Lago Roca

On our way to the park, we stopped off for some fresh fruit and water. Here was what seemed to be one of the only houses the whole drive there, and the residents were expecting us. As we were standing outside on the wooden deck, breathing in the view, a large guanaco started running towards my friend. Startled, I backed away while he stood there nervously. Though I knew for sure that he was about to be bit, or even kicked, we were all surprised to find out that he just wanted to be petted on the head. 

After feeling a little refreshed and playing with animals, we headed out to finish our drive. Within an hour or so, we had finally arrived at Lago Roca, located in Los Glaciares National Park The only people there besides the rangers were my friend and I, and the couple behind us on the bus. Needless to say, we had a lot of open land, and few people crowding it. So as not to lose any time on our trip, we settled into our cabin and were off to explore some pre-historic paintings before dark. Pinturas Rupestres could be found on some of the large boulders a short hike from our camp. Before we knew it, it was time to get a nice warm shower and settle in. The only problem with the warm shower was that no matter how warm it was, it could not keep you warm enough to feel comfortable against the freezing Patagonian air. Showers started to become less and less appealing, but don’t worry, I never did swear them off, just grew to dislike them. 

 

 

After a deep sleep, we woke up to get some breakfast and see what the place had to offer. We sifted through the list of activities available and finally decided on mountain bike rentals. We hopped on the bikes and began peddling our way to the base of the mountain that we were naively going to hike. When our bikes were hidden behind some trees, we began our climb. This was my first impression that we had gotten in a little over our heads. In Patagonia, it is said that you can experience all four seasons in one day. I found this rumor to be true. While at the base of the mountain, freezing, after just a short while of hiking up the steep side of the mountain, I felt like it was 100 degrees. I lost my jacket, and a shirt, and felt more comfortable climbing in my sports bra, but even then I was burning up.

 

 

We started down where the trees meet the water..

We climbed, and hiked, and walked, and ran, and spent hours without ever reaching the top. Though we did get far, we should have heeded our warning when a German couple passed us going down while we were going up. This trek was nearly impossible, and it was beginning to sprinkle. We were in no way in shape for this trip. Finally, after some hours of hiking, we decided to take in the beautiful view, and then turn around. If not, we were going to fight with day light and hunger on our descent. Though I’m still a little upset that we didn’t complete it to the top, as I like to feel accomplished, we made a good choice.

 

We made it down much faster than we went up and rode our bikes back to camp. We decided to take a look at at the lake and were rewarded for our efforts. For the first time in my life, I witnessed both ends of a rainbow. Naturally, I had to run through the rain and enjoy it!

 

 

 

my friend snapped this one on our walk.

When night fell, we sat down by the lake and laid back on the cold rocks and took in the stars. Even though I know that a sight like this can be seen in other rural parts of the world, I have never seen the stars shine like this before. Without a single artificial light in sight to contaminate the view, I witnessed the most spectacular light show. I am not sure how long I stayed there, but I do know that I felt extreme peace and was so moved that I will never forget my gratitude. I only wish that I had snapped a photo, but I know that it could never be as incredible as actually living in the moment. 

 

 

 

Mesmerized by my first Glacier

After the long walk with heavy packs up to the bus station, our trip was about to get off to a good start. The bus that drove us to Lago Roca was actually a tour bus making their way to the world famous glacier, Perito Moreno. We were just lucky that the driver agreed to drive us a little extra to get us to our destination. Along the way, we discovered that the couple behind us on the bus had also decided to make a stop there for a few days. As chance would have it, this couple would later play an interesting role in my travels through Patagonia.

 

 

 

Along the way, as I grew more and more anxious to see my first glacier, the most beautiful rainbow, the first of many, appeared after hiding behind the mountains. Along with it, the clearing revealed my first glimpse at Perito Moreno. The bus began to cheer and I remember my eyes fixed upon the ice, almost bringing tears along with it. Everything so far seemed worth it. 

 

As we pulled up to our stopping point, everyone climbed out and we started our decent to the water. As I hopped on board the boat, I tried not to fall in the icy water as the wind knocked me around. It was time to see this thing up close! Though, Perito Moreno is larger than the size of Buenos Aires.. so maybe not too close. 

