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| Max June 2007 |
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| Paul Max Claudia Nat |
A group on same day - Claudia is 8 months.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
More Photos
A group on same day - Claudia is 8 months.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
More of the grandchildren
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| Max & Claudia |
Sunday, November 5, 2006
Travel Pics
I have now put all of the travel pictures on this site with short comments for each pic. They are divided into three sections - Brazil, North Peru, the rest (Lima to Buenos Aires)
The link to the page is opens in a new window
The link to the page is opens in a new window
Monday, October 30, 2006
Second grandchild
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| Mary and Claudia |
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| Max & Claudia |
Cousin Max at almost 8 months and Claudia at 8 hours old
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Report # 17 - final
A fond greeting to all the faithful followers of my stories. I know they have at times been long and detailed so I hope you found them interesting.
I have now been home in Australia for 20 days and am fully back to normal and really enjoying the comforts of home. Yesterday I even started again with the Spanish classes at U3A.
The previous report finished in Salta - north western Argentina - where I stayed several days. It was wonderfully refreshing to be in a city with greenery after so long on the arid west coast of the continent. For those who have not been to South America it is probably hard to realise what the scenery is like.
Up north in Colombia and the first half of Ecuador all the land is fertile and receives rain so it is always green. But the lower part of Ecuador, all of Perú and the top of Chile are in what is called the "dry" zone which basically seldom gets any rain. Lima gets about 40-50 mms, while other places get 5-10 mms per year. At the Chan Chán ruins I was told they have not had significant rain since the last ice age (!!). The population depends on water in the twelve-or-so major rivers flowing from the mountains for drinking as well as irrigation. Basically there is no natural vegetation in the form of grass or trees in the whole of that area. However, the soil is incredibly fertile once you put water on it, so they are able to produce a huge variety of crops for local and export trade. The soil is also perfect for making mud-bricks - adobe - so most of the buildings that are outside or on the fringes of the cities are built totally from adobe. Hence the overall impression is that the hills, the soil and the buildings are all a uniform brown colour, which after a while I found to be depressing. So I arrived in the very pretty city of Salta which has hills covered in shrubs and grass, city parks full of eucalyptus trees and it was very clean compared to the other countries I had visited. Returning to Argentina I discovered that there are very few street sellers, the shops are more modern, there are few iron grills on the shop-fronts, and in general it is a very westernised country. This is in strong contrast to Perú where most business premises have extensive iron grills on the shop-front, and the grills are frequently left closed even when the shop is open - so you do your purchasing through the grill!! I presume this is a carry-over from the sad days of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) terrorist guerrilla attacks. Basically in Salta I just relaxed then caught my luxury bus to Buenos Aires. I thought is was a 24 hour journey but it took only 19 hours. Knowing the city from my earlier visit it was easy to catch a "Subte" (metro) train to Sherry”s apartment. Sherry is a generous, lovely former student of mine who has fallen in love with South America and loves to stay in one city for a month or more, usually in an apartment. Her favourite place is Bogotá, but she has stayed in Lima, Santiago and Valparaiso, and she arrived in BA only a few days before me. The apartment has a loft with a single bed, a bathroom with normal toilet (no basket!), very hot water, "flick-tap" and hot water in kitchen. So I was almost home! I did not realise till then how tired I really was and how stressful the trip had been. Every single action - choosing a hotel, choosing an eating place, then the menu item, catching a bus (which one?), getting off the bus (where?), which street to walk down, how to get back to the hotel - all these things are filled with stress because none of them are within your comfort zone. So, in effect, I was in a constant state of tension without realising it. Doing a normal pre-arranged tour with hotels and restaurants and destinations all chosen is not nearly so stressful. Nor is Sherry”s method of staying put in one place for a few weeks. Sherry gave me 6 days of great relaxation - on the condition I cooked the main meal(!!) - which I did on 3-4 nights. So I visited La Boca (the quaint old port area), the Recoleta cemetery, the Sunday market in San Telmo, walked the streets (including the up-market pedestrian mall on Calle Florida), visited Pili, the mother of out good friend Marcelo (in Yandina), and some of her family. Pili took me to Tigre a beautiful residential area 30 kms north of the city, on the banks of the river. They have a monstrous market there selling everything from fairy floss and handicrafts to beds and furniture at ridiculously low prices. Many locals travel to there to get furniture for their home. Definitely worth a visit especially on the weekend when all the stalls are open. So I started to relax and my cold started to reduce; I watched some movies on cable TV, chatted for hours with Sherry and enjoyed what I now consider a modern western city, far removed from the squalor and poverty I was used to for 10 weeks. By the way, men of all classes in Buenos Aires do not shake hands to greet one another, they kiss once on the left cheek. It was the first time I had seen this on my trip. Everyone has been asking me to specify the highlights of my trip or which country was the best/worst, so I will try to give some opinions. But I cannot say one country was better than another - they each have their good and bad points, and it would be foolish to say one is better than the other, just as ice-cream and steak are both nice but you cannot say one is "better". Brazil is a fascinating country whose people are marvellously uninhibited, joyful and musical. Rio and Salvador de Bahia are both wonderful cities and definitely should be on the "must-see" list. Salvador was probably the most exciting city that I visited - especially because of the drummers. Belém and Manaus are well worth seeing, along with a jungle trip - although that can also be done from Bolivia, Colombia or Perú. Colombia is not the dangerous place some people believe. The people are friendly and have a touch of Caribbean spontaneity. There are many places to see, from beaches to mountains. San Agustín is worth visiting, as is Leticia for a jungle trip. Ecuador has beaches, volcanos, mountains, interesting cities like Cuenca - or Baños (when the volcano stops being active!). And of course it sits astride the equator - but hold on to your cameras. Perú has a surplus of ancient ruins and archaeological sites but most of it is dry desert region. However, the people still suffer the scars of the vicious persecution by the military government in the 1970”s and the terrorism of Sendero Luminoso in the 1980”s; and there is an immense gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots”. Despite that, there are many must-see places:- Sipán, Túcume, Chan-Chán, Nasca, Machu Picchu, and the Cordillera Blanca (snow-covered mountains). Handicraft items are plentiful and cheap. Bolivia is one of the poorer nations but still very enjoyable and has much to see. La Paz is different and interesting and the handicrafts are the cheapest you will find (except perhaps Paraguay? - which I did not visit). Lake Titicaha is important, but so is Uyuni Salt Lake - cold, dusty, bleak, uninviting, but unique; and I would add the several coloured lakes further south if you have the time. Argentina and Chile are the two most economically developed countries on the continent and each has its own points of interest. Uruguay and Paraguay are the quiet backwaters and I am sure both would be interesting to see but neither has the exciting drawcards that the other countries possess. My special highlights would include, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, the visit to Roberta and Joselia in Manaus, finding and meeting Viviana in Chimbote, Machu Picchu, and Salar Uyuni. But there were twelve weeks of adventure and events that all added up to a complete whole - something special - and to select one item from all the rest seems somehow inappropriate. The final flight home was somewhat long and boring and included the frustration of having to empty my water bottles before boarding because of the (in my opinion) stupid rule about liquids, based on fear of terrorism ( a USA and UK initiative). However, the arrival home was fantastic and I felt so pleased and Mary was so welcoming that it obliterated al those frustrations. We have been very happy in one another”s company since my return; we have spent almost two weeks renovating the lounge-dining areas and moving my computer station upstairs - with very spectacular results. The family get-togethers have been the best of fun and Natalie is due to give birth within two weeks; little Max has grown and developed so much it is amazing. A trip I would repeat if I had my time over but not a trip I need to do again. Thanks for the interest of you all and may you get to experience some of the fun of seeing South America. Hasta Luego, Nobby - Chris A fond greeting to all the faithful followers of my stories. I know they have at times been long and detailed so I hope you found them interesting.
I have now been home in Australia for 20 days and am fully back to normal and really enjoying the comforts of home. Yesterday I even started again with the Spanish classes at U3A.
The previous report finished in Salta - north western Argentina - where I stayed several days. It was wonderfully refreshing to be in a city with greenery after so long on the arid west coast of the continent. For those who have not been to South America it is probably hard to realise what the scenery is like.
