per person (about $2.8).  The cramped, decaying bus had no air conditioner,  traveled through more barren dessert hills until a slightly more lush topography came into view.  A large herd of goats delayed us momentarily.  The first bus stop indicated that Peru has a much more orderly, safer boarding and deboarding routine than the previous two countries.  This was a welcome procedure after our experience in Chile.  Back on the road, we are again surrounded by high mountain desert hills with amazing plot lines in the sand marking boundaries with cairns.  We were told later that if enough people squat on these lands, the government is forced to provide utilities.  Peru is a huge mining country and we thought that these plots belonged to miners.     A few outposts of civilization existed with adobe structures and thatched roofs.  Police checkpoints are as common here as in Chile and Argentina.  The bus broke down just on the outskirts of Arequipa.  With nothing but bleakness on the outskirts of the city, we were happy to be shuttled to a bus, which just happened to be the most comfortable bus we have had.  It took us to the inner city bus terminal, about 15 minutes away.  We met a young man from the nice town of Puno, Chile and a young girl from Japan, who wanted to share a cab.  They were both traveling solo; the girl had been traveling for 8 months.  We were pleasantly surprised as the cab driver drove us into the Plaza de Armis, the center of this city and close to our hostel.  The center is a very nice, clean and orderly.  It has cobblestone streets and spanish influenced architecture.  A high end shopping district is within close proximity.  Our hostel is very nice, but unfortunately the first night a nearby band loudly performs until 5 a.m. so sleep was elusive.  We had a nice day exploring the town; went for a tour in the 15 century convent designed for wealthy patrons.  It was shook to its foundation by an earthquake in 1600, which essentially destroyed it and most of the city in the process.  We went into a travel agent in the main square to look into our plans to travel to Machu Picchu.  Lonely Planet cautions not to wait too long to get tickets to enter Machu Picchu.  The travel agent was a pushy saleslady trying desperately to sell us packages we didn't need or want.  We left to search for one not so aggressive.  When looking off the main square we met a very nice, approachable travel agent, who was willing to share information with us without a catch.  He informed us that the Inca trail, which we had already heard from other travelers was sold out.  You need to arrange this 6 months or more in advance.  He suggested we go to a tourist agency in the city of Cuzco.

We returned early to our hostel to catch a 3 a.m. tour to Colca canyon,  ancient cities, and volcanoes around Arequipa; I have no idea what I was thinking to agree to go on a 3 a.m tour.  We awoke bleary eyed for our tour bus, which was packed with similarly affected travelers, mostly South American.  The bus drove up over mountains into small ancient villages that had predated Inca civilization according to our guide.  We stopped at a small restaurant eatery and were treated to a breakfast of coca leaves, bread and coffee.  The coca leaves could be eaten or put in hot water.  A young Bavarian tourist joked about potential hallucinogenic properties of the leaves; of course none was felt.  Our first stop was to view the amazing terracing done for farming with stone walls marking boundary lines.  Many livestock-- donkeys, bulls, cows, sheep, llamas, alpacas--roamed wild.  The Alpacas are prized for their wool as well as their meat.  I purchased two scarves on a road side stand for about $8.  We ascended higher into the mountains, we saw condors in flight and one sitting atop a rock about 75 feet away.  A dead bull in a nearby field would undoubtedly be food for the condor.  The valley below soon became shrouded in a impenetrable fog.  This fog followed us up to the highest point, just under 5,000 meters, obscuring our view of the volcano.  Unfortunately our hostel did not warn us to bring warm clothes as the temperature plummeted to just above freezing.  We ended our tour with lunch and a visit to a Alpaca and Picuna sanctuary.

Away from the Plaza de Armis and center of Arequipa, one can find anything for sale at more reasonable prices.  Along the city streets, we saw a man dressed in drag with overinflated breasts and buttocks, numerous citizens selling everything from stockings to bathroom scales and pencils.  I purchased a replacement for my stolen daypack.  As we returned to the Plaza, there was a small protests with police presence.  We are told it is common as citizens demand better pay from the government, now that the government has offered to share proceeds of the mines with the people.

