Graffiti Tour

Although Buenos Aires is a masivo city, we have been mostly exploring by foot, wondering the busy streets and the different communities. At first we didn't know where to start, so Phil suggested a graffiti tour, which involves just walking from one piece of wall art to the next. Pretty simple, but truly elaberate and plentiful here. However, our day did not start out as simple as this open air art museum tour sounds. We, actually, spent the morning on another type of tour, a where-are-we-going-to-sleep-tomorrow-night tour. Before Buenos Aires, it was easy to find hotel rooms and it was common for menus to be waved in our faces as we passed by virtually empty restuarants. But here, we are experiencing quite the opposite. It is difficult to find a room in a hostel or a table at a restuarant, which although is not convenient when you are carrying your belongings on your back, but it is great for this metropolis (and the people watching). So anyway, we spent the whole morning looking for a new hostel, walking back and forth between our current one and new ones, trying to coordinate prices and dates. We eventally found one that we will be quite happy in, without breaking the bank (which is another new experience here in BA).

Ayres Porteños Hostel, San Telmo

We are currently residing at the following brightly-coloured hostel in the heart of San Telmo.

Ayres Porteños HOSTEL

Peru 708, San Telmo

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tel. +(54-11) 4300-7314

info@ayresportenos.com.ar

http://www.ayresportenos.com.ar/

Hostal Tango Suites, San Telmo

Upon arriving in Buenos Aires, we wondered around the streets of the San Telmo district and found the following hostal. We remained here for two days to recuperate.

HOSTAL TANGO SUITES

Chacabuco 747 - San Telmo

Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

República Argentina

Tel. +54 (011) 4300 - 2420

http://www.hosteltangosuite.com.ar/

info@hosteltangosuite.com.ar

Buenos Aires, Argentina

We made it safely to Buenos Aires after a very very long bus ride from La Paz (53 hours). Our morning in Bolivia started off with cold eggs and stale bread. We made our way to the bus station where we found out that the tickets we bought the previous day did not include transportation from La Paz to the border, which was frustrating. We were given tickets with another (extremely disorganized) bus company called 2 de Febrero. After much confusion (passengers screaming and yelling), we sat down in a very dirty, dilapitated old bus and began our journey to the border town of Villazon (what a nightmare). Shortly after getting on the bus, we obtained three pieces of information that we found to be quite interesting. 1-There was no ventilation in the bus and we couldn't open any windows. 2-There were no meals included (as we were originally told). 3-Conveniently, there was no bathroom (and we both had diarrhea). The funny part was that it was a 20-hour ride to the border. After four or five hours into the drive, the bus suddenly changed direction, and squealed into a farmer's field. We roared through dirt and debris down a some sort of path that sort of looked like a road (we're still not really sure). We spent at least two hours in this field as we came across many obstacles. We got off the bus to lighten the overall load of the vehicle to cross makeshift bridges, we bottomed-out a few times in holes that swallowed the wheels of the bus, and at one point everyone was involved with the construction of a bridge where the road seemed to suddenly disappear. We finally got back onto a reasonably good road and noticed that we had only detoured through the field to bypass a small town. We're not sure what the intention was maybe they were trying to avoid a check point or something. We spent the night trying to sleep as the bus rampaged down very rough switchbacks and were given a chance to go to the bathroom at approximately 3:00AM on the side of a cliff. We made it to the small border town of Villazon at 8:00AM. We retrieved our bags from the bus, and they were completely covered in dust and dirt (great). At the bus terminal, much more confusion awaited us. Supposedly, the bus company had over booked the bus and a handful of people we're required to take another the next day (luckily we were able to catch our connection that morning). Everyone was assigned new seats and there was a tremendous amount of confusion and discontent amongst the passengers (people were very grumpy). We finally got our bags and seats sorted out and drove two blocks to the Argentinian border. We spent four hours standing in the rain waiting for our passports to be stamped. We also had to get all of our bags back off of the bus, so that the police could root through all of our belongings (in the rain). We got back on the bus and were finally served a meal (after 28 hours with no food - actually, we had water and a few Goronzo chocolate bars from a desolate gas station back in Bolivia). We drove for another six hours to catch another connecting bus in Argentina (this is where the story completely changes). On this third bus, we were assigned luxury leather seats, that completely reclined to make a bed, we were served meals, there was air circulation/ventilation, and they even had wine. We couldn't believe the contrast. We spent the remaining 24 hours on this bus, sleeping and eating, reading and enjoying the scenery. We arrived in Buenos Aires around 5:00PM on Sunday, February 24th. We took a cab into San Telmo (main downtown area), found a hostal, and got drunk. (We will keep you posted with regards to how things unfold in Buenos Aires).

