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Places we've been,things we've seen; how one year rolled into two!

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 18:31:00 +0000

Having fun with Isabella and Thomas!

*A quick resume of the upcoming travel blogs in 2017:)

After really seeing Ecuador as travellers, including several places that neither of us had been to before, it was on to Quito, to visit our friends and family. Quito is obviously very special to Alex, as it's where he's from and where his family still lives. For me, it clearly holds a very, very special place in my heart, for both its beauty and the family I now have there.

We ended up spending several months there, including setting up our own AirBnB apartment in La Floresta. Alex and I call many places home, and Quito is clearly one of them.

I know it's been a long time since I have put 'fingers to keyboard', but the last year seems to have just run away. After several months in Ecuador our departure date from Australia had almost reached the one year mark and we decided that we simply were not ready to return home ... yet! It was July 2015 and we left in August 2014.

Quito up high! "By travelling life is richer!!"

Gonio Beach, Black Sea coast, Georgia.

Fast forward almost a year, July 2016. We recently spent just over a week 'recuperating' on the Black Sea Coast of Georgia, near the Turkish border. We were in a small place called Gonio about 15 kilometres south of the resort-town (not our deal, never been our deal!) called Batumi. A lot has happened in the last year, and our bodies, quite frankly, are tired. Now, a couple of weeks on we are enjoying Turkey (and sadly were in central Anatolia when Ataturk Airport was bombed only a few days ago).

So, let's scroll back and recap. The journey so far since July 2015: Ecuador, Colombia,USA, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives, India, Nepal, Georgia, Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and currently in Turkey.

Canoa beach, Ecuadot.

After Quito we spent another month or so travelling to Ecuador's coast and further up north to see friends and family.

Whale watching, Puerto Lopez, Ecuador.

Meeting a local girl; four day 'Lost City' hike in northern Colombia.

Next, it was on to Colombia (not Columbia!) where we spent some six weeks exploring it from top to bottom. We ventured everywhere from Putumayo (supposedly don't go territory in the south ... but I say go!!!!!) to Punta Gallinas, the country's northernmost point. This country is spectacular, and its people are warm and embracing. We had been here a couple of times before but had never really explored it like this. If Colombia is not on your list of 'must see' places, whack it on! If it is, place it further up the list, like close to the top!

This is how the locals roll, Inza, southern Colombia.

Riding 'la brujita' (the witch) in San Cipriano, near Cali, Colombia; home to an Afro- Colombian community of 500 people.

La Guajira, near Cabo de la Vela, very northern Colombia.

San Agustin, southern Colombia.

With the las Vegas family.

So close to the USA and with friends and family from east to west across the southern border, that was our next stop. We flew from Cartagena to Florida and then spent some time with Alex's cousin who lives there. An awesome reunion, given that Alex grew up with Chris and they are more like brothers. Next up Las Vegas, where we also visited Giovanni (my mum's first cousin) and his family. A very special two weeks there, especially given that both Giovanni and his wife Lilo have passed away since. Last but not least it was San Diego, to catch up with my friend Rich and his family. I met Rich and his then partner, now wife, in Patagonia Argentina, when I was backpacking through South America in 1999, a few months before meeting Alex. It was great to hang out with them, meet their daughters and introduce Alex to a couple I had long talked about. We even went south of the border to Tijuana, Mexico, for a day.

Gorgeous Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas ... amazing hiking!

Us and them! The fence that separates Mexico (L) from the USA.

South of the border with Rich.

With our Bangkok family.

A cheap flight then took us to Thailand. I never need an excuse to go to Thailand, and it's no secret that it's one of my favourite places in the world. We had a brilliant time with our friend Pong and her family in Bangkok and then with Pong's parents in the countryside of Kanchanaburi. We also ducked off to Ko Phayam near the Burmese border for a week of R'n'R. But we did have a bit of an ulterior motive for going there. Alex's passport was eight months off expiration and we needed visas for India, where we originally planned to spend anything up to six months. Alex's passport, tick! Indian visas ... try again! Two weeks before arriving in Thailand in November, the rules were changed ... unless you are Thai, you can't get an Indian visa in Thailand. O ... K! Plan B? We looked at our options: South? No! Moving closer to home. East? Been to South East Asia. West? Yep, also done Myanmar. North? Well, we have not been to Sri Lanka, so, hey let's check it out and get our visas, that way we get to see another country.

Kho Phayam, Thai Island near Myanmar.

With the Bangkok family ... you can never have enough good food in Thailand!

Kanchanaburi province, Thailand.

In this way, we flew from Bangkok to Colombo, and spent a month in the country they call 'India light'. We loved it actually. This tiny country, which looks like a tear drop off India's most southern tip, has a varied landscape and climate with warm, hospitable people. From highland tea plantations in the centre, to beaches in the south, to ex-war zones in the north, we got to see it all.

India next, right? Wrong! We met a man who asked us if we'd considered the Maldives. Had we? No! Too expensive! Only resorts! Well, no! They recently opened it up, some seven years ago, so that you can do it independently. There is nowhere on earth where you can find a cheaper ticket to fly there (well under USD $100.00 from Colombo), and flying to southern India from the Maldives is also very cheap. We were so up for this. Always ready for an adventure, we booked our tickets and were off. Our two weeks in this island-country which comprises of 99% water and only 1% land, lies just south-west of India and Sri Lanka. It was beautiful and we made some amazing friends, local as well as foreign. The country is Muslim and their language Divehi, an Indo-Aryan one, is spoken by their population of approximately one-third of a million people. Without a doubt, it was on this archipelago that we visited some of the most spectacular beaches on earth. It was here that we celebrated Christmas, on a desolate beach, with warm warm turquoise waters, gorgeous sand, and no commercialism! Now that's my gig!

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka.

Galle, southern Sri Lanka.

Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Jaffna, northern Sri Lanka.

On top of the ferry going from Male to Ulkhulas (Alif Alif Atoll), Maldives.

Mathiveri Island, Maldives.

Rasdhoo Island, Maldives.

Hennaed hands, Kochi, India.

India next. We flew into Kochi a week before the New Year. Over the next three months we would weave up the eastern side, more or less, making our way to, and ending our time in this huge country, in Varanasi (often also called Very Nasty due to its being so very dirty and polluted). There is no way that I could even begin to summarise our three months here. It was everything rolled into one, and it was everything rolled into one every second of every hour of every day! It was amazing! It was filthy! The vegetarian food in the south was fantastic! The noise pollution was off the richter scale! The sights were impressive! The poverty was gut-wrenching! The colours were magical! The treatment of women appalling! The history and culture was simply mind-blowing! Not getting sick impossible! The lack of hygiene insane! The pollution frightening! And all this, all at once! This is India! Love it or hate it! It will take me many years to be able to truly digest what I saw. I will never be able to unsee what I saw ... ever!

Jaisalmer Desert Festival, India.

Those eyes ... Johdpur, India!

The colours of India; Makar Sankranti (Harvest Festival) in Hampi, southern India

Gokarna, southern India.

The ghats (sacred bathing places) of Pushkar, India.

The infamous Taj Mahal, Agra, India.

Colour your life ... Pushkar, India.

The all-seeing eyes of Buddha; Kathmandu.

Exhausted and drained, we decided that after three months in India it was time to move on. Step in Nepal. Desperately in need of a sea change, we booked an overnight bus from Varanasi to Kathmandu, but life can sometimes be cruel, and it was cancelled. Alack and alas, we were off the next evening. Ahhhhhhhhhhh, Nepal, it was like entering Narnia through the wardrobe! Tranquil, relaxing and with none of the constant hassling that is de rigueur in India. Nobody tugging on our arms or asking us a million times if we wanted to buy something. We spent a month here, between Kathmandu and Pokhara further out west. This amazing land, home to the highest mountain on Earth, step in Everest, is simply beautiful and has an energy that is rather indescribable and serene. Whilst in Pokhara, we did a seven day hike which would take us around the Annapurna Range but not to its base camp, in the Himalayas. Eighty kilometres later, including some seriously uphill hours, we had some SSVs (seriously spectacular views) under our belts.

Poon Hill on The Annapurna Trek, near Pokhara, Nepal.

Poon Hill, Nepal.

The magic of the Annapurna trek, Nepal.

A year on from the devastating earthquake that rocked Kathmandu.

A Kathmandu local 'hammering it'!

Georgian dancing on their Independence Day, Gori, Georgia.

With only a one month visa for Nepal we had to think of where to next. Still not ready to go home yet, we looked at the map, we looked at the flights ... we figured that Georgia and Armenia looked good. They were small, they were not touristy and we could then continue to overland to Turkey and parts of Europe. Kathmandu-Tbilisi (capital of Georgia) booked!

Local sauces and sweets, Tbilisi, Georgia.

Breathtaking Kazbegi, northern Georgia, near the Russian border.

Our two months in the Caucasus region was an absolute breath of fresh air, quite literally, after the onslaught of India. Georgia is beautiful, serene, interesting, has spectacular mountain views and is void of noise and tourists. Yep, if there's a paradise this is it! After a couple of weeks in Georgia, we went southwards to Armenia, an absolute other jewel of a place. Even less touristy than the already un-touristy Georgia, we found Armenia to be a really 'good things come in small packages' kind of place! Whilst little English is spoken, the people are helpful, friendly, kind and welcoming. Along with Georgia, it has some of the most amazing, freshest and tastiest produce I have come across in the world, and we ate it to our hearts' content. From Goris, in south-eastern Armenia we ventured into the Independent Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh ... because we could! A tiny 'country' whose population are ethnic Armenians, they have been 'claimed' by Azerbaijan but have also been in conflict since they were claimed. They are fiercely and proudly Armenian and do not consider themselves as anything other than independent. It was quite easy to enter; we crossed the border with a marshkruta (mini bus) and went and got an on-the spot visa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs upon reaching the capital, Stepanakert. The authorities were all too happy to not stamp our passport and give us a separate piece of paper instead. Whilst a two week visa was issued, it ran concurrently with our three week visa in Armenia (Australians currently only have a 3 week or a 4 month option). As our time was limited we were back in Georgia after that. All three places were very special in their own way, as were the people.

Mestia, Georgia.

Mtskheta, Georgia.

Sighnagi, Georgia.

The Tuscany of Georgia; Sighnagi.

Typical Georgian bread.

Around Yeghegnadzor, Armenia.

Armenia still has way less tourism than Georgia and Nagorno-Karabakh less again. We spent five days in and around its capital Stepanakert. I have ever been to visiting a country in conflict! The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic conflict between the Republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan over the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a region in 'Azerbaijan' populated primarily by ethnic Armenians. It has its origins in the early 20th century, although the present conflict began in 1988 and escalated into a full scale war in the early 1990s. Tensions and border skirmishes have continued in the region despite an official cease-fire signed in 1994. In fact, only weeks before we arrived there had been a skirmish on its border with Azerbaijan where several people died. But we loved this tiny place and the warmth and hospitality of its people. Although not much English is spoken and public transport can sometimes be tricky, people were always willing to offer a lift even before you stuck your thumb out!

In summary, these are now two (three!) of my favourite countries, and in fact, National Geographic recently published an article on '10 Places That Deserve More Travelers' and both Armenia and Georgia were on the list. So was Iran, but that's another story. This was also on our to-do list, but obtaining the visa was going to be a little harder and take a little longer than we expected. Next time! And with us, there is ALWAYS a next time!

Vernissage Market, Yerevan.

'We are our Mountains' monument, Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh; the symbol of the tiny republic.

Tatev Monastery, Armenia.

View of the valley from 'Wings of Tatev' cable car, the longest in the world, Armenia.

Azerbaijani mother (L) and Armenian mother (R) ... nobody wins in a war!

Zorats Karev (Armenian Stonehenge) near Gori, Armenia.

Time to relax, Gonio Beach, Georgia.

Back in Georgia after we spent another two weeks or so exploring the western side of the country and finally ended up in Gonio, just a few kilometres north of the Turkish border. Here we spent ten days totally relaxing ... eating, resting and enjoying the beach. It was simply time to recharge our batteries as we had both been feeling a lack of energy over the last month or so. Me a lack of energy? Hard to believe but yep!

The fairy chimneys of Goreme, Cappadocia.

