I can barely believe I am in the last two weeks of my trip already!

Since our night at the homestay near Puno (which was quite nice - they had us all dress up in traditional dress and attend a fiesta where we danced all night - not an easy feat at such an altitude with a million layers of clothing on -I felt a bit like a child on halloween with my snowsuit on under my costume) we have done quite a but.

We arrived back to Cusco on the 9th, before taking off on an Jungle Trek to Machu Picchu on the 14th. We mountain biked for 2.5 hours before white water rafting and settling into Santa Maria for the night. The next day we woke up early and trekked for about 7 hours through the jungle to arrive at Santa Teresa, where we spent the night. We arrived in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town, essentially) the following day after hiking for about 6 hours.

With the intention of hiking up Huanu Picchu (the mountain you see in the famous Machu Picchu pictures), three of us (there were nine in total), set our alarm clocks for 3am on the 14th so we could be one of the first at the gate. You see, they only allow 400 people a day to climb Huanu Picchu (there is no capacity limit on the number of people who visit Machu Picchu at the moment) and there are two specific time slots to climb Huanu: 7am or 10am. Essentially the 10am time is ideal as the mist and clouds have cleared by then, giving a much better view, so that means you need to be one of the first 200 up. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, they open the bridge gate at 4:50am and it is a free for all sprint to the gates of Machu Picchu. The average time is 1 hour and I managed to do it in just under, but it is one of the longest, most grueling 55 minutes I have ever endured.  It was cold, dark, damp and long way up. The stone steps were narrow at points, and often quite steep (I thought Inka’s were tinier people?). Of the three of us, one girl opted for the bus last minute, leaving me and an Australian girl to fight the climb ourselves. Her husband and Lars slept in, not needing the advantage of being one of the first on the climb, an advantage that both Nikki and I really did need. Eventually, after being passed by the boys, we made it and within the first 200 as well. The other girl who took the bus was number 405, missing out of both chances to climb Huanu Picchu.

Once we entered the ground, we were given a tour group and guide (in English). Exhausted, I am sure I was nodding off as I sat on a rock trying to focus on what the guide was saying. It was quite foggy (and early) and I didn’t realise that we had actually entered the main part until, as if magically, the mist disappeared and Machu Pichhu, the lost city of the Inka’s, appeared in front of us. It was incredible.

We spent the early morning with our tour guide and headed up to Huanu Picchu just after ten. Another amazing hike - also, again, difficult at times - but the view from the top was amazing. We stayed at Machu Picchu until midday before heading back to the hostel in Aguas Calientes to collect our train tickets (that were not there, but eventually we sorted it with the help of our Spanish speaking South African and Finnish friends) and headed back to Cusco.

Today I arrived in Cusco, for the fourth time in so many weeks, after a two night stay just outside of Puerto Maldonado, in the Amazon. I know Toronto is experiencing a heat wave at the moment, and I am a bit jealous of that, but the temperature in the Amazon made up for all (well, most) of the cold weather we have experienced so dar. I couldn’t tell you exact temperatures, but it was so humid that paper became flimsy and even my passport cover felt as if it would rip easily in the heat.

I was quite excited to see the Amazon, however, my stomach was less excited. I had to opt out of the day tours (which meant I didn’t have to wake up at 5am each morning!) and instead hung out in hammocks at the lodge reading ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’, which I am loving. We got to stay in a little bunglaow hut with no lights (candles it was!) but we did have a fully functional toilet (thankfully!), sink and shower. We slept under mosquito nets and ate (well, everyone else ate) breakfast, lunch and dinner in a big mess-like hall. Even though I didn’t get to learn about the difference animals and plants in the rainforest, I still have a great time relaxing and enjoying the sounds (birds instead of horns) and scenery. Anyway, I had my fair share of Jungle trekking up to Machu Picchu.

a few numbers from my sAm adventure

# of countries seen: 5

# of cities/towns/islands visited: 22

# of buses taken: 24ish

# of boats taken: 10

# of planes taken: 3

# of hostels slept in: 15

# of passport stamps received: 16

# of postcards sent: 34

# of books read: 2 (3 cups of Tea, On the Road)

# of times i’ve said ‘i am cold’: unknown (in the hundreds maybe)

This made me giggle a bit - taken from my hostel in Puno:

Do not use reserved beds or pillows

No wash in the roms do not hang clothes

Not to leave valuables in the bed rooms have lokers

No two people can sleep in a bed

No alcoholic drinks in the room

Do not use towels mop

Not use other reserved beds

Not to spoil the the furniture

Not to make noise in the rooms

No smoking in rooms not bedrooms

(all spelling and grammar is as seen on the sheet that hangs on the back of the door.)

It’s been a quick minute since I last updated and so much has happened since. After Buenos Aires we went to Mendoza (wine country!) where we spent a day treking, repelling and sitting in hot springs - the plan after Mendoza was to go to Santiago, Chile, but after a long bus ride to the pass where the two countries meet, our bus turned around due to bad weather (snow) and we were stuck in Mendoza a few too many days. We tried again to get across but after numerous cancelled buses, we opted to head to Salta, Argentina on an overnight bus instead.

