Unreal

Vertical Panorama of the moon, sunset, and a massive glacier.

Mt. Tranador, Argentina. January 2010.

Tatoo Photo Competition

I entered a few photo competitions in the last month. One of them is being hosted by Tatoo, a South American outdoor gear company.  One of my photos is published on their gallery page. I haven't won anything, but it's kinda neat seeing the photo up there.

To see the photo, go to their competition gallery, then scroll down to "FOTO 45" in the Trekking category.  It is a self-timed picture that I took at sunrise of Fitz Roy, in Los Glaciares National Park.

Where Were We . . .

One year ago, Kristin and I were in Los Glaciares National Park. The park is world renown for the impending spires of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre.

We camped in the park for nine glorious days. We resupplied our food and fuel in the town of El Chalten, only an hour's hike from our basecamp.

I distinctly remember hiking out on Thanksgiving Day last year so that we could email our family. We played Rummikub while warming up inside a friendly restaurant. Kristin and I shared a large pizza and a glass of Malbec. The weather during the prior week had been sunny but extremely windy and cold. We were very grateful for the cozy respite.

I'm thankful for our current comfortable and warm living situation in Bulgaria. (Thanks Mark and Marie for making this possible!)

However, it's not as scenic here as where we were last year. So I've included a few photos from Los Glaciares. These were taken just prior to when we hiked back to town for Thanksgiving.

I do look back at the photos with awe. I can't believe we were there!

Wishing I could fly.

*   *   *   *   *

6 Months Ago: Cusco, Peru

1 Year Ago: Fitz Roy, Argentina

Panorama Mania

Happy Monday everyone! That probably means more to you than me. However, it does signify the last Monday that we will be in the States. Next Sunday we fly to Helsinki to start Part II of our world journey.

Until then, I will continue to catch up on our stories and photos from South America. For today's viewing pleasure we have a smattering of mountain panoramas, stitched together from 3-6 photos. Click on each photo if to enjoy the full resolution.

Looking south onto the most southern point in South America - Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.

The mountains near Bariloche offer some of the best trekking in the Andes. Argentina.

The approach to El Chalten on Route 40, giving us a rare clear view of the famous Fitz Roy towers of Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina.

Sunset from our campsite after our first night in Los Glaciares. We stayed in the park 10 days and after nine months in South America is still a clear highlight.

Torres del Paine N.P Chile. Another park in which we spent 10 days. Despite the mass tourism and exorbitant costs, it was still worth it.

Unknown minor range immediately southeast of Huayhuash, Northern Peru.

Huayhuash Trek, Northern Peru.

Sunset from the 4200 meter summit on Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca, Bolivia.

Buenos Aires

Everybody loves Buenos Aires. People like to say that it is the "most European city" in South America. It is complete with wide tree-lined streets, numerous parks and plazas, and tons of theaters. There is well-developed cafe culture (which is apparently a good thing) and world-famous cuisine. Museums, interesting barrios (neighborhoods), top-notch futbol teams, cathedrals, gardens . . . Buenos Aires has it all.

We, on the other hand, had only five days. We also were mainly interested in two things: sampling the country's best vegetarian food and making a new friend. We figured we'd city the rest of the city along the way to accomplishing those two goals.

We had the extremely good fortune of staying with Ludo, who is cousin to my Italian friend Piero. (Fun Fact: One fourth of Argentineans have Italian blood.) Ludo treated us like family. He made every effort to make our time in BA more enjoyable and educational. He even helped us with our Spanish. Between Ludo and his girlfriend Anna, we were given a very honest view of Buenos Aires. This blog, in essence, is an ode to our new friend, and his city as seen through our eyes.

Our typical day was: wake, running tour, eat as much as possible at a vegetarian buffet ($6-8!), afternoon tour or nap, then an evening event.

                              RUN


                          EAT


                                        TOUR


                           EVENING FUN

Ludo took us to an outdoor concert. We brought food donations to help the victims of Chile's earthquake. When we returned home, he bought us the best empanadas in the city.