Now we find ourselves a couple of weeks into Turkey, in the delightful central Anatolian town of Goreme in Cappadocia. Turkey, its food, its people, its sights ... just wow ... more of Turkey in the next blog post.

So, that's it in a nutshell; almost 23 months on the road and still going. A few more countries to go but the end is near-ish ... for this time! As opposed to touring, travelling is a full time job for which you don't get paid: Pack, repack, move, catch transport, look for a place to stay, buy food, cook, work out where to go to next, research that place and the list goes on. It's our choice and we love it.

Whilst I have not been writing many posts, I have kept our public Facebook page regularly updated with not only lots of photos but several ad-hoc, spur of the moment videos, which I am sure that many of you will enjoy. If you are not a user of Facebook, don't worry, you do not need an account, and can simply access it as a regular website. If you are a FB user, like it and follow our continuing sojourn through this big, wide, wonderful world of ours. Go on, take a look! It will fill in all the 'blanks' that I could not possibly cover in a single blog post!

Veryitchyfeet.com

And thus, we continue to live the life we love and love the life we live.

One life, live it!

Ombi

Deeper into Ecuador's Andean Highlands; Chimborazo and the Quilotoa Loop

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 09:13:00 +0000

The majestic peak of Chimborazo.

Whilst staying in Guaranda we decided to do a day trip to Mount Chimborazo, only some 50 kilometres away. Whilst it had been thought to be extinct, new studies show that it is actually active, having erupted at least seven times during the last 10 000 years; nothing on record however. The mountain was once considered the highest on the planet, but was dethroned by the Himalayan and Peruvian peaks. According to the Earth's geometry, however, the summit of Chimborazo is considered to be the farthest from the Earth's centre. This huge mountain is the highest point in Ecuador and has the highest peak near the equator at 6268 metres.

One of the many vicunas that share the plains.

We didn't do the 'full monty' overnight-reach-the-summit hike, but decided to do a day hike instead. We took the bus from Guaranda and were dropped off approximately an hour later at the Chimborazo (Reserva de Produccion Faunistica) entrance. Our approximately 8-hour return trip would begin at 4370 metres. We were off!

As we walked and breathed in the progressively thinning air, we were rewarded with blow-your-socks off views, and believe me, the wind was already doing a pretty good job at that! The terrain leaves you with your mouth wide open and the views of the volcano are nothing short of spectacular. Add to that the multitude of grazing vicunas along the way, it really made for a jaw-dropping sight.

Those last 100 metres were a tough gig!

By the time we reached the second refuge at around 5000 metres, I could definitely feel the altitude, whilst Alex's body, being from Quito (second highest capital on Earth), seemed to be going into cellular memory recall. We stopped and had a hot chocolate and some sweets before setting off to reach the lagoon, only 100 metres further uphill.

Only another 100 metres uphill! Well, I must say, they were some of the hardest metres I have ever
walked. I could really feel the altitude, and I know that I was getting slight altitude sickness, as I felt not so much short of breath, but a tad queasy. Nothing too serious, I was determined to get to the top. After trudging, stopping every few metres and Alex constantly urging me on, we made it to the top! It was never going to be any other way with me, was it?

The 'accepted limit' on this walk; we are standing behind!

After some fun at the top and some obligatory, 'I made it to the top shots', we were on the way back down. Again though, as being at an altitude of 5100 had taken its toll, the first 200 metres going back down weren't exactly easy either. After that, with downhill all the way, it was really quite pleasant with yet more breathtaking views. We jumped on a Guaranda-bound bus soon after, and according to Alex's shoulder, I had a great ride back. Zonked, exhausted, wiped out ... but oh so very worth it! Quite possibly had one of the best sleeps of my life that night!

The lagoon at the top.

Ah, what a beautiful world!

The Quilotoa Lake rim as seen from the township of Quilotoa.

After Guaranda, it was on to do the infamous Quilotoa Loop. Again, it's one of those things that despite several trips to Ecuador since I met Alex in 1999, I have never got around to doing. It's been on my bucket list forever! The Loop is a bumpy, roughly round-shaped road which meanders into the backcountry of Chimborazo province, high up in the Andes Mountains. You can walk or hike parts or go by transportation, although infrequent. We did the former, well, we did a part of it anyway. We used transport where we had to but did a couple of spectacular day hikes between villages, ending up there for the night to sleep. Some people take guides, but most of the local hostales (places to sleep) have maps for independent travellers.

Walking around the Quilotoa rim.

Saquisili basket market.

Starting off in Latacunga, only an hour and a half from the capital, we began our four day journey that would take us through windswept plains, colourful indigenous markets, a crystal-blue lake which locals believe has no bottom, past, but not through) Tigua (a town and community of painters who are preserving the legends of the Andes with their intricately painted scenarios on sheep skin hides) and finally ending in Saquisili. This market starts early, very early, and is one of the country's largest and most colourful indigenous markets. Every Thursday hundreds of indigenous people from the surrounding areas come to sell and barter their wares, selling everything from pots and pans to pigs and goats. It is indeed very well known for its animal market. Animal lovers beware! The whole scene can be quite confronting!

On the rim, sunset at Quilotoa.

We spent our first night in the windswept town of Quilotoa, right near the rim of the spectacular lake. We not only walked down to the bottom, but around the rim as well. Next, was hiking on to Chugchilan, and finally on to Isinlivi. I want to make a special mention of the outstanding Taita Cristobal Guest House we stayed at; well priced, great food and warm owners. Each day of our hike involved several hours of walking, but not without spectacular views. Below is the blog of a guy called Steve (nope, I don't know him personally, just found him on the internet) who outlines his entire walk around the Loop. If you are interested in doing it (which I think if you are in Ecuador you should!) it's a great read: Backpacker Report Quilotoa Loop

Quilotoa Lake.

On the way to Isinlivi.

Saquisili animal market.

The loop definitely constitutes the road less travelled and its isolation brings you into contact with lots of Quechua (Kichwa) speaking indigenous people, their old customs and way of life. These people could not possibly live a more different life than the modern day inhabitants of the capital and other big cities in Ecuador. We lived, we laughed, we learned and we shared. This is the beauty of travel ... always!

And so, we were on our way to Quito ... finally, to see our Ecuadorian family!

Ombi

Next: An overview of what we've been doing (still!) on the road for the last year or so.

Vicunas on the plains around Chimborazo.

Almost at the lagoon, walking up Chimborazo.

Our starting point for the Chimborazo walk.

Along the road on our hike to Chimborazo.

Met these fun-loving Ecuadorians on the way back down from our walk.

Breathtaking all the way!

Made it back down ... exhausted!

Chimborazo and surrounds.

Chimborazo plains.

Indigenous people on Chimborazo.

The Quilotoa Loop.

Saquisili market.

With the lovely owner and excellent cook at Taita Cristobal, Isinlivi.

Saquisili market; the locals love (to eat!) a good guinea pig.

With some locals at Isinlivi.

Isinlivi town.

The hike to Isinlivi.

Stopping at a woodwork factory, on the way to Sigchos.

With the owners of Mama Hilda, the hostel we stayed at in Chugchilan.

Chugchilan street art.

Leaving Quilotoa to continue our walk around the Loop.

On the way to Quilotoa; arriving by bus (we would start our walk from here).

Highland animals.

This little piggy didn't go to market!

Exploring Ecuador's central highlands; Baños, Alausi, Guaranda, Salinas de Guaranda

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 15:22:00 +0000

Swinging at the end of the world!

Soon enough we were off to Baños de Agua Santa, or Baños, as it's more commonly known. The area around the small town has to be the jewel in Ecuador's jewel-encrusted crown! This tourist-happy town is the gateway to the Amazon. The town itself isn't a bomb of excitement, and in peak season it can feel garish and overcrowded with backpackers and tour operators trying to lure you into the den of mountain-biking, rafting, hiking, bungee jumping and partying. Having said that, nobody leaves without some great stories and a big whopping smile across their face! Luckily for us, it was low season, and we were able to hang out and do our thing. You can sometimes see the nearby Volcan Tungurahua erupting. Saw it erupting in 1999, no such luck this time!

Around Baños.

We had seen and done so much in the last few months that all we wanted to do was chill out! We found a great place to stay called Hostal Leon. It was super-clean, run by friendly people, close to the market and had a little kitchen upstairs on the balcony overlooking the town. What more could we ask for? We enjoyed a lovely few days here relaxing, cooking, eating, going for walks and visiting natural hot water pools. The infamous swing at the end of the world at the 'Treehouse' was, although touristy, a spectacle to behold! Close to the centre of town and overlooking the beautiful area of Baños it truly makes you feel like you are on top of the world. We'd done most of the 'tourist stuff' over the years, so this time it was all about rest and relaxation.

Yep, the place that marks the 'marriage proposal' spot!

Banos holds a very special place in my heart. It was July 1999, and I had only just met Alex. A week later he took me to Banos where he asked me to marry him. The gal who was supposedly never going to get married turned around and said, "I will, one day!" That day came in April of 2002, and I have never looked back!

We were most definitely getting closer to Quito, but we still had a couple of things to do and tick off the bucket list! Next was Alausi. A small town in Chimborazo province in Ecuador's Andes. Apart from its quaint architecture and old colonial houses, its real

Alausi.

claim to fame is that it's the starting-off point for the Nariz del Diablo, or Devil's Nose train ride. The engineering work is amongst the most audacious of projects realised in the Andean mountain range, and the switchbacks are mind boggling! Sadly, the Devil's Nose was the tomb of many Jamaican slaves contracted to dynamite the mountain. This would be my fourth attempt at riding this train since 1999; mudslides, broken engines and the likes had always stopped me. On our last attempt in 2007 (and my first with Alex) we even got to sit on the roof-top, and the train actually took off ... only to have to turn around half an hour later due to both a landslide and a damaged engine!

Finally, fourth time lucky!

These days there are no rides on the top! It's all closed up and it's a very formal and safety conscious affair. The ride, although spectacular, I must admit was a little anti-climactic. Not sure if it was because we had seen and done so much in the last months or if taking out that 'rough and rugged' wind blowing through my hair option on the roof top took the edge off for me. Alack and alas, impressive it was.

A visit to the Alausi archives.

We also met some great people in this tiny town, and Isabel ended up inviting us to where she worked, a place where they kept all the
archives and history of the town. This was
really amazing, and a golden opportunity. Alex and I sat in a small room and flicked through archives and photos that were hundreds of years old.

Guaranda Carnaval procession.

We'd heard about another place called Guaranda, in the central Ecuadorian Andes, known for having one of the best Carnavals in Ecuador. We were a tad early for the big event, but got to see a lot of the pre-Carnaval stuff, including amazing parades, street parties, outdoor concerts and people bombing each other with water. We got to meet the Taita (Father) Carnaval and the Mayor, who welcomed the 'gringos' with open arms. The vibe was great and it was fun to be a part of the hubbub.

There isn't a Carnaval without a devil, or two or three!

Ticket to ride!

We found a cosy colonial place to stay, close to the town centre, Hostal de las Flores. It had great staff, a kitchen, a local market around the corner and a huge open outdoor market (which sold just about everything!) just up the hill. We went for walks in the spectacular countryside surrounding the town, made friends with the locals and generally had a fantastic time. We did not want to leave!

Chilli flavoured chocolate!

It was in Guaranda that we heard about Salinas de Guaranda only 30 kilometres away. Beautiful, quaint, small, gorgeous windswept Salinas, as its called by the locals. It's only a short ride away from Guaranda on the back of a pick up, and oh what views. We stayed at a cosy place called La Minga Hostal, and spent the next few days chilling out and sampling its country famous chocolates and cheeses. In fact, what makes this place so special is its all-embracing community spirit and the creativity and productivity of the several cooperative businesses which call the little town home.

Ombi

Note : Veryitchyfeet has been on the road now for almost 22 months, and in the last year I have not been writing on this blog nearly as much as I would like to. If you are interested in seeing where we have been and what we have been up to, please take a look at our public page on Facebook. As it is a public page you do not have to have an account with FB to view it. If you do have an account with FB, however, and you would like to continue to follow us, just 'like it'!

Veryitchyfeet.com

Next: Watch this space!

Banos.

Alausi.

The humans and animals of Alausi.

Romanesco broccoli, a cross between broccoli and cauliflower.

The famous bridge at Baños.

Bungee jumping off Baños bridge.

