Ladies who lunch (me)

Living a life of leisure isn't as easy as I would have thought. It’s hard to find shops with new lines out, restaurants that meet my unrelenting standards of service and quality, and cafes with perfectly toasted medialunas and accompanying cafe con leche at just the right temperature. I don't know how I live with myself :).

After a few days of complete idleness, I'm getting back into the swing of things. I've been catching up with friends, checking out all my favorite neighborhoods and restaurants, back into Spanish classes and volunteer work. It’s actually insane how busy I can make myself. I bought a bunch of books when I got to BA, thinking I would have a bunch of time to lie around but I have yet to crack a single book. It’s funny to think how "busy" I am when I think of my life a year ago. Right now, I have no idea how I would fit a job into my life whereas last year, I couldn't figure out how to fit a life into my work schedule. Amazing how much things can change in a year!

But I'm not quite ready to let go of all my slothful ways. Yesterday, I decided to splurge and have a day at the spa. I found this beautiful, peaceful spa close to my house so I made a day of it. Beauty is very serious business in Buenos Aires and there are spas, salons and sun parlors on every block. We're talking more places than Starbucks in Manhattan. I got a facial, full-body massage, time in the "relaxation room" and a bath in a jacuzzi and it was just lovely. I woke up late, ate some lunch, watched TV and headed to the spa. Especially after lugging my backpack across South America, my back was all knotted up. After working out the kinks, I did actually find the elusive, perfect medialuna at a cafe around the corner. The perfect way to top off a trip to the spa. And even better, I had a big, fat, juicy steak with a ton of wine for dinner. Sigh, everyone should have days like that.

Just look at that medialuna. So yummy....

Well, I should enjoy my time in Buenos Aires because its going to be shorter than I expected. I've decided to head home a week early so I'll be back in the Bay Area on March 8th! I have a ton of stuff to do when I go home that has been worrying me plus I miss my friends, family and home so much I would love to have extra time there. I know I'm cutting my travels a bit short but I figure going home is also part of my vacation year. Its just enough time to eat all my favorite foods, have a bunch of celebratory drinks with friends and get fawned over by my super-loving mom without the boredom or hassles of being home! I figure it will be the perfect amount of time to rest and recharge before heading to China. Also, I have plenty of travel time ahead of me so I should just enjoy myself, which means going home! So watch out! I'm landing state-side in little more than a week!

Photo update!

After 5 hours of toiling in front on multiple computers, my pictures are finally up! So go back and check through the last 3 entries for updates. I knew I shouldn't have put it off for so long!

Life is good in Buenos Aires. Its actually a little boring but I like that. Its giving me plenty of time to surf the web, sit around in cafes, read my book and get all my "real world" errands done. I still have a lot of traveling planning to do and paperwork to take care of for school so this break in traveling has been good. It also takes the pressure off of all the stuff I have to do in the mere 2 weeks I'm at home! For all of you back in the Bay Area, I'll be home on March 16th and will be leaving again on the 30th. I've only been gone for about 2 months but I am already counting the days! My mom's cooking is definitely calling me home.

Its also been nice to catch up with friends I still have in Buenos Aires. 1 month really isn't a lot of time but I'm hoping to spend as much time as I can, hanging out and going places with friends. One of the things I definitely want to do is take a weekend trip to Mendoza, which is the one area of Argentina I really want to visit. I've also been shopping like a mad person. I think its a bit of backlash against all the ugly functional travel clothes I have plus the style and beauty of porteños (people who live in BA). The prices here don't hurt either! I start working tomorrow and classes next week so I really should enjoy this idle life!

Welcome back, buenos aires!

Sometimes I think to myself, is this really me? Am I really doing this?? It just seems so strange and extraordinary and completely unlike me to be out here traveling for so long. I like organization and I like having things planned out and being out here is the complete opposite of that. Everyday is really a brand new day, with new destinations and new experiences, sometimes unexpected, but always interesting. I don't always like traveling - when it comes down to it, I'm not really the backpacker-type. I get tired of constantly packing/unpacking my backpack, having to always watch my stuff, not knowing where I'm going or how I'm going to get there and putting on the "Hi! My name is Jane!" face to people I will know for only 2 days. But its all worth it during those moments when the things I see or experience literally leave me breathless. Those perfect moments you wish you can freeze and stay there forever. This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where I get to go places and do things I never imagined before or will probably experience again. Its easy, even out here, to get caught up in the everyday things and worries and forget the big picture. I complain and constantly worry about the things I have to do when I get back to the States but I'm always grateful for this time and try to experience as much as possible. I'll always be able to look back and say, see! that was me! I did that in that moment!