Up north in Colombia and the first half of Ecuador all the land is fertile and receives rain so it is always green. But the lower part of Ecuador, all of Perú and the top of Chile are in what is called the "dry" zone which basically seldom gets any rain. Lima gets about 40-50 mms, while other places get 5-10 mms per year. At the Chan Chán ruins I was told they have not had significant rain since the last ice age (!!). The population depends on water in the twelve-or-so major rivers flowing from the mountains for drinking as well as irrigation. Basically there is no natural vegetation in the form of grass or trees in the whole of that area. However, the soil is incredibly fertile once you put water on it, so they are able to produce a huge variety of crops for local and export trade. The soil is also perfect for making mud-bricks - adobe - so most of the buildings that are outside or on the fringes of the cities are built totally from adobe. Hence the overall impression is that the hills, the soil and the buildings are all a uniform brown colour, which after a while I found to be depressing. So I arrived in the very pretty city of Salta which has hills covered in shrubs and grass, city parks full of eucalyptus trees and it was very clean compared to the other countries I had visited. Returning to Argentina I discovered that there are very few street sellers, the shops are more modern, there are few iron grills on the shop-fronts, and in general it is a very westernised country. This is in strong contrast to Perú where most business premises have extensive iron grills on the shop-front, and the grills are frequently left closed even when the shop is open - so you do your purchasing through the grill!! I presume this is a carry-over from the sad days of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) terrorist guerrilla attacks. Basically in Salta I just relaxed then caught my luxury bus to Buenos Aires. I thought is was a 24 hour journey but it took only 19 hours. Knowing the city from my earlier visit it was easy to catch a "Subte" (metro) train to Sherry”s apartment. Sherry is a generous, lovely former student of mine who has fallen in love with South America and loves to stay in one city for a month or more, usually in an apartment. Her favourite place is Bogotá, but she has stayed in Lima, Santiago and Valparaiso, and she arrived in BA only a few days before me. The apartment has a loft with a single bed, a bathroom with normal toilet (no basket!), very hot water, "flick-tap" and hot water in kitchen. So I was almost home! I did not realise till then how tired I really was and how stressful the trip had been. Every single action - choosing a hotel, choosing an eating place, then the menu item, catching a bus (which one?), getting off the bus (where?), which street to walk down, how to get back to the hotel - all these things are filled with stress because none of them are within your comfort zone. So, in effect, I was in a constant state of tension without realising it. Doing a normal pre-arranged tour with hotels and restaurants and destinations all chosen is not nearly so stressful. Nor is Sherry”s method of staying put in one place for a few weeks. Sherry gave me 6 days of great relaxation - on the condition I cooked the main meal(!!) - which I did on 3-4 nights. So I visited La Boca (the quaint old port area), the Recoleta cemetery, the Sunday market in San Telmo, walked the streets (including the up-market pedestrian mall on Calle Florida), visited Pili, the mother of out good friend Marcelo (in Yandina), and some of her family. Pili took me to Tigre a beautiful residential area 30 kms north of the city, on the banks of the river. They have a monstrous market there selling everything from fairy floss and handicrafts to beds and furniture at ridiculously low prices. Many locals travel to there to get furniture for their home. Definitely worth a visit especially on the weekend when all the stalls are open. So I started to relax and my cold started to reduce; I watched some movies on cable TV, chatted for hours with Sherry and enjoyed what I now consider a modern western city, far removed from the squalor and poverty I was used to for 10 weeks. By the way, men of all classes in Buenos Aires do not shake hands to greet one another, they kiss once on the left cheek. It was the first time I had seen this on my trip. Everyone has been asking me to specify the highlights of my trip or which country was the best/worst, so I will try to give some opinions. But I cannot say one country was better than another - they each have their good and bad points, and it would be foolish to say one is better than the other, just as ice-cream and steak are both nice but you cannot say one is "better". Brazil is a fascinating country whose people are marvellously uninhibited, joyful and musical. Rio and Salvador de Bahia are both wonderful cities and definitely should be on the "must-see" list. Salvador was probably the most exciting city that I visited - especially because of the drummers. Belém and Manaus are well worth seeing, along with a jungle trip - although that can also be done from Bolivia, Colombia or Perú. Colombia is not the dangerous place some people believe. The people are friendly and have a touch of Caribbean spontaneity. There are many places to see, from beaches to mountains. San Agustín is worth visiting, as is Leticia for a jungle trip. Ecuador has beaches, volcanos, mountains, interesting cities like Cuenca - or Baños (when the volcano stops being active!). And of course it sits astride the equator - but hold on to your cameras. Perú has a surplus of ancient ruins and archaeological sites but most of it is dry desert region. However, the people still suffer the scars of the vicious persecution by the military government in the 1970”s and the terrorism of Sendero Luminoso in the 1980”s; and there is an immense gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots”. Despite that, there are many must-see places:- Sipán, Túcume, Chan-Chán, Nasca, Machu Picchu, and the Cordillera Blanca (snow-covered mountains). Handicraft items are plentiful and cheap. Bolivia is one of the poorer nations but still very enjoyable and has much to see. La Paz is different and interesting and the handicrafts are the cheapest you will find (except perhaps Paraguay? - which I did not visit). Lake Titicaha is important, but so is Uyuni Salt Lake - cold, dusty, bleak, uninviting, but unique; and I would add the several coloured lakes further south if you have the time. Argentina and Chile are the two most economically developed countries on the continent and each has its own points of interest. Uruguay and Paraguay are the quiet backwaters and I am sure both would be interesting to see but neither has the exciting drawcards that the other countries possess. My special highlights would include, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, the visit to Roberta and Joselia in Manaus, finding and meeting Viviana in Chimbote, Machu Picchu, and Salar Uyuni. But there were twelve weeks of adventure and events that all added up to a complete whole - something special - and to select one item from all the rest seems somehow inappropriate. The final flight home was somewhat long and boring and included the frustration of having to empty my water bottles before boarding because of the (in my opinion) stupid rule about liquids, based on fear of terrorism ( a USA and UK initiative). However, the arrival home was fantastic and I felt so pleased and Mary was so welcoming that it obliterated al those frustrations. We have been very happy in one another”s company since my return; we have spent almost two weeks renovating the lounge-dining areas and moving my computer station upstairs - with very spectacular results. The family get-togethers have been the best of fun and Natalie is due to give birth within two weeks; little Max has grown and developed so much it is amazing. A trip I would repeat if I had my time over but not a trip I need to do again. Thanks for the interest of you all and may you get to experience some of the fun of seeing South America. Hasta Luego, Nobby - Chris A fond greeting to all the faithful followers of my stories. I know they have at times been long and detailed so I hope you found them interesting.
I have now been home in Australia for 20 days and am fully back to normal and really enjoying the comforts of home. Yesterday I even started again with the Spanish classes at U3A.
The previous report finished in Salta - north western Argentina - where I stayed several days. It was wonderfully refreshing to be in a city with greenery after so long on the arid west coast of the continent. For those who have not been to South America it is probably hard to realise what the scenery is like.
Up north in Colombia and the first half of Ecuador all the land is fertile and receives rain so it is always green. But the lower part of Ecuador, all of Perú and the top of Chile are in what is called the "dry" zone which basically seldom gets any rain. Lima gets about 40-50 mms, while other places get 5-10 mms per year. At the Chan Chán ruins I was told they have not had significant rain since the last ice age (!!). The population depends on water in the twelve-or-so major rivers flowing from the mountains for drinking as well as irrigation. Basically there is no natural vegetation in the form of grass or trees in the whole of that area. However, the soil is incredibly fertile once you put water on it, so they are able to produce a huge variety of crops for local and export trade. The soil is also perfect for making mud-bricks - adobe - so most of the buildings that are outside or on the fringes of the cities are built totally from adobe. Hence the overall impression is that the hills, the soil and the buildings are all a uniform brown colour, which after a while I found to be depressing. So I arrived in the very pretty city of Salta which has hills covered in shrubs and grass, city parks full of eucalyptus trees and it was very clean compared to the other countries I had visited. Returning to Argentina I discovered that there are very few street sellers, the shops are more modern, there are few iron grills on the shop-fronts, and in general it is a very westernised country. This is in strong contrast to Perú where most business premises have extensive iron grills on the shop-front, and the grills are frequently left closed even when the shop is open - so you do your purchasing through the grill!! I presume this is a carry-over from the sad days of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) terrorist guerrilla attacks. Basically in Salta I just relaxed then caught my luxury bus to Buenos Aires. I thought is was a 24 hour journey but it took only 19 hours. Knowing the city from my earlier visit it was easy to catch a "Subte" (metro) train to Sherry”s apartment. Sherry is a generous, lovely former student of mine who has fallen in love with South America and loves to stay in one city for a month or more, usually in an apartment. Her favourite place is Bogotá, but she has stayed in Lima, Santiago and Valparaiso, and she arrived in BA only a few days before me. The apartment has a loft with a single bed, a bathroom with normal toilet (no basket!), very hot water, "flick-tap" and hot water in kitchen. So I was almost home! I did not realise till then how tired I really was and how stressful the trip had been. Every single action - choosing a hotel, choosing an eating place, then the menu item, catching a bus (which one?), getting off the bus (where?), which street to walk down, how to get back to the hotel - all these things are filled with stress because none of them are within your comfort zone. So, in effect, I was in a constant state of tension without realising it. Doing a normal pre-arranged tour with hotels and restaurants and destinations all chosen is not nearly so stressful. Nor is Sherry”s method of staying put in one place for a few weeks. Sherry gave me 6 days of great relaxation - on the condition I cooked the main meal(!!) - which I did on 3-4 nights. So I visited La Boca (the quaint old port area), the Recoleta cemetery, the Sunday market in San Telmo, walked the streets (including the up-market pedestrian mall on Calle Florida), visited Pili, the mother of out good friend Marcelo (in Yandina), and some of her family. Pili took me to Tigre a beautiful residential area 30 kms north of the city, on the banks of the river. They have a monstrous market there selling everything from fairy floss and handicrafts to beds and furniture at ridiculously low prices. Many locals travel to there to get furniture for their home. Definitely worth a visit especially on the weekend when all the stalls are open. So I started to relax and my cold started to reduce; I watched some movies on cable TV, chatted for hours with Sherry and enjoyed what I now consider a modern western city, far removed from the squalor and