The thermal waters of Baños.

Baños street art.

Baños train... the most difficult in the world?

Ecuador is life! Alausi.

On the Baños train.

Vicente the Ecuadorian who speaks excellent 'Strayan! He lived in Perth!

It's time for Carnaval, Guaranda.

'Cuys' (guinea pigs) for sale at the market in Guaranda ... to eat!

'Ecuador, land of traditions'. Guaranda.

The mayor gets soaked as part of Carnaval festivities.

Alex with some of the Guaranda boys.

Carnaval procession in Guaranda.

With the mayor (L) and Father Carnaval (R) during celebrations, Guaranda.

Alausi train ride.

Central square, Salinas de Guaranda.

Salinas de Guaranda.

The landscape around Salinas de Guaranda.

The church in the central square of Salinas de Guaranda.

The landscape around Salinas de Guaranda.

Jungle time ... from Macas to Yasuni National Park, the most biologically diverse spot on Earth!

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 18:31:00 +0000

Sangay.

We'd been to or through Macas a couple of times over the years, and this time we would pass through on our way to a remote part of Ecuador's Amazon basin, to see Alex's Uncle Jorge. It's also known as the "Emerald of the East", due to its location just east of the Andes mountains. Few tourists actually make it to the town with so few tourist trappings, but it's raw, it's real and it's worth a look-see. We ate some decent food and went on some lovely walks with Jorje, from where we could see the perfect snow-covered cone of Volcan Sangay (5230 metres). It's Ecuador's seventh' highest mountain and one of the world's most active. It can be glimpsed on a clear day ... we saw it in all of its glory. Lady Luck was on our side!

Catching up with Eduardo.

It was lovely to relax, eat, catch up with Jorge, go for casual walks, observe the people and the way they lived. Sometimes it's not just about seeing and doing but about absorbing and letting things 'just happen' ... it's then that the magic really begins. Like when we went for a walk along the river and ended up being invited into a Swiss lady's house for coffee and cake! She heard my accent, assumed that I was a foreigner (on the mark there) and invited us in.

The port in Coca.

After recharging our batteries, and saying our farewells to Jorge (we would see him again in Quito as it's where his family lives), we made our way to Puerto Francisco de Orellana, or simply Coca, as it's known in Ecuador. Located in the Amazon Rainforest at the confluence of the Coca and Napo rivers, Coca really is a rather charmless city. In the 1990s, the town was transformed by the oil industry from a tiny river settlement with dirt roads into a hot, teeming mass of concrete! Need I say more! Having said that, it really is unavoidable if you want to engage in some of Ecuador's most fascinating jungle tours, namely Yasuni National Park, arguably the most biologically diverse spot on earth!

Napo River, Coca.

First things first, we looked for a place to stay and after inspecting several places ended up at Hostal Santa Maria in the centre; basic, clean and friendly it would do us until we found a way to do Yasuni independently! And so our adventure to try and find the Holy Grail would begin! Seriously, I never thought that it would be so difficult! The tourist information in town was shocking, in fact it was so bad that we went to the tourism directive to complain! All we wanted to do was a tour that was not upscale and was not going to cost us hundreds of dollars a day. So we asked around ... Frank recommended we speak to Bob ... Bob to George ... George to Frank, and voila, there we were full circle and none the wiser!

More gorgeous views along the Napo River.

Alex the Birdman.

Persistence pays off they say? Yes it does! We certainly did not come to Coca to turn around and leave! Finally, someone at Hotel El Auca (Coca's most 'upscale' hotel) gave us some decent information and what seemed like a reasonable contact. In no time at all, we were visiting Patricio Juanka of Amazon Travel, right near the waterfront. Honest, friendly, down-to-earth, he told us what our options were. We wanted remote, seriously remote! We did not come here to throng with the masses, and so it would be ... the next morning we would take off for what would end up being one of the most exhilarating, mind-blowingly beautiful experiences of my life! Let the long-awaited Yasuni journey begin!

Local life along the Napo River.

I will try my best to describe our next five
days, five of the best days of my life! The first day was mostly spent on a slow boat, which took around ten hours on the Napo River and which would take us to the Ecuadorian/ Peruvian border town of Nuevo Rocafuerte. The ride was long, but it was amazing to take it all in.Unfortunately, despite the fact that the Ecuadorian government said that Yasuni would never be touched, we saw plenty of evidence to contradict this. Drilling for petrol is alive and kicking! This is possibly one of the most off-the-beaten-track adventures I have ever been on ... ten hours by boat to reach the depths of the Amazon is no mean feat! We were met by our guide Roni Cox (I know, a nice, easy Ecuadorian name!) who took us to our accommodation, Hotel Chimborazo, for the night. He told us where we would be having dinner and breakfast, and added that we should be ready at 8.00am the next morning, when the 'real' Yasuni adventure would begin.

Watching the world go by, Napo River.

Oropendola, Nuevo Rocafuerte.

I rather liked Nuevo Rocafuerte, it had that 'where no man dares go' kinda feel! The freaks were back! We walked around the tiny town, just observing and taking it all in. Dinner was fine, the usual suspects of rice, beans and patacones prevailed. We met a Brazilian guy whose aim was to travel around South America for free. You meet all sorts! Time to go to bed.

And so, the adventure would begin. We got up nice and early; after a night of alluvial downpour (hey it's a rainforest after all!) we were off. The next two days were exhilarating, and we camped in tents on both nights. We saw pink dolphins, giant otters, oropendolas (birds native to the area) and a range of other birds as well, went on mind-blowing hikes, saw mystical lagoons, and took in the breathtaking beauty of an area which is virtually untouched by man. So few make it here, but the hard work was paying off ... we had the jungle to ourselves!

It's a nutria (giant otter).

With Roni, getting ready for one of our many hikes.

Roni was an awesome guide. I even helped him cook some vegetarian food, which he quite enjoyed. On our first day we were also accompanied by Eriks, a Latvian guy, who was doing a shorter version of our tour. A lovely guy who invited us to visit in Latvia ... quite possible with us! I could go on to describe this paradise, but for once in my life (and it doesn't happen often!) I will let the cascade of photos do the talking. These days provided us with one magic moment after another.

Monkeying around!

It all happened too quickly, and before we knew it, we were back in Nuevo Rocafuerte. Roni, you were the bomb! You made this one of the best experiences of our lives! Absolutely unforgettable and a world highlight. We would spend another night in 'town' before embarking on the long ride back to Coca the next morning. As we were travelling upriver this time, the ride would take almost 14 hours. Relax and reflection time!

Went out one night in a small boat looking for caymans.

We finally made it back! The next day, we would also see another smaller, and much more touristy area of the park (only ten minutes away by boat) for a couple of hours, complete with the guide dressed up as a Shuar. Nice, but only just that, after what we had just seen and experienced.

Amazon plant life.

Amazonian bird life.

Indeed all good things must come to an end. The footprint of this experience will forever be stamped onto my heart and soul. Another mission accomplished!

Ombi

Not a stick insect, but a leaf one!

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where
there is no path and leave a trail." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Next: Alausi and the infamous Nariz del Diablo (Devil's Nose) train ride. Would we in finally get to ride that train? This was going to be my fourth attempt since 1999!

Huayruro seeds, also used in jewellery.

The Ecuadorian Amazon ... full of breathtaking views.

Street art, Macas.

Amazonian beetle.

Cruising the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Centipede.

Cruising one of the many tributaries of the river around Yasuni.

A furry friend of a different kind.

Chillin'!

On the boat to Nuevo Rocafuerte.

Postcard views abound.

With Juanka on our return. Tired but elated!

On our way back from Yasuni, near Coca.

On the long ride back from Nuevo Rocafuerte to Coca.

Napo River ferry.

Camping ... part of the Yasuni experience.

Roni takes us around to some amazingly pristine places.

The amazing energy of a tree with a million stories.

An interesting looking tree, hey!?

Amazonian fungi (one of many sorts).

The elusive Amazonian Pink Dolphin.

A butterfly gears up for take-off.

Oropendola.

Add caption

Yasuni ... mystical, magical, breathtaking!

Sunset around Yasuni.

Yasuni plant life.

I finally succumbed to botox.

WOW sums this one up!

Napo Valley express.

It's a Bug's Life.

Taking it all in.

Going through the thick of it ... Yasuni.

This trip was simply a series of postcard picture moments.

The Amazon ... Ecuadorian style!

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 07:28:00 +0000

Zamora street art.

Zamora.

It was now time to get off the beaten track. We had seen and done so much in Ecuador over our various trips over the years, but had never been to the south-eastern part of the Oriente (Ecuador's Amazon, where the Andes meet the lowland areas of rainforest in the Amazonian basin). We looked at a map and said, "Right, where to"? For all of Ecuador's beauty and fascinating places to see, the government does an appalling job at promoting tourism, and information, especially on places not oft visited is scarce. But we were determined! Ummmm, Zamora? We were able to scrounge some information from the internet: "The bus ride here is itself worthwhile, with the road snaking down from the sierra past numerous waterfalls, giving occasional views onto miles of densely forested hills." SOLD!

The path less travelled. Zamora-Chinchipe

The bus ride was indeed spectacular! As we got lower we could feel the vegetation becoming increasingly lush and giant ferns were hanging over the road. At 970 metres above sea level, Zamora has a gorgeous sub-tropical climate, quite different to the Andean climate for which the country is known. Zamora sits at the confluence of the Zamora and Bombuscaro rivers and the backdrop of steep, emerald green hills rising over its rooftops gives the town a lovely feel. We liked it as soon as the bus rolled in.

Back to information ... what information?! The tourist office looked like it had died a slow and prolonged death years ago! Whilst Alex sat with the backpacks I walked around to see if I could find something, someone, something ... and I found Inza Coffee, a cafe run by a gorgeous Colombian couple ... who also had loads of information on what to do in the area. Colombians aren't just known for their good coffee ... they also excel at customer service. Sorry Ecuador, they leave you for dead on that front! I called Alex over and we had a coffee whilst chatting to Linda and ........ about places to stay and things to see. Great coffee guys! We would be back. Our mission was to first find a place to stay.

Hanging out with Linda and Julian, Cafe Inza, Zamora.

Downtown Zamora.

What an interesting little town! The town centre is not necessarily physically appealing, but most certainly interesting. Its main function was to service the local gold-mining industry. Absolutely full of Chinese workers, we had been told that they were employed mostly as engineers working on number of hydroelectric plants; there's a a lot of water down this way. Although not a place to spend days, it was still a nice spot to explore, with its markets, rivers and Shuar and Saraguro Indians milling around the neighbourhood, the latter in their distinguishable black shorts. We can highly recommend Hotel Iruna, which was spacious, clean and comfortable, with very helpful owners.

The highlight of the area really is the lowland part of Podocarpus National Park. We spent a couple of days walking around and in it and it was indeed beautiful. And what makes it even more so is the total lack of tourists. It was a pleasure to walk around and take in the beauty with peace and serenity. Bubbling streams, enticing rivers, the sounds of exotic birds, rumbling waterfalls, paradise!

Podocarpus National Park.

Exotic fungus, Poducarpus National Park.

Days were spent hiking and taking in the area's beauty and nights at Inza Coffee where the lovely Linda would not only provide us with excellent coffee, but equally excellent food! To boot, she was a wealth of information on where to go and what to do in the area. Ecuadorian tourism offices move over! She mentioned Nangaritza. Who'd ever heard of it? And then she showed us some photos. OMG!!!! We had to go there! The information on how to get there was scarce, but we were going to give it a crack!

Around Guayzimi.

Around Zamora.

It appeared that Guayzimi was going to be our next port of call then! We had asked around and from the small amount of information that we were able to collate, it appeared that we would be able to do it ourselves ... maybe. We grabbed a bus and took off. A small and unassuming town, with a small town square, our first job was to find a place to stay. It was not that hard as we had so few places to choose from. We ended up at Hotel Cueva de los Tayos. It was run by the gorgeous Noe, and we were officially the first guests. Brand new, modern, clean and safe, we had a blast there. Noe was helpful and kind, and ended up taking us around to see things and offer us everything from breakfast to afternoon tea. Tourists? We were it! With barely a sliver of information on the town or its surrounds who was about to embark on the unknown?

A lesson on how to make patacones with Rebeca.