But as great as it is to constantly see new things, I'm very very happy to be back in Buenos Aires! I will be here for about a month and its very exciting. You have no idea how great it felt to put my clothes in drawers and put my damn backpack away. I was actually successful in organizing a homestay and I think its going to work out! I've heard so many horror stories but so far, so good. I'm staying with a woman and her son but I know her son, Gaston, from before so at least I wasn't going in blind. The woman, Sonia, is also very nice and easy-going so I feel comfortable there - well, as comfortable as I can be in someone else's home. The apartment is pretty big and breakfast and dinner are both included. I also have my own room and its so nice to actually have some personal space! And I can now take a proper shower with all my soaps and lotions spread out! Its funny the things you miss. I've also gone pretty nuts with the shopping but I can't stand the sight of my ugly, function travel clothes, especially the tapered pants with zip-off legs. Very chic, I know. Its also very serious business when you consider how trendy Buenos Aires is. And cheap!

My room! I have a twin bed but at least the room is big enough for 2. I couldn't fit my closet in the picture but its probably my favorite part :).

The other side of the room. As you can see, I've made myself feel right at home.

I'm here to continue with my Spanish lessons and volunteer work. I've missed my kids! I would have came here first rather than travel through Peru and Bolivia but it is so unbelievably hot and humid here during the summers. The weather in the last couple of days have been in the 80's and 90's with humidity you can cut with a knife! And this is the end of summer! But in any case, I'm glad I put my time in Buenos Aires at the end because it gives me time to recover from constantly traveling. And this time around, I actually know the city and have friends here so I actually feel like I have a life to come back to here. I´ve been just walking around the city with a big grin on my face. I forgot how beautiful and cultured this city is. I'm sure the reality of everyday life will settle in but I'm going to enjoy this as long as I can!

Argentinean small town life

I've just spent one of the most relaxing weeks of my trip, traveling through the little pueblitos in Argentina. Though Matias, Mariela and I have basically been jumping from town to town everyday, they are all very close to each other and the vibes are just so chill here, I don't mind all the travel.

All these towns are very very small with probably less than a 1,000 people each. We went through Humahuaca, Iruya, Tilcara and Purmamarca. The people are all very friendly and willing to sit and chat if you want. We've been staying at very small hospedajes, which are basically rooms in people's houses. The food here is also very distinct and super-delicious! The regional specialities include empanadas, tamales and some really amazing stews. Much better than the food in Bolivia, which basically consists of rice, french fries and some sort of stewed or fried meat. I didn't think the food in Argentina was all the great either (basically steak, pasta, pizza and more steak) but the regional stuff has been great.

We were lucky enough to get to Humahuaca in time to see a saint and be blessed. That's "him" in the window. The mechanical saint came out, raised in arm in a very solemn manner and went back in.

For such a small town, it had a very impressive plaza that was probably bigger than the town itself.

We saw wonderful landscapes like this all throughout these towns.

Taking in the sites at Iruya, a small town nestled in the mountains.

We climbed (literally) up this huge hill to get these panoramic shots near Tilcara. The mound the the left are some indigeous ruins and a whole bunch of cactus.

Cactus like these! HUGE.

Town of Purmamarca. The ridges behind it are called the Painter's Palette, since it has 7 colors. Notice the helado sign? It was very hot so I ate lots of ice cream.

The Painter's Palette!

Its also been nice to travel with Argentinos because I'm getting a very upclose view of Argentinean culture. Right now, its summer here and its prime travel time for Argentinos. There's the "Gringo Trail" which includes the Inca Trail and the parts of Bolivia that I've been through but there's also a trail for Argentinean backpackers (called mochileros) and all these little pueblos are on it. Its especially nice since I probably would not have even thought about visiting them with out Matias and Mariela since there isn't much about these towns in the Lonely Planet book (the gringo travel bible). I've drunken so much mate and learned so much slang in these last couple of weeks and its great! A lot of our conversations have centered around the differences of Argentina and the States and its interesting to see what conceptions they have about American culture.

We went to a lot of traditional peñas where you can eat regional foods and enjoy folk music.

