My Journey Round The World

Buenos Aires is one of my favorite city in South America – ok, maybe after Cusco – I know that such comparison shouldn’t be made - but this might help you to get a small idea in complement of the pictures – as I already said, it remind me of Paris as well as a bit of Berlin while visiting Palermo barrio… All this with the Latin atmosphere and the heat!!!

At the hostel I came across Nicholas – whom I met in La Paz about a month ago – who kindly show me around the city, which he already new, before leaving for Australia. It was great to have a private guide, no many Spanish speaking but we had lot of fun!

Saturday we entered Casa Rosada, the pink presidential palace with the famous balcony where Evita use to appear in the 1940s. During the guided visit - all in Spanish! – we met Joan another Australian with whom we tried my second parrilla. Thursday I went back to Plaza de Mayo to try to see the weekly walk of the mothers and grandmothers to claim news of their children and small children missing during the dictatorship but I didn’t see them.  On Sunday we stayed in San Telmo – lovely area to stay, close to the main city center – and visited Plaza Dorrego and the surrounding cobbled streets with its famous antiques fair. We even spot two paseoperros - dog-walker, Catherine you would have love it! – while having a nice lunch Palermo neighborhood was my favorite! Maybe because it’s full of green parks… – we couldn’t visit because of a storm few days ago… Palermo Viejo, divided in Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood are home to trendiest boutiques and restaurants. No wonder why many expats have planted roots here! The colorful Caminito in La Boca area reminded me of the crowded Montmartre – made for tourist! - with as well as the painters, tango shows all around the place… Still it was lovely to see those colorful buildings! On the same day – a bit cooler! – we went to the Cementerio de la Recoleta. Fascinating to explore this extensive minicity with big statues, detailed marble facades as well as seeing the coffin, not buried into the  grave but just put down inside those little monuments! We followed the crowds and found Evita’s grave. After such a visit we had a nice rest laying on the grass in front of the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Pilar watching people and the sparrows before going back to our trendy hostel America del Sur – www-americahostel.com.ar – in San Telmo. I wanted to do a bike tour around certain area but because of the heat, I soon gave up! After Nicholas left, I went around the main city center walking on Florida Street – one of the main shopping street – having a rest at San Martin Plaza where you can see people taking the sun – as it’s so warm – before meeting Pablo from Coachsurfing and heading to BA suburb. Buenos Aires is a city where I could live… However, the heat is simply keeling me – I’m a bit afraid of Australia now… - so I guess I need to find another place!

Waouuu, so great this nearly 20 hours bus trip!!! Even if it was on a boring flat asphalted road, where I could see all along cows and horses… The only thing missing was the shower! After this really hot day in Parque Nacional Iguazú in Argentina, I took a night bus to Buenos Aires and what a bus!- Ariane and Gregoire, if you remenber our trip from Arequipa to Puno, this was the same kind of bus! – Diner served – ok at 1am, time to pick up all the passengers, but still served - long night sleep with pillow and blanket nearly like in your bed, breakfast - Carmen, I do remember you told me about this luxury – and arrival to BA around 1pm where I took a really friendly taxi, showing me around the main buildings we were passing through to go to the Ostinatto hostel - http://www.ostinatto.com/index.html – in the trendy San Telmo barrio, for once I did book – even if it’s nearly like in your bed, it was the third nights bus in 4 nights…

So I did book the hotel but it didn’t work! And when I arrived, dreaming of a good shower, they were no electricity and no water… Fine! I went for a short walk around and lunch in a parrilla…

Actually, at a first glimpse, Buenos Aires remind me a lot of Paris… Paris on a hot summer day in January  – Yes Mathilde, still in short sleeve shirt… Sorry! With it’s large avenues, trees, plazas, cosmopolitan atmosphere… Clean streets compare to what I’m use to since a while now… Yes a capital… First thing I also notice were French or even Italian cars such as Peugeot, Renaud and Fiat which I don’t remember seeing on this side of the world before… There are even small Carrefour shops! Back to the civilisation I know… Nevertheless, quite puzzling after Bolivia experience!

A total of 275 individual falls occupy an area more than 3km wide and 80m high, which makes them wider than Victoria, higher than Niagara and really impressive to see as to hear!   It’s impossible to say which side of the border is the more rewarding: the Parque Nacional do Iguaçu in Brazil offers a more panoramic view of the totality of the 275 falls, while the Parque Nacional Iguazú in Argentina provides an up-close and personal experience – as Lonely Planet say For me, both are worth it.

