Inca trail and macchu pichu

Carnaval-Oruro, Bolivia

So I spent the weekend at Carnaval in Oruro, Bolivia. Its suppose to be one of the biggest celebrations in South America, after Salvador de Bahia and Rio de Janeiro. Any way it was insane! I booked a bus trip throught a travel agency, Coca Travels. About 50 gringos went in two buses. The bus was suppose to pick us up at the hostel at 6pm, didnt get there till almost 8pm. We then were suppose to arrive in Oruro at 11pm, and because of traffic, slow driving, and stops (our tour guide at one point just got off the bus and bought beer-he disappeared for about 20 minutes and no one knew where he was), we arrived at 2am to our destination. The plan was to sleep in a school on the floor in sleeping bags. We set up camp and then walked around Oruro to grab a bite to eat. I ended up going to sleep at 4 am and waking up around 8am. Carnaval starts really early, and I was determined to take advantage of the day! I headed to the parade with some Australian girls and guys and we had to buy ponchos, waterguns, water balloons, and foam because Bolivian Carnaval is also a huge water-foam festival! I got attacked several times! One balloon landed right between my eyes when I was least expecting it! Watching the parade was awesome! The costumes that everyone was wearing were so elaborate and colorful! The rest of the day was spent partying and hanging out. Later we all crashed around midnight, we were exhausted!
Overall it was an interesting experience! Yesterday I headed back to La Paz and took a crazy bus ride to Copacabana on Lake Titicaca, where I am now. I got here yesterday evening and had to walk around forever trying to find a decent hostel. Everything was so crappy or full. The crappy places cost $2 US dollars, but were disgusting! I walked some more and finally ended up at a Hotel that cost $15 US dollars for the night. It is verrrrrrrryyyyyy nice compared to the other places. So I´ve decided to stay here 3 nights because after two nights of sleeping on a cold, hard floor of a school, I need something comfortable.
Tomorrow I will spend the day on Isla del Sol and visit the Inca ruins! Im excited!

San Pedro Prison-Strange experience

Crazy experience today. When I got to the hostel yesterday I heard people talking about visiting the San Pedro prison here in La Paz. I had read about the prison and thought that it was closed to tourists. I was wrong. So today I decided to go. I knew it was not a good idea to go alone, so I found a guy from the hostel to go with me. This is no ordinary prison. In fact, it is more like a small city than an actual prison. Here are the steps involved in getting into the prison:
1. Arrive at the Plaza de San Pedro
2. Act as if lost, and someone will approach you asking if you want to do a tour of the prison. That someone was a european woman, who clearly was out of place in the plaza. We saw several other gringos congregated in a group, and the lady told us to go join them and wait until she came back.
3. We are also told to buy some cigarretes and candies for the people inside the prison.
4. We wait for about 15 minutes and then are told to go in pairs towards the prison doors. At the prison doors there are tons of women and children trying to go in, and there are many prisoners crowded at the gates.
5. All the gringos are let in and we are told to go into a small cramped office, where a South African man tells us the details of whats going on. Each of us has to pay $250 bolivianos, about 35 US dollars, and we have to hide our cameras until we are on the tour. The African man reiterates many times that when we tell our friends and family about the prison, or when we write about it in our blogs or by email, to tell nothing but the truth of what goes on in the prison.
6. We divide into two groups and get a number written on our arms. 4¨body guards¨-prisoners themselves- will go with us. Our tour guide is a prisoner himself. He is from Portugal, and was caught smuggling cocaine back to Amsterdam. So he now lives in the prison awaiting trial, along with many other people.
So the tour starts. There are 8 sections in the prison. 1600 prisoners are there, mainly for drug related crimes. There are no guards, everything is run by the prisoners and their families. Their wives and children are allowed to come and go as they please, but many of them live there with their husbands. There are restaurants, stores, pool halls, tv rooms, everything that one can think of in a normal town. Each prisoner must pay for their cell, and the quality of the cell varies with how much you can pay.
I was able to take lots of pictures. If a picture of a prisoner was taken, then usually a cigarrete had to be given to him. Candies were also handed out to the children, which run around and play-completely carefree, in each of the sections.
The tour lasts about 2 hours. At the end you are taken into a remote room, where you have to tip the tour guide and pay for being able to take pictures.
The whole experience was quite strange, but it was definitely worth it. I did not feel afraid the whole time, I think its because everything seemed so normal.
There is a book written about the prison called Marching Powder that I look forward to reading. Here is also a link to info from wikipedia about the prison: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pedro_prison
and another site from the BBC with pictures http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/americas_inside_a_bolivian_jail/html/1.stm

After the prison tour I went with the gringos from the group for some drinks and dinner. They convinced me to go to Oruro for Carnaval this weekend. So we leave tomorrow evening.