Salta is a nice little town, but there is not much to see or do. We took a day trip to Cafayate, a small town located at the central zone of the Valles Calchaquíes, near to Salta. It was a beautiful drive out to the town, with lots of stops for picture ops, and a short wine tour/tasting once we got into the city. We also had the chance to stop at Helados Miranda, an ice cream shop famous for its wine flavoured sorbets (I opted for the Dolce du Leche flavour, while Lars ventured into wine sorbets).

On June 23rd, we left Argentina for the climatically challenged Bolivia. Our night bus from Salta to the border of Bolivia broke down/filled with smoke around 4:45am forcing us to abandon the bus in the cold, dark night. On the plus side, the stars we saw in the night sky were incredible. No artifical light (minus our useless bus) to interfere with the milky way and shooting stars. Eventually, about an hour or so later, another passing bus picked us up and we were back on our way to Bolivia. Once at the border, we had to grab our bags and walk 8 blocks to the Bolivian border town of Villazon. Another 2 stamps in the passport (1 for leaving Argentina, 1 for entering Boivia) and we were on our way. Sort of. We had to make our way up to Uyuni for a Salt Flat tour we booked that was to start the next day - we thought the train would be a nice option so made our way to the train station, only to discover that the train to Uyuni left on alternate days, with no trains leaving that day. Back to the bus station we went, where we bought tickets for a bus leaving that afternoon. Now, let me tell you, this bus was quite a piece of work: rickety, overcrowded, things tied to the roof, women standing in the tiny aisle - I am surprised we made it with the condition of the bus factored in with the poorly constructed roads (I don’t know how many times I grasped onto Lars’ arm in fear that we were going to fall of the edge of the cliffs as we moseyed our way from one town to the next, especially as the we drove higher and higher and the sky got darker and darker - did I mention unpaved roads on the edges of mountains and no street lights?), but, we made it to Uyuni in one piece.

From Uyuni we started out Salar de Uyuni tour. In three days (two nights) we did/saw the following:

Salt Flats (obviously)

Original Salt Hotel (no longer in use for sanitary reasons)

Isla del Pescado (where we had a home cooked meal of Llama, among other things)

Volcan Ollague (active volcano)

Arbol de Piedra

3 Lagunas (flamingo, Colorada, Verde)

Parc Nacional Eduardo

Thermal waters

Slept in a Salt Hotel (yes, a hotel made of Salt - ask Lars, I saw him lick the wall.)

Among other things. The views were amazing and we took some fantasic pictures, it is a shame I can’t post them at the moment. Also, did I mention, it was COLD! The third morning we had to wake up at 5:30 am and our driver casually mentioned it was -15 or so. I still find it facinating that it can get that cold and there be very little (if any) traces of snow.

After our tour we spent the night in Uyuni, which I am sure exists only because of it’s proximity to the Salt Flats. With a recommendation from my Lonely Planet guide, we searched out Minuteman Pizza and we were not disappointed. It’s a pizza joint in a hotel that was opened up by Chris from Boston, who married a Bolivian women he met in University (she was on an exchange program). He moved to Uyuni and the articles posted on the walls say he has said he sees no reason to return to America. It was such a good atmosphere, along side good food, that we went back for an all you could eat breakfast the next morning.

Potosi was next on our list, so we said ‘ciao, ciao’ to Uyuni and hopped on a bus to what used to be the richest city in the world, thanks to a multitude of silver in nearby mines. When I say hopped on a bus, I would like to mention that about 20 minutes outside of Potosi, our bus broke down (surprise, surprise) leaving us stranded on a mountain road as the sun went down. But, eventually, like always, we made it. We spent a day in this tiny town, at a nice hostel with a t.v., what luxury! (I fell asleep to Frasier, with Spanish subtitles - and woke up the next morning singing something about a tossed salad and scrambled eggs).

Now I am starting to bore myself. I really should update more often.

We took a night bus from Potosi to La Paz, arriving around 6am with no hostel booked. The first hostel we tried had no room (and no stables) so we had to hail another taxi and try again. We ended up at a neat hostel that offered a free beer every night from it’s own microbrewery. Score. In total, we spent 5 nights in La Paz, but not 5 days. After the obligatory hop-on, hop-off tour (it was raining that day, so it seemed the best option) we took day trips to Copacabana (no, not the beach in Brasil), Isla de Sol and Tiwanacu. Also, maybe, against the wishes of my mother (and probably all mothers out there), I ventured out onto the WMDR. I have a shirt that says I did the trek down Yungas Road, but in all honestly, I only did about half of it. Knowing my own personal limits, I knew I couldn’t continue down the road. It didn’t help much that my entire groups seemed to be seasoned bikers (I have never owned a bike with gears or handle brakes - my bikes always stopped when I pedalled backwards) that took off with a lot of gusto. I opted to stay in the van that followed the rest of the way (which, in retrospect, could have been MORE dangerous, but, Mom, I am OK - I can just hear her now …..). In the van though, I could appreciate the gorgeous views the road held. Absolutely spectacular. You get kind of sick of using descriptive words like ‘fantastic’, ‘spectacular’, ‘brilliant’, but there really are no other words to describe some of the things/sceneries I have seen on this trip.