I wanted to see a futbol game. Ludo is a River fan even though they have not been doing well lately. Not only did Ludo take me to a game, but he also made sure that our team won. Go River! Die Boca! That's pretty much the lyrics to all of the River songs.


Kristin and I wanted to go to a real Tango dance. Ludo called up his friend's sister, who is a professional tango dancer. Immediately we arranged a date to go to a milonga together the next day. The tango you see in the movies is nothing like the tango that people actually dance. And the music is quite different too. We also learned that the old people are really good dancers but the middle-aged people are bad because the tango was forbidden for several decades. Young people are also really good because they have studied the tango with a fresh passion.


Can anyone please help me find a way to contact Stephen Colbert? I think he'd want to know that there is a 70 foot tall advertisement for a cologne named after him.


Look, I found something Russian!


The coolest book store ever. Housed in a former theater, the ambiance just makes you feel smarter for being there. The stage has been converted to a cafe, where I drank a shitty over-priced coffee, but got free internet and listened to a live pianist.

The fun and interesting stories abound, but I'll end here.

Iguazu Falls Videos

Two panoramic videos of Iguazu Falls


Iguazu from the top of the Argentinian side. We're standing above the Devil's Throat (Garaganta del Diablo), which is about 2.5km from the start of the falls.

The Brazilian side has fewer hikes and falls, but it does allow for a better overview. We are standing mid-level, below some falls and directly above others. The Devil's Throat is not visible due to mist.

Big Water Falling

Iguazu Falls is said to be one of, if not the, greatest set of waterfalls in the world. From what I've seen so far, I'd have to agree.

The falls form a border between Argentina and Brasil. We first visited the Argentinian side. It has many kilometers of trails through the jungle. Hiking allowed us to see the falls from the top, from below, and from a few look-out points that jetted out into the middle of the falls. Each view gave a different appreciation.

Yesterday we got our visa to Brasil which took only a few hours and need no additional supporting documents. It would have taken up to 6 days in Buenos Aires, plus we would have needed to provide proof of onward travel, copies of our student cards, credit cards, credit card statements, and so on. The easy border crossing here was one of the reasons we changed our route. You know my history with border crossings.

Today we strolled through the Brasilian side of the park. There was much less walking, it was all on paved trails, but the view was spectacular and the trip was well worth it.

It was interesting to compare the two sides. Both parks had a large infrastructure, obvious heavy environmental impact, and little in the way of environmental education. The parks are no wilderness parks, but more like a tourist-attraction based around a natural phenomena. Trecia prepared me for this by warning me it has a Disney-like atmosphere. At least the falls are protected and people spend their time, money and energy to see this natural wonder.

While not mentioned at either park is that a few kilometers upstream is the Itaipu Dam, which was for a long time the largest dam in the world. Not surprisingly, it also devastated the surrounding people and pristine wilderness and is considered one of the worst human-made disasters. How clean is this renewable energy source? As a bonus, you can tour the dam for $10-20.

Anyways, here are a few photos. I apologize if the pictures all look the same. I remember thinking the same thing when my dad visited the falls several years ago and showed me his photos. I assure you that the photos are of different falls and that there really are that many waterfalls. It is 3 kilometers from one end to the other, after all. The caoti photo, above, is for you Hillary.

Taken from the bridge across this deep chasm, this is the bridge's shadow disappearing into the waterfall below.

Swifts utilized the updrafts to help them circle the waters.

Getting up close and personal with the Argentinian side. 

After a 4km walk, we arrived on top of the falls, right at the edge of the Devil's Throat.

Enjoying the vast views from Brasil. 

I'm pretty sure I could huck off one of these in a kayak.

Looking over the edge in Brasil.

Trying to protect ourselves from the pounding water caused by the force of the falls.

A Day in Paraguay

Actually, only a few hours. For about a buck, we took the bus from Argentina to Paraguay through Brasil. Yes, a tri-country international bus for the cost of a candy bar.
We arrived at Ciudad del Este (City of the East), which is known as the supermarket of South America. I'm not sure how this city became a clearing house for imported goods, but obviously the proximity to Brazil and Argentina was a defining factor. It reminds me of certain streets in SF or NY, where you walk by one store that is jam-packed with electronic goods, the next store has perfumes, the next has toys, and the next has electronic goods. Now, multiply this by about a billion and you have Ciudad del Este.

