Wednesday, 31 October 2012

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Our travel from Cusco to Lima and then on to Buenos Aires was always going to be long, but what unfolded in those two days definitely shaved a couple years from our lives! Our bus ride from Cusco back to Lima wasn't too bad. Not too bad because relatively, the 22hr bus ride with never ending mountain passes, numerous near head on collisions, a single 3 minute stop and a very old Peruvian gentleman nearly 'kicking the bucket' repeatedly in the seat behind us, was the best part of the trip.

Our budget couldn't accommodate a direct flight to Buenos Aires, so after a long layover in Lima, we landed in São Paulo, Brazil at 1am local time. From there, another 7 hour wait before we boarded our next flight to our final destination, Buenos Aires. Doable on paper but in reality, not so much. When our bags, which were checked through to Argentina, appeared on the luggage carousel in Brazil, the writing was on the wall for us.. It was going to be another long day. Our ability to communicate in Portuguese made us feel fluent in Spanish and after clearing up our baggage issues, we were directed where to proceed for our connection, or so we thought. We ended up in the main terminal which meant that to get back to departures we would need to pay an unnecessary airport tax. After a couple of frustrating hours we were both physically and emotionally broken (...meg burst into tears when she tried to buy a water at McDonalds and the cashier wouldn't accept her US dollars!!) and so in an attempt to get some sleep, we resigned ourselves to the dirty, hard airport floor. I've seen more glamorous bergies.

We arrived in Buenos Aires looking worse for wear (not to mention that we hadn't showered for two days!). We checked into our hostel in Florida Road in the city´s Micro Centro, and basically slept until the next morning. Life's tough for us travelers :)

Feeling horribly guilty for wasting precious traveling time, we woke up and hit the city streets, on a historic walking tour offered by the hostel. We were taken to the San Telmo, the oldest suburb in BA and given great insight to the early days and the European influences, most notable in the architecture. The main square in the city (Plaza de Mayo) is surrounded by all the governmental buildings, the most famous being the Presidential offices known as The Rose House for its pink colour, where Eva "Evita" Peron delivered her speeches from the balcony.

With the rain pouring down, we continued on our way and decided to explore the suburb of Recoleta, recommended to us, along with Palermo, as more vibrant parts of the city. We enjoyed a great coffee and cheesecake at a quaint little cafe and met an American poet who gave us some tips on where to explore. Our next stop was the Recoleta cemetery, which is unlike any cemetery that you've seen before with each grave having its own little building and street address, some as elaborate as cathedrals adorned with statues and decorative pieces. As the saying goes, "it's cheaper to live like a King and Queen than to be buried in Recoletta." Evita's body went missing for 16 years, and eventually was returned to this graveyard.

Top: The Rose house/presidents offices, Bottom right: The oldest building in BA (monastery)
Coffee and Cake in Recoleta, a cozy escape from the pouring rain

The next day we headed for Palermo, a funky suburb with colorful buildings, great local fashion stores and a myriad of cool bars and restaurants. Our main agenda for the day was to hunt down a local restaurant and enjoy a prized Argentinian steak. Our expectations were exceeded as we devoured incredible meals paired with a homegrown Malbec, certainly one for the memory bank!

Sampling Argentinian beef in Palermo
The colourful streets of Palermo
Puerto Madero Waterfront

We enjoyed our last day at Puerto Madera, the waterfront. The water here is an awful brown colour, as Buenos is built around the Rio De La Plata Estuary. It was here that we sampled Empanada´s for the first time (see middle pic above), a delicious traditional pastry filled with meat, veg etc, that taste similar to a Samoosa.

We catch an overnight bus to Iguazu Falls this evening, which are located on the border of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina.

Friday, 26 October 2012

Macchu Picchu Trek


Day 1 and 2:  Huchuy Qosqo Trek

Although the Huchuy Qosqo Trek wasn't the original Inca trail, we walked on authentic Inca paths and camped in Inca ruins on our first night. We hiked a total of 6 hours on Day 1 - this comprised of summiting a pass at 4000m above sea level in the rain and hail, enjoying a 3 course lunch on a rural farm, catching our first glimpse of the Sacred Valley and of course exploring the Huchuy Qosqo ruins/our campsite.

Our guide, Cesar, who is originally from 'the jungle', has a degree in Archaeology. He was extremely knowledgable, and being the enthusiastic person that he was, he totally overloaded us with Inca-related history. None the less, we enjoyed his company! Day 1 ended with a delicious meal overlooking the ruins and valley.