 

 

After the boat ride, we rode up to the top of the hill and were given a few hours to walk around and eat. From the top of the mountain to the bottom runs a wooden path with several amazing vantage points. I spent some time walking down the path and thinking. I stopped for a while at the site of these views and did a little journaling while I listened to the chunks of ice break off from the glacier and leave a resounding sound with which even thunder couldn’t compete with in ferocity. I wanted to make sure that I would never forget how magical this place felt. 

 

 

 

 

El Calafate

Patagonia is one of those places that I have always been intrigued by. I am not sure if it is the mountains, the glaciers, the plains, the mate, or the language, but one thing is for sure, I had no idea what we would get into with this trip. Upon arrival, after a plane ride that seemed to take forever, we had officially landed in the middle of nowhere. El Calafate is a small town used as a central port for transportation in southern Argentina. We grabbed our bags and hiked our way to the bus station where we hoped to find a bus to take us to our preferred destination of Lago Roca.

We soon realized the good and the bad of our timeframe for exploring Patagoina. Being the end of the busy season, many of the busses were running fewer days, and operated on a needs basis only. This was the bad part. The good part was the lack of congestion. There were significantly fewer people around each location than during the height of the busy season. While stumbling our way through Spanish, yes, it had been a while, we discovered that our bus would not leave for Lago Roca for 3 more days. Stuck in El Calafate without much to do would definitely put a damper on our hopes and fill our next few days with frustration. Luckily, we were able to talk one of the bus companies into driving us in the morning. All hope was restored. We found our hostel and settled in for a nap, waking up in time to get groceries for the next few days. We would be spending them in a cabin at Lago Roca. 

 

 

 

….not exactly award winning, but we made do. 

In Love With Buenos Aires

My first time in Argentina was most definitely an amazing one. After receiving an invitation from an old friend, I flew into Buenos Aires and spent 3 days. As I rode the taxi from the airport to my friend’s apartment, the driver gave me a few words of advice: “Be careful, or you will not want to leave Buenos Aires”. He could not have been more right. It only took me 3 days to fall in love with the city. The only other warning that I needed was to be more careful with the taxi fare. That was unfortunately an expensive lesson to learn. Never take the first taxi in line, and always discuss the price before you get in. 

My first night in the city, my friend wanted to take me out to show me what the night life had to offer. We started the night out with an early dinner, early meaning 8:00. Dinner doesn’t start in la París de Sudamérica until 8:00. It is very common to see people of all ages out eating dinner at midnight. I had to do a little adjusting to the time of the big city. After our dinner, we went to a recommended club called Club 69. The night was filled with interesting performances, dancing, and lots of laughter. When my friend finally dragged me out at 7am, we made a stop for un café y una media luna, a half moon shaped pastry. It was just enough boost to keep me going ’til I could crash for a long morning nap. 

After I woke up from my rest, we toured through the Plaza de Mayo.  This plaza became a famous site for Argentina’s independence due to the power exchange that took place on May 25, 1810. The Spanish Viceroyal Cisneros was remove from office by the first junta of the later named, Argentina. In the Plaza lies La Casa Rosada, meaning, the pink house, Argentina’s equivalent of the White House. 

 

La Casa Rosada located in the Plaza de Mayo

 

 

25 de Mayo

 

 

Life in the Plaza

After another night of dancing in the city, we spent our Sunday wandering around the Feria de San Telmo.

Here I watched an interesting artist at work..

And found my hips dancing to the Drums..

After another long night out and spending my last day uselessly searching for a battery charger to my camera, I was ready to catch my plane to Patagonia. I hope that my next trip to Buenos Aires will be a longer stay, and I don’t think the next visit could come soon enough. 

 

Brazilian Haiku

 

 

café com leite

aroma mais querido

doce e forte

 

 

Translation:

coffee with milk

the most desired aroma

sweet and strong

Living Without

Well, I have officially been in Brazil for 3 months now. During my stay here, I have been forced to live without 6 things that are an integral part of my daily life in the United States. I feel glad to know that I have successfully lived without these items, and for most of them, I don’t even have nostalgia. My 6 are as follows:

Dryer - Here, everything is hung on a line to dry. I know a dryer seemed so important to me in the US, but here I forget that it even exists.

