Una Historia de Navidad

I´m getting the hang of living with family again as I am visiting my host family from a year and a half ago in Viña del Mar, Chile for the week. We enjoyed a lovely Christmas Eve dinner with tios and tias coming from near and far. But oddly enough it was stereotypically American for a country that is 95+% Catholic. No midnight mass, many stores where still open on Christmas day, fake Santas outnumbered fake baby Jesus´ 10 to 1, but a great time nonetheless.

I didn´t just fart, you gotta believe me.

No turkey or ham, just crab, wine and avocados.

Hope the festivities continue on into the New Year for all,
Stewart

Southern Chile: From the Patagonia to the Lakes Region

After days of cursing my camera due to its ineptitude to properly function I finally came to the realization that I would have to annoyingly ask whoever I was traveling with to switch chips everytime I wanted to take a picture. Therefore I was not able to take photos-on-demand of all the breathtaking scenery I`ve been taking in, but I believe I got a pretty good synopsis with these photos here (minus the Navimag boat cruise). And on a final note I will be marking two new FIRSTS this Chirstmas, #1 Spending Chirstmas away from my family & #2 Celebrating Christmas in the Summer.

PARQUE NACIONAL de TORRES DEL PAINE (Patagonia, Chile)

The ¨3 Torres¨ of the Torres del Paine National Park

Taking a breather near the Lago Nordenskjold

A little beach time admist a 14 hour one day mega-hike. My hiking crew consisted of two Spaniards, an Italian and a Swede. One of the Spaniards, Alex, wore the unconventional Asic lowtop running shoe in place of hiking boots, and it paid off as he was usually 45 minutes ahead of everyone else smoking cigarettes while we all caught up.

And now The Lake Region of Chile, namely Valdivia

The sun sets on Chile. Where the rio meets the mar.

Lookout at Parque Oncol outside of Valdivia.

So an American and two Jews walk into a German brewery... I unexpectedly ran into Ashi (far right) in Valdivia who I had met in a hostel in Buenos Aires 3 weeks before. Along with his friend and coworker Adam, both are Salsa dance instructors in Israel go-figure, we toured manysites in Valdivia including the Cerveceria Kunstmann. This beer is so amazing, and they have it all, from bock to our favorite: honey ale. Check them out: http://www.cerveza-kunstmann.cl/english.htm

I Survived the Golfo de Penas

Well oh well,

I just stepped off barco Evangelistas after a 4 day ride on the passenger ferry and am now in the stink-of-the-sea town of Puerto Montt, Chile. It was quite a time eating, sleeping, drinking, sight-seeing and sharing travel experiences with all the other South American travelers, mostly Brits, Swiss and Kiwis. And the time resting, reading three year old Time magazines, ironically learning how to properly play Texas Hold Em from Europeans, talking Bill Hicks with his loyal British fan base was definitely well appreciated after trekking and camping in Torres del Paine National Park in southern Patagonia (another story).

The boat trip was surprisingly calm and other than the third day the skies were usually clear enough to check out the massive islands and fjords that comprise most of the southern 1/3rd of Chile. The second to the last night was supposed to be the rough one, the time when we entered Golfo de Penas. Most people downed Dramamine so they wouldn`t have to down Penas prior to bedtime but I thought I could survive it drug-free. And actually sleeping wasn`t all that bad, it was like having an adult size automatic rocking cradle in every bed as the ship swayed port-starboard all night. So the Penas was rather soft, not unrelentingly hard as most people had assumed it to be. The next morning the women were quite surprised of the lack of Penas they experienced the night before, as the men were happy with its absence as well.

Well enough Penas jokes for now, I`ll submit a blog later with pictures etc once I get settled on land and recover from the lackluster Penas experience.

I welcome global warming

Brrrrrrrr from Patagonia,

After due time in Buenos Aires, I have picked my trip back up and am now in the Patagonia. Three days ago I flew into El Calafate, Argentina from B.A. where I successfully hitch-hiked (only 45 minutes) to the Perito Moreno Glacier, which was amazing. It was also the first time in over 7 weeks of traveling I got to use the tent I´ve been lugging around this whole time. And of course everyone laughs when they see it erect (insert joke here), because its size is more fitted for a coffin, but it makes for easy packing and carrying. Thanks to Wes for the tent and Mickey for the sleeping bag, I couldn´t have been the punchline of many jokes without you guys. After too frigid nights in El Calafate, I arrived today in Puerto Natales, Chile. From here I will do a 4 night trek in Torres del Paine National Park and then return to Puerto Natales for a 4 day ferry trip northbound to Puerto Montt through Chilean fjords.

