Hi Everyone,
A quick hi from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. My mom and I are here for Chirstmas, (yes in the desert), and it is the hottest Christmas ever. I´ll update with travel details later.
Enjoy the holidays,
Oliver
Friday, December 25, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
El Bolson, Puerto Natales (Torres Del Paine), Calafate (Perito Moreno Glacier), and El Chalten (Fitz Roy Range)
Hello friends,
I´ve clearly been a little busy, well in retrospect maybe distracted is a better word, in the past month. After my last entry, I went to stay at a farm in El Bolson, Argentina for 3 weeks. Starting November 4th, I was on the farm that was 30 minutes outside of the town via truck. Coincidentally, the farm was located at the intersection of two rivers, and we had to cross a river (via truck, although this time much more deep waters), just like the last farm. That was about all that this farm had in common with the last, for this farm was owned by a family from the US. The farm was gorgeous, situated on rolling grassy hills with forest behind the property. (and of course a view of the mountains) Unfortunately, I got sick for the first week I was at the farm, but luckily I was in one place, relaxed, and did not have to work. After my unexpected sickness, I started working in the garden, composting, learning about Bio-intensive techniques (A special system for farming) Depending on the weather, the jobs would vary, but I did about step in the bio-intensive method, so now I have a good idea of what has to be done. From making compost, sewing seeds, changing crates, transferring plants, weeding, planting the starters (in triangles only), and preparing the garden beds. Its a long process trust me. I planted corn, potatoes, tomatoes, beets, onions, chives, tobacco, lamb´s ear, and things I do not even remember.
During all this gardening, I would sometimes work with animals. Herding sheep, watching births, and feeding were some of the jobs. Two weeks in my stay, all the sheep started giving birth, and I was able to watch that process a number of times. Unfortunately one of the mom sheep died after birth, leaving two orphan lambs, so I took them into my house for a week and fed them, via baby bottle, ever four to six hours (even in the middle of the night). After a number of days, the lambs started to recognize my scent, and would follow me around the house, front yard, and it was pretty spectacular. There names were Pigsy (named by a fellow volunteer from Australia named Adam) and Monkey (who I named). The other wwoofers (volunteers) were great, one girl from New York, and Adam and Tania, a young couple from Australia. We spent a good amount of the time together, for the family lived in a separate house.
The farm was really fancy because they had a running lodge for tourists to stay and take courses on different farm related procedures. They were just starting up and gave there first workshop on the bio-intensive method during my stay. One day I went to a neighboring farm owned by an older couple from Austria, and there I learned how to make cheese, milk a cow, and clean and prepare wool for making duvets. My day there was pretty awesome, especially cause our common language was Spanish, and not English. I learned a ton of things during my stay, and ended up making my own bread (whole wheat), yogurt, and other foods. I experimented with a ton of food, and it was really a great learning experience. I left the farm on November 27 for Bariloche, then for Osorno, Chile because my visa was going to expire.
I spent a night in Osorno, Chile, and bought a ticket for Punta Arenas, Chile (Far south Patagonia). I met a girl on the bus from Germany, and we ended up talking for a while. She had a friend in Puerto Natales, from Germany, who had a boyfriend who was a local. I decided to go with her to Puerto Natales the same night I arrive Punta Arenas because I really wanted to go to Torres Del Paine National Park. Getting in late, the family of the boyfriend offered to let me stay at their house in town. I ended up spending a ton of time with them, they me a bike, fed me, and they were amazing. They didn´t even know me, but were so incredibly open and generous it was amazing. They lent me some gear for Torres Del Paine, and so I left for four days to the park.
Even driving to the park was spectacular, I even took a picture from the bus, which I don´t normally do. I´m not going into all the details, just because I could write forever, but it was amazing. The blue lakes, the huge sheer peeks of rock, the flowers, grass, hills, mountains, snow, everything. I will upload a picture, or two when I can. I spent 3 nights in the park, hiking all day, and camping in the free campsites. The last night was next to a glacier, it was that amazing. I will remember the park forever, and would love to go back one day. It was unreal hiking alone, listening to the wind, and just enjoying the moment. It was like nothing I had ever done before. After the park, I headed back to PN and stayed with the family for two nights before I left for El Calafate. The family was waiting with open arms and I will be forever grateful. Maybe they will come to Seattle some day.
I went back to Argentina to El Calafate, and went to see the Perito Moreno Glacier the next day. I went in a taxi with some people I met in the hostel, at 6 am, so there were very little people in the park, and it was the cheapest option. The glacier was amazing, huge, and blue. And the day was gorgeous, so I was incredibly lucky. The next day I left for El Chalten, Argentina, where the famous Fitz Roy Range is located.
Located in a national park (on the edge) one can just walk two blocks from the center of the town and the trail begins. It was amazing. The weather, once again, was also unpredictably beautiful, like as if luck had been following me the whole way in Patagonia. (well for life in general I guess, right?) I spent 5 days in the park, not worrying about time, people or anything. The days were shorting for trekking, and I spent a lot of time reading in my hammock or looking at the amazing scenery. That place was amazing, in par with Torres Del Paine, and I will remember every bit of beauty that I saw. The glaciers, the mountains, stone peeks, trees, rivers, everything, amazing. Sometimes I would go find a boulder, and do some rock climbing, it was just that easy.