The Brazilian visit is quicker – around 2 hours – really well organised with people informing you in 4 languagues – I could speak a bit of German - on how it is working and you’re more wet I think it’s also the only side where you can get a helicopter ride and it also does not feel as crowded as the other side!!!

On the Argentinean side – more expensive! And more than 3 times the price of what locals pay for foreigners! – you can spend the day walking around the different paths, taking the small train, exploring the San Martin Island – when opened! - or as in Brasil, going on a boad trip close to the falls on both side. I actually saw more animals than in Brazil, except for the beautiful and friendly butterfly landing on you on both side I’ve seen monkeys – loving to pose for pictures – hummingbird – Seb you would have been happy! – spiders and some other bird, I’m sure Catherine will tell me the name of…

On the Argentinean side I bump into Holly, one of the Australian girl with whom we did the Inka trail! And on my way back to Puerto Iguazú, I met Adam – with whom we did the Christmasshare event in Sucre – I knew he was not far away as we catch up with him on Facebook the day before – yes indeed! – Funny how travelers world can be so small…

Paraguay… I finally only cross it and stopped at Ciudad Del Este to visit the Parque Nacional Iguazú - first on the Brasilian side and the next day on the Argentinian one – after reading on the Lonely Planet guide book: “Paraguay is a country of fascinating contrasts. It’s rustic and sophisticated. It’s extremely poor and obscenely wealthy.” I just didn’t want to experience the same shock as the one I had in Bolivia – even if now I was aware of it…

After more than 20 hours drive on a flat land without asphalt road with a short break in Asunción, I had enough of bus ride – even if we had an unexpected breakfast and lunch! – Plus I urgently needed to do a full washing… So I arrived at 5am at the bus station and after saying goodbye to Danny – a Peruvian working in Brasil on the road for 4 days to reach Brasil! – I  immediatly look for the closest hotel I could find – of course the one I had in mind was fully booked… - I found another one and after a short nap I brought my clothes to the laundery before heading to Iguazú Cataratas in Brasil – crossing the border without any checking! (bus driver told me it wasn’t necessary) I had enough check on the road accross Paraguay! Crasy to be stopped so often for nothing…

When coming back to pick up my laundry, I had a nice chat with the lady Bethina, really friendly women! It was a nice feeling to wave goodbye to her when I saw her in the morning while going to pick up the bus for Argentina. Ciudad Del Este is at the 3 borders between Brasil, Paraguay and Argentina – a bit like Aachen betwenn Belgium, Holland and Germany I already know the feeling… – But here you’re suppose to make your passport stamp before you cross – actually for a day in Brasil to Iguazú, this is fine – however I skipped the exit stamp of Paraguay when leaving that morning… – I didn’t understand where you have to do it! – Luckily I didn’t had any problem while entering Argentina… So far!

I spent more than one month in Bolivia and it still hard to decide if I like it or not. I really have mixed feeling…

On one hand: the huge gap between extremely poor and wealthy people, which brought me down when I finally realised it - nearly 2 weeks after I arrived! I also have to say that generally, I didn’t find people really friendly… and actually I’m glad I found some travelers with the same opinion. Even sometimes really unpleasant – especially when buying a bus ticket!

On the other hand: landscapes are absolutely stunning!!! - and I’m not saying that only for the Uyuni Salar! Ok, I didn’t visit the all country, and especialy avoid the tropical region – too hot for me! - stuck mostly on the Altiplano – as it said to be most travelers do - but it was worth it! I’ve enjoy every moment of the travel… Paradoxically, I met really lovely local people:

• Cochabamba – all the people from Bueno Samaritano
• Victor Hugo – si, si! – my bus neighbor from Cochabamba to Sucre
• Adrian – the one from Sucre to Potosí
• Really friendly staff hostal in: Sucre (Hostelling International Sucre), Potosí, Uyuni (Hotel Avenida)
• Tarija – Luis and his friends – with whom I learned the local habit to look at someone in the eyes, drink a gulp and pass on your drink to him or her ; it’s really rude to refuse! Yes I did it, even with alcohol! – as well as 1 brother and 1 sister in the hotel where I found out that the 2 daughters of the lady - leaving in Cochabamba – were dancing in the Revolution show I’ve seen!
• Villa Montes – the lady at the bus terminal, Gariel and his brother at the post office as well as Eduardo, my first Paraguayencounter