Dish Washer - I actually think that my life is easier without it. And I don’t let dirty dishes extend past the sink as much as I used to. 

Bath Tub - No lounging. Simple tile showers. I hope I have been conserving water. 

Cell Phone - Kissed it goodbye. Don’t want another one. 

Air Conditioning - The houses and apartments here are constructed with the idea of good ventilation. The materials used do not hold in much heat, and the windows are often open, leaving the inside bearable without air conditioning. I have yet to see carpet in a single house or apartment. 

Driving a Car - This is the only one that I truly miss. I love, love to drive. Road-trips especially. But hey, I also love to walk. And luckily, the public transportation here is not bad. 

I wonder if I can make this work back in the States, minus the car part. 

 

Beagá – A Quick Stop In Belo Horizonte

After an amazing week in Rio, I hopped on a bus to Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais. It was the first planned metropolis of Brazil, built in 1895-1897. It was built in order to replace Oûro Preto as the capital. Though not as well known as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Belo Horizonte is the third largest city in Brazil. It is often called Beagá for the pronunciation of BH in Portuguese.

Being  the bar capital of Brazil, there is a well known saying to describe Belo Horizonte; “Não tem mares, tem bares”, meaning, “There are no beaches, there are bars”. The bars in Beagá are often in the form of botecos, informal places for a variety of generations to eat, have a beer, and enjoy some bato papo, Portuguese slang for conversation.  

Though I didn’t get to stay too long, I had a great time visiting while I was there. My two favorite stops were the ‘Lagoa de Pampulha’ and the ‘Topo do Mundo’.  

 

 

Checking out a Boteco with some locals.

 

 

 

 

At the Lagoa de Pampulha..

     

 

Igreja São Francisco de Assis

 beside the lake in Belo Horizonte, MG.

 

Left: Estádio Jornalista Felipe Drummond Right: Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto

 

Topo do Mundo – The Top of the World 

I watched a beautiful sunset with 2 Mineras, 1 Paulista, and a Caricoca.

 

Sunset..

My Week in Rio – Carnaval 2009

I have found that the difficult task of a traveler is making the best use of your time. After leaving Buzios and Cabo Frio, we made our way down to Rio de Janeiro, the capital of the state. Rio is one of those cities that can take your breath away. Not only are the physical structures amazing, but the city sits in the midst of beaches and mountains. If this wasn’t enough to explore, I visited during the week of Carnaval. An event that I will never forget. It seemed like the whole city stopped to celebrate. 

Carnaval in Brazil, with some traditions dating back to medieval Italy, is held the week before lent. Brazilian Carnaval came about in Rio de Janeiro in the 1940’s mimicking the masquerade balls in Paris. Through the years, it has incorporated different African and Indigenous influences creating the celebration that it is today.

These are the activities of Rio that I experienced:

Blocos

One of my favorite parts of carnival in Rio was the neighborhood parties called Blocos. It normally consists of a large moving vehicle set up with a band playing on top or a group of procussionists on foot. They play the carnival songs of the season, in addition to well know carnival artists’ songs or they simply play percussion. The crowd lines the streets singing and jumping and dancing to the sound of the beats. 

 

 

Baterias

I think the most fun that I had in Rio was dancing to the strong beats of the baterias, meaning drum set in Portuguese. Each bateria is a group of percussionists who plays music for the samba schools. For carnaval, they play in the streets and on the beaches, moving from one place to another while the public enjoys dancing along to their rhythms. 

 

 

 

Corcovado – Cristo Redentor

I also took the train up to the top of Mount Corcovado to see the world-famous statue of Christ. Though first suggested in the 1850’s, the idea for a statue did not get approved until laws of seperation of church and state were passed. The statue carved out of soapstone by the French sculpter Paul Landowski was finished after 9 year of work, in 1931. Its cost, $250,000, was largely made up of donations by Brazilian Catholics. The statue was struck during a storm in 2008, but due to its outer layer of soapstone, it caused no damage. In 2006, a chapel was constructed below the statue. 