Expreso Transamericano

We will be travelling to Buenos Aires, Argentina from La Paz, Bolivia today at 1:00PM. The bus ride will take 48 hours in total. We will be making the trek with the following argentinian busline:

EXPRESO

TRANSAMERICANO

Servicio directo desde: Villazon, BOLIVIA hasta: Liniers, La Noria, Vilja Celina, Escobar, F. Valera, La Plata, ARGENTINA

Wondering La Paz

Imagine a prehistoric canyon, at 3660 metres, almost filled to the brim with houses, sky rises, cobblestone streets and people. Phil and I, for the past two days, have enjoyed La Paz´s spectacular scenery and amazingly busy streets filled with markets, music, food, and cars/buses/micro-vans. Yesterday, after arranging our 48 hour bus ticket to Buenos Aires, we wondered the streets first visiting an artisan market, where Phil found another lovely instrument, a Quena, a traditional Bolivian wind instrument, made from bone and wood. Next we wondered through the Mercado de Hechiceria, a witch craft market, which lead into a handful of other markets (where we enjoyed a freshly squeezed grapefruit juice) along our way to the Museo de Instrumentos Musicales. This museum had an amazing collection of traditional and modern Bolivian instruments, as well as a collection of international pieces. After this we headed to a little café to collect our musical thoughts, over a te con lemon (and a local liquor), delicious! The rest of the day was spent wondering from a main square to a look off, where Phil learned some Quechua (the language of the Incas) and I made friends with a little girl who graciously accompanied me down a large slide. In the evening we tried to catch some music at a Peña, a local folk-music venue, but by the time we had to head back to our hostel (we had a curfew) the main band was just going on. Although we did get entertained for a couple hours by choreographed dance numbers representing different groups in Bolivia (very touristy, but interesting), and a lovely solo artist on classical guitar. We look forward to exploring La Paz again in a month, but for now it is on to Argentina! Many thanks for the comments, great to hear from you!

La Paz, Bolivia

After arriving in La Paz, we took a taxi to our hostal. We were greeted by a friendly fellow behind a thick orange door adjacent to a busy downtown street. We checked in, went for something to eat, and returned, amidst a thunderstrom, to our nice dry rooms.

Casa de Huespedes

ARTHY'S

Guesthouse

Av. Montes No. 693

Tel. (591-2) 2281439

arthyshouse@gmail.com

http://arthyshouse.tripod.com

A morning in Puno

We woke up in Puno after a very cold night. After getting on the bus in Arequipa, we noticed that many people were wearing winter jackets and were covered in thick wool blankets (we now understand why). The hostal thankfully had three heavy wool blankets on the bed and we stayed very warm while we slept. We got up early and took a rickshaw to the main bus terminal. We looked around for tickets to Tacna, but nothing was leaving until late in the evening. As we did in Arequipa, our route took a sudden change and we booked an afternoon ticket to La Paz, Bolivia. It is lovely to have the freedom to make these whimsical decisions. After booking a place to stay, over the telephone, upon arrival in La Paz, we explored the streets of Puno. We stopped at a small artesians market and found some great hats called "choclos?" (cone shaped felt hats typical of this southern region). We wandered up the hillside with our hats on and took in a panoramic view of the city framed by hills and the shores of Lake Titicaca. We went to the main square and helplessly had our shoes shined by 8-10 extremely enthusiastic boys for s/. 3 (our shoes sure look good). And we had a delicious lunch on a balcony; asparagus soup, fish, chicken, desert, and pisco sours. We left Puno at 2:30PM and drove along the southern shores of Lake Titicaca. The afternoon was beautifully lit by the sun, the scenery was stunning. We crossed the Peru-Boliva border late in the afternoon with no problems and arrived in La Paz at 10PM.