I now know what part of the world we can blame for Zanfir. But Zanfir doesn't have anything on this guy!

The winds made picture-taking ridiculous.

One last group shot. I had a great time, guys!

We did spend 2 nights in this place called Malka Hostel in Tilcara and it was unbelievable! The dorms were in cabins and for each set of 6 beds, there was a sitting area, a bathroom and a very well-stocked kitchen. It was like staying at a house! I know it doesn't sound like much but when you're traveling any bit of personal space you can get is very precious. We were able to cook a little, enjoy big breakfasts and actually spread our stuff around a bit. The hostel was also set up in the hills on a large bit of land so there were trees and beautiful settings everywhere. Definitely the best place I've stayed at so far!

Each group of dorm rooms were in these cabins, which included a bathroom, living room and kitchen. And yes, those are hammocks!

Sigh, I could have stayed for a week!

And now I'm in Salta and back on the Gringo Trail. I've met some English-speakers here and I have to say that its really nice to speak English again! I love practicing my Spanish but I just feel like a boring, unfunny idiot all the time. I stutter and screw up my grammar and its also very hard to get across sarcastic, funny comments in a foreign language. Salta is also a very lovely city with beautiful colonial architecture. I've spent the last couple of days just wandering around, not doing much.

Colonial architecture in Salta.

The main church in the plaza.

The rest of the city looks like any other busy city except these crazy ornate building just seem to pop up out of nowhere.

What's a return trip to Argentina without an asado? Bring on the beef!

I head back to Buenos Aires on Friday. I will be very happy to be back in BA but I have so much stuff to take care of when I get there. So I need to enjoy the rest of my time here before the "real world" encroaches once again!

Tranquila in the altiplano

Right now I am back in Argentina, in a small pueblo called Humahuaca in the Northwest. I will be visiting a couple of small pueblos out here, which are small, idyllic and beautiful, before heading to Buenos Aires in a week. I have to say that its really nice to be back in Argentina! Its just psychological but I really love this country. So beautiful, varied, cheap and modern with a wonderful culture.

But my last few days in Bolivia were unbelievable. Bolivia is a relatively small country in South America and also one of its poorest but the landscape changes so quickly in breathtaking ways. I spent time in Copacabana, a hippy lakefront town, La Paz, a hectic capital city nestled high up in the mountains, Rurrenabaque in the Amazon Basin and now the Southwest altiplano. I just finished a 4-day trip through the salt plains, high altitude lagunas and rock formations that seem to come right now of an old-fashioned American western movie. The tour started in Uyuni and since I was heading to Argentina afterwards, I decided to take the tour that would drop me off in Tupiza near the Argentina border. It was more expensive than the roundtrip tours but it was totally worth it. Despite spending 6 or 7 hours a day in a very rickety, bumpy jeep, the trip has been the most incredible thing I've seen so far in round dos.

We started in Uyuni to visit the salt flats. Its the middle of the rain season but it actually worked out better at least for the salt flat. The entire thing, which is literally a flat plain of salt that produces over 20,000 tons of salt a year, is covered with water and reflects the sky above perfectly. Its so eerie and beautiful at the same time to see the blue sky and clouds under your feet.

The salt plains provide all the salt in South American and for many parts of the world. Bolivians come actually shovel the salt from the plains for processing.

We were lucky that we came during the rain season. The salt flats are covered with water so you get the perfect reflection of the sky. The horizon line almost completely disappears.

Me on the salt flats! These photos don't even do justice to how amazing it was.

Without the horizon line, everything loses perspective. Kind of lame I know but its also kind of funny.

Enjoying our delicious lunch! They provide the most amazing meals, which is even more unbelievable since the food was cooked and served from our jeep.

We also saw many multi-colored lagunas, which were beautiful in their own rights but what made them extraordinary was the number of flamingos in them. We're talking 13,000 feet and 40 degree weather and yet here they were with their beaks in the water and skinny legs sticking out. The landscape around the lagunas was also incredible. I felt like I was on the moon! I've never seen anything like it before.

Me, Matias and Mariela at the Laguna Verde. The colors come from the mineral deposits in the water.

Flamingos at the Laguna Colorada! What? Flamingos?? We're in 50 degree weather and over 13,000 feet and yet here they are. They eat the micro-organisms in the water (not fish as I originally thought).

We also visited some geysers. We went through some weird landscapes on the trip - it really boggles the mind.

