Sudamericando

Some thoughts on Peru

2008-12-23T13:27:00.000-08:00

Before getting on the road, Peru was the country I was the most excited about visiting. Maybe that's why for me Peru was the biggest deception.

I was not disappointed by the beauty of the country and the crazy nightlife in Cuzco. I probably spent the best days of this trip there... But the reason about my disapointment was to realize that Peru is by far the most touristy country in South America, which for me was very frustrating.

For instance Machu Pichu is amazingly beautiful. But for a few minutes I thought I had arrived in Disneyland...

The food in Peru is a highlight. The country has probably the most sophisticated cuisine in South America and their delicious dishes include the fabulous Cebiche.

People on the Road - Robert "El Primo"

2008-12-14T06:56:00.001-08:00

I met Robert, a Catalan with his origins in the beautiful Galicia, in San Pedro, in a tour to the Lagunas de Sal and we decided to travel to Uyuni together. After the amazing Uyuni trip, we ended up traveling the whole Bolivia together, until Isla del Sol.

We made up a story that we were cousins, and we would use it to meet people along the way. But in 2 weeks we have lived so many crazy stories together (some of them the craziest of my whole life) that when we left Bolivia I had the feeling we were not cousins, but brothers.

After 4 months in South America, Robert has left to South Africa where he is studying english now and luckily can read this post ;).

A friend for life that I will certainly meet again in Asia, Barcelona and one day, we will spend New Year's eve in Brazil together.

Primo, cuidate y que la sigas pasando bien. Y Visca el Barca!

Lago Titikaka - Isla del Sol, Bolivia

2008-12-12T18:43:00.000-08:00

And from La Paz to the beauty and peace of Lake Titikaka. We took a bus from La Paz to Copacabana, the best city in Bolvia to access the lake. On the way to Copacabana, we could get a preview of what we were going to see on the next day...

From Copacabana to Isla del Sol, the biggest island on the lake (at the Bolivian side) it was a nice 3-hour-ride by boat. The boat drops you at the north side of the island and to reach the south side of the island there is a 15km trek, trough a Inca trail. The trail is surrounded by Inca ruins and marvellous landscapes.

We spent the night on the south side and were rewarded by the most beautiful sunset and moonrise of this trip. At night, the island becomes a peaceful and quiet little place, witha few backpackers and locals hanging around. Certainly one of the highlights of this trip for me.

Isla del Sol is also considered to be the origin of the Inca civilization before the foundation of Cuzco.

The Death Road - Coroico, Bolivia

2008-12-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

The Death Road is a mountain bike trail you can arrange from La Paz as a day-trip. The trail is quite interesting. You go up to 4.700 meters by bus and descend with a montain bike to Coroico town, which is located a bit above 1.000 meters over the sea level. The trail is 64km long and takes you downhill for more than 3.600 meters! It is absolutely amazing! All the way down.

Why is it called the death road? Because every year, a few tourists die going down this road... The rocky and dirty path can be quite slippery, and bikers going a bit faster or simply unlucky bikers, can lose control of their bikes and go down the endless cliffs along the road... And some cliffs are high as 800 meters...

With this background in mind, we were extremely excited to take the road and ride our bikes all the way down. And iwas as good as expected! Lots of adrenaline, excietement, a beautiful view and another awesome day in Bolivia. I love this country...

Of course I had to do my show, and was the only one to fall of the bike, among the other 12 bikers. With my Velib biking background plus being afraid to end my life at the age of 27, in a certain curve, I lost control and jumped from my bike...

Well, I got a sore knee, but alive and kicking to keep going north on the beautiful road through South America!

La Paz, Bolivia

2008-12-09T14:32:00.000-08:00

And finally La Paz. This ciy is the chaos on earth! But what a great chaos! We were anxious to arrive there and party on saturday night. And we did it. Great party, getting back home after 11am... the craziest after hours I have been to in my life. Strange people. Lots of fun.

The remaining days in La Paz did not change a lot from that. That´s why I just got a few pictures. But I surely had a great time there and left with the feeling that La Paz is for sure not the most beautiful but certainly one of the most exiciting capitals in south america!

The city is surrounded by the Cordilleras which gives it an interesting aspect. A big part of La Paz is located on the hills around the city. And similar to Rio de Janeiro, the richer have stayed on the bottom and the rest of the people (the biggest majority by far) have gone up the hill.

The city center keeps the once beautiful colonial architecture, but have aged in a bad way. The streets are filled with street vendors, giving the feeling to the visitor that La Paz is a big open market...

Na the nightlife? The nightlife has its special charm...

Virgem Morena

2008-12-08T13:26:00.000-08:00

Ò virgem morena,

do baile rosado,

teu olhar encantado,

um beijo roubado.

Mas virgem morena,

que sabe o que quer,

não deixas de ser,

ingenua mulher.

Assim virgem morena,

de sucre, cansado,

parto calado,

es ja passado.

Sucre, Bolivia

2008-12-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

The road from Potosi to Sucre was much better than the one from Uyuni to Sucre. But as we did not know what was expecting us and after the terrible experience from the day before, we decided to take a taxi colectivo, which is a shared taxi (4 people) that works similar to a bus, just a bit more expensive with some additional confort.
Well, but of course our taxi would have brake problems on the day to sucre, which forced us to stop at least twice to cool down the brakes by throwing water at them. Slowly but safe, like a turtle. At least the landscape was magnific.