Gilly finds a travel agent to arrange our tickets to Cusco along with our next week's travel arrangements to Machu Picchu, along with a flight to Lima and towards the coast towards Huaraz, Peru.  They only take credit cards at 18% surcharge so we pay cash reluctantly.  We don't have time to do all the travel arrangements on our own as we had been doing.  Our time is all too quickly disappearing and our plans to see lots of Ecuador is looking less likely.  It is impossible to fly from one town to the next without first going through Lima, requiring lots of backpacking.  All out of country air travel must also go through Lima.     If we rely exclusively on buses, we would be hard pressed to see any of Ecuador.    We decide to travel, when possible, by night buses to avoid missing days engaged in activities.    Leaving Arequipa was a nerve wracking experience as we waited impatiently for the travel agent with whom we had arranged our next week's travel arrangements to take us to the bus station.   As we waited we thought about the stories of being ripped off by unscrupulous travel agents and assumed we would be one of them.    In addition he was supposed to also give us the travel itinerary, vouchers, tickets for the plane, bus, train to Machu picchu and hostel.   We had our hostel call him and were assured that he would be on his way shortly.  We only had one hour until our bus departed.  Finally a person arrived with the bus tickets and itinerary but told us that our vouchers and other tickets for the plane and hostel would be at the next location in Cusco.    We were momentarily relieved.

We arrived 15 minutes before the buses departure.   Our bags were stored on the bus by orderlies.   The double decker bus was a cadillac version of our previous buses with decent food (which we could have preordered Vegetarian, had we known), good movies viewed on individual video screens, comfortable seats and working bathrooms.  The bus even had wifi.  The only problem experienced on the bus was the road conditions with its constant twists and turns and sudden breaking due to multiple speed bumps.  I ended up watching lots of different movies.

We arrived one hour late in Cusco.  We expected a representative from the travel agent promised us in Arequipa to meet us but alas no one was waiting for us.  After getting our bags off the bus, we asked around and a nice taxi driver at the station offered to call the number of the agency for us, which did lead to a young man arriving to drive us to our hostel.  The outskirts of Cusco is similar to many of the towns/cities we have traveled through, dilapidated buildings, trash strewn about and of course stray dogs.  We arrive in the town of Cusco with it's elevated altitude at 3300 meters and cobblestone streets and are told it was known as the "belly button of the world," as the center of the Inca civilization.  Cusco is a thriving tourist destination with most people speaking English.  The street vendors selling anything and everything, constantly soliciting, have  a good command of the English language.  The Plaza de Armis is again the center of the town, which is very nice with cobblestone streets, a beautiful fountain, spanish influenced cathedrals and statues paying homage to their indigenous ancestors.  We do some siteseeing around the Plaza after taking a quick tour of our hostel, with its exhausting stairs to navigate at each visit.  Definitely feeling the effects of Altitude.   We are told that Coca leaves are helpful with altitude sickness, so we do consume these in tea and don't have the desired effect.  We learn later that you must chew a lot of these for a time to get relief.

 The Plaza has a western feel to it with all the usual amenities of western fast food.   I do have to confess that I needed a decent cup of coffee and succumbed to the allure of Starbucks coffee.  We take a few short tours, one through the Catholic cathedral, a gaudy, ostentatious showpiece of Spanish conquest.    The numerous alters were cedar wood overlaid with 22 carat gold.  Difficult to incorporate this lavish display of greed and opulence when the population, especially indigenous, is so poor.  There was no sense of humility here.  There was some attempt to incorporate the indigenous culture with a cuy pig as the centerpiece in painting of the last supper.  We heard later that the stones used in building the Spanish cathedral were actually taken from the destroyed Inca temples.    I am done with the paying tribute to evidence of Spanish conquest.  Our best tour in Cuzco was a walk through the Museo de Plantas Sagrada, Magicas Y Medicinales.  This was a fascinating history of Peruvian plants both used as medicine and used in sacred ceremonies.