Now, I am going to have to wrap this up, which leads me to my next adventure. My mom comes today, she is flying into Mendoza (where I took 3 days of buses to get to), and I have to pick her up from the airport. I am pretty excited to see her come, and am happy to share my trip with her. We will probably hang out for a day or two here, I have a friend who wants to take me (and mom) rock climbing, and then we are headed for Chile, then Peru. I will update as time allows, which is not often. But things are better told face to face.
I hope life is great with everyone,
Oliver
PS: Enjoy the Holidays and drink an eggnog for me!
I´ve clearly been a little busy, well in retrospect maybe distracted is a better word, in the past month. After my last entry, I went to stay at a farm in El Bolson, Argentina for 3 weeks. Starting November 4th, I was on the farm that was 30 minutes outside of the town via truck. Coincidentally, the farm was located at the intersection of two rivers, and we had to cross a river (via truck, although this time much more deep waters), just like the last farm. That was about all that this farm had in common with the last, for this farm was owned by a family from the US. The farm was gorgeous, situated on rolling grassy hills with forest behind the property. (and of course a view of the mountains) Unfortunately, I got sick for the first week I was at the farm, but luckily I was in one place, relaxed, and did not have to work. After my unexpected sickness, I started working in the garden, composting, learning about Bio-intensive techniques (A special system for farming) Depending on the weather, the jobs would vary, but I did about step in the bio-intensive method, so now I have a good idea of what has to be done. From making compost, sewing seeds, changing crates, transferring plants, weeding, planting the starters (in triangles only), and preparing the garden beds. Its a long process trust me. I planted corn, potatoes, tomatoes, beets, onions, chives, tobacco, lamb´s ear, and things I do not even remember.
During all this gardening, I would sometimes work with animals. Herding sheep, watching births, and feeding were some of the jobs. Two weeks in my stay, all the sheep started giving birth, and I was able to watch that process a number of times. Unfortunately one of the mom sheep died after birth, leaving two orphan lambs, so I took them into my house for a week and fed them, via baby bottle, ever four to six hours (even in the middle of the night). After a number of days, the lambs started to recognize my scent, and would follow me around the house, front yard, and it was pretty spectacular. There names were Pigsy (named by a fellow volunteer from Australia named Adam) and Monkey (who I named). The other wwoofers (volunteers) were great, one girl from New York, and Adam and Tania, a young couple from Australia. We spent a good amount of the time together, for the family lived in a separate house.
The farm was really fancy because they had a running lodge for tourists to stay and take courses on different farm related procedures. They were just starting up and gave there first workshop on the bio-intensive method during my stay. One day I went to a neighboring farm owned by an older couple from Austria, and there I learned how to make cheese, milk a cow, and clean and prepare wool for making duvets. My day there was pretty awesome, especially cause our common language was Spanish, and not English. I learned a ton of things during my stay, and ended up making my own bread (whole wheat), yogurt, and other foods. I experimented with a ton of food, and it was really a great learning experience. I left the farm on November 27 for Bariloche, then for Osorno, Chile because my visa was going to expire.
I spent a night in Osorno, Chile, and bought a ticket for Punta Arenas, Chile (Far south Patagonia). I met a girl on the bus from Germany, and we ended up talking for a while. She had a friend in Puerto Natales, from Germany, who had a boyfriend who was a local. I decided to go with her to Puerto Natales the same night I arrive Punta Arenas because I really wanted to go to Torres Del Paine National Park. Getting in late, the family of the boyfriend offered to let me stay at their house in town. I ended up spending a ton of time with them, they me a bike, fed me, and they were amazing. They didn´t even know me, but were so incredibly open and generous it was amazing. They lent me some gear for Torres Del Paine, and so I left for four days to the park.
Even driving to the park was spectacular, I even took a picture from the bus, which I don´t normally do. I´m not going into all the details, just because I could write forever, but it was amazing. The blue lakes, the huge sheer peeks of rock, the flowers, grass, hills, mountains, snow, everything. I will upload a picture, or two when I can. I spent 3 nights in the park, hiking all day, and camping in the free campsites. The last night was next to a glacier, it was that amazing. I will remember the park forever, and would love to go back one day. It was unreal hiking alone, listening to the wind, and just enjoying the moment. It was like nothing I had ever done before. After the park, I headed back to PN and stayed with the family for two nights before I left for El Calafate. The family was waiting with open arms and I will be forever grateful. Maybe they will come to Seattle some day.
I went back to Argentina to El Calafate, and went to see the Perito Moreno Glacier the next day. I went in a taxi with some people I met in the hostel, at 6 am, so there were very little people in the park, and it was the cheapest option. The glacier was amazing, huge, and blue. And the day was gorgeous, so I was incredibly lucky. The next day I left for El Chalten, Argentina, where the famous Fitz Roy Range is located.
Located in a national park (on the edge) one can just walk two blocks from the center of the town and the trail begins. It was amazing. The weather, once again, was also unpredictably beautiful, like as if luck had been following me the whole way in Patagonia. (well for life in general I guess, right?) I spent 5 days in the park, not worrying about time, people or anything. The days were shorting for trekking, and I spent a lot of time reading in my hammock or looking at the amazing scenery. That place was amazing, in par with Torres Del Paine, and I will remember every bit of beauty that I saw. The glaciers, the mountains, stone peeks, trees, rivers, everything, amazing. Sometimes I would go find a boulder, and do some rock climbing, it was just that easy.