Sucre itself is a very charming old town, with an architecture style dating from colonial times. Sucre was once the capital of Bolivia and has kept a "nobel air" with beautiful streets, old buildings and markets.

The people there was exceptionaly nice, being by far the nicest Bolivians and probably one of the nicest people from the cities I visited.

But as we were rushing to make to La Paz for Saturday night, we just stayed there for a a day and half. Night bus to La Paz where the party was waiting for us!

Broken Camera

2008-12-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

Since the beggining of this trip my camera had its LCD broken. Basically I could only see the pictures I was taking once I downloaded them from the Memory Stick. I thought it was fun, a bit of old style.
But since Uyunim the automatic focus is also broken. Basically, I need to focus all pictures manually... the thing is that 2 out of 3 turn out to be out of focus... and from this point on there will probably be less pictures as I slowly got fed up with that...

But we move on with what we got!!

Potosi, Bolivia - Silver Mines

2008-12-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

The trip from Uyuni to Potosi was probably one of the worst moments of this trip. 6 hours (for less than 200km) in a bus that was far from its ideal conditions, in a road that... well, I am being nice to call it road... in a rocky and dirty "path" that did not allow the bus to ride smoothly. Basically, I felt like a Kangaroo baby going through Australia inside its mom's pouch...

And of course many funny things: a woman that came up to the bus in the middle of no where, with a baby goat in her arms, a man that stops the busm because he had to give a packet to one of the passengers, and they keep talking for 5 to 10 minutes about their lives, while everybody kindly waits for them to finish their conversation, etc. At the same time I was happy, I was certainly finally in Bolivia and it was everything I expected it to be!

Potosi used to be one of the richest cities in South America, back in the XVII century, when its silver mines were one of the main sources of minerals to whatever was being built in Europe.

Today, the "silver" old times are gone, but the city has kept its charming architecture from that time, and of course the silver mines.

We went on a tour to visit the mines that was fantastic! Basically because it was nothing but a organized tour. We really felt as one of them. Early in the morning we were drinking alcohol with them, the same they drink before they go to work with 97% alcohol. We were also chewing loads of coke leaves and smoking a "hand-made cigarette" with cinammonm coke and tabacco. All this before getting in...

Once inside, with no security at all and dressed as one of them, we got to the different levels of the mine, we saw a couple of explosions, helped them bringing up or down the stones, and stopped once in a while to have a cigarette with them and chat.

Unfortunately the pictures from inside the mine did not turn out well due to the bad ligthing and a broken camera...

Ipod Roubado

2008-12-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

Foi-se o sonho da musica,
forma seca, crua, injusta.
Foi-se com ele minha vida
ò grande filha da puta!

Foi-se minha companhia,
de estradas sem fim,
de puro prazer,
8 gigas de mim.

Foi-se pra nao mais voltar.
E sò, vou dormir.
Sem seu cantar,
sem seu zunir...

Some thoughts on Bolivia

2008-12-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

Bolivia is by far the poorest country in South America. In the last 200 years, the country had over 200 governments, always led by the very small white minority. This ups and downs in Bolivia's political scenario left the country in a very fragile position. Their neighbours in South America did not take long to profit from that and Brazil, Paraguay and Chile, have taken territories from Bolivia. The last has taken Bolivia's sea coast area, leaving the country landlocked.

80% of bolivians are indigenas and the first indigeneous president elected is Evo Moralez... There is a long way to go for Bolivia.

This background is the result of what Bolivia is today: the poorest country in South America, by far!! This sad scenario, unfortunately, is one of the reasons why travelers love Bolivia so much: a part from its astonishing natural beauty, traveling in Bolivia is cheap and authentic. For me, a lot more interesting than its touristy neighbour, Peru.

And a small detail came to my attention in Potosi and in other cities. Due to some deal with Japan, Bolivia was importing second hand cars and buses from the rising sun country, during the 80's and 90's. The thing is that some of the new owners did not take their time to take away the japanese characters from the vehicules and once in a while you may cross a bus or car with Japanese characters. This small details is reflected in many other different things in Bolivia, and again, what makes traveling in Bolivia unique and authentic!

People on the Road - Tati & Ju

2008-12-04T15:47:00.001-08:00

These 2 great friends from University spent 10 days on the road with me. Together we crossed Chile from Santiago to San Pedro and had many moments of fun and pleasure!

Tati went back to Brazil after San Pedro and Juliana joined me in the Uyuni-trip, a crazy experience in the Bolivian desert.

The days I spent with them were probably the best on this trip and are certainly being missed.

Cuidem-se meninas! Acelera Tati!!! Acelera Ju!!! Salares, Flamingos, Lagunas!

Ate Sampa,

Uyuni 3-day trip, Bolivia - Day 3

2008-12-04T15:09:00.001-08:00

And on the last day we spent some times on the Uyuni Salar taking some "perspective pictures", visited la Isla del Pescado, an island full of cactus in the middle of the salar and we finally reached Uyuni town after 3 amazing days on the road.

It was time to say goodbye to Juliana who was heading back to Brazil. I kept moving on with Robert, a 33-year-old-catalan friend, who ended up being my travel partner, cousin and brother...

