Honduras

Since the guidebooks had little to say about Tegucigalpa (the capital of Honduras) and San Pedro Sula (the AIDs capital of Central America); we bee-lined to the idyllic islands of Roatan and Utilla.  Flying into Roatan was affordable and saved us time which we were running low on.  We landed in Roatan only to be engulfed in smoke.  Apparently the winds can cause the smoke from the burring cane fields on the mainland to sit over the islands.  We weren’t sure we could handle it but thankfully the smoked cleared within days.

Knowing that Roatan was more laid back than Utilla, we decided to take care of our advanced diving course while in Roatan so we could just enjoy ourselves in Utila.  The dives in Roatan were absolutely gorgeous.  There is a huge problem with lionfish in the Caribbean because they are not native to the area and have no predators so dive masters are allowed to hunt them.  We convinced our guide and all headed out on a lionfish hunting expedition.  It was a successful mission with us getting two then he filleted them right on the dock (he did actually stab himself so we got to see the treatment which is just hot water as it breaks up the proteins), squeezed a little lime and a few drops of hot sauce then straight into our mouths.  It was delicious!!

Aside from the diving, the best story happened on our first night.  We decided to start our evening at a cigar bar with a beautiful view of the sunset which offered a combo mojito/cigar deal that interested both of us.  I met Towe there after finishing a few emails and found him chatting up a couple on the deck.  I was introduced to Brion James and his girlfriend as Brion and Towe were reminiscing about Hollywood.  Apparently Brion spent some time there but the story kept getting better.  A side to the story, and one only mentioned because there were a plethora of characters that made the night a weird and hilarious one, was the young girl that walked up to Towe right in the middle of the group conversation and practically tried to kiss him while telling him how beautiful he was.  I thought they had met before but Towe motioned that he had no idea who this chick was either.  She was going on and on about how her mother was from Honduras but her father was a Colombian drug lord.  At one point Towe managed to pass her off on me while Brion showed him a hotel that was recently closed and for sale next door.  With tears in her eyes she told me about how her husband, another drug lord in Colombia, is locked up for many years because he was caught transporting hundreds of kilos out of the country.  She kept offering us drugs and wanting to buy us drinks which immediately made me start questioning her motives.  We finally had an out when Brion mentioned he was going home to smoke a j and asked if we wanted to come along.  It was ridiculous prying the girl from us as she just wanted ‘our company’ but once we were away, Towe informed me that the bartender (who had become a friend of ours) said that she was always kicking that girl out of the bar for doing drugs in the bathroom.  Needless to say she was a working girl and we were both happy to be rid of her.

We jumped in the back of Brion’s pickup and met another couple characters; Brian and Sam.  Sam is a builder who has lived on the island for years and actually knows Brion from his beginnings in the music industry in their home state of Oregon (or was it Washington?).  Brian met Sam when they were kids and beat each other up.  Brian seems to be stuck with the intelligence of that same child who was beat up and dresses like he is heading to camp.  He had a camel back with the chest strap latched on the entire night along with a round hiking type hat, both of which he wore at the bar that night.  Everyone was really nice and friendly especially Brion who seemed to be excited to have an audience of new listeners.  The walls of his house are covered with gold, platinum and other records and tapes.  Yes, tapes.  This guy’s first break was a one-hit wonder group that P. Diddy produced which went gold….tape.  HA!  His story of ‘breaking through’ is a great example of always trying your best because you never know who is watching (or listening in this instance).  He was recording one of his original compositions in a studio in LA when P. Diddy himself called the sound board guy (apparently world class famous) and heard his song in the background.  Diddy bought it on the spot and that started his recording career.  Mind you, before going into writing and producing music, Brion had already toured the world several times over playing bass for various bands one of which is The Rolling Stones.  Brion is now ‘retired’.  He keeps himself busy tending bees, teaching music at a local school and playing with a band a few times a week.  We stayed to see him but that never happened.  We actually never saw him again after that night which was a bummer as he was a real firecracker.

We did decide to meet up with Sam and Brian for local food on the other side of the island that night.   Sam enticed us by mentioning the delicacies of Iguana, turtle soup and other local fare.  We were told to meet them at a bar on the other side of the island in an hour.  We showed up to The Breeze Bar and immediately felt like we were in the wrong place.  That was until we heard the only other gringo talking on his cell to someone we inferred to be Sam about meeting some people there.  This guy was another character.  He had a young hot local girl crawling all over his body and he kept being overtly blatant with his affection.  The only other person at the bar besides that couple and the staff was a giant of man who was off his rocker high on coke.  At one point he just sat down at our table outside, busted out a baggie and literally stuck his nose in it till it was gone, both in his nose and on his face.  He then tried to tell us something about his children he didn’t know, wife he never loved and property he could sell us for much less than market value.  It wasn’t until later in the night that we found out the guy ‘batted for both teams’ and was probably trying to make a pass at us the whole time.  Unfortunately the local cuisine was not open so we decided nervously to eat at the bar.   The crazy part was how amazing the food was.  We didn’t realize but they had the grandmother locked up in the kitchen making amazing dishes.  We started with conch soup then had amazing wings and shrimp. 

After several days on Roatan we headed over to Utilla for more diving and a little night life.  This island is ground zero for diving backpackers with ultra-cheap accommodation, usually at the dive shops packaged with diving and bar access.  We were recommended Alton’s and found it very welcoming.  Over the course of a week on the island we did 10 dives each and saw some amazing sea life.  Our first dive was probably our coolest in that we got to swim with a beautiful turtle, saw an amazing eagle ray and then got to swim with a pod of close to 100 spinner dolphins during our surface interval (break between dives). 

The nightlife on Utilla is an amazing thing too.  There are only a handful of bars and the crowd usually moves in packs.  We would spend the day at our bar at the dive center then head over to Skid row (billed as the best ‘dive’ in Utilla) for some drinks then to Tranquilla and/or Treetanic.  Treetanic is apparently rated in the top 5 list of bars throughout the world with just cause.  The owner has meticulously built this space over 15 years and it resembles a Gaudi vision of Alice in Wonderland.  Very cool.  We made excellent friends with the staff at Alton’s and had dinner on two nights at different people’s houses.  It was nice to enjoy a home cooked meal in a home which is something I realize I have been missing lately.

Copan has been a perfect and relaxing way to ease out of travelling and gear up for coming home.  We spent 4 days here and have enjoyed the cool weather and friendly city.  One day we spent lounging in the hammocks at our B&B then explored a local brewery we had heard about.  A very cool Bavarian was brewing in the kitchen when we arrived and pouring delicious ales and heffs.    We have the whole B&B to ourselves which is nice too as we can just lounge around outside, reading and enjoying the peace and quiet.  The ruins were another great day trip just outside of town.  We walked there, explored and did the nature hike which was all very gorgeous.  One recommendation would be to skip the tunnel experience as it is amazingly expensive for nothing.  Just trust me on that one.  On our last day we went up to the Macaw Mountain bird sanctuary and had a wonderful walk through a spectacularly laid out aviary space laced with coffee plants.  It has been so nice to slow down here and just enjoy the moment before I plunge myself back into life off the road.

Central America!

Due to lack of internet pretty much over the last month, I have not been able to upload pictures or update the blog.  This is a whirlwind chapter where I try to capture the highlights and destinations we have seen.  ALL AMAZING!! 