What I’ll regret the most is to have missed the Isla del Sol… Another good reason – first one is Uyuni Salar in case you forgot! – to come back…  

After spending a really nice weekend in Tarija, thanks to Luis: staying at his place was a bit like beeing home! Market on Saturday morning, cooking at home, nice chat, palm reading ,  having a long morning sleep without worrying about the check out…  I guess I was missing a bit the routine… :) I head to Villa Montes on Sunday night, 9 hours bus, arriving there at 3:30 am, in the middle of nowhere… Luckily I slept the all way – but still…

At the bus station I had a nice chat with a lady wondering from where I was coming from and asking me how much I weighed when I left home and how much I weigh now… No idea! But I don’t think I lost weight regarding all the food I try… as well as the difficulty I have to fit in most of my trousers now…

Villa Montes… the hottest city in Bolivia! Even at 3:30am it was already hot! Ariane, I didn’t even notice the coldest moment of the day 30mn after the sun rise! Unfortunately I missed the bus to Asunción – Paraguay at 2am everyday… Or I could maybe have get it if only I asked where and when it was possible to catch it as soon as I arrived… I guess I was too tired to even think about it! So rule number 2 – number one is to be carefull with time and place in order to don’t miss a flight! – don’t be shy – yes I can be! - and always ask when you don’t know! You might save time!!! So I finaly found out the place where to buy the ticket – on the main road 2 blocks up the bus station… - but had to wait more than 2 hours before beeing able to get it… Eduardo, the young guy from Paragay, sales representative of the travel agency, brought me then to the casa de los viajeros – shaddy place but where I could have a sleep and later on a shower waiting for my 2am bus the next day. Difficult to understand them when they say you can travel madrugada it mean the next day for you and today for them…

After a good nap, I went to the city center, trying to find a postcard and send my new year wishes to my dear colleague in Aachen… Well, you’ll receive it pretty late… – they said to me 1 month! – and the postcard isn’t exactly the one I was looking for… Sorry! At the postoffice I met Gabriel, studying English and French in Tarija We had a nice chat in Spanish – si, si – before his brother drive me to the backery to prepare my travel for the next day…

Green day around Tarija… On the advice of Luis – I met on CouchSurfing and who is hosting me in Tarija – and his friends – I joined a birthday party on the first night I arrived! – I went to visit Coimata Pozas - water hole – on the next day, part of the Reserva Biologica Cordillera de Sama. Such a nice area just few km away from the city! I hiked a bit up to the cascade. As weather wasn’t so warm that day, I just put my feet in the water – that’s why I love those unsexy shoes! – and when I felt I’ll be hungry soon – don’t worry Gregoire, I had some food with me, just in case  - I went back down to catch a micro back to the city. On my way back I met some little – or bigger animals…

As Luis is also a Salsa teacher, I had a short Salsa course in the evening before diner - Daddy you would have love the meat! – and then we went to a farewell party of one of his friend, where I could practice!

So after 2 days in Tupiza, I decided it was time to move on and took my ticket for Tarija. Road is said to be – according to Le Routard guidebook – really beautiful but pretty scary… Indeed… I now better understand why they only drive it by night! First it’s more secure – you can see car, bus or truck coming in front – second, I guess they don’t want people to have heart attack while seeing it!
So before this adventure, I couldn’t leave without eating – who knows it could have been the last one! - and had a nice dinner at the bus station. Kind of lunchset you could find in Japon well packed but with: llama dry meat, hard-boiled egg, potato, corn and spicy sauce which I didn’t even try! Pretty good diner I have to say
So we first start through an impressive rock tunnel! Lucky (!) me I was seatting just in front – I didn’t want to miss anything! Not sure it was a good idea finally!… - and could see a bit of the bend road… I haven’t down the death road north from La Paz, however, I think this one is a good one too! On one side the ravine, on the other side the mountain-rock… When the driver is turning you either see nothing: the ravine or a rock wall in front of you. Sometimes you can see lights far away waiting – a bit of security here! I tryed to sleep – not so easy with all the curves (!) - and it was really impressive to wake up because you fell light in front of you and when you open your eyes you see just facing you: the rock…
We finaly arrived safely – our driver was pretty used to the road it seems! - after 8 hours drive and 1 pee stop. This one was fun! Around 12:30am, the driver stopped in the middle of which looks like a small village saying to us: baños (toilet). Most of people went out – so did I – all around the bus to alleviate themselves. So for you guys, it’s easy, however for girls it’s another story… Fortunately – or not, as I nearly fall down in a ravine! – it was dark and it’s true that most of the locals have skirt, which help here!
I guess when I will be back in Europe – or even in New Zealand – I will feel that road security is really strict!