poverty I was used to for 10 weeks. By the way, men of all classes in Buenos Aires do not shake hands to greet one another, they kiss once on the left cheek. It was the first time I had seen this on my trip. Everyone has been asking me to specify the highlights of my trip or which country was the best/worst, so I will try to give some opinions. But I cannot say one country was better than another - they each have their good and bad points, and it would be foolish to say one is better than the other, just as ice-cream and steak are both nice but you cannot say one is "better". Brazil is a fascinating country whose people are marvellously uninhibited, joyful and musical. Rio and Salvador de Bahia are both wonderful cities and definitely should be on the "must-see" list. Salvador was probably the most exciting city that I visited - especially because of the drummers. Belém and Manaus are well worth seeing, along with a jungle trip - although that can also be done from Bolivia, Colombia or Perú. Colombia is not the dangerous place some people believe. The people are friendly and have a touch of Caribbean spontaneity. There are many places to see, from beaches to mountains. San Agustín is worth visiting, as is Leticia for a jungle trip. Ecuador has beaches, volcanos, mountains, interesting cities like Cuenca - or Baños (when the volcano stops being active!). And of course it sits astride the equator - but hold on to your cameras. Perú has a surplus of ancient ruins and archaeological sites but most of it is dry desert region. However, the people still suffer the scars of the vicious persecution by the military government in the 1970”s and the terrorism of Sendero Luminoso in the 1980”s; and there is an immense gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots”. Despite that, there are many must-see places:- Sipán, Túcume, Chan-Chán, Nasca, Machu Picchu, and the Cordillera Blanca (snow-covered mountains). Handicraft items are plentiful and cheap. Bolivia is one of the poorer nations but still very enjoyable and has much to see. La Paz is different and interesting and the handicrafts are the cheapest you will find (except perhaps Paraguay? - which I did not visit). Lake Titicaha is important, but so is Uyuni Salt Lake - cold, dusty, bleak, uninviting, but unique; and I would add the several coloured lakes further south if you have the time. Argentina and Chile are the two most economically developed countries on the continent and each has its own points of interest. Uruguay and Paraguay are the quiet backwaters and I am sure both would be interesting to see but neither has the exciting drawcards that the other countries possess. My special highlights would include, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, the visit to Roberta and Joselia in Manaus, finding and meeting Viviana in Chimbote, Machu Picchu, and Salar Uyuni. But there were twelve weeks of adventure and events that all added up to a complete whole - something special - and to select one item from all the rest seems somehow inappropriate. The final flight home was somewhat long and boring and included the frustration of having to empty my water bottles before boarding because of the (in my opinion) stupid rule about liquids, based on fear of terrorism ( a USA and UK initiative). However, the arrival home was fantastic and I felt so pleased and Mary was so welcoming that it obliterated al those frustrations. We have been very happy in one another”s company since my return; we have spent almost two weeks renovating the lounge-dining areas and moving my computer station upstairs - with very spectacular results. The family get-togethers have been the best of fun and Natalie is due to give birth within two weeks; little Max has grown and developed so much it is amazing. A trip I would repeat if I had my time over but not a trip I need to do again. Thanks for the interest of you all and may you get to experience some of the fun of seeing South America. Hasta Luego, Nobby - Chris A fond greeting to all the faithful followers of my stories. I know they have at times been long and detailed so I hope you found them interesting.
I have now been home in Australia for 20 days and am fully back to normal and really enjoying the comforts of home. Yesterday I even started again with the Spanish classes at U3A.
The previous report finished in Salta - north western Argentina - where I stayed several days. It was wonderfully refreshing to be in a city with greenery after so long on the arid west coast of the continent. For those who have not been to South America it is probably hard to realise what the scenery is like.
Up north in Colombia and the first half of Ecuador all the land is fertile and receives rain so it is always green. But the lower part of Ecuador, all of Perú and the top of Chile are in what is called the "dry" zone which basically seldom gets any rain. Lima gets about 40-50 mms, while other places get 5-10 mms per year. At the Chan Chán ruins I was told they have not had significant rain since the last ice age (!!). The population depends on water in the twelve-or-so major rivers flowing from the mountains for drinking as well as irrigation. Basically there is no natural vegetation in the form of grass or trees in the whole of that area. However, the soil is incredibly fertile once you put water on it, so they are able to produce a huge variety of crops for local and export trade. The soil is also perfect for making mud-bricks - adobe - so most of the buildings that are outside or on the fringes of the cities are built totally from adobe. Hence the overall impression is that the hills, the soil and the buildings are all a uniform brown colour, which after a while I found to be depressing. So I arrived in the very pretty city of Salta which has hills covered in shrubs and grass, city parks full of eucalyptus trees and it was very clean compared to the other countries I had visited. Returning to Argentina I discovered that there are very few street sellers, the shops are more modern, there are few iron grills on the shop-fronts, and in general it is a very westernised country. This is in strong contrast to Perú where most business premises have extensive iron grills on the shop-front, and the grills are frequently left closed even when the shop is open - so you do your purchasing through the grill!! I presume this is a carry-over from the sad days of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) terrorist guerrilla attacks. Basically in Salta I just relaxed then caught my luxury bus to Buenos Aires. I thought is was a 24 hour journey but it took only 19 hours. Knowing the city from my earlier visit it was easy to catch a "Subte" (metro) train to Sherry”s apartment. Sherry is a generous, lovely former student of mine who has fallen in love with South America and loves to stay in one city for a month or more, usually in an apartment. Her favourite place is Bogotá, but she has stayed in Lima, Santiago and Valparaiso, and she arrived in BA only a few days before me. The apartment has a loft with a single bed, a bathroom with normal toilet (no basket!), very hot water, "flick-tap" and hot water in kitchen. So I was almost home! I did not realise till then how tired I really was and how stressful the trip had been. Every single action - choosing a hotel, choosing an eating place, then the menu item, catching a bus (which one?), getting off the bus (where?), which street to walk down, how to get back to the hotel - all these things are filled with stress because none of them are within your comfort zone. So, in effect, I was in a constant state of tension without realising it. Doing a normal pre-arranged tour with hotels and restaurants and destinations all chosen is not nearly so stressful. Nor is Sherry”s method of staying put in one place for a few weeks. Sherry gave me 6 days of great relaxation - on the condition I cooked the main meal(!!) - which I did on 3-4 nights. So I visited La Boca (the quaint old port area), the Recoleta cemetery, the Sunday market in San Telmo, walked the streets (including the up-market pedestrian mall on Calle Florida), visited Pili, the mother of out good friend Marcelo (in Yandina), and some of her family. Pili took me to Tigre a beautiful residential area 30 kms north of the city, on the banks of the river. They have a monstrous market there selling everything from fairy floss and handicrafts to beds and furniture at ridiculously low prices. Many locals travel to there to get furniture for their home. Definitely worth a visit especially on the weekend when all the stalls are open. So I started to relax and my cold started to reduce; I watched some movies on cable TV, chatted for hours with Sherry and enjoyed what I now consider a modern western city, far removed from the squalor and poverty I was used to for 10 weeks. By the way, men of all classes in Buenos Aires do not shake hands to greet one another, they kiss once on the left cheek. It was the first time I had seen this on my trip. Everyone has been asking me to specify the highlights of my trip or which country was the best/worst, so I will try to give some opinions. But I cannot say one country was better than another - they each have their good and bad points, and it would be foolish to say one is better than the other, just as ice-cream and steak are both nice but you cannot say one is "better". Brazil is a fascinating country whose people are marvellously uninhibited, joyful and musical. Rio and Salvador de Bahia are both wonderful cities and definitely should be on the "must-see" list. Salvador was probably the most exciting city that I visited - especially because of the drummers. Belém and Manaus are well worth seeing, along with a jungle trip - although that can also be done from Bolivia, Colombia or Perú. Colombia is not the dangerous place some people believe. The people are friendly and have a touch of Caribbean spontaneity. There are many places to see, from beaches to mountains. San Agustín is worth visiting, as is Leticia for a jungle trip. Ecuador has beaches, volcanos, mountains, interesting cities like Cuenca - or Baños (when the volcano stops being active!). And of course it sits astride the equator - but hold on to your cameras. Perú has a surplus of ancient ruins and archaeological sites but most of it is dry desert region. However, the people still suffer the scars of the vicious persecution by the military government in the 1970”s and the terrorism of Sendero Luminoso in the 1980”s; and there is an immense gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots”. Despite that, there are many must-see places:- Sipán, Túcume, Chan-Chán, Nasca, Machu Picchu, and the Cordillera Blanca (snow-covered mountains). Handicraft items are plentiful and cheap. Bolivia is one of the poorer nations but still very enjoyable and has much to see. La Paz is different and interesting and the handicrafts are the cheapest you will find (except perhaps Paraguay? - which I did not visit). Lake Titicaha is important, but so is Uyuni Salt Lake - cold, dusty, bleak, uninviting, but unique; and I would add the several coloured lakes further south if you have the time. Argentina and Chile are the two most economically developed countries on the continent and each has its own points of interest. Uruguay and Paraguay are the quiet backwaters and I am sure both would be interesting to see but neither has the exciting drawcards that the other countries possess. My special highlights would include, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, the visit to Roberta and Joselia in Manaus, finding and meeting Viviana in Chimbote, Machu Picchu, and Salar Uyuni. But there were twelve weeks of adventure and events that all added up to a complete whole - something special - and to select one item from all the rest seems somehow inappropriate. The final flight home was somewhat long and boring and included the frustration of having to empty my water bottles before boarding because of the (in my opinion) stupid rule about liquids, based on fear of terrorism ( a USA and UK initiative). However, the arrival home was fantastic and I felt so pleased and Mary was so welcoming that it obliterated al those frustrations. We have been very happy in one another”s company since my return; we have spent almost two weeks renovating the lounge-dining areas and moving my computer station upstairs - with very spectacular results. The family get-togethers have been the best of fun and Natalie is due to give birth within two weeks; little Max has grown and developed so much it is amazing. A trip I would repeat if I had my time over but not a trip I need to do again. Thanks for the interest of you all and may you get to experience some of the fun of seeing South America. Hasta Luego, Nobby - Chris
I have now been home in Australia for 20 days and am fully back to normal and really enjoying the comforts of home. Yesterday I even started again with the Spanish classes at U3A.