The San Blas adventure started with a 2 hour boat ride to the first of the southern-most San Blas islands.  We were the last to get on and had to sit in the front seats.  Since Towe is a little taller and a little thinner he was bouncing very hard, hitting his head on the metal bar over our heads then slamming his ass on the front plastic seat.  I was able to wedge myself in and couldn’t help but laugh as Towe whooped the whole way.  He wanted them to pull over and drop us off but we made it to the island.  He was not happy.  We got off the boat and were the only tourists on the island.  There was one restaurant and we went to check lunch.  They only served one dish of octopus with patacones and Towe opted out but I ate.  Then Towe decided he wanted out what he called, ‘the situation’ so he went to the phone and found an airport on another island near ours which we could fly out of in the morning to Panama City.  He also did not like that specific island so we decided to head to a different island with more people and closer to the áirport´ ...This island wound up sucking more than the first.  Our accommodation was horrible...two hammocks in a smoky hut shared with some locals whereas we had our own hut on the water with a beautiful ocean view at the first spot.  ‘No worries, let’s just get through this,’ we thought.  Then for dinner we went to the only restaurant on that island and they served us nasty fish, rice and beans.  I ate...Towe did not.  We barely slept then got up excited to be off the islands.  We went to the island with the airport which is actually a small island with a landing strip and a hut.  We show up at 830 since the plane is arriving at 9.  All of us, including the locals who are flying with us, have our shit laying out in the sun baking while we are all getting eaten alive by these little bugs.  So after a few hours of the plane not showing up, everyone left and we decided to just wait it out....sucky.  The plane finally arrived at 4Pm...Towe was beside himself with hunger and anger but we boarded and got on our way.  We landed in Panama City only to realize that the locals had brought fish or something that had baked in the sun all day and spilled on our bags...oh god that was gross...really gross.  Towe was about to flip out...seriously bad news.  Finally getting out of the airport he made the taxi take us straight to McDonalds where he ordered a 10 piece nugget, large fry and soda...downing all within 3 minutes in the cab (mind you, he  had not eaten in over 24 hours). We got our own room after two hotels and I washed my bag totally in the tub while Towe dabbed his with a rag and shampoo...today his bag still smells and is stinking up our room.  We are back to being happy though and were able to score a free flight to Bocas del Toro tomorrow for our pain and suffering and may even get our flights refunded...so that is cool.

Panama City

We only spent two days in the capital and it was during Semana Santa so not much was happening.  We went to the Miraflores locks and watched the boats go through the canal then explored the downtown a little.   The interesting thing about Panama is that they do not have their own currency, they use American dollars.  It was weird to be using our currency again in a different country.  So I had a little luck at the casino (doubled up again!) and we spent one evening at a cool hostel (Luna’s Castle) where we made some friends and went out to watch a cover band.  Good times but we were ready to keep moving.

Bocas Del Toro, Panama

This place is amazing.  I would highly recommend it to anyone, any age that travels through the area.  It is totally ‘gringofied’ in that everyone speaks English, most are ex-pats, and it is clean.  Towe was still feeling a little ill from the McDonalds a few days earlier but we managed to find a sweet spot with our own balcony.  This is definitely a party town.  Every night a different bar has a different special going and different happy hours.  We spent more than one day lounging at Casa Verde on their decks, hammocks and inner-tubes just plain relaxing.  We made friends with a couple American teachers that are working in Trinidad and wound up kicking it with them a lot of the time.  There are several islands in the Bocas area and we explored many of them.  One day we rented a boat and driver to take us around.  It was really fun.  We had a very crazy experience on our way out to Starfish beach.  I am going to copy the story from my friend as he wrote it much better than I could.  It was hilarious.

‘Yesterday a group of five of us rented a boat and took a tour around the small island we were staying on in Bocas Del Toro, Panama.  We brought beer, masks and snorkles, and some MJ and were planning on it being a chill, good time.  on our way around the south side of the island, we see this "hotel" up ahead.  it's a pretty well known hotel here because of just how extravagant it is.  it's a series of interconnected huts on stilts, sitting out on the water.  each hut is a room, with the largest hut being the penthouse suite.  as we're driving by, we look over and see 4 people at the largest hut wildly waving at us over.  we say hey - why not?  and head over.  we can see that it's two men and two women, and neither woman is wearing a top.  as we get closer, we see that it's a heavier bald middle eastern man, some younger guy with a horrible uni-brow, a woman with the most obvious boob-job i've ever seen (not to mention bleached hair and super inflated lips) and another middle aged, moderately attractive woman who doesn't appear to have had any work done.  once we're within earshot, the middle eastern guy starts shouting "do you have any drugs?  we're out of drugs!  we need more drugs!" 

turns out the middle eastern guy is an iraqi named Ali who  has been living in russia for the last 25 years.  the younger guy is also russian but lives in costa rica.  the natural woman is Ali's wife, and the surgical mistake is the younger guy's plaything that he picked up at a club the night before.  we proceed to spend the next hour or so sitting on their dock, trying to act normal, in the presence of - in my best guess - international arms dealers.  they were amazingly friendly - almost too muchso.  the whole scene reminded me of that scene in inglorious bastards in the basement bar when you know sh!t is about to go down, you just don't want to be there when it does.  the capper came when Ali and the other guy call a water taxi to take them to town and get more drugs (apparently Ali had smuggled a large amount of c0ke and MJ into the country but they had already used it all up).  As they are getting in their boat, we start getting in ours and he calls to us "no, you all stay.  we will be back soon with lots of drugs.  but if any of you touches my wife, i will cut your d!ck off with a blunt object."  i believed every word.  as soon as they were around the point, we jumped in our boat and went as fast as we could in the other direction.’—

That ‘other direction’ took us to Starfish beach which is one of the nicest beaches we have seen thus far.  It was amazingly peaceful, beautiful, tranquil and untouched.

We also had a strange interaction with a Malaysia man.  He was on our flight to the island and we helped him translate to the flight attendant a few times then made some small chat.  Later that week we ran into him at a club and all started dancing together.  He was really nice and funny.  Whenever we wanted to visit Malaysia; he would have us picked up.  Apparently the guy is in parliament! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N_Gobalakrishnan)

We decided to skip (kind of) Costa Rica on this trip since Towe has been there before and I know it to be pretty touristy.  From Bocas we flew San Jose (capital of CR) for one night with plans to head on to Managua.  We didn’t do much in San Jose aside from walking the pedestrian street and me playing a little blackjack (yes, I doubled up AGAIN!!).

Managua, Nicaragua

The book said this capital city was a bit dangerous and they are right.  It is a dirty city with not much to offer tourists.  We spent one night at a hostel, went out to a pretty lame club and made our minds to bounce as soon as possible.  There was a cool dude from Nova Scotia that had driven down with his buddy for a surf trip.  His friend had to leave but he continued alone with a bag of boards.  We all decided to go to San Juan del Sur together as there is supposed to be good nightlife and good surf.  Most of our information about Nicaragua came from a friend we made in Taganga, Colombia.  She told us which beaches to visit and which sites to see.  She also told us to check out her land she had just purchased on the coast which grabbed Towe’s interest.  Anyway, she told us to start at San Juan del Sur so we did.

San Juan del Sur is another party town.  We had a blast.  There is great food, great nightlife and tons of backpackers.  We chilled at a hostel run by some guys from the East bay during the day as they had a pool with a great view of the bay and city.  We spent many of the nights watching live bands and/or dancing till the wee-hours of the morning.

From there we went to Maderas beach for the surf.  Most people go for a day-trip from San Juan but we decided to stay out there at the only hostel on the beach.  It was amazing.  The surf was fun (although a bit crowded), the weather was amazing, and the sunset was in the top 10 for sure.

After a few days of surfing Maderas we headed to another break just an hour North called Popoyo.  Popoyo is a street that borders the beach with several hostels and not much.  There is a village that you can get to at low tide by crossing the lagoon (15 minutes) or by taking a car/bus (a lot longer) around.  It happened to be ‘The Day of The Cross’ (some Christian religious holiday I gather) and the whole town was heading to the Rodeo.  A few of us headed out to see the festivities.  It was a blast.  Pretty much anyone that wanted could get on a bull and go ride it.  There were many drunken men in the bull ring trying to antagonize the bulls and not get gouged.  We made friends with some locals and shared beer with them, shaded from the afternoon sun, watching the spectacle.  At one point a ‘professional’ came out on the bull using no hands which was pretty cool.  Now, these bulls aren’t like you are imagining with the kicking and jumping and bucking and all.  In fact, more than once the bull would just walk out into the ring and start munching some hay or chillin in the shade.  The guy on top would be trying to get the bull to do something and everyone would laugh.  Also, more than once, the bull escaped the ring and went tearing into the jungle with a crew of horseman trailing.  That was very entertaining.