Restaurants? Good luck! At night there was a little agachadito, or stall, from where you could buy some simple, but tasty, food. It was there that we met the hospitable Juan and Rebeca. On our first night in town they took us for a walk to the cemetery, from where we were afforded some lovely views of the little town. Over the next few days they would invite us to their house, just off the plaza, several times. I got to help Rebeca cook (and eat!) patacones (fried green plantains), yum! They also have a little farm only kilometres out of town. Rebeca would visit daily and tend to her chickens and garden. We also visited her there. She cut us some sugarcane (the plant looks similar to bamboo) and we chewed on chunks. Yum! Unlike processed white sugar, it's far healthier for you, basically because it's not processed.

Around Guayzimi.

The area was lovely just to wander around, with beautiful views and some interesting, and small Shuar communities. The Shuar are an Amazonian indigenous people of Ecuador and Peru. The only tourists on the (very untouristic!!!) block, we definitely raked in some attention. It was interesting to walk through their villages and chat to them. Although reserved, they were happy to chat when they could see that could speak Spanish and were making an effort. As is often the case in Ecuador, it's interesting to see the surprise on their faces when Alex tells them that he's Ecuadorian. They always think he's a gringo, or foreigner; it's the look, the clothes they say. Too long in Australia, hey!?

Alex drinking 'chicha' with the Shuar, in Shaime.

Determined to visit the area around Alta Nangaritza with or without a guide, we took off early one morning on a day trip. Las Orquideas is approximately 20 kilometres and only an hour away from Nangaritza, on the border of the Peruvian Amazon. We arrived at about 8am. A tiny, tiny town situated tight on the Nangaritza River, we chatted to a few people and finally organised a day trip with a local with a boat. This would end up being one of the most spectacular days in our entire South American journey.

The river itself was spectacularly beautiful, surrounded by high sub-tropical mountains, breathtaking waterfalls and Shuar villages. We did it all! We went on a walk through lush vegetation, high up above the river and passing trees older than our brains could cope with (7000 years!). We were often up to our knees in mud (thankfully we were lent gum boots), but the views still blew our socks ... right out of our gum boots! To say WOW would be an understatement. I felt like an extra in an Indiana Jones movie! We also visited Shuar villages, like Shaime (and drank the local fermented alcoholic fruit drink known locally as 'chicha'), and a number of waterfalls such as the Cascada Los Dioses (Waterfalls of the Gods). Wow, wow, wow, wow! Ecuador, seriously, you need to start promoting this hidden gem. We also walked within metres of the Peruvian border. Set in the thick of the Amazonian jungle, this was once a war zone, and there are still live mines. We saw the signs to prove it.

Day trip to Alto Nangaritza Reserve.

The labyrinth of a thousand illusions.

The day was not over yet ... we also visited the Laberinto Mil Ilusiones (the labyrinth of a thousand illusions), also set in the jungle. The name says it all really! More WOW factor ... mystical, exciting and eerily beautiful, I felt like I was now emerging as the protagonist in what could be the next Indiana Jones movie ... the title could simply be 'The Labyrinth of a Thousand Illusions'. I was feeling so incredibly blessed and lucky to see this enchanting place. Wow, wow and more wow! The day did finally come to an end, and we were soon enough back on the bus to Nangaritza.

Noe took us around with his car and showed us a few other places locally. We also spent a Sunday with his daughter, Marlene, and her children who had come down from Zamora. One of the greatest pleasures of travelling is always meeting and spending time with the locals.

With Noe and his family, Guayzimi.

Waterfall of the Gods.

Our next point of call would be Macas (not of the hamburger kind!), also in the Oriente, and where Alex's uncle Jorge works. We would have to take a bus from Yantzaza. As Noe has a house there, and goes often, he offered to drive us. The overnight bus would not be leaving until almost midnight so Noe allowed us to leave our backpacks in his house and explore the town until we were ready to leave. A quaint little town with a not a lot to do, it was still interesting to walk around and observe the 'local life'. It's often these opportunities that give you an insight into the real culture of an area or country.

Ombi

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." – Milton Berle

Dedication: To Noe, Marlene, Rebeca and your families. For taking us into your homes and treating us like family. Some people you remember, others you forget. You are the ones that leave a permanent imprint on our hearts. Thank you.

Dedicación: Para Noe, Marlene y sus familias. Para dejarnos entrar en sus hogares y tratarnos como familia. Hay alguna gente recordamos y otros que no. Ustedes son de los que dejan una huella permanente sobre de nuestros corazones. Gracias.

Next: Catching up with Jorge in Macas and visiting Yasuni National Park, deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Remote, exotic, mostly untouched by tourism. One of my dreams about to come true!

Boat ride along the Nangaritza River.

Flora of Podocarpus National Park.

Walk to Podocarpus National Park.

Zamora street art ... minus Alex!

Practising English with the Guayzimi locals.

Rebeca cutting us some fresh cane sugar from her property.

Alex and Noe enjoying a wine.

Serious looking local fauna.

The walk around Alto Nangaritza Reserve.

Alto Nangaritza Reserve, the trunk says it all!

Breathtaking Nangaritza River.

Podocarpus fern.

Locals crossing the Nangaritza River.

Local boy, Las Orquideas.

Revisiting my second home, Ecuador.

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 02:52:00 +0000

It's always fun times hanging out with my soul mate!

As soon as we crossed the border I felt totally at home. It's usually like this when I set foot on the country that has become my second residence, and which I have visited countless times since 1999. You know that, sigh, I'm back kinda feeling! I was meant to be with Alex, I was meant to be here. This was just always all meant to be! Macara is the border town on the Ecuadorian side, and it has always held a special place in my heart. Why? Because when I backpacked South America in 1999, it was the place I crossed the border from Peru into Ecuador; the locals were so helpful, friendly and generous that I have never, ever forgotten. It was one of those travellers' minties moments that I have always carried around in my heart. Little was I to know that only weeks later I would meet my soul mate and love of my life!

Rice fields of Macara.

Christmas with the family.

After taking a quick look around we ended up at Los Arrozales Hotel. The room was big, airy, clean and had air-con, which was fantastic given that it's both hot and humid in Macara. It ended up being the perfect place to charge our batteries for a week or so. Alex has family that are from Macara, and so we spent some time with them. For Christmas we were invited to his Aunty and Uncle's house, where we had a great night eating, drinking and hanging out with all of the cousins. It was a really fun night. Alex's Aunty Gladys and cousin Volney also came down from Quito. It was lovely catching up with them too. Lazy days, relaxing, lots of eating (the food's good down here!), walking, visiting ... this is the life!

Strret art and family.

Living to a ripe ol' age in Vilcabamba.

We really wanted to visit the south-eastern part of Ecuador's Amazon, so it was clear that we were not going to get to Quito for New Year, but we did need to get moving. Heading east we made our way to Vilcabamba. Again, last time I was here was on my 1999 trip. My how it had changed! The first thing I noticed, as we walked through the central plaza, was how many foreigners there were! It really was 'pick the Ecuadorian'! Vilcabamba has a reputation for breeding humans who live to a ripe old age and is very popular amongst tourists ... clearly!

Vilcabamba home.

To be honest, I was a little shocked at how much it had changed and how many tourists there actually were (although I was one of them!) The area has over recent years attracted hippies and bohemians alike, both from afar as well as nationally. The marijuana-chuffers and drunks always seemed to be sitting in the same place, at the same time, every day. I would often look at them and wish they'd disappear. I know these comments are highly judgemental, but visiting far-away places to see this just isn't my gig really!

Vilcabamba.

Having said that, nobody can take away from Vilcabamba that it is set in a historical and scenic valley with spectacular views and a superb climate. Once out of the central plaza, there really is a lot to see and do. We spent many days strolling around, drinking good coffee (OK, that was around the plaza, but sometimes you have to make exceptions, hey!), and going on some breathtaking walks.

Podocarpus National Park.

We visited Parque Nacional Podocarpus, which has one of the most biologically rich areas in the country. It protects habitats at altitudes ranging from 3600 metres (near Vilcabamba) in the paramo to 1000 metres in the steamy rain forests near Zamora. We did the former and a few days later the latter too! The day we visited the Vilcabamba side of the park it rained, and rained, and rained. But then, that's nature. Still very, very beautiful!

The 'widows' playing soccer.

And yes, we did end up spending New Year in Vilca, as it is now fondly referred to by both locals and foreigners alike. All the usual Ecuadorian New Year's traditions and customs abounded, such as the burning of effigies at midnight and the 'viudas' or widows dressing up to signify the death of another year. The viudas are hysterical; men provocatively dressed up as women give everyone a good laugh! I loved watching the viudas play soccer too. Another custom is that when the effigies are burnt at midnight, you are supposed to leap over the flames ensuring a great new year! I was happy to simply watch others doing this and cut my losses, hoping that my following year would be reasonable even if I didn't straddle these great balls of fire!

With Nick.

New Year's dinner was at Pura Vida and I must say that the food was truly good. Really, really, really (really!!!!!!) good olive oil. Seriously, South America does not really do olive oil, and what's imported is usually not much more than average. One of the owners here is Spanish, and she brings in the good stuff! Good food and good company ... I finally got to meet you Nick Vasey! You are great on Face Book and even better in real life!

Thanks for having us at your gorgeous property Nick. Just outside of the centre it's a true getaway. Beautiful, relaxing, tranquil, spectacular views and ... the amazing coffee was a bonus! I have a lot of time for people who 'get' good coffee!

PS Found a nice little coffee place, Del Paramo. Excellent coffee!

Ombi

"Fun is good."– Dr Seuss

Next: Ecuador's southern Oriente, where the eastern slopes of the Andes meet with the lowland areas in the Amazon Basin.

Macara river, dividing Ecuador and Peru.

Christmas with the family.

Macara by night.

Macara local.

Yogurt and 'pan de yuca' (casava bread).

Macara life!

Alex cathing up on the food he loves.

Out and about in Macara.

With the family.

Some of the Macara locals.

Wasn't going to stop until he tried all of his faves!

With Tia Gladys and Volney.

Family pic.

Fresh mangoes ... from the tree to our mouths.

Yum ... with Alex's cousin Tamara.

Christmas with the family.

New Year masks for the effigies.

Getting ready for the New Year.

Happy 2015!!!!

Supposedly jumping over the burning effigy brings you good luck!

Beautiful Vilcabamba surrounds.

Vilca street art.

Podocarpus National Park.

Nick's pet peacock.

Some more of Nick's 'housemates'.

Malacatos, close to Vilcabamba.

Peacock at Nick's.

Alex and cousin Volney, Macara.

Peru ... the whirlwind tour.

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Sun, 09 Aug 2015 12:36:00 +0000

Alex vs 'Sexy Woman'.

Our aim was to get to Ecuador by Christmas time, but we were running out of time. So, having already done Peru a couple of times, we decided to make our way directly to Cuzco. Home and base to the infamous Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, yes it's touristy, but it never disappoints. We got in nice and early, as ridiculously early. We dumped our stuff in a cheap and cheerful hostel and then made our way to Saksayhuaman (known as Sexy Woman on the gringo tourist trail). A two kilometre uphill climb from (the already high 3300 metre high) Cuzco, the sprawling Inca site is truly impressive and offers arresting views over Cuzco, especially at dawn when we arrived. Whilst Cuzco is gorgeous, the government has totally jumped on the tourist bandwagon and charges an arm and a leg for everything! Not if you get there early and evade the opening times though!

Sacsayhuaman with Cuzco below.

Sacsayhuaman.

Central square, Cuzco.

Saksayhuaman was eerily peaceful and tranquil so early in the morning, and although we were tired it seemed to recharge our batteries. I have always maintained that the energy around Cuzco is simply amazing. Despite its monstrous size, today's visitor still sees only about 20% of the original structure. Our friends, the Spaniards, tore down the walls soon after the conquest and used the blocks to build their own houses in Cuzco. Despite this, the town of Cuzco is simply delightful. It's aesthetically gorgeous!

Alex and Paula eating some fresh corn.