Next to Machu Picchu ....

Back to Chile-the best of and worst of...

It is hard to follow up on Iguazu Falls in Argentina. Our next destination of Salta, Argentina was only a brief stopover as we traveled due northwest into Northern Chile and Southern Peru.  The only thing we had time to do in Salta was catch the teleferico (cable car) to enjoy a wonderful view of Salta and the Lerma valley.  Other than that Salta appeared as many of the larger cities we visited, overcrowded, chaotic and dirty.  There was the Train to the clouds (El Tren a Las Nubes) that had we had time we would have enjoyed.  Reportedly it  travels up to 4220 m above sea level to the Andean plateu of Puna.     We left Salta by bus with our destination to the surf city of Arica, Chile; we passed San Salvador de Jujuy, another apparently lackluster city, however we gave it only a glance as we were stuck in a bus.   The scenery along the way to Arica was incredible.  We saw the amazing salt flats of the Atacama desert.  The Atacama is supposedly the driest desert in the world, surrounded by mountains.  The northern section  of Chile also known as Norte Chico is referred to as the region of 10,000 mines, and we saw the trails of many of these.  The Aymara people still farm the foothills of the Andes.  Our bus took us up the winding curved mountains from the barren stretches of painted desert landscapes.    We had to change buses in a dirty, seedy little town of Calama.  I was exhausted from the 13 hour bus ride from Salta along with the experiencing the variations of altitude from the dizzying heights of Andean mountaintops.  It was night fall and we had a 3 hour layover.  I was desperate for something to eat so I searched the town, getting lost in the process.  Panic set in temporarily as I worried I would miss the bus to Arica.  I asked several people, all giving me different directions.  By the time I found our bus station I was even more exhausted then before.  We went outside of the station where scores of travelers were awaiting their bus.  Gilly went to put our large packs on the bus and I had put my pack down in front of me leaning up against a gate.  I spotted a pair of keys on the ground and mentioned it to a man nearby who then handed them to me.  A ruse used to distract me and by the time I turned around my small pack was gone.  In a complete panic, I scoured the area, asking staff and travelers alike, all to no avail.  I had been robbed as so many other travelers had been.  I fumed and fretted the entire bus ride to Arica, but then resigned myself to the fact I wasn't going to let it ruin the rest of my adventure and I would attempt to replace what I could at the next stop.    Most disappointing was losing the pictures on my phone.  Unfortunately they weren't backed up in a program as I had assumed.  Along with the loss of my phone, was the loss of my passwords, i pad, my journal, a coat, two credit cards, my license and some miscellaneous.    Most bus stations have police in attendance but this one unfortunately did not.   So I have had to recall much of my travels by memory; thankfully I still have one.

Arrival at Arica, Chile the following morning.  I was exhausted as I spent the entire bus ride fuming about the theft.   I was looking forward to spending a relaxing day at a beach.  Arica is described as an urban beach resort.  Reportedly Arica is a well known surfing destination with "treacherous tubes."  Apparently we arrived in off season as the waves were mostly flat.   Our hostel was a "surf hostel."    The city part was not much to brag about but I was able to purchase a mini ipad, allowing me to make advanced reservations at hostels and make skype calls.  I spent much of the first day cancelling credit cards and attempting to replace some of the least expensive items.     There is an enormous rock, called El Morro de Arica which is situated over the city and the beaches.    We spent one day taking a Collectivo (taxis that travel to specific destinations) to a very out of the way museum in the valley.  It is home to some of the world's oldest mummies predating those in Egypt.  It is managed by the University.  When the Collectivo driver dropped us off in the this desolate, barren landscape bordered by dessert hills, we wondered if we had a misunderstanding.  The museum sign was scrawled on a board in magic marker.  Despite the less than impressive introduction, we were impressed by the museums exhibits.  The mummies were encased in glass exhibit cases and were preserved in amazing condition.  I was impressed.
Finally we ended our last stop in Chile with a visit to the beach about 2 km out of Arica.  This beach was practically deserted but still patrolled by lifeguards.    There were maybe 5 people and a dog in about 1/4 mile of beach.    It was a beautiful day but too cool for me to enter the Pacific; Gilly took the plunge however.