CLICK TO ENLARGE THIS MAP IF YOU CARE TO ACTUALLY SEE WHERE I AM:

Bon Voyage from Buenos Aires. Stewart, Conrad & Stuart from . Thanks again guys.

Views from the Perito Moreno Glacier outside of El Calafate, ARG

"Stuck" in Buenos Aires

So I'm still "stuck" here in Buenos Aires. But please don't associate being stuck with having a bad time by any means. Long story short, it took 2 hours to get a new passport yet it has taken 10 days and counting to get new credit/debit cards. Moral of the story: don't get your shit stolen in the first place. During my extended stay here in B.A. I have fallen in love with this city. It has everything a young American male could ask for, it's cheap, the women are top-notch, weather has been impeccable and most importantly the beer and red-meat flow like the salmon of Capistrano. And although I yearning to continue my voyage into the frigid Patagonia, I know for a fact that this city hasn't seen the last of me.

Conrad's South African roommate, Stuart (ya I know, the incorrect spelling), lent me his camera to shoot photos for some articles he's working on. He is a free-lance writer who is currently working or has worked on all sorts of projects for the press back home, including stories about: A small community of Afrikaners who fled to southern Argentina during times of British oppression, cruises to Antarctica, and much much more.

So here are some photos I took today, still hunting for a replacement Canon battery charger :(

The Dogwalker: not uncommon to see someone walking 8-10-12 dogs at once for a living.

A statue in front of the Casa Rosada (Argentine Executive Building)

It turns out this march, comprised of a few hundred, had more intensity and rhythm than any "Anti-War" protest I've ever seen in the U.S. I'm ashamed.

Obelisco in the center of Buenos Aires.
My local Subte stop, Scalibrini Ortiz, which runs like a charm. My only complaint is that it was built by the Brits, therefore the trains run on the tracks the opposite way as the traffic does on the street above, it can be a bit confusing.

Bummer in the South American Summer

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Puerto Iguazu, Argentina:

After one of the best days of my trip thus far I came back to my hostel to find that my small travel bag with my passport, credit cards, travel notes, everything important etc. had been stolen from the luggage storage. Every employee played dumb and questioned if I brought the bag, with my passport and credit cards with me to go hiking in the Iguazu Park....oh ya that's likely!

So in order to get a new passport I needed to file a police report, which was basically a formality with no hint of justice in sight (go figure). The whole process was strikingly similar to The Dude's ordeal in The Big Lebowski as one officer told me, "ya...they got us working in shifts."

So now I'm in Buenos Aires, thanks to my brother who bought my 17 hour bus ticket online for me seeing I only had US$4 to my name, staying with the saint Conrad Brown of UT fame who has opened up his futon for me while I get my situation sorted out.

All in all nothing is lost other than time and money and a little dignity. But my trail is still untraveled and I look forward to picking up right where I left off in beautiful South America.

Here are some photos of the magnificent Foz de Iguacu/Cataratas de Iguazu (Brasil side/Argentina side), followed by some photos of a surprisingly quaint city of Curitiba, Brasil where I was just before Foz de Iguacu. Sadly to say these might be the last pictures I'm able to post seeing my battery charger and cpu/camera USB plug has gone the way of my passport. But I'll shop around in Buenos Aires and/or borrow equipment from fellow hostel dwellers throughout my trip to keep the blog alive.

CATARATAS DE IGUAZU, ARGENTINA:


FOZ DE IGUACU, BRASIL:


CURITIBA, BRASIL:

World class botanical gardens in Curitiba

Oscar Niemeyer Museum

Tchau Brasilia, Oi Sao Paulo

It has been amazing staying with the De Paula´s for so long during my stay in Brasilia but I knew it was time to get going again so I headed south for Sao Paulo. Latin America´s ´´New York City´´ goes 11+ million strong within the city limits and has everything and more that NYC has to offer (Chinatown, Little Italy, transexual prostitutes etc). I was fortunate enough to hit the city when I did because the weather hasn´t warmed up yet and along with the light showers the typically smogged filled sky was blue and clear for miles to see.