Puno, Peru

After a day spent trying to figure out how we were going to escape Arequipa by bus, train, plane or any suitable means, we finally decided to head west. We changed our originally course slightly to avoid the road blocks and violence along the Pan Americana and ended up in Puno, Peru (located on the western shore of Lake Titicaca). We arrived at 3:00AM at the following hostal:

Los Pinos Inn Hostal

Jr. Tarapacá 182

Puno, Perú

Tel. 51-367398

reservas@hostallospinosinn.com

www.hostallospinosinn.com

Around Arequipa

We spent our first full day in Arequipa with two fellows from Dawson City, Yukon. In the morning, we inquired about booking a tour for the following day either a trek through the Colca Canyon (second deepest in the world) or biking down one of the volcanos bordering the city. We decided mid-day that we wanted to head south sooner than later and made plans to leave for Tacna, Peru the next day instead. We spent the afternoon at the Santa Catalina de Siena Monastery with our two new friends from the Yukon. This White City of Arequipa was begun in 1579/1580, forty years after the city was founded. The monastery was enlarged over the centuries until it became a city within the city, about 20000 sq./m. in total and covering a good sized city block. At one time, 450 nuns and their lay servants resided within the community, closed off from the city by high walls. As we toured the monastery, we walked down narrow streets named for Spanish locales, passed through arched colonnades surrounding courtyards, some with fountains, flowering plants and trees. We lingered in churches and chapels. We looked into private rooms, each with small patios, common areas like the colonnades, and the utilitarian areas such as kitchen, laundry and outdoor drying area. It was very impressive. As the day passed, we became more and more aware of the protest taking place within the city and throughout Peru. The farmers are unhappy (farming costs are high and prices for the food is low). They have set-up blockades around the city and departing by bus will be extremely difficult. We are attempting to leave Arequipa tonight for the southern border town of Tacna. If we are not successful, we will be in Arequipa for at least another day.

Arequipa, Peru

We pulled into Arequipa, Peru early in the morning on February 17. The place we had made reservations with arranged a taxi to pick us up and brought us to the hostal. It was very convenient and we were able to take advantage of the remaining half of our day exploring the city.

Hostal del Parque
Dean Valdivia 238 A
Manuel Ugarteche 412
Arequipa, Peru

Tel. (054) 21-2275

Lima, Peru

We arrived in Lima yesterday afternoon after a very long hot bus ride. We showered and fell asleep at 8:30PM at the following hostal:

Flying Dog Hostel

117 Diez Canseco

Miraflores, Lima, Peru

Tel. 4456745

flyingdoghostels@gmail.com

www.flyingdogperu.com

Guayaquil, Ecuador to Lima, Peru

We have arrived back to the mainland after a beautiful trip to the Galapagos Islands. We are currently in Guayaquil, Ecuador and we will be travelling south to Lima (on our way to Buenos Aires through Chile). We are leaving this morning (Thusday, February 14) at 11:30AM and will be arriving in Lima at approximately 3:00PM (Friday, February 15). We have reservations on the following international busline:

Expreso Internacional Ormeño

- Ecuador, Guayaquil (00593-4) (214-0362)

- Peru, Lima (51-1) 472-5000

http://www.grupo-ormeno.com.pe/

Guayaquil, Ecuador

During our one-night stop-over in Guayaquil before heading south for Lima, we stayed at the following spotless hostal:

Hostal Suite "Madrid"

Quisquis 305 y Rumichaca

Guayaquil, Ecuador

Tel. 2-307804, 2-314992

Hotel Flamingo, Puerto Ayora

During our last night in the Galapagos Islands, we returned to the following, fairly comfortable and reasonably clean, budget hotel (motel) for $10 each a night.