Now, I am going to have to wrap this up, which leads me to my next adventure. My mom comes today, she is flying into Mendoza (where I took 3 days of buses to get to), and I have to pick her up from the airport. I am pretty excited to see her come, and am happy to share my trip with her. We will probably hang out for a day or two here, I have a friend who wants to take me (and mom) rock climbing, and then we are headed for Chile, then Peru. I will update as time allows, which is not often. But things are better told face to face.
I hope life is great with everyone,
Oliver
PS: Enjoy the Holidays and drink an eggnog for me!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
End of the Farm, Mendoza, and Bariloche
It has been a while, which is a good thing, well at least for me. In the end of October, the 20th, I left the farm in Jujuy. I was quite sad to leave, but it was too easy to stay there and live with that lifestyle. I was too comfortable there, and one purpose of this trip is to experience unfamiliar places. Before I left, we had a farewell and birthday party for me. We all drank Sidra (alcoholic apple cider), ate home made healthy cake, and it was pretty amazing. A very unique birthday experience, something I never could have imagined. I will never forget the family, and feel as if I will definately see them again. They drove me to town on the 20th, and I caught a bus that night to Mendoza, Argentina.
After the 21 hour bus ride, I arrived in Mendoza, and found the Damajuana Hostel. My first whole day in Mendoza, I went out to rent a bike and do the famous wine tours. I spent the whole day biking around, and went to a winery, an olive farm, and a chocolate factory. A pretty touristy, but delicious day. The views were great, and it was nice to be on a bike again. The next day I went to the amazing San Martin Park in Mendoza, where I read, relaxed, and sun bathed on the shore of a resevior. I met a ton of people in the hostel, had ping pong tournaments, and shared traveling stories. There was a cool vibe to the hostel. I also went to the thermal pool park outside of Mendoza in Cachueta. I sat in the pools, relaxed, and just spent all day soaking away the dirt from Jujuy. It was perched on the side of a river, with pretty amazing views of the colorful canyon walls. I also hiked a small mountain in the San Martin Park one day, with a great view of the city. I went looking for a guy who could teach me something about rock climbing, and found a really amazing guy named Federico. He worked at a tourist agency, but I told him what I was interested in, and he took me under his wing. He gave me an amazing deal for 3 hours a day for 3 days of private clases. He took me to the gym in town and I learned a bunch. I learned knots, systems, techniques, ect. He also gave me a free all day trip rock climb and repell outside of town. During the trip we also went to these natural springs, (different from the others), that were just inside the river bed, but as hot as a hot tub. On my last day in Mendoza, Federico (who had already done more than I paid for) picked me up and we went to his friends apartment on the 10th floor of a building in the city. He took me to the balcony, and inside of a tiny door that seemed like some kind of maintanence hatch, there was this small bouldering (rock climbing without ropes) wall on the slanted roof of the building. It was amazing, and I was the only tourist to ever see it. It makes a difference what you get to do when you actually connect with the people and speak the language. Without spanish, I would not be able to have these kind of experiences. I left the 29th for Bariloche on a 19 hour bus ride.
I got into Bariloche in the late afternoon, and went to Hostel 1004 that a friend recommended, but it was full. I spent a night in a cool place called Periko´s, and found a cool french couple (with whom I spoke spanish to, our common language). The next morning I went to Hostel 1004, a beautiful hostel on the 10th floor of a building (the highest floor in the city). It overlooks the beautiful lake that Bariloche sits on, Lake Nahuel Huipi. The first day in Bariloche, I went to rent a bike and do a loop trail, 35km or 20miles, called Circuito Chico. It goes along the lakes, mountains, forest, and officially made the top five prettiest days of my life. The water is blue, the mountains tall with snow, and everything just seems so unreal. I sat and ate lunch on a rocky beach point and just looked out for at least an hour. It was amazing. The views were spectacular, and once I find a computer that doesn´t take 10 hours to upload photos, I will upload a few. I got back to the hostel, and there was a finger food and wine tasting party. A bunch of people from all over the world, including Germany, Italy, China, Korea, US, Canada, Argentina, Columbia, and more all gathered around for the cause. It was pretty fun. The next day I hiked up Cerro Otto, a small mountain near town with a 360 degree view of the area. It was a good climb, and a better view. I spent almost the whole day on top, reading, writing, ect. Yesterday, I met a guy from Conneticut, and we went on a hike at Cerro Catedral. We planned just to do the short hike, but we got to the fork in the path and went for the summit to Refugio Frey. Only 1700 meteres elevation, but a good 3-4 hour climb. At the top there was snow and a beautiful little cabin for climbers to stay at. The view was spectacular with a frozen lake in front of the cabin and mountains surrounding the whole thing. A magical place. We descended through the streams, trees, and lakes and were exhausted by the end of the day. I said bye to the Jim (the guy from Conneticut and his girlfriend Laura, who are both medical students) today, and I am leaving for El Bolson tomorrow at noon. In El Bolson, I am going to another wwoof farm, where the family (from the US) runs a ecolodge and an organic farm. It is a completely different experience than the preivous farm, but I am interested to see the beautiful landscape. I will keep in contact, and hope all is well.