The previous report finished in Salta - north western Argentina - where I stayed several days. It was wonderfully refreshing to be in a city with greenery after so long on the arid west coast of the continent. For those who have not been to South America it is probably hard to realise what the scenery is like.
Up north in Colombia and the first half of Ecuador all the land is fertile and receives rain so it is always green. But the lower part of Ecuador, all of Perú and the top of Chile are in what is called the "dry" zone which basically seldom gets any rain. Lima gets about 40-50 mms, while other places get 5-10 mms per year. At the Chan Chán ruins I was told they have not had significant rain since the last ice age (!!). The population depends on water in the twelve-or-so major rivers flowing from the mountains for drinking as well as irrigation. Basically there is no natural vegetation in the form of grass or trees in the whole of that area. However, the soil is incredibly fertile once you put water on it, so they are able to produce a huge variety of crops for local and export trade. The soil is also perfect for making mud-bricks - adobe - so most of the buildings that are outside or on the fringes of the cities are built totally from adobe. Hence the overall impression is that the hills, the soil and the buildings are all a uniform brown colour, which after a while I found to be depressing. So I arrived in the very pretty city of Salta which has hills covered in shrubs and grass, city parks full of eucalyptus trees and it was very clean compared to the other countries I had visited. Returning to Argentina I discovered that there are very few street sellers, the shops are more modern, there are few iron grills on the shop-fronts, and in general it is a very westernised country. This is in strong contrast to Perú where most business premises have extensive iron grills on the shop-front, and the grills are frequently left closed even when the shop is open - so you do your purchasing through the grill!! I presume this is a carry-over from the sad days of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) terrorist guerrilla attacks. Basically in Salta I just relaxed then caught my luxury bus to Buenos Aires. I thought is was a 24 hour journey but it took only 19 hours. Knowing the city from my earlier visit it was easy to catch a "Subte" (metro) train to Sherry”s apartment. Sherry is a generous, lovely former student of mine who has fallen in love with South America and loves to stay in one city for a month or more, usually in an apartment. Her favourite place is Bogotá, but she has stayed in Lima, Santiago and Valparaiso, and she arrived in BA only a few days before me. The apartment has a loft with a single bed, a bathroom with normal toilet (no basket!), very hot water, "flick-tap" and hot water in kitchen. So I was almost home! I did not realise till then how tired I really was and how stressful the trip had been. Every single action - choosing a hotel, choosing an eating place, then the menu item, catching a bus (which one?), getting off the bus (where?), which street to walk down, how to get back to the hotel - all these things are filled with stress because none of them are within your comfort zone. So, in effect, I was in a constant state of tension without realising it. Doing a normal pre-arranged tour with hotels and restaurants and destinations all chosen is not nearly so stressful. Nor is Sherry”s method of staying put in one place for a few weeks. Sherry gave me 6 days of great relaxation - on the condition I cooked the main meal(!!) - which I did on 3-4 nights. So I visited La Boca (the quaint old port area), the Recoleta cemetery, the Sunday market in San Telmo, walked the streets (including the up-market pedestrian mall on Calle Florida), visited Pili, the mother of out good friend Marcelo (in Yandina), and some of her family. Pili took me to Tigre a beautiful residential area 30 kms north of the city, on the banks of the river. They have a monstrous market there selling everything from fairy floss and handicrafts to beds and furniture at ridiculously low prices. Many locals travel to there to get furniture for their home. Definitely worth a visit especially on the weekend when all the stalls are open. So I started to relax and my cold started to reduce; I watched some movies on cable TV, chatted for hours with Sherry and enjoyed what I now consider a modern western city, far removed from the squalor and poverty I was used to for 10 weeks. By the way, men of all classes in Buenos Aires do not shake hands to greet one another, they kiss once on the left cheek. It was the first time I had seen this on my trip. Everyone has been asking me to specify the highlights of my trip or which country was the best/worst, so I will try to give some opinions. But I cannot say one country was better than another - they each have their good and bad points, and it would be foolish to say one is better than the other, just as ice-cream and steak are both nice but you cannot say one is "better". Brazil is a fascinating country whose people are marvellously uninhibited, joyful and musical. Rio and Salvador de Bahia are both wonderful cities and definitely should be on the "must-see" list. Salvador was probably the most exciting city that I visited - especially because of the drummers. Belém and Manaus are well worth seeing, along with a jungle trip - although that can also be done from Bolivia, Colombia or Perú. Colombia is not the dangerous place some people believe. The people are friendly and have a touch of Caribbean spontaneity. There are many places to see, from beaches to mountains. San Agustín is worth visiting, as is Leticia for a jungle trip. Ecuador has beaches, volcanos, mountains, interesting cities like Cuenca - or Baños (when the volcano stops being active!). And of course it sits astride the equator - but hold on to your cameras. Perú has a surplus of ancient ruins and archaeological sites but most of it is dry desert region. However, the people still suffer the scars of the vicious persecution by the military government in the 1970”s and the terrorism of Sendero Luminoso in the 1980”s; and there is an immense gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots”. Despite that, there are many must-see places:- Sipán, Túcume, Chan-Chán, Nasca, Machu Picchu, and the Cordillera Blanca (snow-covered mountains). Handicraft items are plentiful and cheap. Bolivia is one of the poorer nations but still very enjoyable and has much to see. La Paz is different and interesting and the handicrafts are the cheapest you will find (except perhaps Paraguay? - which I did not visit). Lake Titicaha is important, but so is Uyuni Salt Lake - cold, dusty, bleak, uninviting, but unique; and I would add the several coloured lakes further south if you have the time. Argentina and Chile are the two most economically developed countries on the continent and each has its own points of interest. Uruguay and Paraguay are the quiet backwaters and I am sure both would be interesting to see but neither has the exciting drawcards that the other countries possess. My special highlights would include, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, the visit to Roberta and Joselia in Manaus, finding and meeting Viviana in Chimbote, Machu Picchu, and Salar Uyuni. But there were twelve weeks of adventure and events that all added up to a complete whole - something special - and to select one item from all the rest seems somehow inappropriate. The final flight home was somewhat long and boring and included the frustration of having to empty my water bottles before boarding because of the (in my opinion) stupid rule about liquids, based on fear of terrorism ( a USA and UK initiative). However, the arrival home was fantastic and I felt so pleased and Mary was so welcoming that it obliterated al those frustrations. We have been very happy in one another”s company since my return; we have spent almost two weeks renovating the lounge-dining areas and moving my computer station upstairs - with very spectacular results. The family get-togethers have been the best of fun and Natalie is due to give birth within two weeks; little Max has grown and developed so much it is amazing. A trip I would repeat if I had my time over but not a trip I need to do again. Thanks for the interest of you all and may you get to experience some of the fun of seeing South America. Hasta Luego, Nobby - Chris A fond greeting to all the faithful followers of my stories. I know they have at times been long and detailed so I hope you found them interesting.
I have now been home in Australia for 20 days and am fully back to normal and really enjoying the comforts of home. Yesterday I even started again with the Spanish classes at U3A.
The previous report finished in Salta - north western Argentina - where I stayed several days. It was wonderfully refreshing to be in a city with greenery after so long on the arid west coast of the continent. For those who have not been to South America it is probably hard to realise what the scenery is like.