Another beautiful laguna, this time at 6am. All this in just a couple of days!!

By the 3rd and 4th day, we found ourselves in landscapes that reminded me of the Southwest in the US. Incredible considering the location and the altitude! We were up to over 15,000 feet! That's even more incredible considering that is about the same height as Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48. I took so many photos but they really don't do justice to the views we had. All I could do was stare outside the window in awe for 4 days.

We passed through many very small, very poor little pueblos along the way. The houses are made of adobe, nothing is paved and work comes primarily from mining (in very horrifying conditions).

Dusty deserts at incredible altitudes.

We also passed many interesting rock formations. I swear I've seen rocks like this before...

Straight out of a western. Actually, this is near San Vicente, the alleged location of Butch Cassidy's and the Sundance Kid's last stance.

More incredible rock formations in that small valley. Really, all this in just 4 days of driving.

I also have to really hand it to our guide, Freddy. We started as a 6-person group but 3 people dropped out at the very last minute because one in their party was sick. It was very very fortunate for me and the 2 Argentinos in the group because we had the car to ourselves. The jeep was big but it would have been very crowded with 6! Anyway, since our group was so small, we lost our cook and our driver, Freddy, suddenly found himself as guide, driver AND cook. He always had a smile on his face and despite our worries over the car that literally felt apart in our hands and numerous flat tires, would always reply, "Tranquila, amiga! Tranquila!" So that was what I was even when our jeep brokedown or got stuck. Definitely an adventure!

Tranquila, amiga! Yeah, we're stuck in the road but its all okay! The roads were the worst I've every seen. I was amazed the jeep even got through some of the roads.

Fearless Freddy and his batmobile.

Also, another good thing came out of the salar trip. It turned out the 2 Argentinos, Matias and Mariela, were also heading into Argentina and spending sometime in the Northwest so we decided to travel together for the next week. They are really the nicest and coolest Argentinos around so its been great. Not to mention that how convenient it is to travel with natives :). They have everything in hand and it also gives me a chance to practice my Spanish. And so far its been smooth sailing and very relaxing in Argentina. Perfect end to my travels before heading into the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires. I also want to thank Thomas, the nicest German-speaking Italian around, for his great company in Uyuni. My trip to Uyuni included almost 24-hours in various buses with NO bathroom breaks except when the buses arrived at their destinations and would have been pretty unbearable had I not met him on the bus. Bolivia buses plus the rain season isn't the best combo ever, let me just tell you. Anyway, we did enjoy some good old-fashioned American pizza in Uyuni in a place called Minuteman Pizza. A badly needed taste of home!

Me and Thomas in Uyuni beforea heading out on our respective trips.

Yes, yet another long post but this trip was by far the best thing I've done so far. I would seriously recommend it anyone who visits South America. Bolivia isn't the easiest country to travel through but this makes everything worth it. Right now, I'm just chilling out in Argentina. I'll eventually make my way to Salta by Wednesday and in Buenos Aires on Saturday (its a 22-hour bus ride from Salta to BA if you can imagine sitting in one place for that long!). Until then!

A princess in the amazon

Well, I'm back in La Paz after a week in the jungle! I made it back safe and sound with far fewer bug bites than I expected but more than enough to make my life miserable. We had a really great time in Rurrenabaque and we ended up doing a 3-day pampas tour (sort of grassy lowlands) and a 2-day jungle tour with also some time to relax and hangout in Rurre. It really was a fantastic trip and a chance to see the slower, small town side of Bolivia. Rurrenabaque is a small town northeast of La Paz and its the gateway into the Amazon Basin in Bolivia.

Our trip didn't start off so well. We were supposed to fly out to Rurre on Friday but because its the rain season and the runway in Rurre is grass, our flight was canceled for the day. So after spending 7 hours in the La Paz airport, we headed back into town to try again the next morning at 7am. I also got sick (again) so I was not really feeling well to travel. Luckily, we flew out on time on Saturday and we found ourselves in HOT, humid weather in an itty bitty town full of rustic restaurants, small tiendas and tour agencies. The tours to do in Rurrenabaque include trips to the pampas to swim with pink (no joke! pink!) dolphins, ride horses and admire the wildlife. The other trip is into the jungle and into the Parque Nacional Madidi, one of the most pristine, intact ecosystems in the Amazon. We had no trouble booking our tours and we were off the next day for the pampas.

First view of Rurre with some kids horsing around. The rain was pretty heavy the week before and flooded a lot of the town.