A farewell to Brasilia:

A goodbye All-You-Can-Eat slamming sushi dinner

From Left: Diane, Gustavo, Me, Mariana, Felipe, Carol

Hello Sao Paulo:

Just one angle of Sao Paulo, looking down upon Praça Republica.

The rare blue sky of Sao Paulo

The Japanese Gardens in Sao Paulo. The Asian community in Sao Paulo is enormous, and the Chinatown is really authentic, I think I knew more Portuguese than most people there.

Parque Ibirapuera: in the center is a spire being constucted into a large Christmas tree just like home sweet home.


So now it´s off to Iguacu Falls, sure to be plenty of stories and photos to come. Stay warm and happy Thanksgiving.

Salvador and Beyond

To beat the hustle and bustle of Brasilia I headed off to Salvador last week. On the central coast of Brasil this colonial town sits at the end of a peninsula between the waters of the Atlantic and the Baia de Todos os Santos, both sparkling aqua blue. But it wasn't before too long that I decided to head off to Morro de Sao Paulo, a vacation island about 2 hours south of Salvador, to do some major chillaxing.

SALVADOR:

To my right, Manoel (66) my Servas host in Salvador, complete with Brasilian trophy wife (32), maids who served me fresh cold coconut water unsolicited, along with a gorgeous city to rest my loins.

Rooftops of Pelourinho

Statue of traditional Bahian (Salvador's state) woman

Brasilian phonebooth

The municipal elevator, convenient travel from the upper to the lower city and vice versa.

Igreja Sao Francisco

(NOT PICTURED DUE TO RESTRICTIONS): a Candomble ritual. Candomble is an adaptation of a traditional African religion which has been passed on and transformed through the years since the slave trade began in Brasil. It was interesting (long) to say the least, but a must and definitely worthwhile to see the tranced and possessed church-goers moan and groan and shake and rattle all the while wearing intricate costumes.

MORRO de SAO PAULO:

Don't worry, I didn't lose Gisele's phone number.

The sun sets on Morro

All the beaches at Morro are only 2-4 feet deep providing plenty of comfort to contemplate where would be a good place to enjoy a beer at sunset.

Presidential Status

Imagine driving down Pennslyvania Ave in Washington DC and seeing a small gathering outside of the Whitehouse. You´d probably think just another protest....well in Brasil things are a little different. Canzé and I were headed to the Brasilian `Whitehouse` because I hadn´t seen it yet when we noticed a rather small gathering outside of the gates (50-60 people). We parked next to the crowd and got out to see what was going on. Well it just happened to be President Lula´s birthday which was in the midst of celebration. He was in attendance within the crowd and we got to go right up, no screening, no ID check, no metal detectors and pat him on the back.

Afterwards I was still in shock and amazement about the amount of liberty people had to just go up and shake hands with the president. This is how it should be in the USofA. I asked around and people would just tell me ´´it´s not like people hate him, sure there are political rivals, but Brasil doesn´t go around telling people how to do their business so no one has true intentions or ambitions on harming the president.´´

WOW that´s refreshing to hear, well anyway,

Let´s play SPOT THE GRINGO:

Brasilia's Landmarks in Big Sky Country

Nothing but blue skies from now on...

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1. The Brasilian Congresso, offices are in the tall twin center buildings. The H shape symbolizes humanity, the bowl to the right is for the Deputados (representatives) and it is open to symbolize that the number of Deputados is uncapped, like the U.S. House. The dome on the left is for the Senate and is closed to symbolize that the number of Senators is capped.

2. Museo Nacional, great photo exhibit on wide-ranging communities throughout all parts of Brasil.

3. Cathedral Nacional, looks good from the outside but supposedly better internally, too bad it was closed that day.

4. More Museo Nacional with bureaucracy buildings in the background.

5. Museo Nacional continued.

6. Bureaucracy: The many agencies of Brasil are all lined up in a row like encyclopedias on a bookshelf. They are all identical and have gold letters on the front to distinguish which agency is which.

7. Biblioteca Nacional, on the right. Portions of the city skyline in the background.

8. The sun shining on the Museo Nacional.

9. Museo Nacional continued.

10. Nacional Cathedral with Agencies in the background.