After the rodeo most of the town headed to the cock fights.  Now I have never been before so we all decided to check it out.  It was cruel, cool, and a bit weird.  I wound up chatting with a local who was brothers with the ‘ring man’ for many of the cocks that were fighting.  I had no idea that could be a skill but this guy was amazing at cooling the cocks, cleaning them and making sure they caught their breath during the breaks between rounds.  It was classic small town and everyone was very friendly.

The break at Popoyo was great although the wind was a bit too much during parts of the day.  After a few days of surfing there we headed to Ometepe.

Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua

Isla de Ometepe is made up of two volcanoes in the large lake in Nicaragua.  After an annoying ride on the ‘chicken bus’ and a boring boat ride we made it to the island and sorted our accommodation.  Little Morgan’s Hostel is right on the water with beautiful views of both volcanoes.  We scheduled a guide for the hike up the smaller one called Maderas which takes you up into the cloud forest and then into the volcano where there is a lagoon.  It was a long, muddy, exhausting and amazingly fun hike.  The cloud forest is beautiful and the volcanoes are breathtaking.  The hike was exhausting and we felt very accomplished after finishing.  In fact, we were so sweaty, dirty and nasty after the hike that we jumped into the lake fully clothed (shoes and all) to clean everything.  There was much more to do on the island but we did not have enough time to take it all in.

Granada, Nicaragua 

After Ometepe we headed to Granada.  We weren’t sure how long we were going to spend there as Towe was now in contact with our friend’s realtor and working on getting us over to the Pacific side again to see some land.  We wound up only having one night and half a day to explore the city as Towe organized for us to be picked up and taken to a surf lodge owned by the same guy who had the other property.  Granada is amazing with the most beautiful colonial architecture I have ever seen.  We ran into some friends there who were staying at a very posh hotel which we checked out and were amazed at the beauty.  It also happened to be fight night that night with Pacciou fighting in the main event.  The entire main street was filled with people at various bars watching the fight.  All the bars set up chairs and TVs in the streets, some huge, some small but all with crowds of people watching.  I wish we had a few more days in Granada as it seems to have a lot to offer.

Los Cardones Surf Lodge, Nicaragua

We were picked up from there and taken to Los Cardones Surf Lodge.  Usually if you go to this place, they will pick you up at the Managua airport and drive you the hour out there.  That is the way to do it as there is nothing in Managua.  Coming from Granada took us a bit longer but it was well worth it.  The lodge is an all-inclusive type deal.  The owner took us around on his quad and showed us the properties for sale.  He is working on a housing development and also had some lots down the beach a bit that really interested Towe.  There is good surf right in front of the hotel but the point break just down the beach was recently featured on the cover of surfer magazine and is insane.  A little further down from that is a great beach break.  Since it is a very small hotel and since we are friendly dudes, it was easy to get in with the staff and we all wound up surfing together.  We had two sunrise sessions that were incredible with only us out in the water catching as many waves as we could paddle into.  I really feel that this place will be gaining in popularity very shortly.  In fact it seems that Nicaragua is on the same track as Costa Rica in terms of the potential for increased tourism.  Towe is heading back there after I leave to seriously consider the property.  I think he will buy it (and I really hope he does!).

Corn Islands, Nicaragua

Our next destination was the Corn Islands on the Caribbean side of Nicaragua.  On that day I was able to surf the sunrise on the Pacific side then see the sunset on the Caribbean side.  It was an easy flight from Managua.  The Corn Islands are another place we probably would not have gone to had our friend in Taganga not mentioned it.  THIS IS A MUST AS WELL.  Everyone speaks Creole-Patwa on the island which is like ‘ya mahn, everyting gonna be aight, seen?!’  Sooooo cool.  We went for the diving and wound up falling in love with the spot.  It was funny because, due to the fact that I listen to dancehall music a lot (music basically in that language); I was able to understand and speak with them much better than Towe.  This was a nice change as Towe is much better at Spanish than I.  We rented a hut on the beach for 15 bucks a night and did 10 dives over the course of a week.  We actually changed our flight in order to do a dive that is ranked in the top 5 of all dive sites in the Caribbean.  The dive shop we chose was super amazing and now Towe and I are both convinced we will be back to do our dive masters here.  A main reason for that is that you get free dives for life if you do your dive master so if Towe buys the land on the Pacific side I can picture perfect two week vacations from the states with one surfing the Pacific and one diving the Caribbean.  We saw reef sharks, hammerheads, nurse sharks, eagle rays, sting rays, all kinds of crazy fish and amazingly beautiful coral.  Being that you can get a round trip ticket from LA to Managua for under 300 and the round trip flight from the Corn Islands is only 150, this is very feasible vacation spot.  We spent most of the sunsets at our favorite bar drinking fresh fruit juice and rum with all our new friends. 

One afternoon we went deep sea fishing.  This was my first time and I was super excited.  I caught a 15lb Kingfish that fed about 8 and we had a great time trolling around the island.  We were very sad to leave but we both knew that we will come back.

 

Sapzurro, Colombia

We have stumbled upon another paradise.   Sapzurro is the closest village (if that is what it is to be defined as) to the Panamanian border (it is actually the most Northern city in South America come to find out).  There are no cars, and therefore, no roads in this town, just meandering footpaths sometimes consisting of wood planks laid over puddles and streams.  After hearing from many travelers along the way how amazing the San Blas Islands are we decided on this route into Panama.  We were told that boats regularly leave from Cartagena (which we did not necessarily want to return to) and Sapzurro bound for the San Blas region and ending in Panama.  Getting to Sapzurro was an adventure in and of itself.  We could have spent a few hundred to fly from Medellin to Capurgana which is only a 10 minute boat ride from Sapzurro but we decided on the more economical and adventurous route consisting of a 9 hour ‘red eye’ bus ride from Medellin to Turbo then a 2 hour boat ride in the morning to Capurgana and a further, smaller boat to Sapzurro.  While stopped in Capurgana we had a look around.  There are a number of things I have noticed about Towe since we started travelling together (actually I think I have known these things all along but they became very apparent while on the road).  For one, he walks very fast.  I thought I was a fast walker but he walks with a mission that makes me struggle to keep up.  The other, and more important thing while on the road, is that he has a knack for judging people.  He seems to know, sometimes without even talking to a person, whether they are good or bad.  More than once on this voyage he has gleened pertinent information from complete strangers that are to be trusted and steered us clear of others who would waste our time.  In Capurgana, Towe used that sense and his friendly nature to make friends with a very cool and well connected man in town.  He took us to the dive guy where we gathered details on our planned dive then showed us the best restaurants in town then offered us cheap rooms at his house.  We had already decided that Sapzurro was our final destination, at least for the night, and he graciously recommended a place to stay there.  How fortunate were we to have been pointed in the direction of Lucho ‘the chucero’ and Gloria.

We never would have found this amazing place had we not been told to go there.  There is no sign signally a hotel within the gates, in fact there is no sign at all.  Lucho and Gloria live slightly up the hill from the beach with a great view of the bay on an amazing piece of property.  We are their only guests and they have been the most gracious hosts we could ask for.  It is for that reason, and a few others, that we are still here 1 week later!  There is one place in town that has the internet (which we have only used once to handle important business and let a few loved ones know we haven’t disappeared into the abyss), there is one pool hall (which seems to be the only place people congregate outside of church) and there are not really any ‘restaurants’ per say.  The fact is that Gloria graciously offered to cook us any meals we wanted, using only the finest ingrediants.  Nearly all the food we have eaten since arriving here is from their property, or from the ocean.  Breakfast consists of fruit salad (mango, pineapple, banana and a few other fruits that only exist here in Colombia), half an avocado for each of us, eggs with amazing home-grown herbs and a homemade aripa (basically thick corn tortilla).   Lunch and or dinner consists of soup then a plate consisting of coconut rice, patacones (think big potato chip made with unsweet banana), salad and fish.  Oh yeah, and our half avocado.  They have the largest avocado tree I have ever seen that is bursting with fruit.  Actually all their fruit trees are bursting but this one is of special interest to Towe and I as we both have a huge crush on avocado.  Our room is directly in front of the tree and on more than one occasion (actually a few times a day), we hear one detach from the tree and fall with a thud, proceeded by an applause by us for we know that avocado will be served with our next meal.  They are the juicest, most delicious avocados that either of us have ever tasted which says a lot considering our affinity for these treats of nature.