Up north in Colombia and the first half of Ecuador all the land is fertile and receives rain so it is always green. But the lower part of Ecuador, all of Perú and the top of Chile are in what is called the "dry" zone which basically seldom gets any rain. Lima gets about 40-50 mms, while other places get 5-10 mms per year. At the Chan Chán ruins I was told they have not had significant rain since the last ice age (!!). The population depends on water in the twelve-or-so major rivers flowing from the mountains for drinking as well as irrigation. Basically there is no natural vegetation in the form of grass or trees in the whole of that area. However, the soil is incredibly fertile once you put water on it, so they are able to produce a huge variety of crops for local and export trade. The soil is also perfect for making mud-bricks - adobe - so most of the buildings that are outside or on the fringes of the cities are built totally from adobe. Hence the overall impression is that the hills, the soil and the buildings are all a uniform brown colour, which after a while I found to be depressing. So I arrived in the very pretty city of Salta which has hills covered in shrubs and grass, city parks full of eucalyptus trees and it was very clean compared to the other countries I had visited. Returning to Argentina I discovered that there are very few street sellers, the shops are more modern, there are few iron grills on the shop-fronts, and in general it is a very westernised country. This is in strong contrast to Perú where most business premises have extensive iron grills on the shop-front, and the grills are frequently left closed even when the shop is open - so you do your purchasing through the grill!! I presume this is a carry-over from the sad days of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) terrorist guerrilla attacks. Basically in Salta I just relaxed then caught my luxury bus to Buenos Aires. I thought is was a 24 hour journey but it took only 19 hours. Knowing the city from my earlier visit it was easy to catch a "Subte" (metro) train to Sherry”s apartment. Sherry is a generous, lovely former student of mine who has fallen in love with South America and loves to stay in one city for a month or more, usually in an apartment. Her favourite place is Bogotá, but she has stayed in Lima, Santiago and Valparaiso, and she arrived in BA only a few days before me. The apartment has a loft with a single bed, a bathroom with normal toilet (no basket!), very hot water, "flick-tap" and hot water in kitchen. So I was almost home! I did not realise till then how tired I really was and how stressful the trip had been. Every single action - choosing a hotel, choosing an eating place, then the menu item, catching a bus (which one?), getting off the bus (where?), which street to walk down, how to get back to the hotel - all these things are filled with stress because none of them are within your comfort zone. So, in effect, I was in a constant state of tension without realising it. Doing a normal pre-arranged tour with hotels and restaurants and destinations all chosen is not nearly so stressful. Nor is Sherry”s method of staying put in one place for a few weeks. Sherry gave me 6 days of great relaxation - on the condition I cooked the main meal(!!) - which I did on 3-4 nights. So I visited La Boca (the quaint old port area), the Recoleta cemetery, the Sunday market in San Telmo, walked the streets (including the up-market pedestrian mall on Calle Florida), visited Pili, the mother of out good friend Marcelo (in Yandina), and some of her family. Pili took me to Tigre a beautiful residential area 30 kms north of the city, on the banks of the river. They have a monstrous market there selling everything from fairy floss and handicrafts to beds and furniture at ridiculously low prices. Many locals travel to there to get furniture for their home. Definitely worth a visit especially on the weekend when all the stalls are open. So I started to relax and my cold started to reduce; I watched some movies on cable TV, chatted for hours with Sherry and enjoyed what I now consider a modern western city, far removed from the squalor and poverty I was used to for 10 weeks. By the way, men of all classes in Buenos Aires do not shake hands to greet one another, they kiss once on the left cheek. It was the first time I had seen this on my trip. Everyone has been asking me to specify the highlights of my trip or which country was the best/worst, so I will try to give some opinions. But I cannot say one country was better than another - they each have their good and bad points, and it would be foolish to say one is better than the other, just as ice-cream and steak are both nice but you cannot say one is "better". Brazil is a fascinating country whose people are marvellously uninhibited, joyful and musical. Rio and Salvador de Bahia are both wonderful cities and definitely should be on the "must-see" list. Salvador was probably the most exciting city that I visited - especially because of the drummers. Belém and Manaus are well worth seeing, along with a jungle trip - although that can also be done from Bolivia, Colombia or Perú. Colombia is not the dangerous place some people believe. The people are friendly and have a touch of Caribbean spontaneity. There are many places to see, from beaches to mountains. San Agustín is worth visiting, as is Leticia for a jungle trip. Ecuador has beaches, volcanos, mountains, interesting cities like Cuenca - or Baños (when the volcano stops being active!). And of course it sits astride the equator - but hold on to your cameras. Perú has a surplus of ancient ruins and archaeological sites but most of it is dry desert region. However, the people still suffer the scars of the vicious persecution by the military government in the 1970”s and the terrorism of Sendero Luminoso in the 1980”s; and there is an immense gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots”. Despite that, there are many must-see places:- Sipán, Túcume, Chan-Chán, Nasca, Machu Picchu, and the Cordillera Blanca (snow-covered mountains). Handicraft items are plentiful and cheap. Bolivia is one of the poorer nations but still very enjoyable and has much to see. La Paz is different and interesting and the handicrafts are the cheapest you will find (except perhaps Paraguay? - which I did not visit). Lake Titicaha is important, but so is Uyuni Salt Lake - cold, dusty, bleak, uninviting, but unique; and I would add the several coloured lakes further south if you have the time. Argentina and Chile are the two most economically developed countries on the continent and each has its own points of interest. Uruguay and Paraguay are the quiet backwaters and I am sure both would be interesting to see but neither has the exciting drawcards that the other countries possess. My special highlights would include, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, the visit to Roberta and Joselia in Manaus, finding and meeting Viviana in Chimbote, Machu Picchu, and Salar Uyuni. But there were twelve weeks of adventure and events that all added up to a complete whole - something special - and to select one item from all the rest seems somehow inappropriate. The final flight home was somewhat long and boring and included the frustration of having to empty my water bottles before boarding because of the (in my opinion) stupid rule about liquids, based on fear of terrorism ( a USA and UK initiative). However, the arrival home was fantastic and I felt so pleased and Mary was so welcoming that it obliterated al those frustrations. We have been very happy in one another”s company since my return; we have spent almost two weeks renovating the lounge-dining areas and moving my computer station upstairs - with very spectacular results. The family get-togethers have been the best of fun and Natalie is due to give birth within two weeks; little Max has grown and developed so much it is amazing. A trip I would repeat if I had my time over but not a trip I need to do again. Thanks for the interest of you all and may you get to experience some of the fun of seeing South America. Hasta Luego, Nobby - Chris A fond greeting to all the faithful followers of my stories. I know they have at times been long and detailed so I hope you found them interesting.
I have now been home in Australia for 20 days and am fully back to normal and really enjoying the comforts of home. Yesterday I even started again with the Spanish classes at U3A.
The previous report finished in Salta - north western Argentina - where I stayed several days. It was wonderfully refreshing to be in a city with greenery after so long on the arid west coast of the continent. For those who have not been to South America it is probably hard to realise what the scenery is like.
Up north in Colombia and the first half of Ecuador all the land is fertile and receives rain so it is always green. But the lower part of Ecuador, all of Perú and the top of Chile are in what is called the "dry" zone which basically seldom gets any rain. Lima gets about 40-50 mms, while other places get 5-10 mms per year. At the Chan Chán ruins I was told they have not had significant rain since the last ice age (!!). The population depends on water in the twelve-or-so major rivers flowing from the mountains for drinking as well as irrigation. Basically there is no natural vegetation in the form of grass or trees in the whole of that area. However, the soil is incredibly fertile once you put water on it, so they are able to produce a huge variety of crops for local and export trade. The soil is also perfect for making mud-bricks - adobe - so most of the buildings that are outside or on the fringes of the cities are built totally from adobe. Hence the overall impression is that the hills, the soil and the buildings are all a uniform brown colour, which after a while I found to be depressing. So I arrived in the very pretty city of Salta which has hills covered in shrubs and grass, city parks full of eucalyptus trees and it was very clean compared to the other countries I had visited. Returning to Argentina I discovered that there are very few street sellers, the shops are more modern, there are few iron grills on the shop-fronts, and in general it is a very westernised country. This is in strong contrast to Perú where most business premises have extensive iron grills on the shop-front, and the grills are frequently left closed even when the shop is open - so you do your purchasing through the grill!! I presume this is a carry-over from the sad days of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) terrorist guerrilla attacks. Basically in Salta I just relaxed then caught my luxury bus to Buenos Aires. I thought is was a 24 hour journey but it took only 19 hours. Knowing the city from my earlier visit it was easy to catch a "Subte" (metro) train to Sherry”s apartment. Sherry is a generous, lovely former student of mine who has fallen in love with South America and loves to stay in one city for a month or more, usually in an apartment. Her favourite place is Bogotá, but she has stayed in Lima, Santiago and Valparaiso, and she arrived in BA only a few days before me. The apartment has a loft with a single bed, a bathroom with normal toilet (no basket!), very hot water, "flick-tap" and hot water in kitchen. So I was almost home! I did not realise till then how tired I really was and how stressful the trip had been. Every single action - choosing a hotel, choosing an eating place, then the menu item, catching a bus (which one?), getting off the bus (where?), which street to walk down, how to get back to the hotel - all these things are filled with stress because none of them are within your comfort zone. So, in effect, I was in a constant state of tension without realising it. Doing a normal pre-arranged tour with hotels and restaurants and destinations all chosen is not nearly so stressful. Nor is Sherry”s method of staying put in one place for a few weeks. Sherry gave me 6 days of great relaxation - on the condition I cooked the main meal(!!) - which I did on 3-4 nights. So I visited La Boca (the quaint old port area), the Recoleta cemetery, the Sunday market in San Telmo, walked the streets (including the up-market pedestrian mall on Calle Florida), visited Pili, the mother of out good friend Marcelo (in Yandina), and some of her family. Pili took me to Tigre a beautiful residential area 30 kms north of the city, on the banks of the river. They have a monstrous market there selling everything from fairy floss and handicrafts to beds and furniture at ridiculously low prices. Many locals travel to there to get furniture for their home. Definitely worth a visit especially on the weekend when all the stalls are open. So I started to relax and my cold started to reduce; I watched some movies on cable TV, chatted for hours with Sherry and enjoyed what I now consider a modern western city, far removed from the squalor and poverty I was used to for 10 weeks. By the way, men of all classes in Buenos Aires do not shake hands to greet one