Drastically Different Bolivia

I flew into the highest airport in the world in La Paz, Bolivia yesterday morning. The airport is at 4000m, about 12,ooo ft, and overlooks the city. The city is built on the slopes and is truly amazing. I spent yesterday wandering the streets of La Paz. There was many a time that I was out of breath, because everything is sloped and I am not accustomed to such high altitude. I went to the Coca Leaf museum, where I learned about the history and importance of coca to Bolivia and the world. Apparently, the United Nations blames the coca leaf for Bolivia and Peru´s poverty. After visiting the museum, I walked around in el mercado de Hechicheria-the Witches market. There, I saw all kinds of interesting things, but most notable were the llama fetuses hanging from the stalls. Here in Bolivia, when building a house, it is good luck to bury a llama fetus in the foundation. I also saw all kinds of herbs, foods, and weird looking trinkets. Also along the streets were many stalls selling costumes for carnaval, which starts on Saturday. After all this walking I was exhausted and had to take a nap back at the hostel. I think that the altitude really affected me and I ended up sleeping yesterday and last night for over 12 hours.

Santiago-Vina-Valpo

So I have been here in Chile for a week and my has time flown by! Last weekend I got to spend time with my relatives-went to a movie with my grandmother and aunt, had lunch with my mom´s side of the family and got to meet my nephew (?). Actually, I don´t know if you would technically call him my nephew, but he is the son of my cousin. He is 10 months old and adorable. Saturday night I also partied with my cousin Mange. Alex and I went out with her and met up with her Colombian friend and then we went to a bar called Clandestino. We danced all night, until they kicked us out at 5 am. So we didnt get home until almost 6 am, and slept until 10 am, when we had to get up and get ready to go meet my relatives. I was pretty tired, but at least I got a good amount of exercise from all the dancing. Tuesday through Thursday I went to Vina del Mar, where I had studied abroad. Alex decided to stay in Santiago; I think she wanted time to herself. Whatever floats her boat. So I headed to Vina and ended up staying at Matt´s host family´s place. They live in a high rise apartment on one of the hills in Vina, it has the most beautiful views of the ocean, especially at sunset. The first day I just walked around Vina, walked along the beach, and visited places that I used to go to when I lived there. It felt really strange to be back! It was nostalgic and a bit sad, since I was back in a place that I had so many good memories but that most of the people I had shared them with where no longer there. Oh well, life goes on. I got to spend time in the evening with Matt´s host mom Claudia, who is really nice. It was good to catch up with her. Then Wednesday I took a bus to Renaca, a city further north than Vina, and spent the day wandering around there. The beach at Renaca is beautiful! I stopped at a restaurant on the beach and ordered a caipirinha and sat and read a book I had brought. My was the caipirinha strong! I felt lightheaded after, and it was only 2 pm. So then I went to another restaurant and ate a delicious sandwich that consisted of slices of meat, lots of avocado (my favorite), tomatoes, onions, and cheese. Yummy! I was so full after lunch that I could barely walk! So I took a bus to Valparaiso, which is south of Vina, and took an ascensor (elevator) up to one of the hills- Cerro Conception. FYI, Valparaiso is full of ascensores, thats how most people get to and from the hills, since it is almost impossible to climb up and the streets are all sloped. From this cerro, there are some beautiful views. Later that night I went out with Matt´s host brother Andres and a couple of other friends. Like old times, we went to the supermarket around 11 pm, bought some rum and coke, and headed to someone´s house, where we hung out. We were going to go to Cafe Journal, a bar that I always used to go to, but it ended up being too late, and some people had to work the next day. Yesterday I had lunch at my host family´s house. It was so good to see my host mom and host sister. I think I drank too much of a cocktail drink-Mango sour, but I still had a great time, and it was sad to leave. I finally came back to Santiago yesterday evening, and am back at my aunts house. Today I met up with a friend, Tyffanie, that I had studied abroad in Vina with. She married a Chilean and moved here to Chile and now lives in Santiago. So we met up for lunch and caught up.