All in all we will have spent just over a week here.  Most days are spent lounging about with adventures mixed in along with meals.  We have done hikes to the ridges surrounding the bay, runs along the beach for exercise and many walks through town just to see what we can find. 

One day we went diving and had an amazing experience.  It was only the two of us with the dive instructor and we mentioned our desire to see sharks.  On our first dive he took us to a spot that always has sharks and led us on an amazing underwater voyage.  The water is so warm that we were without wetsuits which made for an even ‘free-er’ experience.  We saw a beautiful spotted ray gliding through the water then came upon two Nurse sharks.  Towe and I were beside ourselves with excitement at being about 15 feet from them.  The second dive did not reveal anything amazing although the first dive was practically impossible to top. 

One night we went on an adventure to see the turtles lay their eggs on the beach.  This happens only once a year in specific places, one of which happens to be a 45 minute boat ride from Sapzurro.  Since the laying is all done at night our boat did not depart until 8PM.  The ride was insane as the ocean was a super choppy and it started to rain.  All we could do was sit there and patiently wait until we were told that we had arrived.  Once there we unloaded and walked for about 30 minutes through town to the beach where the turtles were located.  Now I didn’t know what to expect and thought that the beach would be lined with turtles but that was definetly not the case.  We were lead along the beach for a bit then told to sit and wait (in the rain as it had began again) while our guides went in search of them.  It wasn’t until we saw flashes down the beach that we realized one had been sighted.  It was amazing.  It was beautiful.  It was actually worth the horrible boat ride and drenching water to see (but Towe might disagree).  The turtle was at least 5 feet long and huge.  It looked like a dinosaur and we all crowded around to watch it.  After about 20 minutes of watching, the turtle made its way back to the ocean and we continued our walk for more.  Exhausted, and mostly satisfied, we went back to the boat for our long and wet ride home.    

We finally found a boat that could take us through the San Blas islands but it wasn’t leaving for another few days so we stayed in Sapzurro for longer than expected but had no problems with that.  We planned a triathlon one day and spent a whole afternoon trying to figure out which order and which route would be best.  We started with a run then kayaked to a beach from which we swam a whole-hell-of-a lot further than I expected then got back on the kayak and rolled out to the center of the bay to relax and enjoy ourselves.  Super chevere!  Super chiba!! 

Unfortunately we found out that the boat was delayed another few days so we took our hosts offer of a boat ride across the border and decided to island hop through the San Blas.  We had a real problem getting the funds together as neither town has an atm.  We found a hotel that would draw off our cards and pay us in pesos, after taking a hefty commission, then we had to change the pesos to dollars, another commission, at a restaurant, all resulting in us having little US dollars and an unknown route ahead of us.

We woke early on our last day, had our last breakfast, bid farewell to our amazing new Colombian mother and hopped on our boat bound for Puerto Obaldia in Panama where we would either just jump a plane to Panama City and save the islands for the next round or jump a boat and gitty-up.

Cali and Medellin, Colombia

We arrived in Cali late in the evening and went straight to a hostel that had been recommended.  The following day we took my friend Ken's advice and went for a day trip to Park Nirvana.  The park wasn't in the book but that just added to the fun.  We started on a bus in town to the main bus terminal which was an adventure then the 45 min bus to a small town outside of Cali called Palmira.  Unfortunatly the bus went passed the city without dropping us off but the guys were so nice they pulled over on the side of the road, flagged a bus going the other way and put us on it.  Once on that bus everyone, literally everyone, on the bus was helping us figure out how to get to the park. We got dropped in town and a guy actually walked us over to the right street then told a woman waiting for the same bus to make sure we got on.  Wasn't actually a bus though but a Chiva which is kinda like a bus but Colombia style and I have been wanting to ride on one since I arrived...FIRST CHIVA RIDE!!  That was about 40 minutes into thejungle where we were dropped off basically in front of the park.  Ken had said they serve great lunch so we went straight to the restaurant for the special, rainbow trout, which is farmed on site.  There was no one in that park and we asked about it.  The guy said on the weekends it is packed with people so it was cool to have it literally all to ourselves.  We hiked up to the amazing vista and explored the beautiful flora and fauna then had to head out as they were closing and we still had to figure our way home.  To get from the park back to the small town we hitched a ride on a moto...both of us on one..I was on the tail bumping my ass pretty hard and we were all laughing.  Then we were loaded into the back of a pickup truck with 15 other adults (think sardines in a can) and taken to a different town.  We weren't sure where to go once we got there so 3 of the guys from our truck ride walked us to the correct corner and told us which bus to take.  Then another woman helped us actually locate the bus.  Everyone in these towns were so friendly it was so nice and cool.  Then we finally got back to Cali and took a cab to our hostel.  Such a great adventure!!

That night we had our first salsa lesson.  It was 5 guys and the teacher who was really nice and cool.  He showed us all the basic moves.  When we finished both Towe and I were dripping sweat and ready to practice our moves!  Later that evening we were picked up by Ken's cousin-in-law, Christian, and his friend.  They took us out on the town which was really fun.  We started with beers at the mall then headed to a massive salsa mega club.  This place was HUGE!  We were escorted to a booth then brought two bottles of Aguardiente.  Ok, here was our chance to really get the taste of it.   After a couple shots each we started dancing.  It was a new and interesting experience for me.  When a song comes on you can just walk by and tap a girl on the shoulder and then head to the dance floor to meet for a dance.  When the song ends it is not mixed and there is actually a break for people to walk back to their seats.  Towe had predicted that if we went out with these guys we would wind up at a strip club and he was exactly right.  Late in the evening, at the club, two stripers (one of each sex) got up on stage and did their thing.  We left that club and went to another which was far more shady.  By that time we were all pretty toasty and we decided to bounce home.  The following day we realized the downside of Aguardiente.  Both Towe and I were completely hungover for most of the day and just lounged about the hostel feeling bad for ourselves.  That night we went for an early dinner of tapas and crashed.

Being that we were asleep early on Friday, we were up Saturday around 8AM feeling brand new.  We decided to walk up to the zoo as we had heard good things about it.  The zoo was super cool.  The monkeys were amazing and they had a bunch of different species.  They also had two condors which I have never seen that close and a very cool enclosed butterfly garden. It was well worth the 5 bucks to enter.  After the zoo we walked back to our hostel just in time for the free salsa lesson.  This was a new teacher and we definetly learned different dance moves than the first guy.  This was more of a jazzercise thing with us bouncing and waving our hands around.  It was all guys in the class and I think the teacher liked making us do all these wierd moves just to watch us...it was funny and a great workout. After jazzercise we went to our favorite lunch spot that serves a set meal for 3 bucks...and it is quality food. 

I forgot to mention that on Saturday before we went out to salsa, Towe and I went to the casino where Towe watched me gamble for a bit and DOUBLE UP!!  WHOOOOOPPP!!!   So yesterday we wound up hanging with the couple all day we had met in Tayrona Park a few weeks earlier.  They picked us up and took us to the Jewish Country Club outside of town.  It was sooooo relaxing.  We went for a walk and wound up walking in the golf course that was empty.  Their favorite place for a nap is the green on a hole in the back of the course so we stopped and all layed down on the soft grass.  Then we had an amazingly good and cheap meal then headed up to the pool and I got a massage.

We flew from Cali to Medellin but only for 24 hours and on a Monday.  It was on the way, we had friends there and we wanted to see the town so we stopped.  It was great to meet up with our travelling friends and we took the opportunity to have a nice dinner and walk around the happening part of town.  Being Monday and rainy, it was slow but we did have some fun at a shot bar.  They had all kinds of wigs and hats to wear.  We ended the night with beers on the roof of our hostel.  The following day we walked around the touristy parts of Medellin and did all we could given the bad weather and lack of time.  I definetly want to return to Medellin when I have more time as I can tell this city has a lot to offer.