another, they kiss once on the left cheek. It was the first time I had seen this on my trip. Everyone has been asking me to specify the highlights of my trip or which country was the best/worst, so I will try to give some opinions. But I cannot say one country was better than another - they each have their good and bad points, and it would be foolish to say one is better than the other, just as ice-cream and steak are both nice but you cannot say one is "better". Brazil is a fascinating country whose people are marvellously uninhibited, joyful and musical. Rio and Salvador de Bahia are both wonderful cities and definitely should be on the "must-see" list. Salvador was probably the most exciting city that I visited - especially because of the drummers. Belém and Manaus are well worth seeing, along with a jungle trip - although that can also be done from Bolivia, Colombia or Perú. Colombia is not the dangerous place some people believe. The people are friendly and have a touch of Caribbean spontaneity. There are many places to see, from beaches to mountains. San Agustín is worth visiting, as is Leticia for a jungle trip. Ecuador has beaches, volcanos, mountains, interesting cities like Cuenca - or Baños (when the volcano stops being active!). And of course it sits astride the equator - but hold on to your cameras. Perú has a surplus of ancient ruins and archaeological sites but most of it is dry desert region. However, the people still suffer the scars of the vicious persecution by the military government in the 1970”s and the terrorism of Sendero Luminoso in the 1980”s; and there is an immense gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots”. Despite that, there are many must-see places:- Sipán, Túcume, Chan-Chán, Nasca, Machu Picchu, and the Cordillera Blanca (snow-covered mountains). Handicraft items are plentiful and cheap. Bolivia is one of the poorer nations but still very enjoyable and has much to see. La Paz is different and interesting and the handicrafts are the cheapest you will find (except perhaps Paraguay? - which I did not visit). Lake Titicaha is important, but so is Uyuni Salt Lake - cold, dusty, bleak, uninviting, but unique; and I would add the several coloured lakes further south if you have the time. Argentina and Chile are the two most economically developed countries on the continent and each has its own points of interest. Uruguay and Paraguay are the quiet backwaters and I am sure both would be interesting to see but neither has the exciting drawcards that the other countries possess. My special highlights would include, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, the visit to Roberta and Joselia in Manaus, finding and meeting Viviana in Chimbote, Machu Picchu, and Salar Uyuni. But there were twelve weeks of adventure and events that all added up to a complete whole - something special - and to select one item from all the rest seems somehow inappropriate. The final flight home was somewhat long and boring and included the frustration of having to empty my water bottles before boarding because of the (in my opinion) stupid rule about liquids, based on fear of terrorism ( a USA and UK initiative). However, the arrival home was fantastic and I felt so pleased and Mary was so welcoming that it obliterated al those frustrations. We have been very happy in one another”s company since my return; we have spent almost two weeks renovating the lounge-dining areas and moving my computer station upstairs - with very spectacular results. The family get-togethers have been the best of fun and Natalie is due to give birth within two weeks; little Max has grown and developed so much it is amazing. A trip I would repeat if I had my time over but not a trip I need to do again. Thanks for the interest of you all and may you get to experience some of the fun of seeing South America. Hasta Luego, Nobby - Chris A fond greeting to all the faithful followers of my stories. I know they have at times been long and detailed so I hope you found them interesting.
I have now been home in Australia for 20 days and am fully back to normal and really enjoying the comforts of home. Yesterday I even started again with the Spanish classes at U3A.
The previous report finished in Salta - north western Argentina - where I stayed several days. It was wonderfully refreshing to be in a city with greenery after so long on the arid west coast of the continent. For those who have not been to South America it is probably hard to realise what the scenery is like.
Up north in Colombia and the first half of Ecuador all the land is fertile and receives rain so it is always green. But the lower part of Ecuador, all of Perú and the top of Chile are in what is called the "dry" zone which basically seldom gets any rain. Lima gets about 40-50 mms, while other places get 5-10 mms per year. At the Chan Chán ruins I was told they have not had significant rain since the last ice age (!!). The population depends on water in the twelve-or-so major rivers flowing from the mountains for drinking as well as irrigation. Basically there is no natural vegetation in the form of grass or trees in the whole of that area. However, the soil is incredibly fertile once you put water on it, so they are able to produce a huge variety of crops for local and export trade. The soil is also perfect for making mud-bricks - adobe - so most of the buildings that are outside or on the fringes of the cities are built totally from adobe. Hence the overall impression is that the hills, the soil and the buildings are all a uniform brown colour, which after a while I found to be depressing. So I arrived in the very pretty city of Salta which has hills covered in shrubs and grass, city parks full of eucalyptus trees and it was very clean compared to the other countries I had visited. Returning to Argentina I discovered that there are very few street sellers, the shops are more modern, there are few iron grills on the shop-fronts, and in general it is a very westernised country. This is in strong contrast to Perú where most business premises have extensive iron grills on the shop-front, and the grills are frequently left closed even when the shop is open - so you do your purchasing through the grill!! I presume this is a carry-over from the sad days of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) terrorist guerrilla attacks. Basically in Salta I just relaxed then caught my luxury bus to Buenos Aires. I thought is was a 24 hour journey but it took only 19 hours. Knowing the city from my earlier visit it was easy to catch a "Subte" (metro) train to Sherry”s apartment. Sherry is a generous, lovely former student of mine who has fallen in love with South America and loves to stay in one city for a month or more, usually in an apartment. Her favourite place is Bogotá, but she has stayed in Lima, Santiago and Valparaiso, and she arrived in BA only a few days before me. The apartment has a loft with a single bed, a bathroom with normal toilet (no basket!), very hot water, "flick-tap" and hot water in kitchen. So I was almost home! I did not realise till then how tired I really was and how stressful the trip had been. Every single action - choosing a hotel, choosing an eating place, then the menu item, catching a bus (which one?), getting off the bus (where?), which street to walk down, how to get back to the hotel - all these things are filled with stress because none of them are within your comfort zone. So, in effect, I was in a constant state of tension without realising it. Doing a normal pre-arranged tour with hotels and restaurants and destinations all chosen is not nearly so stressful. Nor is Sherry”s method of staying put in one place for a few weeks. Sherry gave me 6 days of great relaxation - on the condition I cooked the main meal(!!) - which I did on 3-4 nights. So I visited La Boca (the quaint old port area), the Recoleta cemetery, the Sunday market in San Telmo, walked the streets (including the up-market pedestrian mall on Calle Florida), visited Pili, the mother of out good friend Marcelo (in Yandina), and some of her family. Pili took me to Tigre a beautiful residential area 30 kms north of the city, on the banks of the river. They have a monstrous market there selling everything from fairy floss and handicrafts to beds and furniture at ridiculously low prices. Many locals travel to there to get furniture for their home. Definitely worth a visit especially on the weekend when all the stalls are open. So I started to relax and my cold started to reduce; I watched some movies on cable TV, chatted for hours with Sherry and enjoyed what I now consider a modern western city, far removed from the squalor and poverty I was used to for 10 weeks. By the way, men of all classes in Buenos Aires do not shake hands to greet one another, they kiss once on the left cheek. It was the first time I had seen this on my trip. Everyone has been asking me to specify the highlights of my trip or which country was the best/worst, so I will try to give some opinions. But I cannot say one country was better than another - they each have their good and bad points, and it would be foolish to say one is better than the other, just as ice-cream and steak are both nice but you cannot say one is "better". Brazil is a fascinating country whose people are marvellously uninhibited, joyful and musical. Rio and Salvador de Bahia are both wonderful cities and definitely should be on the "must-see" list. Salvador was probably the most exciting city that I visited - especially because of the drummers. Belém and Manaus are well worth seeing, along with a jungle trip - although that can also be done from Bolivia, Colombia or Perú. Colombia is not the dangerous place some people believe. The people are friendly and have a touch of Caribbean spontaneity. There are many places to see, from beaches to mountains. San Agustín is worth visiting, as is Leticia for a jungle trip. Ecuador has beaches, volcanos, mountains, interesting cities like Cuenca - or Baños (when the volcano stops being active!). And of course it sits astride the equator - but hold on to your cameras. Perú has a surplus of ancient ruins and archaeological sites but most of it is dry desert region. However, the people still suffer the scars of the vicious persecution by the military government in the 1970”s and the terrorism of Sendero Luminoso in the 1980”s; and there is an immense gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots”. Despite that, there are many must-see places:- Sipán, Túcume, Chan-Chán, Nasca, Machu Picchu, and the Cordillera Blanca (snow-covered mountains). Handicraft items are plentiful and cheap. Bolivia is one of the poorer nations but still very enjoyable and has much to see. La Paz is different and interesting and the handicrafts are the cheapest you will find (except perhaps Paraguay? - which I did not visit). Lake Titicaha is important, but so is Uyuni Salt Lake - cold, dusty, bleak, uninviting, but unique; and I would add the several coloured lakes further south if you have the time. Argentina and Chile are the two most economically developed countries on the continent and each has its own points of interest. Uruguay and Paraguay are the quiet backwaters and I am sure both would be interesting to see but neither has the exciting drawcards that the other countries possess. My special highlights would include, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, the visit to Roberta and Joselia in Manaus, finding and meeting Viviana in Chimbote, Machu Picchu, and Salar Uyuni. But there were twelve weeks of adventure and events that all added up to a complete whole - something special - and to select one item from all the rest seems somehow inappropriate. The final flight home was somewhat long and boring and included the frustration of having to empty my water bottles before boarding because of the (in my opinion) stupid rule about liquids, based on fear of terrorism ( a USA and UK initiative). However, the arrival home was fantastic and I felt so pleased and Mary was so welcoming that it obliterated al those frustrations. We have been very happy in one another”s company since my return; we have spent almost two weeks renovating the lounge-dining areas and moving my computer station upstairs - with very spectacular results. The family get-togethers have been the best of fun and Natalie is due to give birth within two weeks; little Max has grown and developed so much it is amazing. A trip I would repeat if I had my time over but not a trip I need to do again. Thanks for the interest of you all and may you get to experience some of the fun of seeing South America. Hasta Luego, Nobby - Chris
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Report # 16
Well, greetings again,
I am now in Argentina top north west a city called Salta which on first glance looks like a normal western city, and my district is full of fashion shops and a zillion people were strolling the streets on Saturday evening.. Again it is Sunday - I don”t plan to do all my reports on Sundays but seems many are done then.