Uyuni 3-day trip, Bolivia - Day 2

2008-12-04T14:01:00.000-08:00

The second day started very early in the morning. The first stop was at this flamingo paradise where we were able to spot hundreds of flamingos flying freely around the lagoon (you will probably be sick of flamingos after so many pictures).

But the fun started just after that, before lunch. While easily driving through the desert, PUFFFFFFF!!! A tire exploded!!! Probably tired after so many rides through the dry and rocky road.
No worries! Our super little guide Juan got off the truck and in 30 minutes we were on the road again with our spare tire. All happy and singing when PUFFFFFFFFF!!!!! And another tire is gone!
We got a bit worried, what the hell would we do? But we thought: Juan is here and he will get things going again...

But well, he didn't... For the first time since we left the Chilean border our guide did not have that relaxed look we got used to. He was tense, white and sweating... and to make sure we understood we really had a problem, he said: "Amigos, problema!". We all imediately got we were in big shit...

The deal was: we had no extra tire, we were on a "road" where nobody would pass on that day and we were 25km away from the closest village. The solution: Juan would walk all the way to the next village, get a ride from a friend and bring us a new set of tires. We? We had to sit and wait for the next 6 to 8 hours....

The first 5 minutes we laughed, then we had lunch for 15 minutes and when we finally realized in what kind of shit we had fallen into, we started getting worried. But then we did what most people do when they have a problem: we started drinking!!!

After that time went by really fast. We spent hours drinking wine and pisco while talking about life, philosophy, relationships, traveling, sex, football, cultural shocks, etc, etc, etc.

Luckily some hours later another truck passed by us and very kindly gave us their extra tire and helped us to change it. Robert and I wanted to drive the car to find Juan but we had 2 new problems:
1: We were totally drunk and the italian ladies did not allow us to take the car
2: We did not know where to go. There was no road, just an open desert.

After a small conflict that lasted a few minutes we managed to convince the italian ladies that Juliana could drive, as she had not drunk as much, which was not 100% correct... And then Juliana started driving the big truck through the desert, hoping we would find our lovely little guide. And the fact is that we were lucky enough and we found the man. He was so happy to see us and also to realize that the problem was solved. We had gained at least 1 hour.

Then Juan took the car and drove for 5 hours (after having walked for another 5h) to take us to our next hotel in the middle of the Uyuni salt desert.

It was 9pm, everybody was tired and I was excited to have lived the best day of this trip.

Uyuni 3-day trip, Bolivia - Day 1

2008-12-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

Amazing! Extraordinary! Unbelievable! Spectacular! Awesome! Out of this world! Surreal!!!!

All these adjectives (and many more) can be applied to describe Uyuni in Bolivia and the trip from San Pedro to Uyuni.

This was a 3-day trip on a 4x4 truck, that crossed deserts, blue lagoons, red lagoons, flamingos, volcanoes, salt deserts and much more.

Our group couldn´t be more mixed: 2 amazing and cool italian ladies over their 60's, 1 german engineer, Robert from Catalunya, Juliana, my friend from University, our guide Juan from Bolivi and myself. The official language of our group was a mix of italian, spanish and portuguese, but we managed to communicate pretty well.

Our guide Juan was a quiet and nice little guy who was at the same time our driver and cook... not so good cook though...

On the first day we took a van from San Pedro to the Bolivian border (which turned out to be a small house in the middle of nowhere) and from there we jumped into the 4x4 for the best 3 days of the trip so far, and probably one of the best trips of my life!

The group of people turned out to connect extremely well and the landscape... oh the landscape...

The first night we spent in a small little house by the red lagoon, la Laguna Colorada.

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile - The Town

2008-12-02T06:17:00.000-08:00

And San Pedro is not only about the beautiful and surreal landscapes surrounding the town. The San Pedro town itself is a charming little place, where you can spend a good time drinking, having dinner in cousy little restaurants or just walking around and taking pictures.
Chile was amazing and will certainly be missed! Now, it is Bolivia time!

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile - Lagunas Altiplanicas

2008-12-01T04:58:00.001-08:00

Lagunas Altiplanicas was the last, but not the less impressive, place we visited in San Pedro. It is true we spent some long and boring hours in the car to get there. But once we arrived, we were rewarded with the amazing views below!

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile - El Salar

2008-11-27T13:56:00.000-08:00

Not as famous as its neighbour the Uyuni Salar, El Salar de Atacama is another beautiful natural beauty around San Pedro and home of hundreds of flamingos. Flamingos, lagunas, salares!

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile - Lagunas Cejas

2008-11-27T08:24:00.000-08:00

Still in San Pedro we visited the Lagunas Cejas, beautiful salt lagoons in the middle of the desert. A part from the beautiful landscape, the lagoons are a surreal place (like everything else in the Atacama) thanks to an unique feature: the water has a salt density of 90% which "forces" your body to float on the water. And once you walk out of the lagoon you are completely white and salty. Fun!

Imagens do Deserto

2008-11-21T17:15:00.000-08:00

Entre flamingos e lagunas,
senderos e salares do deserto,
preenchiste estreitas lacunas,
de um andar solitário e incerto.

Quando no imenso céu estrelado,
de uma seca noite atacama,
me encontrei tonto, fisgado,
cego por ti, doce dama.

Evitei-o de imediato,
vulcão que não quer explodir.
Estúpido, pouco sensato!
Inútil, voz que deve sair.