Hotel Flamingo

Tel. 05 526 526

Isabela, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

While visiting the Island of Isabela, we put our bags down at the following hotel.

Coral Blanco

Av. Antonio Gil y Pinguinos

Isla Isabela, Galapagos, Ecuador

Tel. 052 529 432
Fax. 052 529 125

Cel. 092 457 445

email: hotlecoralblanco@gmail.com

Isabela

We are now back on the main Island of Santa Cruz, after three wonderful days on Isabela, the largest of the Islands. This quiet Island, with few tourists, provided us with both activity and tranquility. We stayed in Puerto Villamil, a friendly little town with streets of sand. We spent the first day walking on multi-coloured lava rock around the summit of the second largest crater in the world, Valcan Sierra Negra and a smaller active volcano, Volcan Chico. We traveled by horse for part of the journey, which was Phil´s first time as a cowboy! The next morning we had our most enjoyable snorkel, with sea turtles and rays, and fish of very colour. We spent the afternoon biking, on very well managed paths, by the vast beach front, where the sand is as soft as flour, and by internationally recognized wetlands. The wetlands are dense mangroves with small salt water pools in close proximity to the ocean. It is all so beautiful and humbling.

Santa Cruz, Floreana, and Bartolome

Around every corner there are spectacular sights of animals co-existing right before our eyes. Our last two days have been primarily spent snorkeling around two different islands fairly close to the one we have been staying on. Around one rock formation, called Corona del Diablo (the Devil's Crown), we snorkeled by a giant sea turtle, three white tipped sharks, many sea lions, a manta ray and thousands of fish, which the previously mentioned feed on. I could hardly keep from choking on my snorkel gear (especially when I realized I had just swam over a shark, who thankfully cared less about me, Phil, of course, was thrilled and turned back for a photo)!
These Islands, however, have presented us with much more then beautiful photo ops. I actually feel like I could write an essay on what we have experienced so far. It would include the contradictions this beautiful, extremely delicate, worldly unique archipelago has presented to us. The contradictions of being an animal filled natural sanctuary verses a vacation spot for thousands of tourists. How can these two co-exist? It is a tough one. But with only four short days left, I will put the essay on hold and enjoy my time here, while making a very conscious effort to live lightly, thank the animals and the land, and give back what I have taken. That being said, here are some photos from the last four days. We are off to Isabela today, a more remote Island, so we will be in touch in a couple days.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

We touched-down on Santa Cruz Island this morning around 11AM. We went through security, retrieved our luggage, and caught a ride to the small village of Puerto Ayora (the hub of the Galapagos Islands). We checked into Hotel Flamingo at 12AM and wandered down to the waterfront. It didn't take long to see our first marine iguanas, sally lightfoot crabs, and lava gulls. After a lunch, we strolled along the shoreline towards the Charles Darwin Research Station. We watched brown pelicans, great friggatebirds, and two galapagos sea lions. At the Research Station, we saw Lonesome George, the last survivor of the distinct Pinta Giant Tortoise subspecies. We spent time with many other giant tortoises and iguanas. It was absolutely incredible. The Charles Darwin Foundation website (www.darwinfoundation.org) features news, updates, and background information, and tells you how you can make donations or join the foundation.