After the 21 hour bus ride, I arrived in Mendoza, and found the Damajuana Hostel. My first whole day in Mendoza, I went out to rent a bike and do the famous wine tours. I spent the whole day biking around, and went to a winery, an olive farm, and a chocolate factory. A pretty touristy, but delicious day. The views were great, and it was nice to be on a bike again. The next day I went to the amazing San Martin Park in Mendoza, where I read, relaxed, and sun bathed on the shore of a resevior. I met a ton of people in the hostel, had ping pong tournaments, and shared traveling stories. There was a cool vibe to the hostel. I also went to the thermal pool park outside of Mendoza in Cachueta. I sat in the pools, relaxed, and just spent all day soaking away the dirt from Jujuy. It was perched on the side of a river, with pretty amazing views of the colorful canyon walls. I also hiked a small mountain in the San Martin Park one day, with a great view of the city. I went looking for a guy who could teach me something about rock climbing, and found a really amazing guy named Federico. He worked at a tourist agency, but I told him what I was interested in, and he took me under his wing. He gave me an amazing deal for 3 hours a day for 3 days of private clases. He took me to the gym in town and I learned a bunch. I learned knots, systems, techniques, ect. He also gave me a free all day trip rock climb and repell outside of town. During the trip we also went to these natural springs, (different from the others), that were just inside the river bed, but as hot as a hot tub. On my last day in Mendoza, Federico (who had already done more than I paid for) picked me up and we went to his friends apartment on the 10th floor of a building in the city. He took me to the balcony, and inside of a tiny door that seemed like some kind of maintanence hatch, there was this small bouldering (rock climbing without ropes) wall on the slanted roof of the building. It was amazing, and I was the only tourist to ever see it. It makes a difference what you get to do when you actually connect with the people and speak the language. Without spanish, I would not be able to have these kind of experiences. I left the 29th for Bariloche on a 19 hour bus ride.
I got into Bariloche in the late afternoon, and went to Hostel 1004 that a friend recommended, but it was full. I spent a night in a cool place called Periko´s, and found a cool french couple (with whom I spoke spanish to, our common language). The next morning I went to Hostel 1004, a beautiful hostel on the 10th floor of a building (the highest floor in the city). It overlooks the beautiful lake that Bariloche sits on, Lake Nahuel Huipi. The first day in Bariloche, I went to rent a bike and do a loop trail, 35km or 20miles, called Circuito Chico. It goes along the lakes, mountains, forest, and officially made the top five prettiest days of my life. The water is blue, the mountains tall with snow, and everything just seems so unreal. I sat and ate lunch on a rocky beach point and just looked out for at least an hour. It was amazing. The views were spectacular, and once I find a computer that doesn´t take 10 hours to upload photos, I will upload a few. I got back to the hostel, and there was a finger food and wine tasting party. A bunch of people from all over the world, including Germany, Italy, China, Korea, US, Canada, Argentina, Columbia, and more all gathered around for the cause. It was pretty fun. The next day I hiked up Cerro Otto, a small mountain near town with a 360 degree view of the area. It was a good climb, and a better view. I spent almost the whole day on top, reading, writing, ect. Yesterday, I met a guy from Conneticut, and we went on a hike at Cerro Catedral. We planned just to do the short hike, but we got to the fork in the path and went for the summit to Refugio Frey. Only 1700 meteres elevation, but a good 3-4 hour climb. At the top there was snow and a beautiful little cabin for climbers to stay at. The view was spectacular with a frozen lake in front of the cabin and mountains surrounding the whole thing. A magical place. We descended through the streams, trees, and lakes and were exhausted by the end of the day. I said bye to the Jim (the guy from Conneticut and his girlfriend Laura, who are both medical students) today, and I am leaving for El Bolson tomorrow at noon. In El Bolson, I am going to another wwoof farm, where the family (from the US) runs a ecolodge and an organic farm. It is a completely different experience than the preivous farm, but I am interested to see the beautiful landscape. I will keep in contact, and hope all is well.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Tilquiza, Jujuy, Argentina (Middle of Nowhere)
Hey everyone,
I have been living on a farm in Tilquiza, Jujuy, Argentina for the past 2.5 weeks. So I have been out of contact. I am intown for a few hours running some errands with the family so I must make this short.
Aldea Luna, the family´s Natural Reserve, is 20km outside of Jujuy. 17 km of road, 2km of dirt, and 1 km of riverbed (which is shallow enough to drive over) away from the city. Before my trip began, when I was imagining ideal places for my trip to take me, I couldn´t have conjured up an image as amazing as the view from my new home. With literally nobody around, I am spending time with some of the coolest people I have ever met. I live with a Martin (dad), Elizabeth (mom), Gerardo (family friend), and Matias (11 year old son). They have taken me, and my sloppy spanish, in as one of there own, and I couldn´t imagine not ever meeting them. I work 6 days a week, breakfast at 8, work following till 12, then lunch, siesta (nap) till 3, then work till about 6 or 7. I have developed some good caluses, ontop of what rockclimbing already did. Somedays I dig trenches, others I build fences, drying racks, or new roofs for the family house. However, the work is not what matters, but more the fact that I am working alongside new people, speaking a new language, sharing stories, and becoming friends. I really couldn´t have found a better place to start wwoofing (the organic farm volunteering company). I am speaking much better spanish, and can understand the majority of what is said to me. I am picking up a large amount of new Argentinian vocab, which will prove useless as I change countries, but I am loving it.