Agora, te escrevo essas linhas,
arriscadas, atrevidas deveras,
pois sei que te quero minha,
com puras palavras sinceras.

Porém esse pobre poema,
é dócil, é simples assim,
não busca nenhum problema,
apenas um pouco de mim.

Devo dizer, que tampouco é em vão!
Entre a angústia do não saber,
e o medo da solidão,
ele quer apenas... ser.

E se o certo é ficar calado,
opto por poucas e curtas frases,
de um coração já velho e cansado,
sem tempo para disfarces.

Por isso te digo, minha linda fada,
ó meiga mulher mundana,
es paixão encantada,
de uma alma que já não se engana.

E se esse novo romance,
perdido, não se concreta,
ao menos imerso em seu transe,
transborda o louco poeta.

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile - The Geyser

2008-11-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

Another amazing natural beauty around San Pedro is the Geyser del Tatio. With over 80 active geysers, El Tatio is the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere and the third largest field in the world.
To get there, we had to wake up at 3.30am and "enjoy" temperatures as low as -15C, just before sunrise. And more: there are some natural warm baths around the geysers, where we had a relaxing bath when outside temperature was below zero... Hard, but totally worth this amazing experience!

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile - Valle de la Luna

2008-11-21T08:55:00.000-08:00

And finally one of the most expected places for me: the Atacama desert! We got there after a long bus journey throughout the desert and the night. And on the first day we headed to Valle de la Luna a beautiful and surprising valley close to San Pedro. I guess it is clear why it is called that way...

A Second of Whisdom from my readings - Gabriela Mistral

2008-11-19T13:55:00.000-08:00

Besos

Hay besos que pronuncian por sí solos
la sentencia de amor condenatoria,
hay besos que se dan con la mirada
hay besos que se dan con la memoria.

Hay besos silenciosos, besos nobles
hay besos enigmáticos, sinceros
hay besos que se dan sólo las almas
hay besos por prohibidos, verdaderos.

Hay besos que calcinan y que hieren,
hay besos que arrebatan los sentidos,
hay besos misteriosos que han dejado
mil sueños errantes y perdidos.

Hay besos problemáticos que encierran
una clave que nadie ha descifrado,
hay besos que engendran la tragedia
cuantas rosas en broche han deshojado.

Hay besos perfumados, besos tibios
que palpitan en íntimos anhelos,
hay besos que en los labios dejan huellas
como un campo de sol entre dos hielos.

Hay besos que parecen azucenas
por sublimes, ingenuos y por puros,
hay besos traicioneros y cobardes,
hay besos maldecidos y perjuros.

Hay besos que producen desvaríos
de amorosa pasión ardiente y loca,
tú los conoces bien son besos míos
inventados por mí, para tu boca.

Parque Nacional Pan de Azucar, Chile - Day 2

2008-11-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

On the second day we explored the park and its beauty. A part from the beautiful landscape, this park is also influenced by the Humboldt's current. This is a cold ocean current that runs along part of South America (Chile and Peru) which is the perfect habitat for animals like penguins and sealions. The result: Parque Nacional Pan de Azucar is not only where the sea meets the desert, but also where the penguims meet the desert!!! A surreal scenario.

On the way back, some car problems (the first of many on this trip) almost left us stuck in the middle of the desert. But as usual, everything went alright at the end and we followed our route to Atacama, for more surreal landscapes...

Parque Nacional Pan de Azucar, Chile - Day 1

2008-11-19T12:31:00.001-08:00

A night bus from Santiago to Copiapo brought us closer to Parque Nacional Pan de Azucar, an amazing natural park where, literally, the sea meets the desert.

We rented a car for a couple of days and started a fantastic (and short) road trip through the beggining of the Chilean desert. I was Brad Pitt in the middle of the crazy Thelma and Louise.

The landscape was gradually changing from the green Copiapo, to the ocean in Caldera and Bahia Inglesa and to the dry desert in Pan de Azucar. Something surreal that our eyes just couldn´t believe on what they were seeing.

Once in the bark, we found a really nice cabaña by the sea and spend a wonderful night there. This was only the first day in the park and we were already impressed by what we were seeing. But more was to come...

A Second of Whisdom from my readings - Jack Kerouac

2008-11-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

"Somewhere along the line I knew there'd be girls, visions, everything; somewhere along the line the pearl would be handed to me."

"The air was soft, the stars so fine, the promise of every cobbled alley so great, that I thought I was in a dream."

"A pain stabbed my heart, as it did every time I saw a girl I loved who was going the opposite direction in this too-big world."

"We were all delighted, we all realized we were leaving confusion and nonsense behind and performing our one noble function of the time, move."

"Why think about that when all the golden land's ahead of you and all kinds of unforeseen events wait lurking to surprise you and make you glad you're alive to see?"

"What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? — it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies."

"They have worries, they're counting the miles, they're thinking about where to sleep tonight, how much money for gas, the weather, how they'll get there--and all the time they'll get there anyway, you see."

"What difference does it make after all?--anonymity in the world of men is better than fame in heaven, for what's heaven? what's earth? All in the mind."