We decided to skip all of the paid and touristy stuff on this trip, but still delighted in walking around the town and doing a few other things close to town. We found a brilliant vegan restaurant called Green Point, close to where we were staying, where the food was so good and well-priced that we went back several times. Sooooo good that I believe that they opened up their second store in March of this year. Let me repeat, soooo good, that even the carnivores were going back for more!!!! I am not going to lie, after months of mostly below average food in Bolivia ... fried food (which I mostly don't eat), bread and pasta (which I don't eat), fried chicken (which I don't eat) ... this was like the bomb! The market food, juices and produce was also great here. Ah, to be able to eat well again.

Folkloric dancing.

A hub of cultural activity, one night we went to a free concert presented in one of the halls in the central plaza of Cuzco. Put together by the Faculty of Geological Engineering and organised by the Cultural Group of Folkloric Dances the event was called "Dances of my country". It was a great night!

Cuzco by night.

The salt ponds of Maras.

Over the years I have been back to Peru, and especially Cuzco, several times. I have been fortunate to have done the Inca Trail twice and Machu Picchu three times. I had never seen Maras and Moray, so in a bid to do something a little different, along with our Brazilian friend Paula, who we had met up with again in Cuzco, we visited them both. About 40 kilometres from Cuzco, the road passes through the infamous and breathtaking Sacred Valley, the heart of the Inca Empire. Maras is known for its salt ponds perched up on a hill. Used since Incan times, they are still being used by locals today. You can also buy the rock salt from them, which leaves most of the packaged stuff you buy today for dead! Moray, on the other hand, is a set of concentric circles, or depressions, which were most probably used as an irrigation system in Inca times. Unfortunately, we only got to see the latter from the side of the road, as we were not allowed to purchase a ticket just for the one site, and the administrators were adamant that we should pay the USD$27.00 to see the site! The ticket was to enter four sites, but I had already seen the other three over the years. Yes, I did strike up an argument! How unusual! Over the years the Peruvian government has become very greedy, and it would be fair to say that prices, especially around Cuzco, have jumped up exorbitantly! Even the locals were telling me that it was a rip off. Ah, the price you pay for tourism!

The concentric circles of Moray.

Pisac ruins.

Pisac, about 33 kilometres from Cuzco and in the Sacred Valley, is also a spot that never disappoints. Sunny Pisac is a bit lower than Cuzco at an elevation of 2715 metres. It has traditionally been known for its market (which has become way too touristy for my liking!) but its real pull are the ruins and Inca Fortress perched up on the hill above the town. This Inca citadel lies high above the village on a plateau with a plunging gorge on either side. There's a steep path running to the top ... we know, we did it! But if there was ever a worthwhile sweat it out walk, this had to be it! The views were nothing short of WOW! And so few tourists or travellers actually do it, unlike Machu Picchu, which I have been told is coated with tourists 24/7. We felt like we had the entire place to ourselves.

Around town we visited the fascinating Coca Museum history. Where else would you find a one-stop-shop on the history, use and influence of the coca leaf? No visit to Cuzco would be complete without walking past the infamous 12-sided stone, probably the finest example of Inca masonry. Having said that, we could do without the dude dressed up as an Inca! He's there all the time, and I reckon he's making more money from photos than his Inca counterparts ever were!

Our first few nights were spent in a hostel whose owners really had no idea about, well, how to run a hostel! We got pots with holes in the kitchen, and the rain almost flooded out our room one night! We did have spectacular views of the city from the rooftop though as well as meeting a gorgeous German family travelling with their two kids, whom we really hit it off with. Florence and ....... were about six months into a two year trip around the world with their kids. Travellers from way back they had decided even before they had children that they would 'invest' in the travel experience when they would have kids by travelling around with them.

Alex and Sonia.

We ended up moving to Casa Sihuar, owned by our lovely friends Sonia and Luis and run by their family. The hostel is up the hill near San Blas, in a gorgeous neighbourhood. It had been years since we had seen Sonia and the gang. It was lovely to hang out with them and reminisce. As always, they treated us like family. We spent a few days there hanging out, cooking, chatting and drinking coffee. It was here that we met Antonio, an Italian who was starting up a pastry business with some of the gang at Sihuar ...Ayni Pasticceria Fina is an Italian/ Peruvian fusion. Whilst we were there we tried their panettone (a traditional Italian sweet bread) ... it was to die for.

We could have spent another few weeks here, but time was flying, and Christmas approaching. We had originally planned to stop in Lima for a few days (it has never been my favourite city!), but after a night bus over and it taking us a couple of hours just to get from the outskirts of Lima to the central bus station we decided to move on. Lima is usually busy, but with Christmas less than two weeks away it was mad. People, buses, everything everywhere. Where to next? We asked a few questions and buses were filling up fast, with some destinations already virtually impossible to get to. We looked at our map and decided on Chiclayo That would take us close enough to the Ecuadorian border.

Valley of the Pyramids.

I had been to Chiclayo before, but it was Alex's first time. After Cuzco's cold climate, Chiclayo was sunny and warm and only 13 kilometres away from the beach. It was a nice spot to stay in for a few days. The city centre is colonial in style and lovely to just walk around and absorb the culture. Its real drawcard, though, is the surrounding archaeological sites. We spent a day at Tucume, the Valley of the Pyramids. A short bus ride from Chiclayo, it's actually the largest pyramid complex in the world. It covers an area of over 540 acres and encompasses 26 major pyramids and mounds. Of course many of them cannot be clearly seen. The site pre-dates the Incas and was occupied by the Lambayeque/Sican (800-1350AD), Chimu (1350-1450AD) and finally the Inca (1450-1532AD). We spent an entire day walking around 'some' of the massive site, and although tiring it was well worth it.

The Valley of the Pyramids, Tucume.

Pimental Beach.

We had to go to the beach ... or did we? We ended up at Pimental and spent a couple of hours there, walking along the beach. I thought it was a great place to take in the culture and watch the fishermen, but as far as a beach goes ... I am a snob! I am Australian!

And so, it was time to go to Ecuador! After a bit of a runaround in Chiclayo as to where we needed to catch a bus from to get to Ecuador, we finally made it, only days before Christmas! Northern Peru is very, very, very arid! The odd thing is that literally as soon as you cross the border the scenery changes dramatically to lush. It was also interesting to note Peru's very poor north to Ecuador's rather comfortable south.

Let the Ecuadorian adventure begin!

Ombi

'We met for a reason, you're either a blessing or a lesson.' – Frank Ocean

Crossing from Bolivia to Peru.

The many colours of Bolivian corn.

These little piggies went to market.

Porridge with coca leaf powder. No, it's not cocaine!

Cuy ... pet or dinner?

Pisac.

View from Maras.

With Sonia, Casa Sihuar.

With the family at Casa Sihuar.

New friends in Cuzco.

Goodbye Sonia ... I will miss you!

Finger Lickin' Good ... Peruvian chocolate!

Peruvian street art.

Fishermen on Pimental Beach.

Lake Magic at Copacabana!

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 13:50:00 +0000

Lake Titicaca magic!

Island of the Sun.

Who could ask for more ... at the Copa, Copacabana! But it's not what you think. Bolivia has its very own Copacabana (Copa to the locals!) ... it's the main Bolivian town heading north towards the Peruvian border and the town that lies on the rim of Bolivia's side of the infamous Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Again, one of those places I had done before but was so happily about to do again! Lake Titicaca straddles the border between Bolivia and Peru in the Andes Mountains and at 3182 metres above sea level it really does feel like you are on top of the world! It is said to be the highest navigable lake in the world. At 190 kilometres long by 80 kilometres wide there are spots whereby, once on the actual lake, it is so big that it appears to be like an ocean; you really can't see the shore! It's said to be the birthplace of the Incas, and with its many scattered ruins it really does have that mystical feel about it.

Spectacular Lake Titicaca.

Meeting the locals.

It was upon arrival, that we would meet Paula, our new friend from Brazil whom we would spend the next couple of weeks travelling with. We hit it off instantly and as she and Alex chatted in the plaza, I went and looked for a place to stay. After checking out numerous places I decided on Hostal Sonia, cheap, clean, comfy and with amazing rooftop views. It had a kitchen as well, which is always a bonus as we do a lot of cooking in-house. I'm not going to lie, Bolivian food has mostly done nothing for me; chicken, chicken, chicken, rice, beans, lots of fried food an negligible salad or veggie portions! Adversely, the markets have an amazing array of both fruit and vegetables; they became my best friend in Bolivia! My checking of hostels had provided me with a mini-tour of the town. It was really just as I had remembered it, but with more shops and more tourists! This is what happens, hey!

Temple of the Sun.

We spent a great few days here doing everything from the infamous Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) to the less travelled to Isla de la Luna (Island of the Moon). I had not been to the latter before. The Island of the Sun is a short boat ride away and despite its proximity to the mainland can still only be traversed by foot, no roads or cars and only paths to walk on, which is what makes it special really. The terrain is rocky and the island is inhabited by the traditional Aymara people. Scattered with ruins, it is a delight to walk around. Upon arrival by ferry at the dock village of Yumani, you are greeted by a lovely hanging garden along what is known as the Escalera de la Inca (or Inca's Staircase) culminating in a beautiful rolling waterfall. And it just gets better from there really! A walk around the island will make you feel like you are the Queen or King of the Castle and that you own the world.

Temple of the Virgins, Island of the Moon.

Much less visited, but I was determined to do it this time, was the Island of the Moon. Much smaller than the Island of the Sun, this island is known for its mythological significance to the Incas and is home to the ruins of the Temple of the Virgins. It is inhabited on the Western side by a small village of about 80 people. The locals are friendly, the atmosphere tranquil and quiet and the island is still without electricity. Both islands have places to stay, which was definitely not the case on my last visit. One can only hope that tourism 'progresses the cause' and does not damage it. We can only hope ... and wait and see.

At the top of Calvary Hill.

We also did lots of things in and around Copacabana. No trip to the area would be complete without a walk up to the top of Cerro Calvario, or Calvary Hill. Close to the centre of town it's approximately a 30 minute walk up the steep hill. The steps make it a little more comfortable but it's steep nonetheless. The views at the top are extraordinary! In front of you lies Lake Titicaca in all of her splendour and glory!

Calvary Hill views.

Blessing of the cars.

It's impossible to escape the imposing Moorish-style Church of the Virgin of Copacabana. It's one of the most important and visited churches in Bolivia, its construction having been started in 1601. Some days, and particularly weekends, are devoted to the
'Bendicion de Movilidades', where people go to bless their cars. It truly is a sight to behold! Each day cars jam the cobble stoned streets, decked out like children awaiting baptism, and a priest walks around sprinkling water on them. Once the ritual is complete the owners crack open a bottle of champers and head down the road with a renewed sense of well being. Given the country's crazy traffic and cliff-hugging roads, its understandable that some may want to seek divine intervention!

Virgin of Copacabana church.

Chani Islands.

One of my favourite spots was the Horca del Inca, a pre-Inca astronomical observatory built in the 14th century. Visited by very few tourists, it's a climb that requires both decent fitness and shoes, but oh what a view!

We also visited the floating islands of Chani, very close to the town centre. Not nearly as big or as touristy as those in Puno, on the Peruvian side of the lake, they were still pretty and worth a look see. Surrounded by some pretty high rocks, we scrambled up some of them for yet some more rewarding views. the locals make a living here by feeding the locals fresh fish direct from the source!

A world with a view, Chani Islands.

With the Uruguayan travellers.

Another day was spent walking along the shore of the lake and chatting to the locals as well as the 'foreigners' who had come across the border from Peru. We also met a Uruguayan couple travelling South America in their little car. Love these moments.

We had had so much fun in Bolivia! An amazing country with so much to offer, the highlight was the many amazing people we had met and shared good times with. It's hard to believe that we had spent almost two months here. The next country awaited us. Peru ... are you ready for us!!!

Ombi

Peru ... here we come!

"Live each day as if your life had just begun." – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Next: Peru ... the whirlwind tour!

Bolivian street art.

Island of the Sun.

With Paula on Island of the Sun.

Island of the Sun.

Being offered beer by the locals.

Travelling the world.

Life is for living!

The highest navigable lake on Earth.

Festivities in Copacabana.

The festivities continue ...

Nature.

Blessing of the cars.

The Fountain of Youth, Island of the Sun.

Cholitas, Virgin of Copacabana church.

Travelling with my soul mate.

Bolivian pride.

Chulumani ... another hidden gem.

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 22:58:00 +0000

On the road to Chulumani.