All the food is vegetarian, and incredibly healthy. I eat amazingly well. I average more than 6 whole fruits a day, I am sure. Countless vegetables as well. With this diet, I have realized the unimportance of meat in one´s diet. I am actually considering becoming a vegetarian again, well probably when I get back to the states and definately not beef or pork. Too many resources go into producing all this meat, and more people could eat, if meat wasn´t so popular. Seeing the ugliness of nearby cow farms has helped me in this decision. Most days, after work, I go down to the gardin, and pick some fresh mint for tea, then read, play games with Matias, or talk with the family. Life is simple, and exactly what I wanted.
On Sundays, the day off, I have gone on long hikes on the 1200 acre property. On the first Sunday, I hiked away from the house, and followed a trail climbing through the forest. I found a steep hill, which I climbed, and took a break, listening to the wind, and taking in the view. Everyday includes some new amazing experience like this. I also spend a fair amount of time in my hammock on the roof deck of my cabin. The view from there is pretty amazing. So amazing I am heading back with the family now. So that is all for now, I hope all is well.
Pictures will come when I come back to town in 2 weeks or so,
Oliver
I have been living on a farm in Tilquiza, Jujuy, Argentina for the past 2.5 weeks. So I have been out of contact. I am intown for a few hours running some errands with the family so I must make this short.
Aldea Luna, the family´s Natural Reserve, is 20km outside of Jujuy. 17 km of road, 2km of dirt, and 1 km of riverbed (which is shallow enough to drive over) away from the city. Before my trip began, when I was imagining ideal places for my trip to take me, I couldn´t have conjured up an image as amazing as the view from my new home. With literally nobody around, I am spending time with some of the coolest people I have ever met. I live with a Martin (dad), Elizabeth (mom), Gerardo (family friend), and Matias (11 year old son). They have taken me, and my sloppy spanish, in as one of there own, and I couldn´t imagine not ever meeting them. I work 6 days a week, breakfast at 8, work following till 12, then lunch, siesta (nap) till 3, then work till about 6 or 7. I have developed some good caluses, ontop of what rockclimbing already did. Somedays I dig trenches, others I build fences, drying racks, or new roofs for the family house. However, the work is not what matters, but more the fact that I am working alongside new people, speaking a new language, sharing stories, and becoming friends. I really couldn´t have found a better place to start wwoofing (the organic farm volunteering company). I am speaking much better spanish, and can understand the majority of what is said to me. I am picking up a large amount of new Argentinian vocab, which will prove useless as I change countries, but I am loving it.
All the food is vegetarian, and incredibly healthy. I eat amazingly well. I average more than 6 whole fruits a day, I am sure. Countless vegetables as well. With this diet, I have realized the unimportance of meat in one´s diet. I am actually considering becoming a vegetarian again, well probably when I get back to the states and definately not beef or pork. Too many resources go into producing all this meat, and more people could eat, if meat wasn´t so popular. Seeing the ugliness of nearby cow farms has helped me in this decision. Most days, after work, I go down to the gardin, and pick some fresh mint for tea, then read, play games with Matias, or talk with the family. Life is simple, and exactly what I wanted.
On Sundays, the day off, I have gone on long hikes on the 1200 acre property. On the first Sunday, I hiked away from the house, and followed a trail climbing through the forest. I found a steep hill, which I climbed, and took a break, listening to the wind, and taking in the view. Everyday includes some new amazing experience like this. I also spend a fair amount of time in my hammock on the roof deck of my cabin. The view from there is pretty amazing. So amazing I am heading back with the family now. So that is all for now, I hope all is well.
Pictures will come when I come back to town in 2 weeks or so,
Oliver
Friday, September 18, 2009
In Puerto Igauzú
Hey Everyone,
I am sitting at Hostel Peter Pan (really) in Puerto Igauzú, Misiones, Argentina, and because yesterday was amazing enough for two days; I decided to spend the day here uploading pictures, writing to you, and handwashing my clothes.