Jack Kerouack - On the Road

Santiago, Chile

2008-11-19T12:07:00.000-08:00

And in Santiago I met two very good and old friends from University, Tati e Juli. We stayed at Andy´s house, a friend from Tatiana. And Santiago started to surprise me in the first minutes, when I got this amazing view from Andy´s house!

The city itself has no big attractions for visitors. But it is certainly a beautiful, pleasant and safe city which must be a great place for living. The cordilleras around the city just add this magic scenario that goes perfectly with the beautiful Chilean capital.

But time was running against us and we just spent a night there. I am sure I left with still many things to see and many reasons to go back...

A Second of Whisdom from my music - Pedro Vargas

2008-11-17T14:17:00.000-08:00

El Rey

Yo se bien que estoy afuera
Pero el dia que yo me muera
Se que tendras que llorar,
Llorar y llorar, llorar y llorar

Diras que no me quisiste,
Pero vas a estar muy triste
Y asi te vas a quedar

Con dinero y sin dinero
Hago siempre lo que quiero
Y mi palabra es la ley;

No tengo trono ni reina,
Ni nadie que me comprenda,
Pero sigo siendo el rey

Una piedra en el camino
Me enseño que mi destino
Era rodar y rodar,
Rodar y rodar, rodar y rodar

Despues me dijo un arriero
Que no hay que llegar primero,
Pero hay que saber llegar

Con dinero y sin dinero
Hago siempre lo que quiero
Y mi palabra es la ley;

No tengo trono ni reina,
Ni nadie que me comprenda,
Pero sigo siendo el rey

People on the Road - Unai Abaunza & Ricardo Ferreira "El Primo"

2008-11-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

There are some people that you are supposed to meet no matter what. And this was the case with Unai and Ricardo in Argentina.
I first met these two friendly guys from Basque country in Puerto Iguaçu playing football together. We exchanged e-mails but could not reach each other.
But, by coincidence, I met them again in the middle of Buenos Aires and finally in the Retiro bus terminal where they were waiting for their bus to Mendoza, the same as mine.

So from this point on we travelled together until Uspallata and the Aconcagua. Unai stayed a bit longer in the beautiful Argentinean mountains to do some hiking/clibing.

Ricardo came with me to Valparaiso where we partied until the sun was up and we came up with a nice little story that we were cousins. Although it was lie, for a moment I almost believed on that story as we got along really well during these days.

Unai y Primo, nos vemos por el camino de la vida y ondo joan dadila!

A Second of Whisdom from my readings - Pablo Neruda

2008-11-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

Veinte Poemas y Una Cancion de Amor Poema 20

Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.
Escribir, por ejemplo: "La noche esta estrellada,
y tiritan, azules, los astros, a lo lejos".
El viento de la noche gira en el cielo y canta.
Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.
Yo la quise, y a veces ella también me quiso.
En las noches como ésta la tuve entre mis brazos.
La besé tantas veces bajo el cielo infinito.
Ella me quiso, a veces yo también la quería.
Cómo no haber amado sus grandes ojos fijos.
Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.
Pensar que no la tengo. Sentir que la he perdido.
Oír la noche inmensa, más inmensa sin ella.
Y el verso cae al alma como al pasto el rocío.
Qué importa que mi amor no pudiera guardarla.
La noche está estrellada y ella no está conmigo.
Eso es todo. A lo lejos alguien canta. A lo lejos.
Mi alma no se contenta con haberla perdido.
Como para acercarla mi mirada la busca.
Mi corazón la busca, y ella no está conmigo.
La misma noche que hace blanquear los mismos árboles.
Nosotros, los de entonces, ya no somos los mismos.
Ya no la quiero, es cierto, pero cuánto la quise.
Mi voz buscaba el viento para tocar su oído.
De otro. Será de otro. Como antes de mis besos.
Su voz, su cuerpo claro. Sus ojos infinitos.
Ya no la quiero, es cierto, pero tal vez la quiero.
Es tan corto el amor, y es tan largo el olvido.
Porque en noches como esta la tuve entre mis brazos,
mi alma no se contenta con haberla perdido.
Aunque éste sea el último dolor que ella me causa,
y éstos sean los últimos versos que yo le escribo.

Valparaiso, Chile

2008-11-17T13:34:00.000-08:00

And after 2 weeks in Argentina, I finally made to Chile.

Crossing the Andes was the most spectacular bus ride of this trip. On the Argentinean side, the altitude slowly increases when you are heading to Chile. But once on the Chilean side, the change is a lot more abrupt and you probably go 3.000 meters down in a few kilometers. It is a beautiful, surreal and curvy road!

The first stop in Chile was the beautiful Valparaiso. This coast city is built upon dozens of steep hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean and is a real labyrinth of streets and alleyways. Valpo, is also an important seaport for Chile, one of the homes of Pablo Neruda and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

I truly loved this city and on top of the above, my impression of it is: amazing street art, great chorrillana (typical chilean dish made of french fries topped by meat, onions and eggs), fun night life and home of thousands and thousands of perros guachos.

Solidão

2008-11-14T09:02:00.000-08:00

De volta à solidão
volto a pensar em você
de volta à solidão
será sempre essa vida, por quê?

Pois, é isso que busca
aquele que já nao quer só ver
momentos que juntem os pontos
do mais intenso viver.

E no vão da alma sozinha
esconde-se serena curiosidade
de um sonho sempre acordado
com rigorosa claridade

Assim vão-se os kilometros
no mais frio dos calores
na mais seca das chuvas
no mais louco dos amores.

