The More You Know. The Less You Need.

Cheers to Iced Coffee! Not easy to find around these parts.

After having such a great time in Valpo, we were due for a hangover. We got lazy in terms of learning Spanish and also got a little too comfortable staying in one hostel for an extended period of time. Traveling is exhausting and with the distances we've covered over the last few weeks, we've really had to work for it.

              Our first night, post Valpo was at La Casa Roja in Santiago. Having avoided party hostels until this point, it was good to see first hand what Travel Partying was all about. Lucky for me, it was a Sunday and things were rather tame, but you could see the potential for shenanigans was there. Those who know me, know I still have enough left in the tank to party. However, attempting to communicate/travel with even the slightest hangover is an absolute nightmare.

Showing our enthusiasm for the sites.

             There are many ways to travel and meet new people. La Casa Roja, as well as some of the other party hostels offer a party atmosphere that I'd highly recommend if you're young and single. I'm neither.....maybe young, but not single. Billy actually made some friends at the hostel, who he later went exploring with. That's one of the benefits of staying at these types of hostels, meeting outgoing/social people.

           Another approach, which we've taken is staying at low key and sometimes more expensive hostels and making friends while in Airports or Bus Stations, or even on Tours. One of the highlights of this trip for Jess and I have been the amazing people we've met along the way. It's not easy leaving your comfortable life at home, for roughing it in a foreign country. You immediately have that bond/connection when you cross paths with someone exploring a foreign land like yourself. They're also a great source of information and the reason I decided to ditch my Lonely Planet travel book a few weeks back.

Walking Tour MVP - William Keller

          One place which was recommended by several travelers we met was the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Santiago. This turned out to be the highlight of our stay there and left me with a strange feeling of guilt. Although the US wasn't specifically mentioned in the atrocities that took place in Chile in the 1970s and 80s, I'm aware of the role our government played. When you travel to different countries and introduce yourself as a traveler from America, you will inevitably be judged. Typically the reception has been warm. However, I often wonder how educated these individuals are in their countries history and how the U.S. might have played a role. A role that often isn't very appealing, depending on your political views or family wealth.

One of the nicer stretches on the 30hr bus ride.

           Between Santiago's heat, my Valpo hangover and my quickly diminishing funds, we decided after three days in Santiago to head North to the coastal town of Arica. Unfortunately, this would require taking a 30 hour bus ride and splitting off from Billy for a few weeks(He left Team Party Poopers for Team Travel Babes). The payoff being a short 20 minute bus ride to the Peruvian border and posting up for a day on the beach. I've stressed this whole trip how I didn't want to rush anywhere, but after comparing what we were spending in Chile to Peru, we had to get to Peru as quickly as possible. Chile is a beautiful place with a strong economy thanks in part to their copper reserve that helped them during the economic collapse. However, this doesn't bode well for someone looking to travel for several months and looking to get the most out of their money.

Towards the end of our 30 hour bus ride.

            Before our bus to Arica, we hadn't taken anything longer than a 7 hour bus ride. Anyone who has known me for 5 minutes, knows I can't sit still. However, we knew at some point we would be taking a long bus and flying was out of our budget. I booked the bus the day before and made two mistakes when doing so. A.) our seats were next to the bathroom. B.) we would be arriving at night. Luckily on this long bus ride my body/brain shut down. Yes, I read and wrote a bit, but for the most part I slept. Maybe it was the stench behind us or the cake Jess got us for Valentine's Day. Either way, we survived what is mostly a drive through Chile's Northern desert and coastal roads.

          When we arrived in Arica's bus station my brain was still a jello mold. The little Spanish I knew wasn't coming out of my mouth and I was quickly brushed away when trying to arrange a taxi to take us to our hostel. I'm not sure if it was the look of desperation or the fact that I was standing next to Jess, but for some unknown reason a Chilean or maybe Peruvian traveler approached us. "You only speak English?", he said. I mumbled something resembling "yes" and "muy poco espanol". Through that mumbling he called the cab he had already arranged and asked the cab to drop us off on the way to their hotel. When I attempted to engage him in both Spanish and English he couldn't understand me. What could have been a very poor ending to a bizarro 30+ hours, turned out to be a helluva ending to our stay in Chile (with the guy even paying for our cab).

            We spent our last day on the beach and in gringo fashion, awarded ourselves with a South American Sunburn. The next day we headed only 20-30 minutes North to the Peruvian border and began another adventure. Unlike Chile and Argentina, there isn't much English spoke in Peru. However, the culture is very rich and you can see Spains influence dating back to the Conquest of the Incas, especially in the Southern region, where we'll be staying. We arrived in the Peruvian border town of Tacna with the help of our French friends and hopped on a 6 hour bus ride to Arequipa. My initial reaction when we arrived at night was that this city looked a lot like Baghdad, but soon the cab took us through the cities historic center and my nerves were instantly calmed.

This kid rapped on our bus before we crossed the border. No clue what he said, but I'm pretty sure everyone tipped him. Including me. "Big Ups"

Plaza in front of our Hostel in Arequipa

           Tuesday, February 18th we will take a 10 hour bus to Cusco, the former Inca capital. We will take a survival Spanish class our Aussie friends recommended and hike the Inca Trail on March 1st with Uncle Billy through Llamapath.