 

 

Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí – Sambadrome

An important tradition of Carnaval consists of the parade of samba schools competing for first place. The schools are granted 80 minutes and they consist of drums, dancers, and floats with the members wearing elaborate costumes. Though I did not make it into the Sambódromo, I did however score a nice seat on the bleachers near by, watching the floats line up and practice before entering the competition. 

 

 

Estádio de Maracanã

For those of you who are soccer/futbol fans, I made a must-do trip to the stadium of Maracanã. Having been built for the 1950 World Cup, the stadium remains the second largest stadium in South America, after Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha in Guayaquil, Ecuado. Though maracanã was not as full as it might have been for a Flamengo match, I did get to see two other teams from Rio de Janeiro play. Botafogo vs. Fluminense. I didn’t sit down the whole match. It looks like I have to get another visa in order to return to the stadium to watch the 2014 World Cup final. Maybe this time my brothers can go with me. 

 

 

 

Monobloco

I went to see this famous Carnaval street band play in Lapa. They are known for touring throughout the year, not just Carnaval. I had a good time dancing to the drums. I will have to learn the lyrics before I see them again; I think I was the only one there who didn’t know them. 

 

 

Niterói

I took a 15 minute bus ride across the bridge from Rio and Niterói. Here I spent a few more days. I visited the most beautiful beach, and watched the surfers catch the waves. To the side of the beach was a huge mountain made of rock. I hiked to the top and there I enjoyed an incredible view of the beach and Rio. But don’t be fooled, the hike to the top wasn’t the easiest. At parts you had to climb up the rock on your hands and feet. Nonetheless, it was totally worth it. 

Gone to the Glaciers

Life moves fast these days, and opportunities even faster. They seem to come and go as swiftly as the night does, when the breeze is cool and your eyes lie heavy with your body limp, engulfed in a sea of blankets. But these chances always fly close enough for you to catch them, if you pay attention. I caught one today. 

By the time you open your eyes, I will have taken to the road again, continuing my journey south. I am on my way to Argentina and then Chile. Two places that I could not pass up. The plan, you ask. To pay a visit to a dear friend from Alabama. Together, we will be exploring Patagonia, wandering through caves, mountains, lakes, and plains. I hear the animals are migrating now; A sight I hope to see. This time, the packing is light. Don’t want to have to drop anything. Just the two of us, our backpacks, and the path that awaits us. I hope to find something there by the glaciers, something that I can take home with me, something intangible. 

 

“Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe”  -Anatole France

 

 

***The pictures that I post at the top of my blog are pictures that I have taken along the way. Hope you enjoy. 

The Life of a Vagabond

I have grown very comfortable with the life of a vagabond. It has been more or less 1 1/2 years this way, for one reason or another, spending months, weeks, or even as little as a day in one place at a time. I have slept on couches, floors, and futons, in spare beds, tents, and cars, depending on where I was, and where I was going. Luckily, I have not been this way because I was forced to, but rather because I have stumbled upon an amazing opportunity to see more of the United States, and even further. Over the past year I have been on several road trips for various reasons, some sad and some for pleasure, taking me to Tucson, Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Fort Payne, Anniston, Huntsville, Chattanooga, Nashville, Atlanta, Woodstock, Helen, Farmer City, Paw Paw, Mendota, Washington D.C., Stephens City, Harpers Ferry, Newark, and New York City. Throughout this time, I have made stronger bonds with friends and family members and have had the chance to create new relationships along the way. 

But my wanderings didn’t end here; Since starting off the year 2009 in New Orleans, I have been continuing my travels south. During the course of the last month, I have been making my way around the southeast of Brazil. After I flew into São Paulo, I have been quartered in Campinas, Leopoldina, Búzios, Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, Niterói, and Belo Hoizonte. This week, I returned to Campinas where I plan to spend the next few weeks until my cravings for travel become no longer bearable; My appetite leaving me with no choice but to yield to my yen and see where the road, bus, car, plane, or my feet decide to take me.

“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.”  - John Steinbeck