Next off to Peru.....

The power of nature

We secured a round trip bus from the airport in Iguazu falls to our hostel, about 40 minutes away in the town of Puerto Iguazu.  The falls, which are the most amazing waterfalls I have ever seen are the chief attraction of this area and what attracted us to travel all this way to this out of the way location.  The falls connect Brazil and Argentina as the Rio Iguazu passes over a plateau that ends just above the junction with the River Parana.  Before reaching the edge, the river divides into many different waterfalls.   The most awe inspiring is the Devils's throat or Garganta del Diablo.  A series of catwalks allow one to get as close as you would want to and get a good soaking as the wind changes direction, drenching you with a heavy mist generated by the power of the falls. The semicircular waterfall of the Devil's Throat drops some 80 meters vertically and the falls span almost 3 kilometers.

We were told to go to the falls early to avoid the crowds and the spray fog in the afternoon that is generated from the power of the waterfalls. We saw the resulting mist from an airplane after leaving the area.  The falls themselves are located about 40 minutes away by bus in the Parque Nacional Iguazu nestled in the subtropical rainforest.  Once we arrive we are cautioned repeatedly not to feed the wildlife, especially the coatimundi, related to the raccoon, which in the late afternoon come out in droves hoping for a free snack, which, despite the warnings, we saw numerous tourists defying. The literature state that this area has over 2,000 species of plants and is home to abundant wildlife including anteaters, tapirs, howler monkeys, ocelots, jaguars and caymans.

When at the falls themselves, you can see the Brazilian side across the river, but those who have a visa are able to view the falls from the Brazilian park. Although we did not have a visa and therefore didn't visit the Brazilian park, we were not disappointed by the wonders of the Argentinian side of the falls. The park is comprised of lower and upper falls, all with catwalks that pass numerous vistas along the way. Then the piece de resistance is the Devil's throat with it's semicircular series of waterfalls. After getting a good shower of mist from Devil's throat we took at 4 km walk through dense forest to a hidden waterfall, where we took a swim to cool off.

Prior to leaving Puerto Iguazu, we visited a nearby animal hospital and wildlife rehabilitation; additionally they have a breeding program for endangered species found in the rainforest. Few of our experiences compared with the powerful impression left by Iguazu falls.  

It's in the eye of the beholder

Valparaiso was recommended to us as a must see.  What we found was a frenetic port city with crumbling buildings and sidewalks and  crowded with people.  We arrived just as they were having a stunt bike event complete with American product advertisers, large TV screen and cheering fans.  We had trouble navigating the narrow winding streets because of it.  Valparaiso is famous for it's wall art adorning buildings and walls throughout the city.  There are steep stairs and cerros that make aerobic exercise a constant.  We took a walking tour as recommended by our tour guide in Santiago.  To avoid the steep ascents of countless stairs, the city has funiculas or antique elevators.   Our tour guide cautioned us repeatedly about sections of the city not to visit due to a rise in thefts, especially of tourists.   After the tour, we made plans to take a short bus ride to the neighboring seaside town of Vina del Mar.  It was rumored that a major annual music festival was taking place there on the same weekend with multiple American artists having previously performed there.
We found Vina del Mar more upscale, cleaner and not as chaotic.  We enjoyed walking along the boardwalk that outlined the beaches.  There were a myriad of activities on the beachfront, including preparations for various musical performers, news crews, recreational activities.  We joined a Zumba line on the beach before eating a wonderful meal and then returning to Valparaiso and our hostel.