Tonight we are celebrating my grandmother´s birthday with a dinner at my aunt´s house. It should be fun!

Mi Chile Querido

I got to Santiago, Chile yesterday in the evening after having to wait at the Chile-Argentina border high up in the Andes mountains for 3 freaking hours. The bus trip was suppose to take 6 hours and it took almost 10. It was ridiculous. At least the trip over the mountains was beautiful. Alex and I were in front at the top of a double decker bus. I had forgotten that last time I crossed to Mendoza, Argentina, from Chile two years ago, I had also sat in front, but not on a double decker and I was scared shitless everytime we made a turn because the road has no rails and I thought for sure everytime that the bus was going over the edge. Well, this time it was even worse, because being on the second floor, you cant even see the ground. You just look out in front and all you see is the bottom of the cliff. Alex and I kept holding on for dear life evertime we went around one of these curves. A man from the back of the bus would hear us shriek-we tried to do it quietly- and came and sat with us because he wanted to see for himself. Well, we are still alive, so its all good. So we finally got to our aunt´s house in Santiago, where we will be staying for the next two weeks. Its nice to take a break from hostels and be in a house for a change.

Today Alex and I lounged around during the day, ate a delicious lunch-pastel de choclo-yummy!, and then went to visit Mama, our grandmother. We had tea with her and then my uncle, aunt and cousin stopped by. It was nice to see everyone. My grandma lives on the 12th floor of an apartment building and has an amazing view of the mountains. While there I got to see a beautiful sunset behind the mountains. I love Chile!

Buenos Aires, Argentina

I got to Buenos Aires bright and early yesterday morning after an all nighter on the bus. The bus was actually really nice-they served us cocktail drinks, dinner, and champagne! It was pretty ridiculous. The seats were a LOT better than the previous bus rides, so I slept fairly well. Unfortunately though, during the day part of the ride, there was an Argentinian man that happened to sit next to us on the bus that would not stop talking to us and calling us ¨Chanquis¨, which really is Yankees, his term for us Americans. He also had a really annoying simpsons ring tone on his cell that went off every time he got a text-which was about every minute. Finally, around 10:30 pm I told him if he could either turn it down or turn it off, as Alex and I, along with everyone else on the bus, were trying to sleep. He didn`t bother us anymore after that.
Anyway we got to the BA bus station at 8 in the morning. There were a million people around, and it was only 8 am! Well, Alex and I waited around until a quarter to nine. We were suppose to meet our aunt at her office at 9 am, so we took a taxi at that time. The taxi driver took us to a completely different side of town because he thought I had said a certain street-which I never did. He kept insisting that I did, and I told him, how could I tell you a street in a city that I have never been in? I had never even heard of that street? Well, we arrived after nine to the office and I told my aunt about the incident. She got mad and ran after the taxi driver and yelled at him for trying to take advantage of tourists. An argument broke out on the street and I just wanted to get away from it. Yeah I had been overcharged, but what can you do? I know its bound to happen to me because I am a tourist. It already happened in Rio. I got charged more than double what it should have cost! Oh well, deal and move on!
So Alex and I met our aunt and then we went to her house, where we hung out and rested most of the day.
Then yesterday, we went with our two cousins. Caro and Maxi, to visit the Casa Rosada-the presidential palace, Caminito-where tango originated-I think, and Puerto Madero.
Today, Alex, Caro and I went to see the movie Yes man, with Jim Carrey. It was funny. We have been taking it easy, its been nice to not try and do a million things in one day. Plus I have been to BA before, so I have seen everything touristy.
Tomorrow we are going to El Tigre, an area outside of the city that is a delta. Its very nice, and it was prob my fav thing that I did last time I came to BA.