Taganga, Colombia

We arrived to Taganga 1 week ago today but it feels like we now have a new home.  The town is known for cheap SCUBA certification and we thought it might be a good place for Towe to get his and me to get few dives.  We arrived Saturday and went to a place from the book only to find that it had been closed for 2 years apparently...hmmmmm.  On our walk to the next spot a guy walked up and asked if we needed directions.  We were heading to Devanga hostel and he said he had a spot right around the corner from it that we might want to check out too.  We looked at both and decided on Hugo's place.  He has such a chill vibe and beautiful spot.  There are two other Canadian girls here and the 5 of us are all roomates now.  We make meals together, drinks and lounge together.  Last Saturday the main club in Taganga called Sensacion was really fun.  After the heat of the cramped dancefloor at La Puerta, the open dancefloor overlooking the bay was very refreshing.  We have spent a lot of the last week lounging in the hammocks on the second floor of the house.  It has an amazing view and gets a great breeze.  There are many great beaches in the area that are short hikes along the coast from town.  Everyone in this town is very laid back and friendly.  We are now friends with the local tienda guy and many of the locals that hang on their porches during the heat of the day.

During our visit in Taganga we decided to head into Tayrona National Park for a few days in the jungle and on the beach.  We were thinking two nights and 3 days there but wound up coming back on the second day and skipping the second night due to the police presence and unwelcoming feeling.  You will have to ask me about our police interactions over beers but suffice it to say, shit was weak.  The park was beautiful though and the hammocks were very comfortable.  The weather wasn't beautifully sunny but the low hanging clouds made for an excellent jungle feel.  I have heard rave reviews about Tayrona and would want to give it another chance.

Back in Taganga we did a night dive and a lot more relaxing.  We have found the best restaurants and had some amazing food.  Seriously, some days just revolve around lounging in the hammocks with books, etc and then walking out for a meal.  Yesterday was our last day so we all decided to grab some fresh fish and have a picnic at one of the smaller, private beaches.  It was gourmet fish tacos with lettuce as the wrap, fresh avocado, tomato and spice.  So amazing.  We have been scoring the most amazing avocados from this guy that walks around with a basket on his head yelling 'aguacate!'  We are all hooked and have been known to eat it straight with a spoon (and a little salt n pepper).  The most creamy delicousness.

Today we leave for Cali and will probably head straight to the ruins in San Augustin but......we will see!!

Update:  We went to the airport today and could not check in.  We finally realized that I had booked the tickets for tomorrow actually and not today......so back to Hugo's for the night.  Wow, maybe I was a bit too relaxed!!

Columbia!

I am sitting here watching the most amazing sunsest from the second floor of a wooden hut in Taganga, Colmubia.  Pretty amazing.  I'm actually at a place that is significantly more than a little hut and it belongs to a very cool guy named Hugo.  I should probably start by telling you how we got here.  It all started back in Bogota where Towe and I flew in the same day to meet up.  It was a gloomy Sunday and also the day before a major holiday but we managed to meet up at the specified hostel which had been recomended.  It was great to see him and have a chat about all the things back home and adventures.  Since Monday was a holiday we were only able to get into the art museum which houses many Botero pieces.  It was very cool but the city was very wierd.  The streets were empty, the plazas were empty and all the restaurants were closed.  We then took the elevator up to the church on the hill but basically ended up in the clouds with not much of a view.  We did have our first Aguardiente up there which is basically an black licorice type alcohol.  That afternoon it started to rain very hard and then hale for a moment.  I didn't realize the alititude of Bogota and that the weather would be this way.  I was ready for heat and so was Towe.  We decided at that moment to fly to Cartagena the following day and get to a beach on the Carribean coast as soon as possible.  We finished the day with a little research at a local brewery.  Nothing too exciting to report. 

We got up early the next morning to see the Gold Museum which is highly recomended.  Both museums are actually but this one is astonishing.  It was on the walk there and back when we realized there really was a pulse in the city.  People were out, shops were open and the plazas had things happening.  I felt like we saw the sites of Bogota but didn't really get to experience the people.  It was nice but we had no problem once we landed in Cartagena.

The weather was warm and a little humid but felt great after the cold of Bogota.  We went to a recomended hostel which happened to be amazing due to the rooftop patio, pool and vibe.  After check-in we dropped our bags and explored the old city within the old walls.  It was very cool colonial and european feeling.  There is a ceviche spot that Anthony Bourdain visited while here so we decided to check out.  It was obviously ridiculously expensive now but well worth it.  Very expensive but amazingly delish ceviche.  Such a light flavor with dill and mint.  The evening was mellow around town.  We checked a few places but not much was going on.  There is also a seedy side of Cartagena with people selling their goods on many streets, especially later in the evening.  There was also a pretty serious police presence though so I never really felt too threatened.

Since the week was early we decided to head out to Playa Branca and hang on the beach for a few.  This is a beach near Cartagena that most people only visit for the day to swim and enjoy but there are several places you can rent tents that are fully equipped or hammocks.  We rented hammocks at a very cool spot and immidiatly fell into the slow rythm of the beach life. Those days were filled with peace and tranquility.  We would always get great rest in the hammocks then wake up to breakfast and a walk or swim then lounging in the sun, maybe snorkeling or maybe playing cards....just totally enjoying the beautiful water and beach.  No internet and most meals cooked over a wood stove.  Needless to say, by the time we left 4 days later we had become friends with the whole beach community.  We bounced back to Cartagena but decided to push on directly to Santa Marta for the Saturday night festivities. The boat to the taxi to the two buses to the other taxi was exhausting but we ended in Santa Marta and got ready to see the nightlife.  The clubs recomended both in the books and by friends were by far the best.  We went straight to La Puerta and didn't leave till the end of the night.  Great spot with a crowded small dancefloor and back patio.

Saturday we decided to check out the small village outside of Santa Marta called Toganga......that was 1 week ago!

Buenos Aires, Argentina

This town is amazing.  I flew in from Patagonia and picked a hostel out of the book that looked cool and was in a cool part of town.  The first night here was Saturday and I made some friends at the hostel that were cruising out so I joined them.  Victor and Patrick are both riding motorcycles around.  Victor started in Michigan and has covered 17 countries in 17 months.  Pretty amazing.  It was his birthday so we rolled to a club around 3AM.  That is typical here.  We danced and partied until the sun came up then slept till mid afternoon.  I woke up and had a craving for a proper steak as Argentina is famous for it.  Luckily on the corner near our hostel is an amazing Parilla (BBQ) joint and I ordered the steak.  They brought it still bleeding and it was absolutely amazing.  During the day I walked around the artist market in San Telmo which was very colorful.  There were all kinds of street performers and crafts.  That evening the three of us rolled to the local futbol game.  We saw River Plate and it was crazy with fans!  Unfortunatly they lost but the game was still great and the experience was amazing.  It was an early night for me.

The following day I decided to track down some friends of a friend.  This is an interesting story.  I was on a night bus in Vietnam and started talking to a guy sitting next to me.  He is an American and cool guy so we exchanged Facebook info.  We hadn´t communicated at all after that until he randomly sent me a message about a week ago asking for an update and telling me where he was at.  I actually didn´t even remember who he was at first until I checked his profile and remembered his face.  So I tell him that I am heading to Buenos Aires and he says he has some friends there that I should contact...so I do.  I wound up heading over to there house early on Monday to say hello.  Robin, BJ and Mike are all from the states and became friends at San Diego State.  BJ and Robin just started a bike tour company in town and Mike runs a futbol league.  They are all super cool guys and we got on immidiatly.  I decided to do the tour with Robin that day and see the North side of town.  It was a great tour which included the Recoleta cemetary along with many sights and loads of cool information.  That evening we rolled to Bomba del Tiempo (time bomb) which is an amazing drum band that has a special guest every week playing various instruments.  This week was a cool bassist.  That was amazing.  We bounced to drum beats for a few hours straight all laughing and having a great time.  It is a must do in BA and I think it goes down every Monday.