Feeling good as am now out of the mtns and deserts and in normal scenery. In fact I feel like I spent 40 days in the desert and the devil came along and said "do you want to get out of here?" and I said "YES" . So this may be my second last report as I will be home in 10 days - about 20th Sept. Was planning on return early Oct but there were no flights from 19 Sep to mid-Oct so only flight available was 18th Sept. So I said yes. Means I cannot do Chile or most of Argentina. Will go from here direct to Buenos Aires Monday - 24 hr trip - and spend 5-6 days there.
Well, you last saw me in Cusco, Peru. Not only did Yovana help me but the guy on duty when I went to get my Mochila said to stay and rest till my bus left at 10.00pm - another wonderful and thoughtful person! Eventually got bus for Puno on Lake Titicaca (pronounced by locals as Titi caha). Did not realise bus was economy version with no heating and rusting windows with air seeping in. Met a nice guy Edvaldo and son Pepe also ging to La Paz (Bolivia). The bitch had told me it was luxury but did not even have footrests! No stops for toilets so about Juliaca while more passengers start or finish I used the street (!). About 3.30 am I went to wipe the moisture off windows and it was solid ice - on the inside!! Apparently we crosed a very high mtn where temp was below zero and I felt it - bloody cold!!. Arrive Puno 05.00 Drab mudbrick place right on edge of lake. Told there is transport strike in Cocacabana (Bolivia) so can only get to border and no further ( if want to see lake from that side). SO decide to see lake from Puno. Local tout offers $3 trip of 3 hrs to floating islands so accept after Ed tells me he is ok. We have coffee and Ed has business in Puno for 3-4 hrs so agree to meet at busstop for Border bus. Do the island trip - amazing man-made things where the local indians live. Thye fish, hunt and depend on tourism for income - pity! Each island is a tourist bazaar but I had run out of local currency so did not buy stuff. There are reeds which grow wild all around the lake (160x65klms) and they dive and cut the roots of reeds which are solid but float, they tie pieces 3x2 mts together till have island, then cover a meter or two deep with reeds and so they have an island which is then anchored with poles thru to bottom. Only about 4-5 mts deep there but is 270 mts deep in centre. Used be salt water millions of yrs ago but now only tiny percent of salt so locals use it but boil first..
Got back at 12.45 and no Ed/Pepe, so changed dollars to Bolivian stuff and took next bus to Desaguadero on border. Use every last cent of local money on fare, toilet and a few lollies. Walk to immig get exit, walk across bridge to Bol immig and get entry, walk 500 mts and get Combi to La Paz, 1.5 hrs to city edge but 30 mins more to centre. Strikingly beautiful city at night in bowl of volcano so high rims and city going all way down to central area. Lovely local couple ensure I get a reliable taxi to centre. Was then about 8.00 pm. At 3500 mts so tough stuff to move around. Found out by walking that the whole of city looks flat from rim but is in fact very hilly and really tiring to walk. Cheapest country by far I have visited - full hamburger with egg etc is $0.40-$0.50 - hotels are $4-5 per single. Had to change my hotel next day as first choice turned out to be just too scungy and dirty. Next day bought coca leaves - fresher this time, plus got some artesan stuff - there are about 8-10 city blocks of shops selling it. First day I had to stop every 3-4 streets to breathe, but by seconfd day had improved a bit but still hard work - need to suck in deep breaths a lot. Even at night trying to sleep. Enjoyed the city but did not do any tourist thing. Good place but you need to visit other high places first to get used to altitude.
Thurs depart for Uyuni where the highest salt lake in world. COnfirm that bus is heated beforehand, but dont trust so take lots of extra clothes with me on to bus. Notice that all the locals also have blankets, and bus is heated but only just, and the trip is over dirt road most of way so very dusty and I ned every item of extra clothes - six layers of clothes and scarf and beanie (gorra)!!! We arrive at 03.30 and two thirds of people get off but rest of stay and driver says we can all sleep till 6-7.00 am - amazing, he sleeeps too!! The some lady wants to get off at 6.20 so we all get up and a tout comes on board and offers tour of 1 or 3 days. I accpet 1 day and she takes me to agency office. Uyuni is dry dirty small, dusty as hell, and colder than ice. Tour is not till 10.30am so leave mochila and go get stuff and wander the 4x10 streets. Come back on time but no girl so ask cop and he says don”t worry she will arrive (! - SthAmerica!) She does and we set out in 4x4, 7 of us incl 2 other Aussies surprisingly. Phenomenal place - 12,000 sq klms probably 120x100 klms. We drove 70 kms straight out on salt visited salt hotel, place where the harvest salt, water springs in salt, plus an island of volcanic rock with tall single stem cacti (They grow at 1 cm per year and there was one there at 12.3 mts which makes it 1200 yrs old!!!) where we had lunch of llama chops - very tasty. Have flat tyre so driver changes it during lunch. Drive back and stop at dump of place on edge of salt about 20 mins from Uyuni and notice we have second flat. Now 5.00pm and cold as hell with stiff wind of wind-chill probably below zero. Driver hopes another vehicle will come along and lend us a spare, but none comes so by sunset we are all pretty alarmed - temps drop to 10 or more bleow zero out here at night!! Driver keeps disappearing and we presume trying to find someone with a spare, finds one and puts it on only to find it is flat too!!! we eventually find another 4x4 and ask if they can take us to town says yes but try another guy who has just returned down the track. Driver goes over and knows the guy and borrows the spare and it fits and we get back to town frozen 2 hrs late!!!
I had already found out that a train runs from Uyuni to Arg border - Villazon/Quiaca which keaves at 10.40pm. So have to wait. I had some great luck - success/universe intervention? - from Uyuni. ( I now have another cold and losing voice). First when I went back to the agency the girl said I could stay there till time to leave if I locked up!! They had a small gas heater and all I had to do was turn off gas and light and close roller door and put padlock in place. So I was able to take my time changing into wram clothes took some panadol, and started a 5-day course of antibiotics especially for chest, throat, nose. Relaxed and got warm and left just before 10.00. Got my ticket and had a coffee in cafetereia, and got on train in ejecutivo and was only passenger in my car!! But later the guard brought 3 French guys to join in. He gave us blankets and pillow. I arrived dressed for the Antartic and the temp in train was about 35C (!!!) so I stripped to just the shirt, But later it cooled a lot as we travelled thru the mtns so got back to Jumper then before leaving train I put back on several more layers. A great trip but I didnt really sleep much as recliner seats are not necesarily comfy and the noise of the whistle and train etc ..... But 10 times better than a bus - also had a great toilet with hand basin and paper-towels and toilet paper!!.
Arrived 7.30”ish and a girl tout asked if I wanted Salta, I sort of said yes but didnt need help. But she persisted and dropped from B40 to B35 so I said I would inspect and decide . She wanted me to take a taxi to office but I said we can walk . we did, 4 blocks or so. Bought ticket she said we have to hurry as bus leaves at 8.45 which I thought gave me plenty of time but that was Arg time and from across the border (one hour ahead!). So we went to Bol immig and got thru quickly then walk the bridge to Arg immig and there was a queue of 50 plus people but she said go up the front so I did and pushed in about 5 from front and got one lady complaining. I was looking at my passport and a Policmand/immig official asked where I was from and had a look at my passport and said wait a minute and went inside and got it stamped as I was still in my original 90 day period. So I was thru in 2 mins and the girl had another taxi waiting and said to hurry. SO I tipped her all my remaining Bol coins and we went to bus terminal and bus was just about to pull out!!! I checked my mochila and got on and it left. SO I arrived here (Salta) at 4.00pm rather than wait till the midday bus!!! (and get in at 20.00). Wasn”t that providence!! Many Thanks to that cop!