Iguazu Falls and 3 countries in one day

So its almost midnight and I should be sleeping but Im not. Its been a hectic 3 days! On Saturday Alex and I arrived in Foz De Iguazu, after our looooong bus ride from Rio. We got there around mid day, found a hostel, and went straight to the Brazilian side of the falls. Wow! They were spectacular!!!! Then yesterday, Alex and I left Foz de Iguazu for Puerto Iguazu, Argentina. We crossed the border and found a hostel, and then went to the Argentinian side of the falls. We spent about 6 hours there. There is a lot more to do on the Argentina side. We walked along the trails and also went on a boat ride that takes you under the falls so that you get soaking wet. It was great! However, it was also really really hot and humid. I dont think I have ever been as hot as I was yesterday. It was a horrible feeling, trying to enjoy something so beautiful while trying to also tolerate the heat and not get dehydrated. It felt wonderful when we were finally able to get back to our hostel and take a cold shower! Then last night we went for some drinks with some people from our hostel-a British guy, an American from Vegas, and 2 Koreans. We had a great time! It was actually pretty hilarious trying to have a conversation with everyone because the guys from Korea speak some English, but I think many things were lost in translation, and everyone would just end up laughing. We stayed out kinda late and this morning I didnt feel all that well. The British guy, David, convinced Alex and I to go into Paraguay for the morning so that we could help him return a camera that he had bought there a couple of days ago. So we hopped on a bus that takes you across the border to Brazil, and then across the border again into Paraguay. 3 countries in one day, not bad! However, we didnt even get a stamp to enter into Paraguay. So technically, we were there illegally. Anyway it was quite an experience in itself because there are soooo many people in the streets and shops. Everyone wants to sell you something-even when you say several times no thank you! In the hour that we were there, I think at least 10 different people stuck fake puma socks in my face telling me that i could get 6 of them for some amount of guarani-the currency there. Then we had to wait in the street for a bus to come for about 45 minutes and then you have to hop on, there is no bus stop. We had to catch a bus into Brazil, get off, and get another one to Argentina. It was ridiculous, and I was glad when we finally left. After this whole shindig that took around 4 hours, Alex and I again headed off to the falls, to see the garganta del diablo-Devil´s throat, the best part. It was the highlight of the park. The amount of water was intense! See for yourself in the picture! Tomorrow we head to Buenos Aires. Alex and I got the most luxurious bus they have-seats that turn into full beds and food service on the bus. Its also a double decker. Alex is pretty psyched about that!

Cristo Redentor y Pao de Acucar

Alex and I did an all day tour today. The highlights were Christ the Redeemer and the Sugar Loaf! The weather was overcast when we started the tour but once we got up to the Christ it was raining and really foggy. We couldn´t even see his face, just the outline of his body. Then we went to the Sugar Loaf-the views from that were spectacular! It feels amazing to be that high and to see so much around you!

The tour included a delicious lunch at a churrasceria-an all you can eat place. It was probably the best meal Alex and I have had yet!

Tonight Alex and I are probably just chilling at our hostal, since the weather is gross. Last night we just hung out with all the other travelers there-they are from all over-Australia, England, Sweden, Argentina, Denmark, Ireland-its really cool talking to everyone about where they have been and where they plan to go!

Rainy Rio

Got to Rio de Janeiro this morning at 10:30 am after a long 24 hour bus ride! Alex and I took the bus yesterday from Ilheus at 9:45 am. The AC was not working on the bus, so during the day it was really hot and I, along with several other people on the bus, were unhappy! Then, during the night, they managed to put the AC on and it was FREEZING!! Alex and I were so cold, and we only had one tiny blanket to use! Plus, it was hard trying to sleep on the bus since we kept stopping to pick up people at different bus stations. Anyway, we finally made it to Rio, and it was pouring! It has been raining all day really hard, and so Alex and I have not been able to do much. We are staying in a hostal in Copacabana beach. We did do laundry, which was nice, since we were running out of clean clothes. We have planned to go on a tour tomorrow to see the Cristo Redentor and Pao de Azucar-Sugar Loaf-, if it stops raining. We already bought our bus tickets to Iguazu Falls for Friday around mid-day. Thats another 24 hour bus ride! This time though, we will be better prepared!

