Monday, February 25, 2013

Arequipa via Desert Sunsets

It has been about a week since the last blog update and after spending a handful of nights in the Chilean capital of Santiago I have found myself back in southern Peru. Currently I am enjoying some time in the countries' second most populated city named Arequipa and tomorrow morning will depart on a two day tour of Colca Canyon (twice as deep as the Grand Canyon) located about four hours away. From there the upcoming stop will be Lima and another stint along the upper Peruvian coast before heading further north towards my final trip destination of Bogota, Colombia in a matter of weeks.

After two and a half weeks throughout various locations in Chile it feels refreshing to be back in Peru mainly because the prices for everything are substantially cheaper. The vast majority of products ranging from groceries to bus fairs average nearly the half price in Peru compared to Chile thus after only a brief period of time it became financially evident to keep this particular chapter of the journey brief. The experience in Chile was short lived yet fantastic because the people are very kind and the plethora of landscapes provide travelers with constant satisfaction.

From Santiago the plan was to visit San Pedro de Atacama, a dusty Chilean desert village that hovers along the Bolivian/Argentinian borders which also is well-known for being one of the driest locations on Earth. San Pedro is a popular (and pricy) destination for travelers because it has a wide selection in unreal desert landscapes such as rock walls at Valle De La Luna, a national Flamenco preserve, and photogenic salt flats that span entire horizons. Two really good friends and I made plans to meet at this isolated traveler oasis but before doing so I had a four day gap of free-time without any official plans.

During my final day in Santiago and after discovering that Argentina was now charging Americans $160 to cross over into boundaries I made an impulsive decision to visit La Serena, a sunburned vacation destination for many Chileans that sits halfway to San Pedro. A severe lack of planning made the arrival into the laid-back coastal city little stressful because the entire list of hostels for La Serena was booked solid. After asking around and scouring various websites in a cafe near the bus terminal a last minute find at a hostel named El Arbol was booked thus providing a breath of relief. By complete coincidence a really good friend named Julio who I met in Viña Del Mar was staying in Coquimba, a neighboring town, during the same stretch of time and we met back up at a beer festival in La Serena to sample a wide variety of Chilean micro brews. The festival combined with large quantities sun soaking along the beach and another language exchange to practice Spanish made La Serena a surprisingly nice three day stopover.

After relaxing along the umbrella and ocean swell infused shore during my final afternoon in La Serena a nightbus sent me to Antofagasta then a second connecting trip helped me arrive to arid San Pedro de Atacama. Two days were dedicated towards exploring Valle De La Luna, Valle De La Muerte, and various lagoons throughout the vibrantly tinted deserts of northern Chile. When not on a tour a great deal of time was spent with some really nice friends from Denmark named Lonnie and Mia who also were originally met in Viña Del Mar and another cool girl named Maria from Germany. We stayed at the same hostel, La Kañas, and played a great deal of card games while for some reason listening to a lot of Swedish music. Our last day together was dedicated towards wandering around a neighboring sleepy city called Calama before we said our final goodbyes. They headed to Pan de Azucar and I darted for Arequipa in another nightbus. Hopefully we will meet again because they were some truly great people!

Before arriving in Arequipa I managed to arrange a free place to stay at what turned out to be a family owned hospedaje with the help of Couchsurfing.org. The family has been very welcoming and Barbara, the person with whom I organized the meeting, took me to Camana a very popular beach town that was booming with music-thumping nightlife. We also rode horses in a neighboring town, tried Recotto Relleno at a traditional Peruvian restaurant and explored some interesting sections of Arequipa. Thanks to the help Barbara and her family Arequipa has been a memorable experience for which I will forever be grateful.

More updates will be on the way soon and I hope everyone is having a great day! Take care and thank you for reading this blog :)

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The Return Home

Today is Wednesday and currently I am at a pizzeria called "Amadeus" located within the heart of central Santiago, Chile. Due to the reversal of hemispheres Chile is enjoying the heat of a sun engulfed summer and today was no different. The echoes of Chilean families chatting and laughing fill the atmosphere of this open-aired eatery as I sip on a very refreshing beer. Out of complete coincidence the pizza I just ate was the best I have had since leaving the United States but it still is nothing like home. Maybe this is some sort of sign because today marks the final day of traveling "South" and as of tomorrow morning-ish (or maybe afternoon-ish) the remainder of this journey will never go this direction again.