Yesterday I woke up at 6:55 to catch the first bus to Parque Nacional Igauzú. I was on the bus with some other ambitous tourists and mostly the park staff. I got to the park as it opened around 9 to beat the lazy tourist rush, which I did for the most part. There are 3 main trails, (San Martin the Island was closed), that one can go on in the park. The Paseo Inferior (1:30hrs), Superior (1hr), and Garganta del Diablo (1:30hrs) (the main show). I started with the Paseo Inferior which looked up at the waterfalls. This was my favorite trail of the three because you could see the how big the waterfalls actually were. There was a section you could avoid because it got you wet, but I decided to take that route, and got completely soaked. Luckily, my clothes dried in an hour. I then took the Paseo Superior, which walked along and over the tops of the waterfalls. Pretty amazing overall. I then grabed the small train over to Garganta del Diablo. There was a metal grate path walking over the river that fed the waterfall. The whole path was over the water, which was pretty amazing. I got to the end, and despite the misty cloud, I could see the vastness of the waterfall, some 82 meters high. It was a little foggy out, so I probably didn^t get the best view, but I was satisfied. I then walked over to the Sendero Macuco, an of the beaten path, path, where I figured that fatty tourists wouldn´t visit. I was right. The 3.5 Km path, one way, was pretty deep in the jungle. At the end of the path, there was a fork, one that went up to the top of the waterfall and one leading to the bottom. I took the bottom route first. I got to a pretty pristine waterfall witha small pool at the base. When I looked at the pool, something inside me said, ^go swimming,^ at first I looked around and said no thats crazy. But it looked so great, and I only live once right?, so somehow I ended up undressed and swimming in the pool. Nobody was around (well for the most part), and the water was warm. I got to the base of the fall, and spread my arms out and looked up at the massive fall. (I didn´t go under, cause I would have died) This was probably one of the greatest experiences so far. At this point I realized how much I could do with my trip, and how much fun I am going to have. Not like I haven´t had fun already, but it was pretty eyeopening. After my quick dip, I headed up to the top, looked around, and started walking. Another man was near by, and happened to be making the hike back as well. (He saw me swimming, opps). He was from Puerto Rico, his name was Santiago (get this) Oliver. We spoke spanish for a good hour, and he had some pretty interesting things to say about the US. Talking with him was great because I realized my spanish wasn´t as bad as I thought. I have found it difficult to comprehend the Argentine castellano (spanish) so far, but talking with Santaigo made me feel better. I am working on understanding more, and once I get to a farm (more news) I will be able to get more practice. So yesterday was pretty amazing.
I found out the other day that I am going to start working on a family farm (organic, wwoof) in Jujuy, Argentina. I am taking the bus to Salta tomorrow (23hrs) , then getting a 2 hour connection to Jujuy Sunday. I will spend the night there, then catch a bus that will take me an hour out of town, where Martin (the farmer) will pick me up with horses. (pretty amazing) I am physched to be out farming finally, and am about ready to stop my frivolous (well $25 dollar a day) lifestyle. I am ready to do some hard labor and work with a family. The family is vegetarian, don´t eat bread, and only eat what they grow (exept rice), and I am pretty excited for my new diet. I am anxious to be back in shape, after 2 weeks of only walking. I will probably not have internet starting Monday, so this will probably be my last post for a while. Unless I come into town once a week with Martin.
If I don´t post for a while, it means I am having fun, and havn´t run from the farm yet.
Talk to you later,
Oliver
I wasn^t exactly determined to go to Igauzú before
I am sitting at Hostel Peter Pan (really) in Puerto Igauzú, Misiones, Argentina, and because yesterday was amazing enough for two days; I decided to spend the day here uploading pictures, writing to you, and handwashing my clothes.
Yesterday I woke up at 6:55 to catch the first bus to Parque Nacional Igauzú. I was on the bus with some other ambitous tourists and mostly the park staff. I got to the park as it opened around 9 to beat the lazy tourist rush, which I did for the most part. There are 3 main trails, (San Martin the Island was closed), that one can go on in the park. The Paseo Inferior (1:30hrs), Superior (1hr), and Garganta del Diablo (1:30hrs) (the main show). I started with the Paseo Inferior which looked up at the waterfalls. This was my favorite trail of the three because you could see the how big the waterfalls actually were. There was a section you could avoid because it got you wet, but I decided to take that route, and got completely soaked. Luckily, my clothes dried in an hour. I then took the Paseo Superior, which walked along and over the tops of the waterfalls. Pretty amazing overall. I then grabed the small train over to Garganta del Diablo. There was a metal grate path walking over the river that fed the waterfall. The whole path was over the water, which was pretty amazing. I got to the end, and despite the misty cloud, I could see the vastness of the waterfall, some 82 meters high. It was a little foggy out, so I probably didn^t get the best view, but I was satisfied. I then walked over to the Sendero Macuco, an of the beaten path, path, where I figured that fatty tourists wouldn´t visit. I was right. The 3.5 Km path, one way, was pretty deep in the jungle. At the end of the path, there was a fork, one that went up to the top of the waterfall and one leading to the bottom. I took the bottom route first. I got to a pretty pristine waterfall witha small pool at the base. When I looked at the pool, something inside me said, ^go swimming,^ at first I looked around and said no thats crazy. But it looked so great, and I only live once right?, so somehow I ended up undressed and swimming in the pool. Nobody was around (well for the most part), and the water was warm. I got to the base of the fall, and spread my arms out and looked up at the massive fall. (I didn´t go under, cause I would have died) This was probably one of the greatest experiences so far. At this point I realized how much I could do with my trip, and how much fun I am going to have. Not like I haven´t had fun already, but it was pretty eyeopening. After my quick dip, I headed up to the top, looked around, and started walking. Another man was near by, and happened to be making the hike back as well. (He saw me swimming, opps). He was from Puerto Rico, his name was Santiago (get this) Oliver. We spoke spanish for a good hour, and he had some pretty interesting things to say about the US. Talking with him was great because I realized my spanish wasn´t as bad as I thought. I have found it difficult to comprehend the Argentine castellano (spanish) so far, but talking with Santaigo made me feel better. I am working on understanding more, and once I get to a farm (more news) I will be able to get more practice. So yesterday was pretty amazing.