Vai

2008-11-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

Sobe solitário à nave
infinitamente, livre
voa, vida sem rumo.
olha, vê, enxerga

Cruza em andares distantes
com povos longínquos
de histórias e vidas diversas.
ouve, escuta, entende

Segue antento à estrada
prova temperos
olhares, sorrisos e lágrimas.
respira, sente, vive

Atravessa montanhas e desertos
sonhos, medos, pessoas
caminha, viaja
e simplesmente, vai.

Parque Nacional Aconcagua, Argentina

2008-11-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

2 hours from Uspallata and a few kilometers from the border between Argentina and Chile, there is the Parque Nacional Aconcagua, a beautiful national park in the "heart" of the Andes.

The landscape is impressive and from the park you have a beautiful view from the Aconcagua mountain, the highest one in South America and the second in the world, with 6.962 meters.

The rest? I guess the pictures can express what I felt better than words...

Uspallata, Argentina

2008-11-08T15:06:00.000-08:00

And from Mendoza to Uspallata. This city is on the way to Santiago and about a 100km from the Alpes and from the Chilean border.
I heard from some people that the landscapes there were great and that it was a good base to reach Aconcagua. But I did not know that the city was also the place where part of the movie Seven Years in Tibet was shot.

With all these credentials Uspallata could not be nothing less than magnific.

On the road from Mendoza to Uspallata, the images below are the view I had from the bus...

When getting to our hostel, a small cousy place in the middle of nowhere, we were surprised by the beautiful nature and views surrounding us. Certainly an unique spot on the countryside of Argentina. And the first time I felt this trip was moving on...

Mendoza, Argentina - And the Wine Route

2008-11-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

Straight from River x Boca I went to Retiro bus station to take a night bus (15 hours) to Mendoza.
By coincindence, I met 2 basque friends who I had met before in Iguacu and were taking the same bus to Mendoza. We decided to join forces and hit the vineyards together on the next day and we ended up travelling together for the next 4/5 days.

Mendoza is a charming little city just before the Andes and most known by its wine production. It represents around 70% of Argentina´s total wine production and main grapes grown in the region are Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ah, and Mendoza should also be known by its beautiful women...

So to taste the wine side of life, we went on a bike tour around the multiple vineyards in Mendoza. We have riden for a around 20 kms and visited 4 places. No surprise when tasting the wine: absolutely delicious!

It was a great experience. I can guarantee riding a bike after 2 bottles of wine is much more fun. And to finnish this great day, Mr Hugo (with me on the last picture), the nicest guy in Mendoza and also the one who was renting us bikes, has offered us some additional (and free) bottles of wine that we easily drank while the sun was going down. And after that I cannot remember much of our night out...

A Second of Whisdom from my readings - Jorge Luis Borges

2008-11-08T14:03:00.000-08:00

El Enamorado
Lunas, marfiles, instrumentos, rosas,
lámparas y la línea de Durero,
las nueve cifras y el cambiante cero,
debo fingir que existen esas cosas.

Debo fingir que en el pasado fueron
Persépolis y Roma y que una arena
sutil midió la suerte de la almena
que los siglos de hierro deshicieron.

Debo fingir las armas y la pira
de la epopeya y los pesados mares
que roen de la tierra los pilares.

Debo fingir que hay otros. Es mentira.
Sólo tú eres. Tú, mi desventura
y mi ventura, inagotable y pura.

Soneto del Vino
¿En qué reino, en qué siglo, bajo qué silenciosa
conjunción de los astros, en qué secreto día
que el mármol no ha salvado, surgió la valerosa
y singular idea de inventar la alegría?

Con otoños de oro la inventaron. El vino
fluye rojo a lo largo de las generaciones
como el río del tiempo y en el arduo camino
nos prodiga su música, su fuego y sus leones.

En la noche del júbilo o en la jornada adversa
exalta la alegría o mitiga el espanto
y el ditirambo nuevo que este día le canto

otrora lo cantaron el árabe y el persa.
Vino, enséñame el arte de ver mi propia historia
como si ésta ya fuera ceniza en la memoria.

Dime (puta que pariu que poema!)
Dime por favor donde no estás
en qué lugar puedo no ser tu ausencia
dónde puedo vivir sin recordarte,
y dónde recordar, sin que me duela.

Dime por favor en que vacío,
no está tu sombra llenando los centros;
dónde mi soledad es ella misma,
y no el sentir que tú te encuentras lejos.

Dime por favor por qué camino,
podré yo caminar, sin ser tu huella;
dónde podré correr no por buscarte,
y dónde descanzar de mi tristeza.

Dime por favor cuál es la noche,
que no tiene el color de tu mirada;
cuál es el sol, que tiene luz tan solo,
y no la sensación de que me llamas.

Dime por favor donde hay un mar,
que no susurre a mis oídos tus palabras.

Dime por favor en qué rincón,
nadie podrá ver mi tristeza;
dime cuál es el hueco de mi almohada,
que no tiene apoyada tu cabeza.

Dime por favor cuál es la noche,
en que vendrás, para velar tu sueño;
que no puedo vivir, porque te extraño;
y que no puedo morir, porque te quiero.