The road to Chulumani was bumpy, very bumpy! But we were excited; a place I had not been to before and we had heard so many good things about it ... primarily that it was not touristy. Let's go! The four hour ride presented us with some spectacular views and scenery and although not the Death Road, there were still some bits where it was quite narrow and the sheer drops, quite literally, took our breath away.

Out and about in Chulumani.

Alex and Javier ... "nos prestamos plata".

Upon our arrival, we could see that it was a quaint little place. Mostly indigenous folk, not that big, a Chulumani. Apart from the fact that the rooms were gorgeous and comfortable, the place surrounded by foliage and birds, and that it had a swimming pool and felt like a retreat ... the owner absolutely made it! Javier, originally from La Paz, was beyond knowledgeable about the area and with his effervescent personality and desire to show and tell us what to do and see we had an absolute blast and ended up staying there for over a week. I loved the fact that until the last day we were the only gringos in the 'hood! Days were spent exploring, yeh and sometimes even just relaxing by the poolside, and nights were spent deep in conversation with Javier who has since become a great friend ... as he likes to say "nos prestamos plata" ("we now lend each other money", which he says only happens between really good friends). Having lived in the States, he also has excellent English. Javier lives in this gorgeous place with his equally gorgeous daughter, Lupita, who besides going to high school, also helped out around the hostel. Lupita ... bright, excellent English, smart and a conversationalist ... we loved you! If only 1% of the worldwide teenage population could be like you. And to boot and excellent violinist!
central plaza and lots of unpaved dusty roads. Had we just hit the Wild West? It instantly had that homely, 'welcome home' vibe about it. We asked around for accommodation (the places to stay can be counted on half a hand and struggling) and ended up at Country House.

The way to chill out at Countryhouse Chulumani.

A house with a (breathtaking!) view.

Chill out time.

Rural town life.

We went on some great walks and saw some amazing things. The only foreigners around, the spotlight was often on us, but the people were really helpful and chatty. We chatted to lots of locals who were more than willing to tell their stories as well as invite us into their humble homes. There is no price one can place on this. We visited many little towns and one of my favourites was Chicaloma. This tiny place is home to many of Bolivia's Afro-Bolivian population. The thing that really blew me away was to see some of the women dressed up in indigenous garb. I was used to seeing indigenous people in these clothes, not black people! Ocobaya was another tiny but pleasant spot as was Irupana, where we found organic coffee and people drying their coca leaves on the road.

This is the way you dry your coca leaves.

Being invited into the home of some locals.

Alex showing Lupita how to make patacones.

The real beauty and intrigue of the entire area was to simply 'be' ... to walk, to breathe in the country air, to take in the spectacular scenery, to talk to the locals, to absorb the culture, and to spend some truly amazing time with Javier and Lupita.

Lupita is a truly talented young lady and is part of the Chulumani Symphonic Orchestra, a group of young and talented musicians who gather weekly and practice. Despite the fact that the teacher comes all the way from La Paz weekly and that the local council has tried to make their existence difficult (I will not get into the politics here) they all continue to get together and play their instruments. Alex and I went to visit the group and chatted to them about the importance of believing in themselves and following their dreams. Dreams only come true when you believe in them! There is nothing quite like inspiring young people to be positive, to try and achieve their best and most of all push forward with vigour in the face of adversity. It was great to spend a couple of hours with them. This culminated in a 'performance' for us that simply blew us away! We were touched to tears! I hope that in years to come these kids will look back and think ... we met two people who believed in us!

Some kids from the orchestra.

With the Chulumani Symphonic Orchestra.

With the Chulumani Symphonic Orchestra; Lupita far left.

With Lupita and Javier.

And as so happens on our travels, it was time to leave and move on. This time, however, with a somewhat heavy heart. Javier, Lupita and Country House Chulumani had made an enormous impact on us. Would we see these people again? Yes, I think we will! Lots of hugs all around, tears in my eyes, and with a heart full of gratitude and joy we were off on our next adventure!

As we walked away from the hostel, I looked back at the waving Javier and Lupita and, with teras in my eyes, blew them kisses. This is why I travel ... THIS is why I travel!

Ombi

With Javier, Lupita and Vaughn (the only other tourist we saw in the week).

Goodbye Countryhouse.

I will miss you Javier!

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." – Marcel Proust

Dedication: To our 'charming gardeners'. Javier and Lupita' you are the charming gardeners who allowed our souls to blossom. You made us happy and you became our friends! We will never forget you both and this spectacular part of our journey. Friends forever! You are always welcome to visit us and stay with us in Australia. When our journey is done and dusted, it is people like you that leave a footprint on our hearts. Those footprints will always remain! We thank you profoundly!

Dedicatoria: A nuestros 'jardineros encantadores'. Javier y Lupita ustedes son los jardineros encantadores que permitieron que nuestras almas florezcan. Nos hiciste feliz y se convirtieron en nuestros amigos! Nunca olvidaremos a los dos y esta parte espectacular de nuestro viaje. Amigos para siempre! Siempre estarán bienvenidos visitarnos y quedarse con nosotros en Australia. Cuando el viaje esta terminado es la gente como usted que dejan una huella en nuestros corazones. Estas huellas permaneceran siempre! Te agradecemos profundamente!

Next: Copacabana and Lake Titicaca.

A local on her walk.

Nature.

Amazing scenery.

Walks in off-the-beaten-track places.

Out and about.

Everyone deserves some rest time.

Ahhh, the tranquility.

Beauty ... and no beast in sight!

"Long live the holy leaf". (Coca)

Local life.

Yin and Yang ... cultivation coca leaf style.

Farmers cultivating coca leaves.

The colours of Mother Nature.

Beauty and the Beast!

The Countryhouse dogs saying goodbye as we leave.

Chulumani ... butterfly wonderland.

Drying coca leaves.

Up and down in La Paz!

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 13:34:00 +0000

Hello La Paz!

Oh La Paz ... you're high, you're cold, you make walking around difficult, you have witches' markets, good coffee, indigenous women wrestling, amazing museums, spectacular scenery and amazing markets! I could finish the blog here really! Oh you do do delight, and the best part about you is really that you are just you and that simply walking around you is a delight!

Nuestra Senora de la Paz (Our Lady of Peace), or La Paz, as it's more commonly known sits in a bowl surrounded by the high mountains of the altiplano and sits in elevations of between 3200 and 4100 metres above sea level. Although very cold at night, it's not uncommon to be walking around in a t-shirt and pants during the day whilst looking out to the triple-peaked Illamani in the distance; always snow-covered and it can be seen from many parts of the city.

Illimani, La Paz's guardian!

I was back! I felt like I had found my long-lost sister. First things first ... finding a place to stay. We arrived nice and early and it was indeed nice and cold. I had forgotten how frenetic and full-on La Paz was, but I will confess to quite liking that vibe. Although we headed for the centre and checked a few places out, we ended up at
Arthy's Guesthouse. Despite being on a very busy road, what lay behind the bright orange door which was its entrance was a veritable clean, cosy and tranquil oasis. The owners were helpful and treated us like their family. The kitchen was a winner. I am not going to lie, I have not been overly impressed with Bolivia's mostly fried-fare but the markets have some of the greatest variety I have seen anywhere in the world.

La Paz street art.

La Paz has grown and expanded over the years, and most certainly since I was here in 1999. El Alto used to be the 'slum-city' that sat five kilometres away on the outskirts of La Paz. The urban sprawl has grown so much that this once suburb of La Paz is now really just part of it. It's one of Bolivia's largest and fastest-growing urban centres. It's also the highest point of La Paz at a little over 4100 metres above sea level. The views from El Alto are breathtaking, needless to say! It has a very interesting history and past; populated largely by Aymara (Bolivia's two biggest indigenous groups are the Aymara and Quechua) migrants from the surrounding Altiplano it was officially recognised as a separate municipality from La Paz in 1986. It instantly became the fourth biggest, poorest and fastest growing city in Bolivia. Along with this were included all the problems of a poor city that grows that fast! It actually has a bigger population than La Paz!

El Alto Sunday market.

Aerial transport, La Paz style.

La Paz has done something brilliantly. It has created Mi Teleferico (My Cable Car), not as a tourist attraction but as an aerial cable car urban transit system. It was actually planned in order to address a number of problems, the most prominent being a precarious public transport system that simply could not cope with user demands. Built by an Austrian company, and opened only last year in 2014, there are currently three lines in operation and six more are in the planning stage. The first two lines, the Red and Yellow, connect La Paz with El Alto and blow-your-socks-off views are afforded. As it's not a tourist attraction (yet!) and a means of public transport, we had lots of fun using the various lines several times. It was not just the views that blew our socks off but also the sheer size of La Paz which continues to grow like it's on top-end baby formula!

El Alto Market ... something for everyone!

Needless to say the cable car is how we got to El Alto's famous Sunday market. Market? It was a 'suburb' of street to street vendors selling everything from llama foetuses to top-end Bose sound systems. You name it, they have it! It was absolutely chockers and it just went on and on and on and on. These once-poor-people have carved themselves out a decent income and good on them. It reached a point where it was just too hard to take it all in. Without a doubt one of the biggest markets I have ever seen ... and with a brilliant view of la Paz to boot! With its dusty streets and sweeping views, it looks like something out of a wild, wild west movie! Keep in mind that it's the world's most active 'rebel' city and the scene of frequent protests and crippling strikes!

El Alto is also home to La Paz's Lucha Libre or 'Cholitas Wrestling' as it's more commonly known and I can highly recommend it. Much more than entertainment and profits however, Cholita wrestling is a way for Bolivian women to prove their worth in a 'man's world'. Having been abused, humiliated and discriminated against throughout history, the ring is one place where indigenous women can hold their head high, do their job with pride and be on equal footing with men! You go girrrrrrls!!!!!!!

That's the way gals!

This is both an absolutely hysterical as well as bizarre event where women in their indigenous attire go out and wrestle. Locals and foreigners alike love it! I don't normally like to do 'tacky' things on the tourist trail, but I succumbed and we went. Inspired by the USA's World Wide Wrestling and Mexico's lucha libre, this is really more about entertainment than skill. Nobody gets hurt and I must say, good laughs are provided all around! There are a couple of different places that you can go to; we went to

La Paz, you were so much more than spectacular scenery, markets and dizzying heights! Every nook and cranny was packed with culture, information and protests! The Mercado de Hecheria, or Witches' Market, sells everything from herbal and folk remedies to toucan beaks! Interesting to walk around and watch the vendors doing rituals for everything from the purchase of a new house to getting rid of unwanted negative energy.

Llama foetuses anyime?

Or perhaps a potion of some description?

Charangos.

Plazas, churches, museums ... La Paz abounds in all. One of my absolute favourites, however, was the Museum of Musical Instruments. This place has an exhaustive hands-on collection of unique musical instruments, including those that are specifically Andean. It's a must see for musicians and we lay-people alike. A private museum, it was founded in 1962 by famous Bolivian 'charanguista' and the inventor of many musical instruments, Ernesto Cavour. Every Saturday night the museum holds a concert, showcasing some of La Paz's and often Bolivia's most seasoned musicians. The concert room is very small and the entry fee is around USD$3.50. Anywhere else in the world this type of talent would cost a fortune! Underrated, understated!

What a collection of instruments.

Add caption

We were fortunate in that the night we visited, we saw the master himself! What a truly talented man. His speciality, clearly, is the charango, a small Andean stringed instrument. Along with a couple of other artists, including Franz Valverde who played the muyu-muyu (like a guitar with strings on both sides!) and Rolando Encinas on the pan pipes, we were totally entertained over a couple of hours. The museum also happens to be on Calle Jaen, La Paz's finest colonial street; cobblestoned and free of traffic, it's like an oasis of tranquility in a chaotic city!

Of course we visited many markets and parks, but we also took some time to hang out and simply take in the La Paz life. I have seen lots of changes in the 15 years since I was here last. Without a doubt there is still a lot of poverty, bit this seems a world away from suburbs like Sopocachi which abounds in lovely restaurants and funky cafes.

Central Park .. a view 'above' the rest ... La Paz.

La Paz by night.