Our next stop of Mendoza was not originally on our list of destinations.  It is best known for it's wine vineyards and since we don't drink, we thought we would bypass it.  It is also well known among trekkers, climbers and mountaineers as Acacongua is the tallest mountain outside the Himalayas, which was an attractive lure but clearly not a logical one given our lack of time needed to make such an ascent including the acclimatization preparation needed for such a trek, not to mention the physical stamina needed.      The reason we ended up back in the middle of Argentina was to fly to Buenos Aires and then on to Iguazu Falls in northeastern Argentina.   As we learned,  flights between countries can only occur between major cities/capitals, unless you can afford the very hefty price tag.

Mendoza is a pleasant location, which attracts countless tourists every year.  We also happened to arrive just at the start of the Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia (wine harvest festival) so festivities were already underway.  We did manage to check out local parks and museums and eat some delicious grapes during our brief stopover there.  We were impressed with Aerolineas Argentinas, the major airlines for all of Argentina.  The seats were spacious and comfortable; the staff friendly and helpful and they served a wide cadre of snacks.  In addition, security checks were only interested in Gilly's can of fuel for our camp stove, which had been stored for the entire trip thus far in his backpack.  The officials discarded this with apologies.  We switched planes in Buenos Aires as there were no direct flights from Mendoza to Iguazu Falls, again unless you wanted to shell out major pesos.

Chile's charming capital, Santiago

Neither of us are city people, and is why we live in the country, but Santiago surprised us with it's welcoming atmosphere.  Santiago is surrounded by the Andes mountains so escaping back into the wilds of nature is easy enough.  The city's populations exploded in the 1880's with the nitrate boom.  Several earthquakes helped to shape the city's architecture.   The city has one of the nicest, cleanest subway/metro systems I have encountered.  It was clean and uncomplicated for the road weary traveler to travel throughout the city.  We were fortunate to stay in a wonderful hostel in the district of Providencia.  Our host, Kurt and his friend served us the best breakfasts we had ever had with fresh strawberry juice, rapes from their own grape arbor, and other assorted fruits and vegetables along with fresh baked rolls and omelettes.    After a filling breakfast we visited the emotionally evocative Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos--Human rights museum, which opened it's doors in 2010.    This museum details in graphic presentations of videos, newsreel footage, films and printed articles of the coup d'etat of Salvador Allende with U.S.political and financial backing of the take over of the military dictator Pinochet.  40,000 plus victims of torture, executions and disappearances is still being investigated to this day in hopes of closing the books on this tragic chapter in Chile's history and our interventionist policies.    This museum is huge and can't be taken in without spending an entire day, if you are emotionally prepared for it.

On day two we took a walking tour throughout the city, which was well worth it.  It costs nothing except for what you want to donate in the way of tips or propinos.  It covers all the highlights of the city, including cultural, historic and artistic.  It ends with a tour of Pablo Neruda's home.

There is much to keep one occupied in Santiago, whether you want to trek up the Cerro Pochoco or go bicycling using the bike lanes throughout the city or visit the various artists communities.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to spend much time there taking advantage of all that the city had to offer.  Our bus to Santiago from Villarrica was not only long but when we arrived in Santiago we noticed Gilly's backpack did not.  Apparently it had been taken off at one of the several stops prior to reaching Santiago.  We spent most of the morning at the enormous bus station, followed by a stop at the U.S. embassy.  We were told there that U.S. embassy really only handles lost passports, but they did allow us to use their computers and phones.  We also met a nice couple with their young son from Boston who had all their belongings stolen out of their rental car in broad daylight outside of their hotel.  The man was a professional photographer and all his equipment was taken.    After the embassy we went to the police station and waited and waited among other locals attempting to file a claim or report with the police.  When our number was called, we attempted in poor Spanish to communicate our need to file a claim for our insurance.  This would have been amusing had we not been thoroughly exhausted.  We finally succeeded in completing a report and after spending an entire day, we returned to our comfortable hostel.  Just as we arrived, there was a knock on the our room door and the owner stated that the bus company had called and had found our backpack.  We took the subway to the bus company and there it was, simple as that.  The staff were unable to speak english, but it wasn't necessary as they clearly communicated their relief as we did ours.