People on the Road - Gaby Carcova

2008-11-08T13:43:00.000-08:00

I had the time of my life in Buenos Aires: met some good friends, a couple of good parties, amazing food (alfajores, empanadas, asados, morcillas, dulce de leche, etc), excellent wine, beautiful city, beautiful people and more.

But certainly the biggest discovery was my host, Gaby, that I happened to know because she was a friend of a friend. She has prompted offered me to stay at her place and we ended up becoming very good friends. More than an amazing host (she was giving me books, foods, drinks, a couch, teaching about Argentinean history and geography and more), she is a special person and I will do whatever I can to keep in my life forever.

And by the way, she will be come a very famous screenplay writer.

Gaby, thanks for everything, good luck with your exam and hope to see you soon in Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Paris or Singapore. Take care my friend!

River x Boca

2008-11-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

After enjoying Uruguay and its amazing beef I was back to Buenos Aires for some fun. The weekend was amazing, with a great party at a friend´s house, dinner with friends on saturday and... River x Boca on Sunday.

This clasico is one of the biggest sport events worldwide and I was lucky enough to be there at the right time and also to know Gaby (my host in Buenos Aires) who got a ticket for me.

So there I went, excited as hell, for the biggest football game in my life. Although the game was not in La Bombonera, it was still an amazing experience, and I was again impressed by the superb Argentinean supporters.

Final result was River 0 x 1 Boca in a very poor game where only Riquelme was able to show why Argentina has one of the best teams in the world.

A Second of Wisdom from my music - Bob Dylan

2008-10-27T03:46:00.000-07:00

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone

Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

2008-10-27T02:38:00.000-07:00

Colonia is a small little town, 2 hours southwest of Montevideo. It is located "just in front" of Buenos Aires, on the other side of the Plata.

Colonia was founded by Portugal in 1680, being the first Uruguayan city. Colonia has kept its charm throughout the years and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And an amazing city for photography!

A Second of Wisdom from my readings - by Mario Benedetti

2008-10-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

Sindrome

Todavía tengo casi todos mis dientes
casi todos mis cabellos y poquísimas canas
puedo hacer y deshacer el amor
trepar una escalera de dos en dos
y correr cuarenta metros detrás del ómnibus
o sea que no debería sentirme viejo
pero el grave problema es que antes
no me fijaba en estos detalles




Ustedes y nosotros

Ustedes cuando aman
exigen bienestar
una cama de cedro
y un colchón especial,
nosotros cuando amamos
es fácil de arreglar
con sábanas qué bueno
sin sábanas da igual.

Ustedes cuando aman
calculan interés
y cuando se desaman
calculan otra vez,
nosotros cuando amamos
es como renacer
y si nos desamamos
no la pasamos bien.

Ustedes cuando aman
son de otra magnitud
hay fotos chismes prensa
y el amor es un boom,
nosotros cuando amamos
es un amor común
tan simple y tan sabroso
como tener salud.

Ustedes cuando aman
consultan el reloj
porque el tiempo que pierden
vale medio millón,
nosotros cuando amamos
sin prisa y con fervor
gozamos y nos sale
barata la función.
Ustedes cuando aman
al analista van
él es quien dictamina
si lo hacen bien o mal,
nosotros cuando amamos
sin tanta cortedad
el subconsciente piola
se pone a disfrutar.
Ustedes cuando aman
exigen bienestar
una cama de cedro
y un colchón especial,
nosotros cuando amamos
es fácil de arreglar
con sábanas qué bueno
sin sábanas da igual.




Estados de ánimo


Unas veces me siento
como pobre colina
y otras como montaña
de cumbres repetidas.

Unas veces me siento
como un acantilado
y en otras como un cielo
azul pero lejano.

A veces uno es
manantial entre rocas
y otras veces un árbol
con las últimas hojas.
Pero hoy me siento apenas
como laguna insomne
con un embarcadero
ya sin embarcaciones
una laguna verde
inmóvil y paciente
conforme con sus algas
sus musgos y sus peces,
sereno en mi confianza
confiando en que una tarde
te acerques y te mires,
te mires al mirarme.

Montevideo, Uruguay

2008-10-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

So last tuesday morning I took an early BuqueBus to Colonia del Sacramento, on the Uruguayan side of the Plata, and then a 2-hour bus, heading east to Montevideo.

I expected Montevideo to be as charming as Buenos Aires but my expectations were not confirmed. La Ciudad Vieja in Montevideo has indeed its charm, but I was surprised about how the buildings are a bit like left behind, with low/non-existent maitenance to preserve their, once beautiful, façades.

The weather was crap, cold and rainy, which did not help much. Close to the port, the city composes an interesting scenario, still reflecting its recent industrial past. Many big warehouses occupy the area and I sometimes felt like beeing in some kind of ciudad fantasma.

The food in Uruguay is very similar to the food in its neighbor Argentina and I had the chance to taste a juicy bife del vasio in a small restaurant located in the charming Mercado del Puerto and finished the day with the local´s favourite chivito (similar to the Brazilian X-Churrasco).

Buenos Aires - Recoleta

2008-10-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

Recoleta, its cemetery and around.