Well, god must have been looking out for our health, for as soon as we arrive, a torrential downpour ensued. Street-side stalls closed up and shoppers to refuge in the proper stores. We couldn't wait out the rain and so returned to Argentina within a short time. We did witness streets getting flooded and massive amounts of trash being carried away. It was an experience to say the least.

The wheel of this motorcycle filters the runoff and ensnares street trash. 

Friendship Bridge, linking Brasil and Paraguay. I wouldn't feel so safe on those motorcycles.

Culture Week Continues

Our week in Cordoba was like a crash course in Argentina, even though we  already been here for a month.
Among the things we did to round out our week:


Yerba Mate - Argentina's national drink. Some say it tastes like grass. It definitely has an earthy taste to it. Fill the mate (cup) with yerba (herbs), add hot water, and drink throught the metal straw which has a filter at the bottom. Drink the few sips of mate, then refill with water and pass to the next person. EVERYBODY here drinks yerba mate.


Music - We listened to Carmela's dad play piano and accordion, our new friend Flores serenaded us with acoustic guitar and a very fine singing voice, and Carmela went through her CDs to play a variety of quintessential songs from various Argentine styles.


Nightlife - Carmela tried her best to show us Cordoba's nightlife. This included drinking Tremont, a bitter alcohol, originally from Italy, that is added to coke. It tastes like I look.


History - Again, Carmela and Flores are experts in this field. We visited many historical sites in Cordoba, including this cathedral where we crashed a wedding, and the church below. Both are located in the center of the city.


Tango - We didn't get a chance to take a lesson, but we did sit for hours in the central plaza and watch. Every Saturday night, someone sets up a small sound system and plays old tango songs, while locals come and dance through the night. Young guns and old cats alike partake in this fun gathering.

Thanks Carmela for everything! We're now going on a 22 hour bus ride that will take us to Iguazu Falls.

I ate a cow. Or three.

I had written a really witty, detailed blog on vegetarianism, complete with examples, definitions (like lacto-ova-pesca vegetarians), Davis, and the relative impossibility of being a vegetarian in South America. Truly, that blog was a masterpiece. However, if you are reading this, you already know something about me and Kristin and our feelings about meat. I don't need to repeat all of that. And you also already know that this is not friendly territory for veggie lovers like us.
 However,in Argentina the beef comes from free-range, grass-fed, mate-drinking happy cows. As such, I have enjoyed several non-vegetarian meals in Argentina. Here in Cordoba, Carmela's dad made a traditional parrilla (bbq) with several cuts of beef and pork. Tonight we had Lomo, which is like gourmet version of a Philly cheese steak. We've tried various meat-filled empanadas, which are similar to slavic pirogi or chinese potstickers, though empanadas are usually baked or fried.  


I also ate beef at the guacho festival. Just ordering the food was an experience on it's own. People had been waiting in line for an hour when finally two-foot by four-foot metal sheet was brought over by four guys. The metal was carrying at least half a cow. Two men used machetes to cut the meat. A younger gaucho helped take the money while el jefe weighed the meat, as people bought it by the kilo. It was, as Carmela says, "so typically Argentinian."

I remember when my friend Payam came back from his backpacking trip to Argentina and Brasil a few years ago. He told me all he ate was steak. It was delicious at first but eventually he was pining for something different, even just a sauce like A1. Well, I've eaten some meat but not enough to get bored. I'm glad that we gave Argentinian food a fair shot. 


For vegan and vegetarian travelers out there, we have found the site happycow.com quite useful in finding meatless restaurants. Kristin does a fantastic job doing the food research when we arrive in new towns.  It's been really great learning about traditional foods, and at the same time, how we can stick to a mostly-vegetarian diet despite these local fare :) 


On an entirely different subject, my toe is still ugly and puffy and black, but my toenail hasn't fallen off and I'm not in any more pain. I would love to share more pictures but I'm afraid to upset any more stomachs. Tomorrow we take a 22-hour bus ride to Iguazu Falls. We'll camp and hike for a few days before taking another painfully long bus ride to Rio. Just in time for Carnaval! 