The tour was so much fun that I decided to do it again on Tuesday.  This time we did the South part of town which included the nature reserve and a stop for the famous Bondiolla sandwich.  Wow that thing was amazing.  Grilled pork sandwhich with all the fixings on a huge fresh bun....my mouth is watering.  The guys are so chill that they allowed me to crash on their couch so we spent most of the evenings chilling and watching movies and the mornings drinking yerba mate.

Wednesday I borrowed one of their bikes and went out on my own to check the local graffiti.  Very cool riding around town and I pretty much covered all of BA in those three days.  I met up with Nathan in the afternoon and we decided to kick it the following day as it was St. Patties Day.  I headed back to the pad and went to play some futbol with Mike.  I was a little worried that my skills would not stand up but it was no problem.  I had 3 goals the first game (one header) and some amazing stops while playing goalie.  The second game was with much better competition and I snuck one in and had a great time.  Needless to say, I was extremely sore from all the biking and playing.

Thursday brought the festivities and I met up with Nathan and one of his friends in the early afternoon.  We went to the happening part of town and drank beers on the street.  It turned into a wild mess and we bounced at the perfect moment!  I met up with the guys and we partied on a rooftop patio for a bit more before calling it a night.  The weekend was actually pretty mellow for me aside from eating.  I went to Siga la Vaca which was recomended on the tour  for great steaks....and it is all you can eat.  I did myself in there with all kinds of amazing BBQ meat, a bottle of wine and great ice cream for dessert.  I bounced super early on Sunday to fly to Bogota where I am meeting up with Towe for some adventures.  After two months solo on the road, I am ready to have a buddy!!  Stay tuned!!

El Chalten

I arrived to El Chalten after going non-stop for the last week.  Hiking the W then seeing the glacier was fairly exhausting so I was looking forward to chilling in Chalten and resting up.  For that reason I hoped for a few days of bad weather so I wouldn´t feel like I was wasting time.  I got what I asked for but unfortunatly the weather didn´t let up when I was ready for it.  I spent two days catching up on emails, my blog and photos, watching American movies in Spanish (a great way to practice) and eating lots of great food.  My last full day there I decided I was going to hike up to Lagunas de los Tres which is the closest you can get to the Fitz Roy whether the weather permitted or not.  The forecast called for a nice day so I prepared for the hike....

Today was all about the journey.  So, I have been in El Chalten for the last few days relaxing and waiting for the weather to clear so I could hike up to the Fitz Roy.  The forecast said today was going to be the best
option for me and it was my only day as I am heading back to Calafate tomorow so I siezed the moment, rented a rain jacket and bought some supplies last night in preparation for today.  The hike is supposed to
be about 4 hours each way staring at 430 meters and ending at 1150 meters so I wanted to get an early start.  I set the alarm fo 6AM only to wake up and realize the sun wasn´t up yet.  Oh yeah, there is a girl in my dorm room that sleeps like a bulldog...she snorts, snores, wheezes, coughs, moans and sighs like no other human so sleeping has been a trick..I am buying earplugs for tonight.  Anyway, I get up and have a little breakfast while waiting for the sun.  At pre-dawn around 7, I head out.  The wind and rain where ripping but I figured it would just add to the adventure.  With no watch, I had no idea about my pace but just trekked into the wilderness.  So the rain stopped but then the snow started...hahahah...What was I getting myself into?!  I figured this would be more about the journey than the destination and just kept forging on.  When I reached the base of the mountain leading to Lagunas de los Tres (the closest one can get to Fitz Roy), I
stopped for a snack (olives, very good) then began the climb.  At that point the snow was sticking.  It was funny actually because when it started to snow at the beginning I took a pic of a few flakes on my jacket...that was nothing!  The ascent up the mountain was trecherous and the snow was accumulating around ankle high in most places.  Also, I had not seen another soul since I started.  It was nice as the last
hike I did was with a group and I was chatting the entire time with Nathan.  This hike was all me and my thoughts.  Some people hike with music but I like to just be..zen like ya know!  The climb was crazy
and the blizzard was intense.  Once I reached the summit of the mountain I was looking for the 3 lakes and the Fitz Roy but could see nothing.  It was at that point that I lost the trail too.  I had pushed on a lot farther than I expected and realized that there was no use as there would be no view so I started my descent.  It was crazy windy up there and super blizzardy!!  It wasn´t until I was about a third of the way back that I ran into my first group and asked the time.  Only 11 AM..WHOA!!  The weather was clearing a bit but the
snow clouds still covered the Fitz Roy.  I made it back to the starting point at 12:30....25km in 5 and a half hours...not bad for a morning walk in the park!?  Nathan said he loved the hike and had great weather but I was not that fortunate.  Oh well, you can´t have it all!?
That night the bulldog snorer was accompanied by a dude that could not stop coughing.  Between the two of them I did not get much sleep but I had planned to get up early on my last day anyway.  I saw an advert for a ´donation only´ yoga/self-relaxation class that I wanted to attend...and wrote this-

Today I experienced many emotions.  Today I experienced happiness, relaxation, rejuvination as well as anger, frustration, sadness and energy loss.  First thing was the tsunami and earthquake in Japan.  I watched the news in amazement as it showed the devasation going on over there.  It was surreal but didn't really affect me much.  Then I went to a free yoga, relaxation class.  I was the only one to attend so it was just the teacher and I.  What a great way to start the morning.  We did some thai-chi, some yoga, some stretching and some self-massage.  It was all in Spanish and very fun and informative.  I left feeling fresh and ready for the day. In the early afternoon I boarded a bus and headed to Calafate.  On the way I was thinking about calling a friend back home to discuss my frustration with him.  I had asked him to help me with a few things back home and also looked to him for support recently and had not been helped ( in either way).  I was frustrated because there were a few time sensitive issues that did not get handled and could have easily been sorted.  Oh well, I put that behind me and started looking forward to being in Calafate as it was Friday night and I was ready to dance!  I arrived to the hostel and checked in then called a friend who requested me to give her a ring.  It was through sobs and tears that I learned a good friend had just passed away from cancer.  Maggie was one of the most beautiful people I knew and I had just sent her a postcard two days before telling her that I was thinking about her and to keep up the fight.  If anyone could beat cancer, she could!  It was surreal to find out that she passed.  Here I am, all alone, with no shoulder to cry on or person to cry with.  The tears wouldn´t come out and I had a very wierd feeling.  I wanted to be home with my friends grieving but instead I am here.  I bought a new book and tried to read it over coffee but was too distracted to concentrate.  It totally took the wind out of my sails.  Dinner at the hostel revived me a little as conversation was nice and I made some new friends.  We all headed out for a drink but most were tired and there wasn´t much going on in the small town.  On the way home I stopped in the casino.  Why not!?  That turned into a riot as I was the shot caller for the blackjack table and friends with everyone playing.  The guy next to me was buying us beers and we were all making money.  Everyone loses at gambling and most win from time to time but the hardest part is to actually walk away once you are up.  I did and it felt great.  Needless to say the day was a rollercoaster of emotions.  I feel better getting it out but wish I could have a close friend here to talk to about it.  Time will work it out as it always does.

Puerto Natales, Torres Del Paine National Park, Calafate and the Perito Moreno Glacier

Per my usual style, I am seizing the day and squeezing as much out of it as possible.  I flew from Santiago down to Puerto Natales and met up with my friend Kristy.  That is a cool side story.  Kristy is an American I met in Cambodia while she was volunteering there.  We both realized that we would be in South America at the same time and have been in touch to see if and when our pathes would cross.  Since I slowed my pace it turned out that we crossed here in Puerto Natales and decided to do the W hike together!  She booked the hostel for me and we met there (at Erratic Rock).  The cool thing about this hostel is that they give a free talk on the hike everyday at 3PM and anyone can attend.  I also had another connection in Puerto Natales.  Maarten, a very cool dude from the Netherlands that travelled with me for a bit in SE Asia, has a cousin there and put us in touch.  I had been emailing her leading up to this point asking all kinds of questions.