View from the balcony of our hotel in Rurre, Hostal Beni. Nice except there was a frog in the shower that scared the crap out of me!

Our first wildlife viewing, a macaw! Too bad it was at the restaurant where we had lunch.

The pampas trip was pretty relaxing. Because its the rain season, the water levels are really high in the rivers and we ended up spending most of our time in the boat, which would have been fine except they were these rickety canoes with hard wooden benches and NO shade. We spent our time riding in the boat, looking for wildlife, riding horses, riding in the boat, sleeping in hammocks and riding in the boat. 3 days of sitting on those benches was so painful! But we did get to swim with pink dolphins. Its weird to think that dolphins in general live in the rivers of the Amazon but they do! There are pink and gray ones - their coloring depends on what they eat apparently. Anyway, they are attracted by the sound of the motor so we were constantly seeing them playing near the boats. So cool!

Ready for the boat!

Five hours later....

Beautiful views of the still river water on the pampas tour.

We got up at the dawn to see some wildlife. It was impossible to get any wildlife pictures but we did see a sloth in motion. The best thing we saw was the sunrise.

My horse! As some of you might know, I'm not the best horsewoman to ever live. My horse was slow and nice and had a baby with it that followed it everywhere. Amber's horse was really fat and kept yawning. We thought it was pregnant at first but it turned out to be male.

A glimpse of a pink dolphin. They were IMPOSSIBLE to get pictures of! They would jump and take a breath but you could never tell where they would pop up. But when we were swimming they came within a few feet of us!

Our accommodations in the pampas were pretty nice. Full showers, flushing toilets and big mosquito nets. They were really nice except for the immense bugs! Well, it is the Amazon after all. Amber and I would freak out because they were these HUGE HUGE HUGE spiders in our room. We're talking visible eyes and hairy bodies. I think I'm a pretty hardy traveler and that I can take a lot of gross things but I have to draw the line at huge hairy spiders. I think I'm way too much of a princess for jungle life.

When we came back to Rurre, we decided we wanted a day break before heading out the jungle. It was a good decision since it turned out that we were in Rurre during their annual festival to celebrate the founding of the town. They festivities last 3 days during which they have these elaborate parades with costumes that depict the history of Bolivia from indigenous tribes to the Spanish invasion to today. They also filled the main square with games, booths, music and even a trampoline. That night we went to the square, had a couple of beers and listened to live bands playing folk music. It was such an interesting experience to see a festival in this little town.

Old man taking part of the parade. They paraded for days, dancing up and down the streets. I'm sure there's some historical significance but they even had a parade at 6am.

More dancing.

I'm not sure what the stuff of his face is or means but I got a picture of it.

Re-enacting the river. I thought the boy on top would fly off!

We then headed out to Madidi Park for the jungle tour. It wasn't as relaxing or as luxurious (relatively speaking. None of it was particularly luxurious) as the pampas tour but at least we did a bit of hiking. The hikes were like adventure walks through streams, up hills and through many many bushes. Actually, hiking in the middle of the Amazon is hard, hot and humid. But we saw some really interesting plants and gorgeous views. Overall, though the jungle was harder and more rustic, I liked that we were actually moving around and doing things. That said, 2 days was definitely enough!

Our cabins in the jungle. The structure to the right is just to hang up hammocks.

Some type of mushroom. Toxic, I'm sure.

Sun peeking through on a stream.

A tower of fire ants. Apparently building a house for themselves but it was over a foot tall! Ants everywhere in the Amazon.

Swinging on a vine! Its a bit blurry but you get the idea. Yes, I see the joke. Where's Tarzan, right?

Amber and me in front of an amazing view of Madidi. It was so hot during the walk up!

A cool relaxing swim after hiking through the rainforest all day. It felt sooo good!

And now we're back in La Paz. We're just here really to organize ourselves and set off for the next part of our trip. Amber and I are splitting up, which is a bit of a bummer because she's really great and because its easier to travel with another person but we have different plans. I'm not to worried though since I'm heading directly to Uyuni (well, after 16 hours worth of bus time) to meet up with a tour group to go through the Salt Flats, which are supposed to be out of this world. I'm excited to see them! I was pretty tired from so much traveling when I got to Rurre but because it was such a quiet, idylic place to be, I was able to recharge and now I'm ready for more!

This is how I want to remember myself on this trip.