So, yes, Mom, I survived Death Road.

Now, I sit in a hostel in Puno, Peru. The last country on our itinerary. We flew from La Paz to Cuzco (after an hour delay and rumors that the Cuzco airport was closed) where we stayed yesterday. We visited a Chocolate Museum that offered chocolate making classes, and how could I resist (somehow Lars did though). I learnt how they grow, harvest, prepare the cacoa beans and we got to roast, shell and grind our own to make hot chocolate before making our own delish choclate squares with the fillings of our choice (oreo cookies, coffee beans, cinnamon, coca powder, almonds, brasil nuts … the list of options goes on) and an hour later I went to pick up my delish masterpieces. At 70% cacoa, the squares are quite rich, but delish and unique!

Today we took a scenic bus ride to Puno, near Lake Titikaka. Tomorrow we are doing a trip where we get to stay with a local family on an island nearby. I have been told/warned that they do not have electicity/showers, but after some of the stuff I’ve been through already, it should be easy peasey.

Oh, and my hair dryer blew up in Uyuni. That’s what I get for putting it on the high setting.

may 26 - june 3 = rio

june 3 - june 5 = ilha grande

june 5 - june 7 = paraty

june 8 -june 10 = igassu falls (brasilian and argentian sides)

june 11 - june 15 = buenos aires (june 14 = day trip to Colonia, Uruguay)

Despite some more hiccups, in the form of skimmed bank cards and fraudulent withdrawls, my trip is in full swing! Ilha Grande is an amazing island near Rio where you can hike for hours through rainforest terrain or relax with a beer on the beach. In Paraty, our hostel served breakfast on the beach (amazing!) and I spent some time kayaking up the coast. We stayed on the Brasilian side of the Falls, but I was able to do a day trip to the Argentian side as well - such a better, more encompassing view - and after a 20 hour overnight bus ride, I arrived in Buenos Aires.

I am only 6 cities in to my trip, but I am in love with Buenos Aires. It balances European charm with South American flavour. There is so much to see and do here, including the popular Tango shows, amazing Sunday afternoon markets and of course the night life. Since arriving at the hostel, without fail, at least one person in my dorm room stumbles in past 6am. It’s normal here, apparently.

After skimming through an American copy of Elle that Lars surprised me with yesterday (´You must be so bored, in bed all day, sick - it was between a cover with Britney Spears, Kate Moss and Rachel McAdams. I like Rachel the most so you got that one. The guys in the shop were looking at me funny so I had to pick fast.´), I came across a review for a book called Wanderlust: a love affair with five continents. It sounded interesting and after googling a bit about it and the Canadian author, I have decided to add it to my must read list ….

http://www.amazon.com/Wanderlust-Love-Affair-Five-Continents/dp/1580053114

A week ago I landed in Rio, and I am still here. Not exactly how we planned this, but here is what happened.

Lars´ flight from NYC was delayed an entire day (boo!) and then on Tuesday, the day we were to head to Ilha Grande, I woke up and knew immediately I had tonsillitis (you grow to learn the horrible symptoms when you get it multiple times a year), so we postponed out trip out and headed to the hospital so I could get some antibotics. Sick, tired and not to sure what to do after arriving at the emergency room (rightly so, no one seemed to speak English), I was guided around what seemed to be hospital procedure/a never ending process of talking (playing charades) with nurses and hospital admin staff, giving them passport, taking back my passport, showing someone else my passport, having my temperature taken, waiting to see the admin, then being sent to wait to see a doctor. After finally getting to see the doctor, I used Lars´ trusty Portuguese phrase book, which just happened to have tonsillitis in the dictionary part, and played anther game of charades. The doctor wrote me a prescription (for a drug name I recognised!) and I was off to the pharmacy, but not before they wanted to give me a needle. No needles. No way jose. I have had tonsillitis a million times and never had a needle. Pills were fine and on our way we went.

BUT, before all this happened, I had the chance to grab a drink at the Santa Teresa hotel, danced the night away in Lapa, walk along Leblon, Ipanema and Cocabana beaches, dance another rain filled night away in Lapa at a street party, saw my homeboy Jesus, giggled my way through the Hangover 2 film (with Portuguese subtitles of course), watched the sun set on Sugar Loaf mountain, walk up the famous Lapa Steps (as seen in the Walk On video by U2), toured a favela, rode a motor taxi, and tried a caprihina (or two or three).

As for now though, I sit here in the hostel, trying to make a full recovery from my tonsillitis. My fever is gone, but I still have golfballs in my throat. I have been on ´bed rest´ for three days now and have read almost half of my book, Three Cups of Tea. We hope to leave to Ilha Grande tomorrow (it is supposed to be upwards of 27 degrees!)