La Paz has been described as chaotic, frenetic, dirty and dangerous, but we loved it! It charged our batteries and with a renewed zest, we were ready to move on. Coroico is usually the next stop on the tourist trail, which is what I did in 1999, but I had heard that it had become super-touristy. La Carretera de las Yungas, the road between La Paz and Coroico, is known as the most dangerous road in the world. I know! I did it! "It's estimated that 200 to 300 people travelling on it die each year. the thin road climbs jungle-clad mountains to a height of 4650 metres, winding and turning all the while with nauseatingly deep canyons below. Dozens of vehicles went off the road each year, and with vertical drops of up to 1000 metres over the edge , annual fatalities reached into the 100s". No thanks, been there done that. These days, it's mostly used by cyclists on Death Road cycle tours. Fortunately, there is an alternative road to Coroico ... some use it, some don't. I played Russian roulette on this road once and I was not going to do it again! Some things in life are to be repeated and some just are not!

Rooftop view, La Paz

Soooooooo, we looked at the map ... and chose Chulumani close by ... it would prove to be one of the best choices we made, and a South American highlight!

Ombi

"I have found that if you love life, life will love you back". – Arthur Rubinstein

Next: Chulumani and Lake Titicaca.

Street art.

Around La Paz.

Cholitas.

Cars, buildings and protests, La Paz.

Out and about in La Paz.

A night of entertainment.

Jaen Street.

Bolivia's sad past.

Artists draw it as it is! Or was!

Expanding La Paz.

Precarious living?

It's a hot air balloon? No, it's a cable car!

La Paz ... houses everywhere!

Cable cars run over the top of the entire city.

Evo ... patria o ratria?

Cable cars, La Paz.

La Paz just keeps growing!

Women looking for justice.

Everything's up for grabs at the El Alto market.

With our Swedish friends Sara and Mark at Arthy's Guesthouse.

Lucha Libre.

The La Paz shoe shine ninjas!

More street art.

Saying goodbye to Reuben at Arthy's.

View of La Paz at the top of the cable car line.

Shopping at El Alto.

Fruit juice anyone?

Cochabamba ... life's good at the top!

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Sun, 24 May 2015 16:11:00 +0000

Cochabamba street art.

On the way back from Toro Toro National Park we decided to stop in Cochabamba for a few days, seeing that we had to pass through it on the way to La Paz anyway. Besides, we had been told that it was Bolivia's food capital! Sold! Synchronicity! How I love it! We had only just arrived and found ourselves in the central plaza discussing potential places to stay, when we were greeted by Raquel. We had recently met Raquel and her husband in Samaipata. Lovely people, Raquel is a batik artist and Roy Querejazu Lewis is a university professor and Andean rock art specialist. Raquel invited us over for lunch the following day.

After lots of walking and checking of places (I am very fussy, I know!) we finally ended up at Hostal Colonial. The owners were never going to win the hospitality award, but it was a quiet, safe and comfortable place, which would serve us well for a few days. Good eating, relaxing and reading. A few years ago my wonderful friend, Linda Drew, gave me Eduardo Galeano's The Open Veins of Latin America to read. A book which analyses Latin America as a whole, I believe it's a must read for all Latinos and indeed anyone who is passionate about Latin America and its history. So, I bought the book in Spanish and thought I'd give it a crack! Amazing reading!

The next few days were really just about chilling out, eating good food, drinking good coffee (Bolivia has really impressed us!), partaking in one of my favourite pastimes (visiting markets, of course) and simply taking in the city sights.

Almost at the top!

We visited the Cristo de la Concordia, which effectively looks like Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. We caught a cable car to the top of Cerro (hill) de San Pedro, where the statue sits atop of and were offered sweeping views of Cochabamba and its surrounds. And here's a bit of information; both statues are 33 metres tall because Christ supposedly died when he was 33 years old. After some chill in' at the top, we took our time walking down.

It's a good life at the top!

View from the top!

More sweeping views from the top.

Meanwhile, back at the bottom, we did some exploring of the city!

A variety of potatoes!

Looking up to Cristo de la Concordia.

Cochabamba's central plaza by night.

Street art; what some had to say about the church!

Cochabamba's central plaza by night.

Bolivian weavings.

Veggies anyone?

Local bus.

Gorgeous little boy, sadly begging!

With Roy, Raquel and Mariel.

The highlight of our stay in Cochabamba was our lunch with Roy, Raquel and Raquel's daughter
Mariel. We had a wonderful time chatting about a multitude of things from politics to the many books Roy has written on rock art. He has even published a book on Bolivian flora. He gifted us two books and signed them both. These are the magical travellers minties moments!

Alex and Roy having a beer.

Roy's work in an Australian Rock Art journal.

The girls; Raquel, Mariel and I.

After a few truly wonderful days, it was time to move on. La Paz awaited us! I wondered how much it would have really changed since my last time here in 1999? But then I suppose a lot has changed since then! Last time I was in Bolivia I was only weeks away from meeting my soul mate and the love of my life in Ecuador. We have now forged a brilliant life together and are exploring the continent of his birthplace together. Ain't life grand!

Ombi

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it". – Michelangelo

Next: La Paz you did not fail to impress!

Always ready to take a good shot!

A room with a view, cable car to the Christ.

One of Cochabamba's many plazas.

Not everybody is having fun!

Goodbye coffee with Raquel.

Dedication: To Raquel and Roy. Meeting people like you is what makes our trip truly special! Thanks for offering us your friendship and an insight to your country that no guidebook could ever do.

Dedicación: Para Raquel y Roy. Encontrar gente como ustedes es lo que hace que nuestro viaje sea verdaderamente especial. Gracias por brindarnos su amistad y darnos una mirada adentro de su país que ninguna guía de viajes te pudiese haber dado.

Where the dinosaurs walked more than 120 million years ago!

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Fri, 15 May 2015 23:36:00 +0000

Toro Toro

In the streets of Toro Toro.

An overnight bus took us to Cochabamba, in central Bolivia, from where our plan was to go to Toro Toro National Park, 'relatively' close by. As can sometimes be the case in South America, we were sent to the wrong place, and had to back track in order to get to the right point. Oh well, at least we got to see some of Cochabamba along the way.

Toro Toro National Park is only 135 kilometres southeast of Cochabamba and its drawcard is its dinosaur tracks, spectacular geological formations, caves, hikes and ruins. We had met some travellers along the way who had told us that it's a Bolivian must-see, highlight and hidden gem as well as not being touristy. SOLD! We were also told that it's only accessible by bumpy gravel roads and riverbeds, which takes seven hours in the dry season and much longer in the rainy season when sometimes the road becomes totally impassable. Information on this place is scarce, as for many off-the-beaten-track places in South America, but we determined to do it!

That's a pretty big foot print!

Dinosaur foot prints.

Welcome to Toro Toro.

We finally did get to the 'place' where small pick-ups take you to Toro Toro ... when full! OK, so we had to wait a couple of hours, or three! Patience! All good things take time, or so they say. After making friends with a gorgeous French-Canadian lady called Audrey and her lovely partner and child, we were off. The road was bumpy (more like a dirt track ... OK gravel road!) and it took around five hours to cover approximately 140 kilometres. The town is tiny, barely a central plaza and a few surrounding streets. We searched for a place to sleep and found a basic, but clean place on the 'main drag', run by the delightful Maritza and her two year old Santiago. What the place did not have in mod-cons it made up for by the warmth of its host.

Toro Toro ... serene, tranquil, breathtaking!

Santiago.

Toro Toro National park protects a remote and sparsely inhabited stretch of the arid Bolivian Andes. It is the country's smallest national park but with a huge wow factor! What it lacks in size it makes up for with its powerful scenery and varied attractions. The park encompasses everything from hanging valleys to eroded canyons, ringed by low mountains whose twisted geological formations are strewn with fossils, dinosaur footprints and labyrinth limestone cave complexes. We spent a couple of days doing some day trips exploring the area and were well and truly blown away. The main attractions and indeed highlights are the limestone Umajallanta Caves and the waterfall-filled Torotoro Canyon.

Umajallanta Caves ... not for the fainthearted.

The caves most certainly were not for the faint-hearted. I was half-expecting an easy-going guided tour, but this was all about crawling on your hands and knees and doing in Bear Grylls style. After more than two hours I emerged a little shaky but truly blown away by the grandeur of what I had seen. In comparison, despite the dizzying height, the canyon was far more sedate and the Vergel waterfall and surrounds nothing short of spectacular ... and a lovely spot for a swim, might I add.

Umajallanta Caves ...window to another world.

Toro Toro Canyon.

On top of the world ... City of Itas.

City of Itas.

We also visited the City of Itas, 21 kilometres out of the town centre. At 3800 metres above sea level it is an area of majestic and huge rock formations which really does look like a city made of stone. Huge caverns with arches that look like baroque churches have been carved out by Mother Nature, but in parts there is evidence of 'human tampering' in the form of rock art. It was a drizzly day when we visited and so the overall feeling was simply one of majesty and grandeur. Without a doubt, this entire area has been a South American highlight. Still virtually unknown on the gringo-tourist-trail, I reckon this is the time to be here.

This has been without a doubt, a major highlight of our trip. Laid-back and lazy with very few 'tourist mod-cons' yet a veritable geological wonderland. When the tourists get a grip of this I am sure it will provide Machu Picchu with some decent rivalry!

Ombi

Bye, bye Santi ... off to our next destination!

"Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions". – Hafiz

Off to school.

City of Itas.

Morning walk.

The town with a splendiferous back drop.

Vergel Waterfall.

We did it! Umajallanta Caves.

Toro Toro life.

Toro Toro stroller.

This is the way we wash the clothes.

Alex and Santi.

Out and about.

Toro Toro local guide.

Land of the dinosaurs.

On our way to Toro Toro Canyon.

City of Itas.

I want to ride my bicycle.

Walk to Vergel Waterfal.

One of the locals.

Coming down ... to tropical Bolivia!

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 12:18:00 +0000

Sleepy Samaipata.

We were umming and ahhing about where to go to next. I had done much of the Andean side of Bolivia all those years ago and wanted to also see some things that I had not seen before. A tip off on Samaipata; sub-tropical climate, not that far from Sucre and set in the stunning wilderness in the foothills of the Cordillera Oriental (parallel mountain range to the Bolivian Andes). And at 1650 metres above sea level. I repeat 1650 metres above sea level!!! That may not seem like a big deal, but considering that we had spent the last several weeks in very high altitude (equals cold and hard to breathe) this was a more than appealing option. Next destination SOLD! Buses being buses in Bolivia, we arrived at our destination at 4am. Luckily it was a small and safe enough place for us to hang around in until dawn broke and the hour was reasonable enough for us to go and look for some accommodation.

We finally settled on La Posada del Sol. We only stayed a night as we felt that it was overpriced for what it offered. A gringo(foreigner)/local partnership, perhaps they had gotten a little too comfortable and forgotten about what really mattered. You couldn't do this and you couldn't do that; it was totally geared at money, money. And don't, I repeat don't do your own laundry! Having said that, we did meet a wonderful couple at the cafe there; Roy and Raquel from Cochabamba. Roy was a professor and specialist in Andean rock art and Raquel a batik artist. Really lovely people whom we spent hours chatting to.

We ended up spending the next few days at the friendly, family-run Residencial Kim. Basic and clean rooms with a lovely courtyard and kitchen (always a deal-clincher for me) with lovely and helpful staff.

Fresh fruit at Residencial Kim.

Samaipata.

Yum!

The place to see in Samaipata is the mystical pre-Inca site of El Fuerte, or the Fort. Just an uphill from the village but most easily accessed by public transport. We had also made some new English friends at La Posada, so we decided to go along together.

With Cat and John on the way to El Fuerte.

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 1998, it is not actually a military fortification, but is generally considered a Pre-Columbian religious site built by the Chane people, a pre-Inca culture of Arawak origin. The sculptured rock is known as one of the most impressive examples of rock art in the world. Extremely well kept it took us a couple of hours to walk around and take it all in.

Sweeping views of Samaipata.

El Fuerte.

Up close and personal.

A Room with a View.

El Fuerte.

Perspective, El Fuerte.

Samaipata flora.

Beautiful Samaipata.