Jesuits, Gauchos and Che, Oh My!

In our first two days in Córdoba, we wasted no time in seeing the sights. Carmela met us at the bus station after our over-night bus ride from Mendoza, which was 1.5 hours late. It was our third over-night bus ride in a row. Yah, what fun.

Anyways, after a quick stopover at her house, we were whisked away to the nearby town of Alta Gracia. We exlored a 17th Century Jesuit cathedral and estancia (another of many UNESCO World Heritage sites that we've visited so far. There are five giant estancia's that circle Córdoba which provided food and supplies to the central religious infrastructure back in the day. Apparently the Jesuits got too powerful and were expelled from the country. The buildings still remain.

A kilometer up the road, yet a world away, is Ernesto "Che" Guevara's childhood home. This inconspicuos home is tucked away in a quiet little neighborhood. There are photos, letters and family artifacts. Fidel Castro and Jugo Chavez were present at the grand opening several years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed the museum/house, though it did present Che in an entirely positive perspective (if I get time, I'll write more about this later).

That night Carmela's dad, Raul, played the tango on his piano and then his accordian. 

The next day we drove through the surrounding hills, enjoying some fantastic chocolate fig ice cream along the way. Eventually we found the middle of nowhere, which has a small white church and a couple of dilapitated old buildings. The locals were celebrating their church's saint day. While we missed the holy activities (darn!), we were in time for a chaos-filled meat bonanza called lunch. We hung around for a few hours, chatting with people, picking Carmela's brain about all the places she's travelled, and even taking a short siesta underneath a big tree. Finally, around four o'clock, the highly-anticipated event began - gaucho competitions. Gauchos are the Argentinian equivalent of our wild west cowboys. And just like our cowboys, the present state of affairs seem to be composed of equal parts legend and tourism. However, in some secret enclaves (both in the US and Argentina) there is a population who still live this way.


Carmela had found out where these people live. There were no advertisements, public announcments or marketing effot. There was no entrance fee. No planning committee. Heck, there was almost no planning. It's as if the local citizens know that after the church procession, there would be a giant bbq,  and that people would bring their horses to enjoy some friendly competition. A competition in which there is no material prize.

(Remember this face: it's the Michael Jordan slam-dunk look of the gaucho world)

The gauchos dressed how they really dress. They meandered to the open field at about 4pm and made a semi-circle on one side. Towards the other side was a pole with two arms, each holding a red ribbon. Gauchos raced down the field in pairs, trying to nab the red ribbon in their "lane." The ribbon had a hole that was maybe as big as my thumb and the used small sticks to pierce through that tiny hole. It was apparently very hard to do but was great fun to watch.


(This guy was my favorite. After he raced, he pulled his little daughter onto the horse and they rode around, looking at things in the trees and such. Plus, you can't beat his killer 'stach)

So, within two days of arriving, we have bee treating to more culture than we have seen in the last month. We have more plans for this week in Córdoba - touring the downtown sights, shopping, tango, and the famous Argentinian parrilla (bbq).

Not For General Viewing

Thanks everyone for the wishes of a return to good health. I am able to walk mostly ok, but should be elevating my foot more often. We've had a wonderful two days in Cordoba. I'll post about that later.

It does seem like I'm trying to investigate various health-care systems, but I swear that's not the case. This was an accident. Anyways, without further ado, here are the disgusting pictures of my toe after four days.

Like my brother Chris, my big toe is not actually the longest toe. You can see that my index toe is much longer. Maybe that's why it hit the steel spike. I just hope I don't lose my toenail. I'm glad everyone is digging the yellow imitation crocs. You'd think that they're bright enough that the steel spike would have gotten out of the way. Maybe it was blinded by the vibrant yellowness.