Sledding down glaciers

O.k. I know it has been a long time since posting a blog and I have had to change my blog address to mainevagabonder instead of mainevagabond@blogspot.com.  I have a good reason other than just being too busy, which has been true;  traveling throughout 4 countries in South America is hard work but also great fun.   I will start with the reason for the change of address.  Like so many travelers in my country and elsewhere, I was the victim of a robbery while awaiting a bus transfer in the middle of the night in a funky, chaotic town of Calama, chile.   I was the perfect victim as I was exhausted, suffering from. 13 hr bus trip and some altitude sickness,  surrounded by a throng of bus passengers.   My small pack had my lap top, cell phone, all my passwords including the one for my blog, some credit cards and miscellaneous stuff.   I fumed and felt sorry for myself all the way to my next stop and then had an epiphany that it was only things I lost and most could be replaced except of course the photos on my cell phone.   So I arrived at the surfing resort town of Arica, chile and bought a small iPad mini so I could get my email and make our skype calls and got onto the business of having more fun adventures.

So that let's you know why I have changed my blog address and one reason why I haven't posted in so long.  I will attempt to catch you up since my last posting in Argentina, although it is short on detail as I lost my journal as well.  

Kasia, gilly and I all arrived at the town of Villarrica, Chile, where we intended to climb the Volcano Villarrica located about half an hour awAy in a cute town of Pucon.   The town of Villarrica had been greatly damaged after the 2010 earthquake and was larger, more congested than Pucon.  We had a nice hostel overlooking the large lake by the same name.   It was run by a German ex Pan Amrican fighter and his lawyer son.   We had an interesting conversation about the number of Germans that came to both Chile and Argentina after world war ll.  the lawyer attempted to distinguish the SS officers and the Gestapo and how his father being an officer was less culpable in the atrocities that took place in Na8 controlled Germany.   Amazing how much Germanic influence there is especially in the lakes district of both Argentina and Chile.

Thanks to Kasia again we arranged our tour, the only way to hike the volcano, for early the next morning.   When we arrived at Pucon, we were fitted for shoes, jackets and pants as well as given gloves, helmet, sled, ice ax and crampons.   Our tour included a number of young people from Israel.  We drove to where we would take a ski lift cutting off about 1000 ft of climbing; we started our hike up the 2847m volcano lead by 3 guides.   The terrain was lava rock and sand up until we got to the glacier.  We traversed in a switchback manner instead of  straight up.    There is no vegetation at all on the  volcano and nothing to keep the earth from sliding down the volcano in a landslide and you
along with it; we heard tales of tourists who were not as lucky as we were.      We stopped every once in a while for a break; the air was getting thinner as we got closer to the glacier and I suffered from some altitude sickness, making it increasingly harder for me to catch my breath.  One of the guides was nice enough to give me an assist so I could keep up.   Once we got to the glacier, we donned our crampons thankfully, making you feel at least more secure.    We finally reached the top, with the clouds obscuring much of the view below; however we managed to get peaks of the far off landscape
 below.   We took a myriad of pictures and glanced over the rim of the now quiet crater.   Often steam is erupting from the crater.  

Now for the fun part; we were instructed to get in our waterproof gear and affix our saucer shaped disks between our legs to sled down.   The paths where we would be sledding we're slick with the
countless others who had gone before us.  The sides were often banked making the sledder at times tip up on their side but still feel secure despite traveling at fast speeds; without the banked sides there would be little keeping one from going hurdling down over the edge with the exception of your ice ax, which we were instructed to use as an anchor just in case we did lose control.   Each one of us would take turns sledding over hills and bumps; if you braked too much with your feet or ice ax, the next sledder would surely bump into you, which happened to me several times but I also got to try that out too.    We all felt like kids at a crazy Disney ride.  Once the glacier ended we put away our gear and made a fairly quick descent using a forward skating  motion on the gravelly terrain.   You would get going so fast that you would stir up a cloud of glacier dust.

Once we returned to Pucon, we enjoyed some refreshments with our wonderful guides.  Clearly the Volcano was one of the highlights of our South American trip.