Tomorrow I will visit La Serena which is a Chilean Pisco hub and about seven hours "North" of Santiago. The word "North" sounds unfamiliar and after nearly six months of traveling "South" it feels like a forgotten book that was tucked away under a relative's dusty dresser. For a great deal of time the concept of heading closer to home felt like an unwanted dentist appointment but right now it feels really nice to know that within a matter of weeks a reunion among family and friends is surely going to take place.

Leaving the city of Santiago will possibly be the most bittersweet experience I've had in recent memory because it is the first destination in this journey that for certain won't be revisited in a great deal of time, perhaps for the rest of my life. Before today I knew I would be coming back to every place at least once because it would be required to do so in order to leave from Colombia back to the USA. The thought of possibly never coming back to Santiago makes me feel a little heartbroken inside. It's a reminder that life is short, something that should be cherished, and also a reason to live it as the best human being you can strive to become.

Knowing that "home" is now getting closer it's hard not to reflect on how events have unfolded and if things should have been planned differently. It's highly probable that amazing experiences were unknowingly omitted and potential friendships never had a chance to blossom but this is why life is funny and within it people need to make choices. Sitting in this pizzeria I know that there have been no regrets and for that I can skip on the bill (just kidding) a happy man. Every single second that has been lived since six months ago and each person who I have had the honor of being contact with will forever leave me smiling and truly thankful. The desire to travel, get lost, then find my way back is something that I've come to accept as a part of who I am. In my heart South America will be re-explored so anything that was missed this time around is just another reason to come back :)

Originally I was going to head "East" to Mendoza in Argentina but minutes before purchasing a bus ticket at the Santiago terminal the travel clerk informed me that as of the end of this past year all American travelers heading to Argentina are required to pay a $160 reciprocity fee. Considering that time is severely limited and funding has dwindled over the course of wandering I decided to pass on entering the country and save it for the next adventure. A slightly bitter aura was in the air after exiting the bus station but that is life sometimes.

The past three days have been spent exploring Santiago with a friend named Caro who is from the city and it was a truly great experience. She is very close with a mutual friend from Lima named Melody and we hiked around various parts of the massive city. Today we tried Pastel De Choclo and yesterday we took a free walking tour with a group of very cool Australians. Afterwards we drank "Terrimotos" within a bodega called "Pajarito" which was the very place where the ice-cream and wine combined beverage was invented. I was very fortunate to have met her and to have seen Santiago through the guidance of a local. Hopefully the favor can be payed forward to future travelers when I return to the Bay Area in 6 weeks (April 1st).

More updates will be on the way but until then I hope everyone who reads this is having a nice day. Thank you for being my friend and sorry for the emotional post but take good care!

Valparaiso and the City of Sisters

Today is Monday and currently I am getting ready to pack my bags and venture back to Santiago, Chile to visit a friend of a friend and to hammer out plans for the next destination. I spent last night at a backpackers called The Kalagen Hostel which is a semi posh place to stay and is situated right in the heart of the Chilean vacation city Viña Del Mar. Since last Tuesday I have been hopping back and forth between here and the less touristy Valparaiso which is located a short bus ride south.

Both locations are equally beautiful but for completely opposite reasons. Viña Del Mar is a major beach resort city which brags limitless fine sand beaches, towering hotels, vibrantly clean parks, and stylishly expensive restaurants that charge premiums due to their favorable location. Valparaiso is an attractive place to visit thanks to its consistantly evident edginess that it brings to travelers as they have access to creatively decorated cafes, oddly constructed side streets, diverse rustic colors, and a fantastic selection of graffiti art that layers a large portion of the buildings. Valpo is a large port city that also is known for its crime and ability to convert seemingly calm streets into places of darkness. During the course of two days a car stereo thief was chased through a dim lit street and a deceased corpse surrounded by police investigators was seen along a commonly frequented avenue. It was the first time being a witness to reasons why residents of South America stress the importance of caution to travelers.

The biggest reason for visiting these two locations was because Viña Del Mar and Sausalito, my hometown, are sister cities and share an international relationship of some sort. I really wanted to learn how this bond came about and if there was some interesting information about what the two places have done to strengthen their ties. Unfortunately little official information has been discovered and the vast majority of locals have no idea that an actual town named "Sausalito" exists. There is however a large park and stadium named after my hometown along a corner of Viña and a small stone plaque constructed in 2010 commemorate 50 years of international relations which started in 1960. Walking down the wide streets of Viña brings memories of Sausalito because both places have lush green hills, palm trees, waves of tourists, and panoramic views that are very peaceful. The only evident difference is that Viña is about 25 times bigger than Sausalito and thus provides a larger palate of activities for the people who are there. The sounds of soft ocean breaks and the whisper of breeze through resting palm trees make Viña a difficult place to leave.