Buenos Aires - Boca & La Bombonera

2008-10-18T15:18:00.000-07:00

Boca is another charming barrio in Buenos Aires, the most popular.
Boca is a main touristic attraction thanks to its famous Caminito, a colourful street in the heart of this area.
It is also home of Boca Juniors, the most supported team in Argentina. In Boca is located the legendary temple of football, el mitico La Bombonera.
Visiting the stadium I was able to understand why people always say it is so tough for visitor teams to play against Boca Juniors in their home stadium. The distance from the field to the crowd is so short, that Boca Junior fans are literally inside the field.

Caminito

La Bombonera

A Second of Wisdom from my readings - by Ernesto Sabato

2008-10-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

"Creo que la esencia de la vida consiste en ser fiel a lo que uno cree su destino".

“Es curioso, pero vivir consiste en construir futuros recuerdos; ahora mismo, aquí frente al mar, sé que estoy preparando recuerdos minuciosos, que alguna vez me traerán la melancolía y la desesperanza."

Ernesto Sabato in El Tunel

Buenos Aires - San Telmo

2008-10-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

Buenos Aires is all that I expected. Maybe even better. It is a marvelous city, with different areas, attractions, surprises. I fell in love since the first day, and this love is just growing bigger.

San Telmo was for me the most charming area. I was lucky enough to visit this barrio on a Sunday, when they hold a feria de antiguedades in Plaza Dorrego. According to my friend Catalina "es como Montmartre, pero allá". And it somehow makes sense.

This district is the oldest one in Buenos Aires and also known by the many Tango bars in the area, a must for wealthy tourists, willing to spend over a 100 USD for a "Tango dinner". Although, on Sundays you can enjoy some open air Tango dancers, for free.

A Second of Wisdom from my music - by Cuco Sanchez

2008-10-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

(...)
y aunque la jaula sea de oro,
y aunque la jaula sea de oro,
no deja de ser prisión.
(...)

Cuco Sanchez in Gritenme Piedras del Campo

Gol de Messi

2008-10-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

Brasileiro até debaixo d´água.
Argentino?
Nunca, jamás!

Gol de Messi.
Grito, salto, canto.
En el Monumental.

Brasileiro até debaixo d´água.
Argentino?
Un poco. Nunca más.

The day I supported Argentina...

2008-10-17T07:24:00.000-07:00

It was a rainy and windy day.
Saturday. 11/10/2008. 6pm. And I supported Argentina.

It hurts me inside to say that, but it was easier than I thought. When you are in the middle of the Monumental de Nuñez, surrounded by thousands and thousands of fanaticos hinchas singing for their beloved Argentina, it is impossible not to follow them. And admire! It is a beautiful event and I must confess we Brazilians have a lot to learn with our hermanos from del Plata. Both Argentineans and Uruguayans know how to support their nations and to push their players. And this was no River x Boca...

Also, when you need to support a team that has Messi, Riquelme, Tevez, Aguero & Cia, it is true that you got an easy task in front of you.

So the game went out well and during 90 minutes I felt as one of them: singing, screaming against the referee, celebrating the goals, offending the Uruguayans, enjoying the experience.

"Hay que saltar, hay que saltar, quien no salta, es de Uruguay!"

After the final blow, Argentina 2 x 1 Uruguay. And a Brazilian that feels a little bit more Argentinean.

But no doubts on one thing: Pele remains the number one!

A Second of Wisdom from my readings - by Charles Bukowski

2008-10-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

What do you do?
Nothing. Drink. Both.

Charles Bukowski in Factotum

The best Hostel in the World!

2008-10-17T07:12:00.000-07:00

I started backpacking almost 10 years ago and have been to a few hostels in my life. Big, small, clean, dirty, quiet, noisy, etc. But have never seen anything like this hostel in Puerto Iguacu, Argentina.

A huge swimming pool was waiting for me when I get there, small rooms with air conditioning, football from 6pm to 8pm, cool staff, an "Asado Party" with free caipirinha and a dance floor until 1am by the swimming pool.

Not bad. And all that for 9 USD/night. A hostel worth a post.

A Second of Wisdom from my readings - by Fernando Pessoa

2008-10-17T06:35:00.000-07:00

Louco, sim, louco, porque quis grandeza
Qual a Sorte a nao da
Nao coube em mim minha certeza;
Por isso onde o areal esta
Ficou meu ser o que houve, nao o que ha.

Minha loucura, outros que me a tomem.
Com o que nela ia.
Sem a loucura que e o homem
Mais que a besta sadia,
Cadaver adiado que procria?

Fernando Pessoa in D. Sebastiao, Rei de Portugal

The Stunning Iguacu Falls!

2008-10-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

They are impressive... after 16 hours of a nice bus ride from Sao Paulo to Iguacu, I managed to see the falls. The Brazilian side got the best views, from far. But the really beauty of the falls is on the Argentinean side, a huge natural park surrounded by an impressive nature and loads of water.

After visiting the Brazilian side of the falls I moved to Argentina, and did the first border crossing of this trip. Easy. The next day visited the Argentinean side and in the afternoon, another 16 hours of bus, heading to Buenos Aires.

I am definitely happy to have stopped by the falls. One of the most impressive nature beauties I have ever seen.

Technology problems...

2008-10-14T13:57:00.001-07:00

...are the reason why nothing has been said. Trying to find a solution to save photos to pc...

Tentative schedule for the ones planning to join...

2008-10-07T00:13:00.000-07:00

Heading West

2008-10-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

The day has finally come. In 15 hours I am heading west of Sao Paulo.