After such an adventure I did again 6 hours jeep the next day to reach Tupiza… I wanted to go there by train but it was absolutly impossible to get a ticket… After queueing for more than 2 hours – after I asked the agency to buy a ticket for me but they didn’t managed… – and meeting the women from the agency who finaly confirm that they where no train before the next Tuesday – Don’t even try to understand how does it work, absolutly crasy system! – I choose the jeep option suggested by the agency. This is the Salar jeeps doing Tupiza-Uyuni trips and leaving people in Uyuni, who drive back to Tupiza and take other passengers to make the trip back worse it! Hope you get everything… Not as fun as the Salar trip, just a taxi here, a bit more expensive but quicker than the night bus. Anyway, landscape was supposed to be beautiful… Indeed! Even with 10 people in the jeep – I don’t even know how I survived this 6 hours non-stop! But when you have no choice you do… - it was again an amasing travel! Difficult to take pictures when you’re stuck with so many passengers, so you’ll only have the one from around Tupiza which is surrounded by red mountains – beautiful. Not a really nice city where all travel agencies are looking for people to go to the Salar – I was happy to see the excitement again but sad not to be part of it! - they don’t really offer anything else than horse riding – which is pretty expensive here, nearly as Europe! – and with this heat I avoid it! So I just went on my own around the city. I’m leaving tonight to Tarija. Landscape is again supposed to be wonderful but by night, I’m not sure I’ll see a lot – actually it seems to be safer like that, hope I’ll survive!

 

Next day after stopping at a pre-Inca cimetery at San Juan de Rosario – interesting to see that at the other side of the planet, as the Egyptian, important people were buried with their belonging! - seeing llamas and vicunas ; we crossed the Salar de Chiguana and had a last look at the Tunapa volcan before arriving at the first lagoon Cañapa, Hedionda, Charcota and Honda again with vicunas all around and the amasing flamingos… We had quick lunch around one of the lagoon – cannot remember which one! - in front of flamingos before heading to Laguna Colorada at around 4 300 metres hight, with more flamingos on a beautiful color of water. Entrance in the Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa was supposed to be 30 Bolivianos but from January 1st it is now 150 Bolivianos!!! Quite a big inflation – as they had the same price since 10 years and need to be at the same level as Chile! Luckily Nicolau was great in explaning that we were not aware of it! So we managed to pay 30 instead of 150 as it was the first day of the year. On our way we crossed the Desierto Siloli – where it was really windy and started to be cold – where we could admire the beautiful mountain with 7 different colors – sorry I forgot the name! and see the Arbol de Piedra. Fantastic

Next morning - after sleeping at 4315 metres hight! - wake up at 4:30am to head to the geysers Sol de Mañana. Water vapour is really hot but it was freesing cold! – lucky us it’s now summer here! Impressive! If you stay too long – even if not! – you’re cover with grey sulfur - my camero still have memories... It was great to see the sun on the mountains around and still the full moon behind the smoke… Then we head to the aguas caliente for our breakfast – yes Gregoire, we didn’t eat before leaving… But we were just sitting in a Jeep. Ok I had some bread left and everybody was happy to have a piece Except the guide, but we always wonder how they survive! – while guides are preparing breakfast, you can have a short bath but I have to say that at 7am with such cold temperature, I just put my hands in it!
Breakfast settle we shortly stop at the Laguna Verde – which wasn’t verde as our guide told us it’s usualy emerald green in the afternoon… We went to the Chile border to drop off Rose & Nicolau before going back to Uyuni, nearly 8 hours drive – where I started to hate Jeep – with only 2 stops to see the so called Salvador Dalí desert and some funny rocks as well as a short natural break in a middle of llamas! Landscape were just fantastic!

After such a – jeep – trip I was happy to be back in Uyuni at the hotel Avenida with a good bed and hot shower to relax, where the friendly landlord asked me when I left, when I will be back with my kids! I hope to be able to do it with them one day for sure!