Valparaiso was filled with a lot of exposure to previously undiscovered experiences. Besides the somber events described earlier the city is still a must-visit location and its densely covered with culture. A good friend name Sebastian lives there with his family and I was fortunate to receive an opportunity I stay in their house. We met each other three years ago in Wellington, NZ and it was great to see a face from an entirely different set of memories. Thanks to Sebastian I was able to explore nearly every corner of the city via foot, bus, taxi, and elevator car. His birthday was on Friday and we went to see a ska band in a massive disco called "Huevo" after grabbing beers with his friends in a hipster bar called "Pajarito". The bassist for the band was his friend and we got to hang out backstage after their show was finished to share some laughs with the other members who are all from Santiago. On Saturday we participated in a BBQ, known here as an "Asada", with a group of people who have been friends for over 20 years. The vast majority of time in Viña and Valpo was dedicated towards trying to understand the conversations of large groups of Chileans. On numerous occasions I had completely no idea what was being talked about and felt like I was doing a mental brain exercise. Chileans speak excessively fast, blend words together, and have a wide menu of slang. Po, Puta, and Huevon are only a few that I have picked up. Despite the language barrier at times the people of Chile are very fun and I am very thankful to Sebastian and his family for their warm hospitality.

More updates will be up soon and I hope everyone had a great weekend! Take care!









Sunday, February 3, 2013

Chile via Dusty Trails

Today is Sunday and currently I am camped out on a sofa located within a hostel called The Aji (formerly known as Chillie) Backpackers. The reason for "camping" is because I am trying to hoard the lone television within the establishment in an attempt to watch the 49ers make Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens look like a failed lamp salesman in the Superbowl which should start in about 40 minutes. Hopefully the game will end with a championship for San Francisco!

As of two days ago I have officially entered Chile after a very extended tour of the traveler friendly Peru. I was very close to maxing out my 90 day visa in a country that coasts excellent food, a deeply rooted culture, and a diverse crowd of very welcoming people. Chile was beginning to appear more like a mirage than an actual destination and to have finally arrived here feels refreshingly exciting.

After visiting Chiclayo in Northern Peru I stopped off for a second stint in Trujillo to visit friends and enjoy a Marinera international dance completion. The Marinera, not the delicious pasta sauce, is one of numerous traditional dances that can be found along the coasts of Peru. It was very interesting and after two days a very strenuous journey to Chile took flight...via bus. To enter the country one must first arrive in Tacna, which is the border city located in Peru. After a 30 hour bus trip through Lima and Nazca I spent two nights in Tacna and a friend showed me a great railroad museum and some of the beautiful squares that pepper the surprisingly laid back desert city.

On Friday Chilean soil was at last crossed but the celebration was short lived because immediately an additional bus was boarded in the dusty Arica with Santiago set as its destination. This was arguably the most time consuming and mind numbing ride of my life. In its entirety the arrival into Santiago, the capital of Chile, lasted 32 hours with very few stops for food or restrooms. The bus itself was spacious and well ventilated but the girl sitting next to me was sharing a seat with her very young son who couldn't have been more than 4 years old. After about 15 hours it was evident that the boy was hungry or tired and he decided to let the entire group of other passengers know this by proceeding to cry like a newborn Alpaca until we finally cruised into the Santiago terminal. To make matters worse the bus company only boasted a selection of three movies and opted to play them on repeat for the duration of the trip. After watching Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson throw the game winning touchdown pass in Disney's "The Gameplan" for the third time I strongly considered jumping out of the window in the middle of the Chilean desert.

Patience paid off because Santiago is a wonderful place to visit. The city is deceivingly large with modern architecture, litter free streets, magnificent urban wall art, wide selections of cafes, beautifully displayed monuments, and plenty of outdoor options for people to enjoy a relaxed afternoon. The only tradeoff with all of this is that prices for nearly everything are comparable to the United States but despite the cost hike this place is sure to provide visitors with a pleasant experience.

The hostel I'm staying in is located in the Providence District which is within walking distance to a wide variety of attractions. Today was filled with a long walk through the neighborhoods Bellavista, taking a tour through the former house of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, and a great deal of decompressing after the strenuous previous two days.

The tentative plan for now is to stay in Santiago to recuperate for a few days then head west to the coast in order to see Viña Del Mar which is the sister city of my hometown. I hope everyone is doing well and thank you very much for taking your time to read this blog! You look delightful ;)