So I arrived around 6PM to the hostel and we went about putting our packs together so we could leave the following morning.  We decided to do a 5 day, 4 night hike of the W in Torres Del Paine National Park.  The hike is called the W because of the shape the route is.  We went to Raquel´s (Maarten´s cousin) office first to see what kind of info and gear she could offer.  She showed us the best route, advised on which direction to start the W (most people go left to right but she suggested right to left due to the weather forecast) and offered me a sleeping bag and rain jacket, both of which proved priceless.  Then back to our hostel to rent the remaining gear (tent, sleeping pad, stove, pot, utensils and gas) and off to the store to get our supplies.  That was an adventure in and of itself as the store was packed and food was flying off the racks.  I can´t imagine what it is like here during the peak of the peak season.  So, after two trips to the store we finally had all our food and headed for our final real meal before the trek.  That proved disasterous as we wanted something fast and good...and it was late at night.  We went for churrasco sando´s and were not very happy with the meat.  Oh well.  Back to the hostel to unpack our packs and repack with the trekking gear then off to bed around 1 or 2AM.  We were up at 7 for our free breakfast and then picked up at 7:30 for the two hour bus ride to Torres Del Paine National Park.  It wasn´t until I was explaining to the guy next to me our food diet on the trek that I realized I had left the lunch food in the fridge at the hostel...DOH!  Oh well, we had enough food I figured to last us and this would just add to the adventure.

We arrived to the park, paid our entrance and transferred to a smaller shuttle that would take us to our starting point.  The first day was our shortest in terms of distance but our longest in terms of altitude change.  That, along with the weather and first day with our heaviest packs (which would become lighter as we ate the supplies) made for a difficult start.  The weather was bizarre to say the least.  It was sunny, super windy and rainy all at once.  As we ascended I kept thinking ´what have I gotten myself into´ while also accepting that I was going to be soaked the entire time and that this would be a very difficult, and thus rewarding, experience.  Coming across the pass into the first valley we were nearly blown off the edge of the trail into the abyss.  We finally made it to the first refugio (ultra-expensive hostels along the route) and stopped for lunch and to dry off.  I sat next to the fireplace watching the wind and rain ripping outside, contemplating our next move which was another few hours up the hill to the free camping area and then another hour or so up to the Torres (huge rock formations).  After a bit of waiting we decided to just push on and as soon as we stepped outside the rain and wind began to slow.  Feeling blessed, we pushed on through the valley towards the camp ground.  One of my favorite parts about this trek is that you can drink out of the streams.  Pure glacier water without contamination, cold and fresh!  We finally made it to the campground, set up next to the river and headed up to the Torres.  The clouds had been hanging on all day and the people we passed said that the tips of the Torres were covered but it was still nice.  By the time we reached them the sky had cleared, mostly, and we had great views.  That evening we made dinner and discussed how much we earned the meal and how good we were feeling to be on the trek.  I also had my best nights rest.  We discussed getting up pre-dawn to catch the sunrise at the Torres but when my alarm went off at 6AM we both decided not to push ourselves.  This wound up to be a perfect decision as we found out later that the weather wasn´t good for the sunrise.

When we woke that morning I decided to do what I called a ´glacier cleanse´ throughout the hike.  This meant no alcohol, just pure glacier water which was somewhat difficult as people would always be sharing their wine or booze at the camps with their fellow trekkers.  It felt good to say ´no´ for a change and I feel better for it.  The second day was absolutely beautiful.  Since everyone is on the same route, you start noticing faces and making friends fairly easy.  Kristy had met a German girl and American guy the night before and the German girl was heading our way but didn't cross our pathes until later that day.  We started with a hearty oatmeal and raisin breakfast then headed out for our longest day of hiking.  It was about 15 miles but the scenery and weather were breathtaking.  Along the walk we saw a guy sitting in a perfect spot, eating lunch and staring out into the beauty.  Kristy commented that we should find a spot like that for lunch so we went about looking for our perfect vista.  Post lunch we continued on the trail only to have that guy catch up to us near a river.  We all started talking and then shared some of our water and he shared some of his tea.  Nathan is from Rochester, New York and studies in Chicago but is currently doing a year abroad in Buenos Aires.  He and I had an immidiate connection and since his pace was more like mine we headed off, talking non-stop.  By late afternoon we reached the second refugio and stopped for snacks.  We also noticed that their showers were located in the back and no one was necessarily monitoring access so a few of us seized the opportunity to get a hot shower!!  WOW!!  It was there that we met up again with the German girl, Susanna, and we all headed out together towards our final destination for that day at the base of the French Valley.  Nathan and I talked the whole way and conversation flowed easily from topic to topic.  He studies Philosophy, lived in Prague for a year and speaks Czech, loves music and poetry, and has a gift of gab that I can get into from time to time (understatement).  We finally reached camp and went about setting up our sites then reconviened for dinner.  It was really fun to sit with the group and chat and laugh and all that fun stuff that comes with meeting new friends.

The following morning neither Kristy nor I slept very well and we both decided that we were going to just go with the other two and cut our trip short one night.  We could still see everything we planned but would just have to hike a little more.  We all left our backpacks at camp and headed up the French Valley.  This may have been my favorite day.  The valley is beautiful.  You can see glaciers calving, beautiful mountains and rugged landscapes.  We reached the summit and had a great lunch with amazing views then headed back down the trail to collect our things and get to the next campground.  Again, this entire day Nathan and I chatted non-stop.  He makes these very cool journals and carries one with him that we started filling with info we needed to remember to tell each other.  Books, authors, poets, music, places...you name it, we were jotting it down.  We reached the final camp and set up our tents in a little circle for our last dinner on the trail.  Since we were all trying to unload food at that point it was a 5 course meal and we all shared everything.  Instant mashed potatotes, soups (several), rice and pastas.  Filled to the brim we all crashed but none could sleep well as the wind was whipping all night.

We woke the next morning, broke down camp, ate the last oatmeal and headed for our last trek up to Glacier Grey.  Nathan and I had quite a pace with Susanna following on ipod and Kristy not too far back.  She had hurt her ankle the day before and was walking gingerly on it.  We reached the first vista and the wind coming off the glacier was FREEZING!!  Nathan, Susanna and I all huddled together like penguins then shared some tea and leftover rice n cookies before making the last run up to the glacier and the tip of the left side of the W trail.  A few hours later, when the end was in sight, Nathan, Susanna and I grabbed hands and ran down the trail whooping and hollering and laughing.  It was so fun!!  Susanna had been told that it is a ritual to drink a little pisco at the end of the trail so we fished some glacier chunks out of the lake and had pisco on the rocks...literally glacier rocks!!  I figured that would be a good time to break my cleanse and had a sip or two.  Kristy caught up, we had a few more snacks, looked out at the glacier and enjoyed our work.  Then we had to bolt back to catch the last boat back to civilization.  Nathan and I made it back with two hours to spare and went about cooking up the last of our food.  We also calculated our route.  45 miles in 4 days!!  WOWZERS!!

Oh yeah, we ran into Raquel the day before as she noticed the good weather forecast and took a day off to hike the French Valley.  We met again on the boat and talked about my next moves as I needed to get to Buenos Aires in time for my flight to meet Towe in Columbia.  She suggested a flight and it wound up being a great idea.  We got back to Puerto Natales super late (around 10ish) then showered and tried to work out our next moves.  I wanted to get to the Perito Moreno glacier and Calafate the following day by bus but we found that it was all booked.  My only other option was to take a tour that went to the glacier then dropped back off at Calafate.  Then, if I wanted, I could take the evening bus to Chalten.  Well it looks like I am not slowing down just yet!  I booked both tickets and the 4 of us went out for our last dinner together then back to the hostel to pack and asleep by 3 only to wake at 6 for the bus. 

It was a 4 hour or so ride across the Argentine border to the glacier.  This glacier is amazing as it is dissapearing at a rate of 2 meters per day making it very very active!  Ok that information was provided by my guide but I just checked wikipedia and it says that it is actually a growing glacier.  I guess both can be true.  Either way, this thing is enormous and very cool.  We took a boat ride for an hour that took us up next to it while watching it calve and make thunderous noises.  Then we went up to a vista point where we could see the entire glacier...WOW.  Huge.  From there we went back to Calafate and I immidiatly boarded a bus for Chalten.  I was ready for an early night but that didn´t happen.  I´ll continue that in the next chapter though!!