Valenca- Interesting Bus Ride-Ilheus

Im here in a coastal town called Ilheus. Alex and I got to Valenca, a colonial fishing town 40 minutes by boat from Morro de Sao Paulo yesterday morning. We wanted to catch an early bus to Ilheus from there, but there was nothing until 3:30pm. We had to wait for 6 hours at the bus station. Let me tell you, it was a ton of fun! Alex and I just sat around, ate, and played cards. Finally, it was time for us to get on. Alex and I were so tired when we got on the bus that we fell asleep. About 30 minutes into the ride, we were both woken up by really loud music. I was very confused-I thought that it was coming from inside the bus, but it was actually coming from outside. The bus was going 2 miles an hour and it was stuck behind a street party! People were clapping and singing to music blaring from a speaker on a truck, and we were stuck behind them! It didnt look like they seemed to care that we were behind them, they just kept doing their thing. Finally, about 20 minutes later, they turned the corner, and the bus was able to resume its usual speed. I tried to fall asleep again but this old man decided to stand in the aisle and sing his heart out. He was horrible! On top of this, there was a little girl behind us that would not stop giggling! Oh god! Luckily, both these people got off not too long after, and we were able to continue our ride in peace. At one point though, someone on the bus turned on a portable radio and was playing Kenny G music-random, huh? We finally made it to Ilheus around 8:30 pm and took a taxi to a hostal. Our taxi driver was HILARIOUS. He kept laughing about everything, especially about not speaking english! We got to our hostal and Alex and I both crashed, we were tired!
Today we slept in and then walked around the centro. We bought tickets for Rio de Janeiro! We leave tomorrow on a bus for Rio-22 hour bus ride! oh yea!

Sunburns, snorkeling, and sailing

I am exhausted! Today Alex and I went on a boat trip for the entire day around the island. We left at 9 am and got back at 5 pm. We got to go snorkeling in crystal clear water in piscinas naturales. We then visited different deserted beaches that were beautiful. At one of the beaches we ate lunch. We continued on sailing through a huge river that divides the main island into smaller ones. We sailed past mangroves and huge palm trees. We met a couple of women from Argentina-three from Cordoba and 2 from Buenos Aires, who were very friendly. Then we were back on the ocean and saw both dophins and sea turtles! By the end of the day, I had had too much sun, so as soon as we were let off the boat, we went back to our hostel-pousada-and fell asleep. Now we are about to meet the Argentinians we met for dinner. Alex and I want to go party after, as this island seems to be a huge party place, but we dont know if we will last that long because the heat has really gotten to us. Did I mention Alex and I got sunburned-again?? No matter how much sunscreen we apply, that sun is nasty! Tomorrow we leave bright and early for a town called Valenca, which is a boat ride away. Then we are taking a bus for about 5 hours to our next destination!

Morro do Sao Paulo-a beautiful island

I am on a beautiful island in the bahia de todos os santos in Brazil. Alex and i arrived this morning after a two hour boat ride from Salvador. Alex was not feeling too hot while on the boat ride, it felt like a million degrees in the boat. On top of that, they were playing really loud cheesy music the entire time. We were just glad to finally get off the boat. We walked around with our huge backpacks looking for a reasonably priced hostal -pousada- and finally found one. We settled down and then I walked around for a bit, exploring. The place has no cars-all the roads are sand, and people walk barefoot with their swimsuits all around. I imagine it is what jamaica may feel like. Im excited to be here! Alex and I will prob go get some food soon and then hit the beach!

Music and Dancing

So last night we went to the street party in the old city. People were playing instruments, singing and dancing. It was fun, we ate traditional food, which was a combination of meats and salads, and had delicious caipirinhas. We then went to some bars in the neighborhood with a couple of people we met at the hostal. It was overall a good night!
Today, Alex and I took a bus again to the old city to actually sight see. It was another incredibly hot day. We walked around and saw the old colonial buildings and took an elevator that connects the lower city to the top city, where we were at. Down in the lower city, Alex got her hair half braided and I got a braid done at the back of my neck. The ladies that did our hair were so funny! They would speak to us in portuguese and dance, and we had no idea what they were saying! We would just laugh when they would laugh, and it was all good! We then sat down at the market and had some water while we watched people perform capoiera. After walking a ton and trying to tolerate this heat, Alex and I finally made it to the hostal. We both fell asleep from exhaustion. Now we are about to get ready to go out to a bar that plays good music on Wednesday nights. Luckily it is right around the corner from the hostel.

I have arrived in Brazil!

I am finally in Salvador, Brazil. After a long trip, which started amidst heavy snow and horrible traffic in Denver and ended in a crazy 30 minute drive through the twisting streets of Salvador, I am now in a hot, humid, beautiful beach city. I am currently at our hostel, Barra Guest House, which is within 5 minutes walking distance to the beach. Alex and I are going to walk around and hopefully relax, since we have not slept much in over 24 hours.
Tonight, there is a street party that you are sure to find us at. As Alex would say, we are going to hit that up tonight girl. I will let you know how it goes...