The following day, we descended to the village of Lamay, a steep 2 hour hike that certainly took its toll on our knees. A bus and train trip took us from Lamay to Aguas Calientes, a small village just outside Macchu Picchu, where we spent our second night. The railway, which snakes along a large river amongst the steep mountains and jungle is the only way to get to this village.


The start of the trek 


Cesar showing Meg how the Incas made bridges,
using thick interwoven grasses



Walking on original Inca Trails


The Huchuy Qosqo ruins


Our campsite in the ruins


The steep descent to Lamay, in the Sacred Valley


On the Inca Rail to Aguascalientes

Day 3: Macchu Picchu City and Waynapicchu Mountain

Getting on the first bus to Macchu Picchu to beat the hordes of tourists, required a 4am start. It was well worth the effort, as it was quiet, foggy and quite mystical when we arrived. This Inca city is a fascinating place, and certainly deserves to be one of the 7 wonders of the world! It's hard to believe that these advanced people were able to construct such complex buildings, with limited resources, on the edge of steep cliffs.

Cesar gave us a 2 hour tour, and then we climbed Waynepicchu mountain, a hike that we totally underrated! The rustic path wound around the steep mountain, and was very strenuous. The view from the top was breathtaking, not only because we got a clear view of Macchu Picchu, but because we couldn't quite wrap our heads around the fact that the Inca's constructed ruins on the very top of this steep mountain!

The rain moved in, so we decided to head back to the train, which took us back to Olantaytambo, where a shuttle drove us back to Cusco. We were very weary from the days activities and in desperate need of a hot shower.

Machu Picchu in the early morning
(The stonework was incredible)

Looking over Machu Picchu, with Waynapicchu mountain in the background


Climbing Waynapicchu mountain

View from the top of the mountain, overlooking Macchu Picchu

Today, we take a 21 hour bus ride (help..!) back to Lima. Our 10 days in Peru have been filled with great experiences with new friends, food, language and adventure.

Argentina, you're next!

Thursday, 25 October 2012

Cusco

In preparation for the Inca Trail, our tour company suggested that we spend 2-3 days in Cusco City at 3350m to acclimatize to the altitude. Cusco was the historical site of the Inca Empire and was declared a world heritage site in 1983. The architecture has Spanish and Inca influences, and the original cobbled streets are very narrow and busy. 

Our unofficial restaurant club made our time in Cusco very enjoyable.  The members were Chris (Aussie), Jeremy (British, but lived in Nambia for sometime) and Monika (Swiss), and Neil (Brit). We met outside the cathedral each day to start our restaurant search, be it for lunch, tea and cake, or dinner. The one day, a few of the club members hiked up to the Cristo Blanco, a white statue of Christ that overlooks the city. The view was an adequate reward for our efforts!

We weren't able to do the original Inca Trail, as it had sold out months ago, but there were some great alternatives. We chose to do a 3 day trek called Huchuy Qosqo, which ends in Machu Piccho, one of the 7 wonders of the world. But more about that in the next post...


Cusco Main Square and our hostel
The Main Square

A local festival

Dinner at a Peruvian Restaurant (Bottom right is Guinea Pig, their local delicacy)
Top of Christo Blanco, with Monika and Jeremy


The locals love their fresh juices here. Bottom right: traditional ladies holding baby Lama´s

Another evening of great dining


Saturday, 20 October 2012

Lima

After an 8 hour flight from LA, we touched down in Lima, Peru at 1am on Friday morning. We were very grateful to find our hotel shuttle driver waiting for us at Arrivals. We immediately were reminded that we were in a 3rd world country with the rickety vehicles, non-existent road lanes, hooting, and the general hustle and bustle of the busy city - it was some what comforting and familiar. Little did we know that the following day would involve our first major traveling hiccup.

We got a good nights rest at the San Antonio Abad hotel in the Miraflores suburb, but that morning we needed to draw some local currency and were directed down the street to the closest ATM. Andy drew the money, and we jumped into a taxi and went over to the Kokopelli hostel where we spent the following night. In no time, Andy realized that he had left his bank card in the ATM! We raced back to the bank, but the card was nowhere to be found. We spent the next 30 minutes on the phone to the Canadian bank. Luckily I have a card for the same account, so we good for now.

Andy's hands sweat when he's stressed, so you can imagine that this incident took it to a whole new level! I thought it would be wise to find the nearest local restaurant for some well deserved R&R. The language barrier in Peru is a lot worse than we anticipated - most locals cannot speak any English, so just understanding the menu requires help from our Spanish phrase book.