I found out the other day that I am going to start working on a family farm (organic, wwoof) in Jujuy, Argentina. I am taking the bus to Salta tomorrow (23hrs) , then getting a 2 hour connection to Jujuy Sunday. I will spend the night there, then catch a bus that will take me an hour out of town, where Martin (the farmer) will pick me up with horses. (pretty amazing) I am physched to be out farming finally, and am about ready to stop my frivolous (well $25 dollar a day) lifestyle. I am ready to do some hard labor and work with a family. The family is vegetarian, don´t eat bread, and only eat what they grow (exept rice), and I am pretty excited for my new diet. I am anxious to be back in shape, after 2 weeks of only walking. I will probably not have internet starting Monday, so this will probably be my last post for a while. Unless I come into town once a week with Martin.
If I don´t post for a while, it means I am having fun, and havn´t run from the farm yet.
Talk to you later,
Oliver
I wasn^t exactly determined to go to Igauzú before
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Iguazù Falls
Hola,
This one will be short.
Yesterday, a group of people were leaving to Iguazu falls, and invited me. At first I thought ¨no i should stay here and figure it out before I go.¨ But then I realized that it was a perfect place just to get up and go to. I didnt need any reservations, so we went to the bus station, and bought the night bus to Iguazù. I am here now and settled in, and tomorrow I am off to see the falls. I am pretty excited to see the falls, and will probably not stay here too long. I am in contact with a guy who has a farm in Jujuy, Argentina, so I will probably head there in a few days. I hope all is well for everyone, and dont worry because I will take pictures.
Hasta Luego,
Oliver
This one will be short.
Yesterday, a group of people were leaving to Iguazu falls, and invited me. At first I thought ¨no i should stay here and figure it out before I go.¨ But then I realized that it was a perfect place just to get up and go to. I didnt need any reservations, so we went to the bus station, and bought the night bus to Iguazù. I am here now and settled in, and tomorrow I am off to see the falls. I am pretty excited to see the falls, and will probably not stay here too long. I am in contact with a guy who has a farm in Jujuy, Argentina, so I will probably head there in a few days. I hope all is well for everyone, and dont worry because I will take pictures.
Hasta Luego,
Oliver
Monday, September 14, 2009
Buenos Aires: Food, Music, Parks, Clubs, People, and Chaos
Hey Everyone,
I am on my 13th day of travel, (inlcuding the terrible day of flight), and I am still of to a good start. My past 10 days have been crazy. I am trying to get a good dose of green, so I have gone to every park I can find. There are some amazing parks, however a lot are ridden with dog poop. Last Monday I went to drum show called ``la bomba de tiempo,`` it was amazing. I went with a a guy from Amsterdam, Holland, a woman from Australia, and a girl from London, England. A pretty eclectic group, eh? Everything I do seems to be involved with someone from another part of the world, clearly a part of international travel. I had my first night on the town as well. In Argentina, you usually don´t go out untill atleat 2 am, so after a pre party at the hostel, we went to a bar at around 2:30. The group I went to the club consisted of 1 Irish woman, 1 English girl, 3 Argentines, 2 Californians, a Peruvian, and a Chilean. It was a totally new scene being at a bar. There was music, dancing, and everything you could imagine in the wee hours of the night, I will let your imagination wonder.
On Sunday, September 6th, I went to the San Telmo street fair, which was amazing. It spanned at leat 10 blocks down a closed off street. There were thousands of people there. I had amazing jugo de naranja (orange juice) freshly squeezed. I also visted the famous Recoletta cemetary last week. It was unlike any cemetary I have ever seen, for there was no grass what so ever. The most afluent of Buenos Aires families are burried in huge granite housing in the cemetary, it is quite the sight. I went over the La Boca, a less afluent neighborhood of Buenos Aires, and saw the colorful buidlings, for which that neighborhood is famous.
On the subway the other day, I was crammed into a corning, next to this lady reading a book. Being curious, or maybe nosy, I started reading her book (in spanish) I recognized the names and the story, and realized it was Sputnik Sweetheart by Murukami. I showed her the book I was reading The Underground - Murkukami, and told her how much I loved Murukami`s other books. She said it was her first Murukami, and I told her which other ones to read. Then a guy next to us started talking about his favorite Murukami books, it was as if we were all supposed to meet on the subway. This serendipitous event pretty much made my day. I went to the Ecolgocial Reserve, which was created by dumping a tone of waste products, from torn down houses, in the river, and miraculously, seeds from Uruguay came, implanted themselves in the waste, and grew a ton of trees and plants. I have done a ton of things so far in less than two weeks, and I have only just started. I am figuring plans to go to a farm in Jujuy, but have not yet made the arrangements. I could be leaving as soon as Wednesday the 16th.
Hope all is well,
Oliver
I am on my 13th day of travel, (inlcuding the terrible day of flight), and I am still of to a good start. My past 10 days have been crazy. I am trying to get a good dose of green, so I have gone to every park I can find. There are some amazing parks, however a lot are ridden with dog poop. Last Monday I went to drum show called ``la bomba de tiempo,`` it was amazing. I went with a a guy from Amsterdam, Holland, a woman from Australia, and a girl from London, England. A pretty eclectic group, eh? Everything I do seems to be involved with someone from another part of the world, clearly a part of international travel. I had my first night on the town as well. In Argentina, you usually don´t go out untill atleat 2 am, so after a pre party at the hostel, we went to a bar at around 2:30. The group I went to the club consisted of 1 Irish woman, 1 English girl, 3 Argentines, 2 Californians, a Peruvian, and a Chilean. It was a totally new scene being at a bar. There was music, dancing, and everything you could imagine in the wee hours of the night, I will let your imagination wonder.