Valpairiso, Chile

It has been 24 hours since I arrived but a lifetime of activity and a new perspective on life (again and again and again).  I arrived from Santiago and picked a hostel without consulting the guidebook.  Walking down the streets I was amazed by all the street art.  This city is a UNESCO world heritage site with just cause.  I dropped my bag and decided to look for a hostel that had a great description in the book possibly for the next night.  Also, it was far which would give me a chance to get into the city vibe.  I wandered the streets getting lost in the mazes.  At one point I walked past an artisinal ice cream shop.  I had read about the amazing flavors in Santiago but hadn´t tried yet so I decided to indulge myself with a scoop.  I went in and asked for the most special flavor (in Spanish of course) and was answered in English with a ánd where are you from?´ I told her and she exclaimed that she lived in Berkeley 40 years ago when ´hippies and weed were just starting´...made me laugh.  She then let me try all the flavors and proceeded to introduce me to all the girls working at the shop.  Josefina is a 70 year old woman who embodies all that is Valpairiso.  The book says that the city may not be for everyone because of the grit but also mentioned the Bohemian lifestyle that is prevalent aka just my kind of city.  Josefina said that if I wanted any information about the city to just ask and she would tell me....so I did, duh!  She grabbed my hand and lead me outside to the bench to converse.  We spoke in Spanglish.  At the moment I am speaking English with a Chilean accent and Spanish with an English accent which makes for perfect Spanglish.  She is so full of life and her energy made the brights in her eyes brighter.  I said that I needed a break from reggaeton and asked where I should go.  No problem she said and gave me some names of places with live music, etc.  During our conversation she kept pausing to introduce me to people.  ´This is so and so and he is a musician.  This guy is a musician too and he plays at this spot.  This lady owns the restaurant down the street and if you want amazing food you should go there.´ I left both full in stomach and spirit when we parted.

That evening I decided to try the restaurant recommended to me.  It is amazing Chilean/ new fusion food with all the products purchased locally and very fresh.  I asked for the special of the house and was given Pastilla de Mariscos which is an amazing dish baked in a clay pot with all kinds of seafood, cream, bread crumbs and other ingredients I cant begin to fathom.  They also have artisinal beers which were delicous.  Possible new favorite beer is Kross Amber Ale with a yellow label.  Muy rico!!  I was sitting at the bar and started asking the staff what they were doing after work for fun.  They gave me tons of info on places to go and then a friend of theirs, also sitting at the bar said she was heading to a live music performance before the club with everyone and asked if I wanted to roll.  We headed for a hole-in-the-wall bar that was jam-packed with people so full that we had to stand on the street and listen through the windows.  The band named Poder Guadaña was amazing and full of color.  The lead singer had a mohawk and orange 80´s glasses, the wind instrument dude who played a melodica among other things had a clean cut moustache and fit, the drummer had dreadlocks.  They played a fusion of rock, cumbya and local style that was so great after so much electronic.  After their set they came outside for some air and I started a conversation with the bassist who spoke decent English.  No, they didn´t have cds for sale but he gave me the link for their music online.  He then said that his other group was playing the following night at a club that many people had mentioned to me and he could put me on the list if I wanted.  I asked what he was up to later that evening and he said that he was helping a friend, a girl from New York, paint one of the Ascencars (trains that go up and down the hills). They had been working all night, every night for over a week as during the night is the only time they are not moving.  So cool!!

Post that we all headed to Mascára for the club scene.  There all the people from the restaurant met up with us and we had a huge group on the dancefloor having a great time.  When that ended we went to an after hours party near there for more dancing and fun.  That night ended around 6AM.  Talk about a full day!!

The following day I spent walking around the city photographing the art.  I am going to have a dedicated folder on facebook for all of it as it is amazing and there is so much.  I said to a few people who all agreed with a laugh that if you throw a rock in Valpairiso it will bounce off a painted wall and hit a musician!!hahaha.  That evening I returned to the restaurant of my friends and was fed very well.  I ordered the special empanada (Pino) which has meat cooked for hours (word of advice, the Pino usually has olives inside that are not pitted...almost broke a tooth finding that out).  So good.  Then I had fresh salmon and shrimp ceviche that melted in my mouth.  Everyone was opting for an early night and I decided to do the same in preparation for the weekend.

Upon leaving the restaurant I hear my name from across the street.  It was Josefina with her grand daughter.  She asked if I was in a hurry or if I wanted to see her house and neighborhood.  OF COURSE!!  She took me to the area none as Concepcion and showed me the oldest paseo (train car station) and the oldest house then showed me an incredible hotel that her friends owned.  We were taken for a tour inside and it was beautiful.  Then we went back to her house for a glass of Chilean wine and some conversation.  By the time I left, I had a full sheet of paper of things I needed to do while here.  I decided to walk by Piedra Feliz to check it out on my way home.  Every room in this place has different live music.  That night was a great jazz band upstairs in one room, a mixed group in the other room, salsa in another room and classic flamenco in the main room.  It was there that I finally realized what city this reminds me of.  Actually not a city as there are no others like it but if you have seen Moulin Rouge then that is as close as it will get.  Everyone is a character here and everyone is full of life, color, music and love.

The next day I spent exploring more of the city including the ports and ascencars.  I called Rodrigo, the bassist, to ask about being put on the list and he said no problem.  No, he didnt need my last name as it was too complicated to convey over the phone but they would be expecting me and I had a plus on the list too which was perfect because there is a very cool guy staying in my room name Niman who is living in Italy, from Iran and is about to study here.  We headed to Piedra Feliz at midnight and when I walked up to ask about the list the guy, without even looking at the list, says to me, ´´you must be Daniel, come on in.´ Niman exclaimed that I was already famous here.  Rodrigo´s other group was amazing Cuban music and now I am inspired to go there on my next voyage.  One of the lead singers was an exact replica of my buddy Matt to and I could not get over it!  In the back room was an amazing Janis Joplin cover band that killed it and upstairs was a great electric guitar blues band who was also ripping.  Post Piedra we headed back to Mascára for some other music.  At one point we started dancing with three girls from Santiago and Viña who were all really cool.  They all studied or are studying Psychology and wanted to practice English.  Sure, they had boyfriends but we just wanted to dance and meet people so we all got on really well.  After the club I escorted everyone to the after hours for more fun.  Unfortunatly one of the girls had her wallet taken from her bag that was on the ground but had it returned by a bouncer at the end of the night without money but with all other cards.  After hours was fun and a little wierd as everyone there was incredibly drunk and probably on other things by the look in some of their eyes.  We bounced from there and escorted the girls to the bus station.  One was pretty drunk at that point and, while waiting for a colectivo, decided to run and try to catch one before it pulled away only to fall directly on her face...and not in a funny way.  She broke a tooth and messed her face up really bad.  The girls had to call her father and it was all very surreal and scary for everyone.  I feel so bad for her and it was not the way we wanted to end our evening.

The following day I went on a great walk.  I started at the cemetary on top of the hill then walked along the rim of the hill to Pablo Neruda´s house.  I was fairly ignorant about him but now am inspired by his poetry and flair.  His house was super custom and showed how much he loved to entertain and host.  I wish I could have attended one of his parties.  Post Neruda´s house I went to the Museo a Cielo Abierto.  I asked at information what the hours of the museum were and the girl laughed at me as the museum is in the streets and always open!

That evening Nima and I headed to the painted ascensor to meet the artist and see if there was a fiest there as she was wrapping up her work.  Nicolina is a New York based international artist who is the first person to paint an ascensor EVER!  At the bottom we asked where the party was and they said at the top.  At the top we found no party and asked and they said it was at the bottom.  Then we realized that it was actually in one of the cars so when we were at the bottom it was at the top...hahahah!  Nicolina was there and a group of musicians who were all very nice.  After that, Nima and I headed to La Piedra Feliz for more music. 

I fell in love with Valpairiso and hope to return.  The city is magic and full of amazing energy!