That afternoon was spent in the city centre with two American guys, Mark and Shane, who we met at the hostel. We visited a Catholic cathedral which has been active since the 16th century. The tour guide took us underground to the Catacombs, which are underground passageways with Catholic tombs . The human bones from the 16th century have been recently excavated, and have been opened to public viewing. It was fascinating! We grabbed a quick dinner and headed back to the hostel.

We had booked our flight to Cusco the following day at lunchtime, so we decided to spend the morning at the Malecon, which is Lima's promenade. Considering most of the city was rather run down, it was a pleasant surprise to see how much effort and pride had been put into making the Malecon a clean, safe, and beautiful place.

All our belongings (Vancouver Airport)


Our 1st night at San Antonio Hotel

Kokopelli Hostel, Meg on the phone to the bank and Andy enjoying his 1st Peruvian Brew
Lima City Centre
The Cathedral
Malecon - Spanish for "Boardwalk"

Tuesday, 16 October 2012

The Rocky Road

Our journey through the Canadian Rockies was truly spectacular.

Although the weather was snowy and misty (which was to be expected with winter on its way), we were still treated to some incredible scenery. The Rocky Mountains are sheer and steep in comparison to the coastal mountain range we became familiar with in Whistler. In some parts, we were level with glaciers and the snow line of the early winter season.

We began our journey in Whistler, and our first night was spent in Clearwater in a beautiful farm styled B&B owned by cheery Germans. The following day we headed north east to Jasper, an old railway town which has the Marmot Basin ski slopes nearby. We sampled some local brews from the Jasper Brewery, and took a walk around the lake in the national park.

Our next stop was Lake Louise, a turquoise coloured lake set in dramatic mountains. The view from our room was breath taking and we 'ooooh'd' and 'aaaaah'd' all afternoon! This hotel was built in at the turn of the 19th century, with the establishment of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

The following day we set off to explore the Banff National Park. The Banff Springs village is steeped in history - it was discovered when railway workers stumbled upon natural hot springs in the 1880's. We stayed at the Banff Springs hotel, which is a 124 year old national historic site, which is literally a castle! Once again, we felt privileged to enjoy these beautiful areas.

As we watch the sun set over Vancouver from our airport hotel room tonight, we bid Canada farewell.  The road trip was an incredible end to a special year.

Tomorrow night we will be on the South American continent.
I think we are in for a major culture shock!


Our first glimpse of wildlife and the real rocky mountains en route to Clearwater
Jasper brews and village strolls
The Jasper Park Lodge
Incredible Lake Louise

Overlooking the Banff National Park from Tunnel Mountain
(the hotel is in the far distance)
Banff Springs hotel room view

The Bow Falls, Banff
View from the Banff Hotel
The Banff castle, banquet rooms and pool area
Plane-shaped shortbread at the airport on our last night in Canada

Wednesday, 3 October 2012

End of a chapter

It wasn't our intention to stay for summer, but we are so glad that we did. The locals keep reminding us that this is one of the best summers that they can remember, and we have subsequently spent every waking hour (those not spent at work) outside!

Tom, one of our house mates embarked on his 2 day return journey back to the republic this past month. It's always sad to lose a member, but he has great times awaiting him in Isle of Man. His departure was adequately celebrated/mourned by piggishly devouring 168 wings between 5 of us at Buffalo Bills! Tom himself broke his previous record of 40 wings in one sitting, by shovelling 48 into his gullet! Needless to say, he won't be eating wings for a while.

In preparation of our eminent departure, we sadly had to sell our bikes and other winter gear. The next leg of our journey will include visits to Peru, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. We depart Canada for good on 17 Oct, travel South America, and land back on South African soil on 7 Dec. Our South American leg should epic - we have spent many hours researching the best spots, reading friends blogs, and getting as much advice we can.

We haven't done much local travelling (except Vancouver and Victoria), so we have rather spontaneously decided to do a roadtrip inland to Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff, before we leave Canada.  These 3 resorts are apparently a 'must see', so we leave next Friday and will travel 2000km's in 5 days! We see it as mental and physical preparation for our long bus journeys we will endure across South America!!

So Canada, we have 15 days left together.  I won't miss being asked a dozen times a day, "so where in Australia are you from?", but I will miss the incredible people and lifestyle we have enjoyed over the past 12 months!


A skeleton bike (handmade by a Whistler local!)
Same place, different season (Fitzsimmons Creek)
The wing feast
Clear water
Farewell Tom
My first Canadian lobster
The golf crew
Sundowners at our favourite lookout point (overlooking Nick North and Green Lake)