On Sunday, September 6th, I went to the San Telmo street fair, which was amazing. It spanned at leat 10 blocks down a closed off street. There were thousands of people there. I had amazing jugo de naranja (orange juice) freshly squeezed. I also visted the famous Recoletta cemetary last week. It was unlike any cemetary I have ever seen, for there was no grass what so ever. The most afluent of Buenos Aires families are burried in huge granite housing in the cemetary, it is quite the sight. I went over the La Boca, a less afluent neighborhood of Buenos Aires, and saw the colorful buidlings, for which that neighborhood is famous.
On the subway the other day, I was crammed into a corning, next to this lady reading a book. Being curious, or maybe nosy, I started reading her book (in spanish) I recognized the names and the story, and realized it was Sputnik Sweetheart by Murukami. I showed her the book I was reading The Underground - Murkukami, and told her how much I loved Murukami`s other books. She said it was her first Murukami, and I told her which other ones to read. Then a guy next to us started talking about his favorite Murukami books, it was as if we were all supposed to meet on the subway. This serendipitous event pretty much made my day. I went to the Ecolgocial Reserve, which was created by dumping a tone of waste products, from torn down houses, in the river, and miraculously, seeds from Uruguay came, implanted themselves in the waste, and grew a ton of trees and plants. I have done a ton of things so far in less than two weeks, and I have only just started. I am figuring plans to go to a farm in Jujuy, but have not yet made the arrangements. I could be leaving as soon as Wednesday the 16th.
Hope all is well,
Oliver
Saturday, September 5, 2009
From Buenos Aires
Hey everyone,
I am sitting in my hostel, at the computer, after a long day walking around town. I am working on uploading some pictures, but it might be a few days. When I got off the plane at 9:30 in the morning thursday, I had no idea where I was going to stay. I got a bus to Buenos Aires from the airport, and arrived in BA with no clue of what I was to do. I started walking, with no specific direction in mind, and got out my handy guide book, and looked at hostels in different neighborhoods. From Puerto Madero, I ended up walking down Sante Fe Avenue all the way to Palermo Viejo, a barrio a good few miles walk. I found the Bait Hostel, a door with no sign, and only a buzzer. With a little bit of weight off my shoulders both physically and emotionally, I got the chance to settle into a new area and explore a little. I was a litle thrown off at first because of the vast differences between Seattle and Buenos Aires, but I am much more acclimated now a few days into the trip. Today I read in the one of Buenos Aire`s beautiful parks called Plaza Holinda. I sat on a painted bench in the sun, with the green glass, red gravel paths, and amazing statues surrounding me. Pretty much heaven, today was not at all like the first day. My castellano accent is getting a little better, the porteños still speak to quickly, but I am learning. I am going to watch the Argentina vs Brazil game now with some people I met at the hostel. Hasta Luego,
Oliver
I am sitting in my hostel, at the computer, after a long day walking around town. I am working on uploading some pictures, but it might be a few days. When I got off the plane at 9:30 in the morning thursday, I had no idea where I was going to stay. I got a bus to Buenos Aires from the airport, and arrived in BA with no clue of what I was to do. I started walking, with no specific direction in mind, and got out my handy guide book, and looked at hostels in different neighborhoods. From Puerto Madero, I ended up walking down Sante Fe Avenue all the way to Palermo Viejo, a barrio a good few miles walk. I found the Bait Hostel, a door with no sign, and only a buzzer. With a little bit of weight off my shoulders both physically and emotionally, I got the chance to settle into a new area and explore a little. I was a litle thrown off at first because of the vast differences between Seattle and Buenos Aires, but I am much more acclimated now a few days into the trip. Today I read in the one of Buenos Aire`s beautiful parks called Plaza Holinda. I sat on a painted bench in the sun, with the green glass, red gravel paths, and amazing statues surrounding me. Pretty much heaven, today was not at all like the first day. My castellano accent is getting a little better, the porteños still speak to quickly, but I am learning. I am going to watch the Argentina vs Brazil game now with some people I met at the hostel. Hasta Luego,
Oliver
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Leaving Tomorrow
Hey everyone,
I am not anywhere too exciting yet, for I am in my family room at my house in Seattle. But I leave tomorrow on a flight to Maimi at 1:15 from Seattle. Then fly, overnight, from Miami to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where it all begins. I have been in contact with my teacher's (Alison Ray) husband's cousin (or something along those lines), and he offered to give me a place to stay for the first few nights in Buenos Aires. It will give me some time to acclimate to my location and a friendly face to meet up with when I first land in BA (Buenos Aires). I'm going to be overly ambitous with the blog for the first part of the trip, so don't get too used to this.
Oliver
I am not anywhere too exciting yet, for I am in my family room at my house in Seattle. But I leave tomorrow on a flight to Maimi at 1:15 from Seattle. Then fly, overnight, from Miami to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where it all begins. I have been in contact with my teacher's (Alison Ray) husband's cousin (or something along those lines), and he offered to give me a place to stay for the first few nights in Buenos Aires. It will give me some time to acclimate to my location and a friendly face to meet up with when I first land in BA (Buenos Aires). I'm going to be overly ambitous with the blog for the first part of the trip, so don't get too used to this.
Oliver
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