           Sorry for the lengthy update, but hopefully this info will be helpful in your future travels.

     

Amazing bar at Paladar 1900 in Arequipa

Buenos Carne

Quick update from BA:

       Our first few days here in Buenos Aires have been amazing. I've never been to a city with such diverse architecture.  This alone has kept my brain occupied and stimulated. There are times when I'm walking down the street and feel like I'm in Mission District SF, New Orleans, East Village NYC and Paris.....all on one block.

Impressive statues everywhere you turn that reminds me of Paris.

Elaborate murals similar to the art in Mission SF.

Streets filled with both old and new architecture. 

      Having spent the past four plus years in SF it's hard not to love food at a high level. BA doesn't disappoint in this department and we were fortunate enough to take a cooking class and partake in an Asado (BBQ) with some new friends. 

       While working in NYC I fell in love with empanadas. However, since living in SF I haven't eaten them. We signed up for a cooking class last minute and made carne empanadas, cookies and lentil stew with corizo and bacon. When I asked about breakfast empanadas our teacher gave me a strange look(more on this later). That didn't stop us from making them back at our apartment a few days later. 

Cooking with Norma (Argentine Cooking Class). 

Our breakfast creation with avacado on top. 

       Through some networking (thanks Coop!) we were able to meet up with another American couple (www.twainheart.wordpress.com) who had us over for dinner on Friday night, Sunday showed us around San Telmo market and later took us to a friends for Asado. This was definitely the highlight of BA for me. 

The famous San Telmo Market. Since 1897. 

No vegans here. 

         I should also mention how everyone has their own perception of people and places. The Argentine people are very proud of where they're from, much like the French and for good reason. Before I went to Paris in 2008 I was warned of rude encounters I might face, but found quite the opposite. Buenos Aires has been a similar experience. We were told most the people here speak some English, but haven't had many people try to communicate with us that way. 

      This has been a humbling experience and lesson in respecting others culture. I regret not being more prepared by practicing my Spanish, but it's more motivation to learn while down here. 

      Many people warned us of San Telmo pick pocketing and being robbed in the street. However, this city feels very safe and we've walked miles through several neighborhoods. That being said, we'll continue to keep our guard up for where there is desperation, there is crime. 

Also, here is our itinerary if you know anyone in these areas, please let us know: 

Buenos Aires Jan. 9-15th
Patagonia Jan. 15-28th
Puerto Montt Jan. 28th
Valparaiso Jan. 30 - Feb 5th
Santiago Feb 5th - 10th
Northern Chile to Lima Peru Feb. 10th - 20th
Lima Feb. 20-25th
Cusco/Machu Picchu Feb 25th - Mar. 6th
Lima Mar. 6th

Ecuador/Colombia/Panama/Costa Rica/Nicaragua (After March 8th - No Concrete Plans)

Valpo

After a quick, 3 day stop in the sleepy Puerto Montt(which included a day trip to see Penguins in Chiloe), we headed to Valparaiso to meet Jess' Aunt and cousin who live in Texas. I'll confess that I didn't really put much research into this part of our trip because Patagonia was the main focus of my trip.

From our hostel bedroom.

          What was intended to be a 4 night stay in Valparaiso at Luna Sonrisa Hostel, turned into a relaxing 10 nights We immediately fell in the love with the vibe/art/food/culture that reminded me a lot of San Francisco. Turns out they have been connected in history since the Americas began exporting. Before the Panama Canal, Valparaiso was a stopping Port before wrapping around the tip of South America. They also experienced devastating earthquakes in 1906 and again in the 80s, like San Francisco. With impressive wine country to the South in Casablanca and beaches that resemble Southern Cal in Vina Del Mar, this city has it all.

Some Valpo street art.

          Jess' family kept us busy the first four days, which lead us to stay another week so we could explore with Billy, who arrived on the 6th. The long stay was much needed because all the hostel hopping we did in Patagonia definitely paid a toll on our bodies and it was nice to stay in one place. Another benefit of staying at the hostel was the staff, which is made up of Americans. One who is friends with Jess' cousin. Originally from Massachusetts, she fell in love with the city when studying abroad several years back. Having someone to show you around is clearly the best way to explore a new city and Julia was excited to show us everything the area had to offer.

          Now that we're a month into our journey, we're a bit more comfortable on the road and getting around. That being said, there's still a little anxiety when you get on a bus/plane/taxi, having no idea about where you're headed. Once you get to your destination, that all fades and you start to conquer another unknown. While climbing on rocks at the beach I kept thinking of Yvon Chouinard and how he says, "Conquerors of the Useless". It's not to take away from what we're accomplishing here, but it's a reminder that it's all been done before. As humans we're prone to Fear of the Unknown, but there's no greater feeling or high than conquering that fear. 

          

Team Mascot - Isa

Beach in Quintay - South of Valpo

Wine Tasting in Casablanca.

Taken in Julia's backyard.

 

Beach just a short bus ride away in Vina Del Mar.

Wine Tasting with Babies.

The Fam.

One more stop at Fauna.

Looking for ride back from the beach.

Hitching our own Hitch back to Valpo.

Son of a bee sting!