Adventures in Baños

We just spent three days in one of Ecuador´s top tourist spots, for both locals and foreigners, called Baños. We arrived just as Carnaval was starting and were able to join in on the fun of this very exciting fiesta, as well as take part in some outdoor activity. Early in the morning on our first day we enjoyed a hot springs bath (hence the name of the town), and then headed just outside of town to catch a glimpse of the active volcano, which actually erupted a couple years ago. It is an amazing sight to see the smoke puff out of a volcano, something prehistoric about it.
Next we rented bikes to ride and glide 60 km down to the jungle, along a beautiful route, with waterfalls around every corner. This was a wonderful day, which included a cable car ride, hikes, and the freshest trout meal you can ask for with our two new bike amigos, Wendy and Bill.
That night we met up with our friend Beth from Cuenca and headed up a mountain to see the volcano at night, which turned out to be not so interesting but a fun bus ride all the same.
The next day we went white water rafting on Class 4 and 5 rapids, it was thrilling. We even managed to flip the boat, which resulted in an incredible rescue effort of people and paddles! That evening with our paddle friends and hostel amigos, we headed out on the town to partake in Carnaval festivities and parades. To back track a bit, for the past month water balloons have been thrown at us, as a warm up to Carnival and then for the actual days of carnival the water balloons continue and foam spray, flour, eggs get added to the list. So day and night you are pretty much guaranteed to get wet or sprayed while walking on the streets. It can’t be avoided, so you have no choice but to join in, and join in we did. And let’s just say Phil really likes Carnaval.

Guayaquil, Ecuador

We arrived safely in Guayquil after a very interesting and extremely crowded 7 hour bus ride. We managed to accomodate a snoring man - sprawled out on the floor at our feet, we had mud sprayed all over our heads, and the girl behind us vomitted on our backpack. It was great. We are currently staying at the Dreamkapture Hostal and very much looking forward to flying to the Galapagos Islands tomorrow morning at 10AM.

Dreamkapture Hostal

Alborada Doceava Etapa

Manzana 02, Villa 21

Guayaquil, Ecuador

Tel: 593-4-2242909

Fax: 593-4-2242926

www.dreamkapture.com/hostal

Baños, Ecuador

We are currently staying at the following hostal in Baños, Ecuador. We will be here until the morning of January 4th. We will then be heading to the city of Guayaquil for one night before flying to the Galapagos Islands on January 5th.

Hostal Plantas y Blanco

Luis A. Martínez y 12 de Noviembre

Baños, Ecuador

03-274 0044 / 03 274 1043

option3@hotmail.com

Chimborazo, Ecuador

The last time we wrote we were wrapping up our activities in Cuenca, saying goodbye to friends and trying to take advantage of every last minute there. Which included an over night trip in the National Park close to the city. This was, well, an interesting experience. One full of rain and cold, and not many birds (which is why we went), but the experience was a good reminder of not trying to do everything and now we laugh every time one of us mentions the word Cajas. I am sure it is nice there, sometimes….I think.
That being said we have really had a crazy week. We moved out of our lovely apartment Thursday morning and landed in a new town by 7 that night. Riobamba was the place we were hoping to meet up with Wiliber, a Just Us!/Jambi Kiwa friends when I worked there a couple summers ago, but because of carnival (which needs to be a whole other blog post) and schedules we ended up on our own on Friday. So we decided to take a chance and see if we could stand at 5000 metres on Ecuador’s largest mountain (the top also being the furthest point from the centre of the Earth), Chimborazo. We decided not to go the usually tourist route, which is a $35 taxi ride to the first refugee camp. So we hopped on a very busy public bus for $4 and headed to the hill. We were dropped off at the entrence of the park, although it felt more like another planet, as clouds brushed the barren ground. We eventually found the path to the park and meet the park wardens in their car, probably wondering what we were doing on our own. Anyway, to make a long story short, these two fellows decided to drive us up to the first refugee camp, pick us up an an houre and a half later and then drive us back to Riobamba, since that would be the time there shift was over. Needless to say we took them out for dinner and were completely thankful for their generosity. Wonderful people.
So a day of unknown turned into a wonderful day of snow (which we both loved, and really appreciated, I guess we are four season folks deep down), new friends and once again another adventure!

Riobamba, Ecuador

We stayed at the following hotel while visiting Riobamba during the night of January 31. It was painted bright green and pink on the outside (as you can see) and was very hard to miss. The hotel is located one block from the Riobamba Train Station, where the infamous trainride for El Nariz del Diablo (the Devil's Nose) departs.

Hotel Tren Dorado

Carabobo 22-35 and 10 de Agosto.

Riobamba, Ecuador

tel. 593.3.296.4890

fax. 593.3.296.4890

htrendorado@hotmail.com