Went to a very good hotel at $17.50 per day and talked him into $15 so have very comfy room private bath hot water, soap towels, and b/fast included!! I decided I needed a splurge to make up for some of the tough times! I had not seen a bed since Wednesday night nor had a shower nor cleaned my teeth. Yuk!!!. (all day thurs, frid and Sat)
Have bought my ticket for luxury bus cama-seat to Buenos Aires for Monday, takes 24 hrs. Will see friends there and relax and see sights depart for home on Monday but lose a day over the Int Dateline. See you all soon!!!! Have to admit the thought of home is wonderful and am looking forward to it. Will have to do Chile and Argentina next time(!?).
Cheers for now. Nobby
I am now in Argentina top north west a city called Salta which on first glance looks like a normal western city, and my district is full of fashion shops and a zillion people were strolling the streets on Saturday evening.. Again it is Sunday - I don”t plan to do all my reports on Sundays but seems many are done then.
Feeling good as am now out of the mtns and deserts and in normal scenery. In fact I feel like I spent 40 days in the desert and the devil came along and said "do you want to get out of here?" and I said "YES" . So this may be my second last report as I will be home in 10 days - about 20th Sept. Was planning on return early Oct but there were no flights from 19 Sep to mid-Oct so only flight available was 18th Sept. So I said yes. Means I cannot do Chile or most of Argentina. Will go from here direct to Buenos Aires Monday - 24 hr trip - and spend 5-6 days there.
Well, you last saw me in Cusco, Peru. Not only did Yovana help me but the guy on duty when I went to get my Mochila said to stay and rest till my bus left at 10.00pm - another wonderful and thoughtful person! Eventually got bus for Puno on Lake Titicaca (pronounced by locals as Titi caha). Did not realise bus was economy version with no heating and rusting windows with air seeping in. Met a nice guy Edvaldo and son Pepe also ging to La Paz (Bolivia). The bitch had told me it was luxury but did not even have footrests! No stops for toilets so about Juliaca while more passengers start or finish I used the street (!). About 3.30 am I went to wipe the moisture off windows and it was solid ice - on the inside!! Apparently we crosed a very high mtn where temp was below zero and I felt it - bloody cold!!. Arrive Puno 05.00 Drab mudbrick place right on edge of lake. Told there is transport strike in Cocacabana (Bolivia) so can only get to border and no further ( if want to see lake from that side). SO decide to see lake from Puno. Local tout offers $3 trip of 3 hrs to floating islands so accept after Ed tells me he is ok. We have coffee and Ed has business in Puno for 3-4 hrs so agree to meet at busstop for Border bus. Do the island trip - amazing man-made things where the local indians live. Thye fish, hunt and depend on tourism for income - pity! Each island is a tourist bazaar but I had run out of local currency so did not buy stuff. There are reeds which grow wild all around the lake (160x65klms) and they dive and cut the roots of reeds which are solid but float, they tie pieces 3x2 mts together till have island, then cover a meter or two deep with reeds and so they have an island which is then anchored with poles thru to bottom. Only about 4-5 mts deep there but is 270 mts deep in centre. Used be salt water millions of yrs ago but now only tiny percent of salt so locals use it but boil first..
Got back at 12.45 and no Ed/Pepe, so changed dollars to Bolivian stuff and took next bus to Desaguadero on border. Use every last cent of local money on fare, toilet and a few lollies. Walk to immig get exit, walk across bridge to Bol immig and get entry, walk 500 mts and get Combi to La Paz, 1.5 hrs to city edge but 30 mins more to centre. Strikingly beautiful city at night in bowl of volcano so high rims and city going all way down to central area. Lovely local couple ensure I get a reliable taxi to centre. Was then about 8.00 pm. At 3500 mts so tough stuff to move around. Found out by walking that the whole of city looks flat from rim but is in fact very hilly and really tiring to walk. Cheapest country by far I have visited - full hamburger with egg etc is $0.40-$0.50 - hotels are $4-5 per single. Had to change my hotel next day as first choice turned out to be just too scungy and dirty. Next day bought coca leaves - fresher this time, plus got some artesan stuff - there are about 8-10 city blocks of shops selling it. First day I had to stop every 3-4 streets to breathe, but by seconfd day had improved a bit but still hard work - need to suck in deep breaths a lot. Even at night trying to sleep. Enjoyed the city but did not do any tourist thing. Good place but you need to visit other high places first to get used to altitude.
Thurs depart for Uyuni where the highest salt lake in world. COnfirm that bus is heated beforehand, but dont trust so take lots of extra clothes with me on to bus. Notice that all the locals also have blankets, and bus is heated but only just, and the trip is over dirt road most of way so very dusty and I ned every item of extra clothes - six layers of clothes and scarf and beanie (gorra)!!! We arrive at 03.30 and two thirds of people get off but rest of stay and driver says we can all sleep till 6-7.00 am - amazing, he sleeeps too!! The some lady wants to get off at 6.20 so we all get up and a tout comes on board and offers tour of 1 or 3 days. I accpet 1 day and she takes me to agency office. Uyuni is dry dirty small, dusty as hell, and colder than ice. Tour is not till 10.30am so leave mochila and go get stuff and wander the 4x10 streets. Come back on time but no girl so ask cop and he says don”t worry she will arrive (! - SthAmerica!) She does and we set out in 4x4, 7 of us incl 2 other Aussies surprisingly. Phenomenal place - 12,000 sq klms probably 120x100 klms. We drove 70 kms straight out on salt visited salt hotel, place where the harvest salt, water springs in salt, plus an island of volcanic rock with tall single stem cacti (They grow at 1 cm per year and there was one there at 12.3 mts which makes it 1200 yrs old!!!) where we had lunch of llama chops - very tasty. Have flat tyre so driver changes it during lunch. Drive back and stop at dump of place on edge of salt about 20 mins from Uyuni and notice we have second flat. Now 5.00pm and cold as hell with stiff wind of wind-chill probably below zero. Driver hopes another vehicle will come along and lend us a spare, but none comes so by sunset we are all pretty alarmed - temps drop to 10 or more bleow zero out here at night!! Driver keeps disappearing and we presume trying to find someone with a spare, finds one and puts it on only to find it is flat too!!! we eventually find another 4x4 and ask if they can take us to town says yes but try another guy who has just returned down the track. Driver goes over and knows the guy and borrows the spare and it fits and we get back to town frozen 2 hrs late!!!
I had already found out that a train runs from Uyuni to Arg border - Villazon/Quiaca which keaves at 10.40pm. So have to wait. I had some great luck - success/universe intervention? - from Uyuni. ( I now have another cold and losing voice). First when I went back to the agency the girl said I could stay there till time to leave if I locked up!! They had a small gas heater and all I had to do was turn off gas and light and close roller door and put padlock in place. So I was able to take my time changing into wram clothes took some panadol, and started a 5-day course of antibiotics especially for chest, throat, nose. Relaxed and got warm and left just before 10.00. Got my ticket and had a coffee in cafetereia, and got on train in ejecutivo and was only passenger in my car!! But later the guard brought 3 French guys to join in. He gave us blankets and pillow. I arrived dressed for the Antartic and the temp in train was about 35C (!!!) so I stripped to just the shirt, But later it cooled a lot as we travelled thru the mtns so got back to Jumper then before leaving train I put back on several more layers. A great trip but I didnt really sleep much as recliner seats are not necesarily comfy and the noise of the whistle and train etc ..... But 10 times better than a bus - also had a great toilet with hand basin and paper-towels and toilet paper!!.
Arrived 7.30”ish and a girl tout asked if I wanted Salta, I sort of said yes but didnt need help. But she persisted and dropped from B40 to B35 so I said I would inspect and decide . She wanted me to take a taxi to office but I said we can walk . we did, 4 blocks or so. Bought ticket she said we have to hurry as bus leaves at 8.45 which I thought gave me plenty of time but that was Arg time and from across the border (one hour ahead!). So we went to Bol immig and got thru quickly then walk the bridge to Arg immig and there was a queue of 50 plus people but she said go up the front so I did and pushed in about 5 from front and got one lady complaining. I was looking at my passport and a Policmand/immig official asked where I was from and had a look at my passport and said wait a minute and went inside and got it stamped as I was still in my original 90 day period. So I was thru in 2 mins and the girl had another taxi waiting and said to hurry. SO I tipped her all my remaining Bol coins and we went to bus terminal and bus was just about to pull out!!! I checked my mochila and got on and it left. SO I arrived here (Salta) at 4.00pm rather than wait till the midday bus!!! (and get in at 20.00). Wasn”t that providence!! Many Thanks to that cop!
Went to a very good hotel at $17.50 per day and talked him into $15 so have very comfy room private bath hot water, soap towels, and b/fast included!! I decided I needed a splurge to make up for some of the tough times! I had not seen a bed since Wednesday night nor had a shower nor cleaned my teeth. Yuk!!!. (all day thurs, frid and Sat)
Have bought my ticket for luxury bus cama-seat to Buenos Aires for Monday, takes 24 hrs. Will see friends there and relax and see sights depart for home on Monday but lose a day over the Int Dateline. See you all soon!!!! Have to admit the thought of home is wonderful and am looking forward to it. Will have to do Chile and Argentina next time(!?).
Cheers for now. Nobby