Next stop, a couple of days in tropical Santa Cruz. Many years back we met a Bolivian/ English couple in Melbourne, who now live back in England (love to you both Raquel and Bodhi); Raquel's family hail from Santa Cruz. We told Raquel we'd go visit them, but she insisted that we go stay. All I can say is that her parents, Emma and Angel, have got to be two of the most hospitable people I have ever met, and that goes for all of Raquel's family, who simply could not do enough for us in the few days that we were there. Angel went out of his way to cook for us, and various family members to show us around. And the mangoes from the tree in the backyard ... OMG! These are the 'travelling magic moments'!

Climate wise, what a difference from the Bolivia we had seen thus far, it was both hot and humid. And so we spent the next few days just hanging out with the family; a relaxing difference from the usual sight to sight that we have been doing over the last few months.

Plaza 24 de Septiembre.

Plaza 24 de Septiembre by night, with the cathedral in the background.

With Raquel's mum Emma, sister Lorena and little niece Mishell.

Thanks for cooking for us Master Chef Angel.

Showing us around Santa Cruz.

A day trip to Porongo with the family.

Yucca pancakes (tortillas) in Pongo.

Alex getting ready to eat sonsos, made of yucca.

In Rio Pirai.

Angel with little Mishell.

Saying goodbye to the family.

With the emblem of Bolivia, painted by Angel.

At the Santa Cruz bus terminal ... baby it's hot inside!

And so another adventure had come to an end. To see and experience new and different things is great, but it's really the people that you meet that make that experience extra special. With a smile on our faces, off we went to our next destination. Cochabamba and Toro Toro here we come.

Ombi

Next: National Park Toro Toro (one of Bolivia's hidden secrets) and Cochabamba.

Dedication: To the wonderful, wonderful Burgos family who let us into their home and treated us like their family. You went out of your way to feed us and show us as much as you could in the few days that we were in Santa Cruz. We want you to know how much we appreciate your kind, warm and loving gestures. You will always occupy a very special place in our hearts. Angel and Emma your family should be honoured to have you!

Dedicacion: Para la linda, linda familia Burgos, que nos permitieron entrar su hogar nos trataron como su propia familia. Hicieron de todo , darnos de comer y mostrarnos la ciudad y alrededor en los pocos días que pasamos en Santa Cruz. Queremos que sepan que apreciamos muchísimo sus buenos, calurosos y amorosos gestos. Siempre ocuparan un lugar muy especial en nuestros corazones. Angel y Emma su familia deben estar honrados de tenerlos en sus vidas.

"Don't count the things you do, do the things that count." – Zig Ziglar

On a high!

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Fri, 06 Feb 2015 01:40:00 +0000

Potosi.

Colonial Potosi.

Very high, actually, Potosi is arguably the world's highest city, at 4090 metres above sea level. Even then the nearby Cerro Potosi dominates the landscape. It's a place where it's exercise just breathing and headaches are the order of the day, as the body tries to adjust to much less oxygen. Having said that, the Salt Flats most certainly gave Potosi a run for its money. In this high altitude panadol and I have been besties! And that's coming from the gal who hates to use any medicine unless there is no other option!

Potosi, with Cerro Rico in the background.

Potosi is a lovely place to just hang around and take it easy. The two main things it is renowned for is its silver mines and the National Mint (Casa de la Moneda). As I have gotten older, there are just some things I can't do anymore, the mines being one of them. I did the tour in 1999 and was not going to do it again. Also known as Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain), the peak's huge supply of silver has led to both immense riches and appalling suffering. I simply was not prepared to view those appalling conditions, which I viewed in 1999, again! If you have time, it is worth taking a look at what conditions look like today.

The Mint (La Casa de la Moneda).

We partook in a three hour guided tour of the Mint (also known as the Mint of Potosi in the colonial era). It is famous right across the Americas as it is the mint from which most of the silver shipped from the Spanish Main came. Potosi's first mint was constructed in 1572; its replacement (this one) is a vast and striking building that takes up an entire city block! It was built between 1753 and 1773 to control the minting of colonial coins. The history we were provided with was mind-blowing; tragic on so many levels, especially the number of black and indigenous slaves who died working there, all in the name of money. Pun intended! Without a doubt, a Potosi 'must see'!

Inside the Mint.

The Mint; constructed between 1753 and 1773.

Potosi architecture.

The streets of Potosi.

I love the street life in Bolivia, and Potosi is no exception. I am a sucker for markets, I admit that. But I have to say, Bolivian markets aren't for the faint of heart.

Negotiating my veggie fix in Potosi ...

... when all of a sudden I turned around and saw Billy Goat Gruff!

The locals doing their meat shopping.

Word of mouth is a great thing, and someone told us about the Eye of the Inca (El Ojo del Inca), a natural warm water lagoon only a short bus ride out of Potosi. Along with some new friends from Mexico and Germany, we jumped on a bus and took off for the day. It was a 20 minute walk from where we were dropped off by the bus and we spent a pleasant few hours there. It's supposed to be 25 metres deep and even at the edge it drops 1.5 metres, so watch out if you can't swim! South America doesn't really do life jackets either!

El Ojo del Inca.

Taking a swim.

With Jana and 'Brujo Intenso".

Alex with Jana and 'el Brujo Intenso'.

Livin' La Vida Loca! El Ojo del Inca.

Walking to a thermal springs town close to Ojo del Inca ...

... where the water's very hot!

Potosi by night.

A little bit of llama meat anyone?

Next on the list was the delightful city of Sucre; nowhere near as high as Potosi, but still high at 2810 metres above sea level. It delighted in 1999, and it delighted all over again in 2014. Alex loved it! We had the absolute pleasure of staying in the serene and clean Wasi Masi Guest House, run by Roxana and Fabio, and with a whole heap of equally happy and helpful staff members, including the gorgeous Miriam. What was originally meant to be a stay of a couple of days, ended up being a week. We had a type of ensuite room with a super comfy bed, private shower, TV room, small kitchen and balcony. We were in heaven! A vegetarian's dream come true ... we milked those markets, bought loads of fresh produce and cooked till we dropped.

Genteel Sucre.

Proud, genteel Sucre really is Bolivia's most beautiful city. It is the symbolic heart of the nation. It was here that independence was proclaimed, and while La Paz is now the seat of government and treasury, Sucre is recognised in the constitution as the nation's capital. A glorious collage of white-washed buildings with gorgeous patios and cobble-stoned streets, the government has (sensibly!) placed strict controls on development. This has indeed kept Sucre Bolivia's poster child. It was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1991.

Recoleta lookout, Sucre.

The cobble-stoned streets of Sucre.

Recoleta lookout, Sucre.

Playing in the rain, Recoleta plaza with monastery in background.

Sucre by night.

In Sucre, we took the time to walk around and take it all in. We found a great place called Metro Cafe, which made excellent coffee, so we went there often.

Chicha; a popular, fermented Bolivian alcoholic drink.

Not all is good in the land of Sucre!

Flower seller.

With Miriam's daughter.

A fresh juice from the market.

Bolivian mask.

Whilst in Sucre, we also were able to observe the Day of the Dead, celebrated on 31 October. It's a holiday observed in many Latin cultures and focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. This often takes place in the actual cemeteries.

Drummer, Day of the Dead.

Inside the Cemetary, Day of the Dead.

Paying homenage, Day of the Dead.

We also decided to go on a day trip to Tarabuco on the Day of the Dead, which wasn't such a smart move. A small, predominantly indigenous village 65 kilometres southeast of Sucre, it is known for its colourful weavings and sprawling Sunday market. We went on the Sunday, but it was virtually desolate ... it was the Day of the Dead ... quite literally!

The desolate Tarabuco Sunday market.

The Tarabuco locals.

Still a few people from the surrounding countryside, Tarabuco.

Tarabuco artwork.

And like all good things, Sucre too was coming to an end. We had relaxed in a beautiful city, cooked great food in 'our' kitchen, made some great friends at our hostel, drank great coffee, and witnessed and partook in some cultural events.

Saying goodbye to our friends at Wasi Masi.

Until we meet again!

Thanks for a wonderful stay in Sucre.

Ombi

Next: Samaipata, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba.

"Our lives begin to end the day that we become silent about things that matter" – Martin Luther King

Bolivia blows us away!

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 16:06:00 +0000

THIS is life!

Second time around, Bolivia was as beautiful as the first, when I first visited it in 1999. Still rustic, still raw, still very beautiful! It truly does have some of the most spectacular scenery on this earth. We had such an amazing time, so much so that that I had no time to write, or at least I did not make the time ... way too busy enjoying ourselves! So, in the next couple of blogs I hope that I can delight you with some brilliant pictures that will tell the story that my fingers have not had the time to type.

We crossed the border from Argentina into Bolivia at Villazon, and made our way directly to Tupiza, only a couple of hours up north. Wow, amazing how a border can make such a difference. This is Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) country! At 3160 metres above sea level, it's pretty high ... having said that we spent a lot of our time in Bolivia in high altitude ... where the breathing's tough, but the views spectacular!

Tranquil, relaxed Tupiza provided us with some great market experiences, relaxing walks, new friends and the organisation of our four day trip through the Salares de Uyuni (Salt Flats of Uyuni) and the Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa, through Valle Hermoso where we both stayed as well as organised our tour. I can highly recommend both the lodging and the tour. Starting in Tupiza we would finish up in the town of Uyuni. Along with Mathilde (France), Andrew(Australia) and DaniloFunks (our Swiss rapper!) we set off on the journey of a life time.

We're on the road to somewhere ... come on inside!

It's all about Evo, Villazon.

Tupiza life.

Daily life in Tupiza.

With its raw energy and constantly high altitudes, Bolivia is not for everyone but we were rewarded at every hair-pin turn, every nook and cranny ... Bolivia, scenery wise, you are the jewel in the crown! On our Uyuni tour, we spent all of our time above 3000 metres above sea level, even reaching close to 5000 at times. The wow factor was a constant!

Tupiza, Bolivia.

Tupiza.

Street art, Villazon.

Potatoes in their many varieties, Tupiza.

Orange juice with our favourite French gal, Mathilde.

Definitely good fruit in Bolivia.

Great views from Cerro Corazon de Jesus, Tupiza.

Not everyone's life is easy, Tupiza.

Chillin', Tupiza.

Tupiza.

And so we were off!

And the journey begins ...

The beginning of four days of fun and adventure.

We're on the road to somewhere ... come on inside!

Green Lake (Laguna Verde)

Laguna Colorada, and the gorgeous flamingos.

Guanacos.

Incahuasi Island surges out of a sea of salt.

Just passing through a small village.

Four days of a string of magic moments; lakes of every colour and description, geysers, hot springs, spectacular sunrises, blow-your-socks-off sunsets, seas of salt, islands rising out of the salt rather than the sea, warm nights in cold places, cold nights in even colder places, wildlife particular to the area.

Llamas.

Always make time to have a laugh!

Flat tyre on route ...

Vizcacha ... odd little thing!

It's a big, wide world out there.

Laguna Colorada.

Random! How technology has changed our world.

Laguna Colorada.

Dali's rocks ... Eduardo Alvaroa National Park.

Uyuni Ninjas ... with Andrew.

Dan, Andrew and Mathilde ... awesome travel mates!

The Travellers at Uyuni

Long live Ecuador!

Hotel made of salt.

Uyuni Salt Flats.

This is the life!

A little bit of vegemite ... please!

Danilo funks ... oops, jumps!

The Salt Flats; nature doing its thing.

Laguna Colorada ... where alpacas and flamingos meet.

Laguna Colorada.

Geysers.

The bubbling geysers.

Cold weather, hot springs!

Llama stand off.

Life in a cold, remote village.

It was altitude all the way in most of Bolivia.

Ghost Town (Pueblo Fantasma).

And finally ... back in Uyuni!

And 'Asi es la Vida!' (Such is Life!) ... my friends!

Bye, bye Uyuni, our next Bolivian adventure awaits us!

This was only the beginning of seven spectacular weeks in Bolivia! The pictures speak louder than my words ever could ... and that is most certainly saying something!

Ombi

Next: Potosi and Sucre.

"You don't travel to escape from life. You travel so that life does not escape you."

"No se viaja para escapar de la vida. Se viaja para que la vida no se escape."

The even wilder north of Argentina

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 14:46:00 +0000

On the bus, on the way to Jujuy.

We had to do one more 'city' to do in the north of Argentina, surely? Hmmmm, OK San Salvador de Jujuy, otherwise known as Jujuy. Besides, I had not been here in 1999, and I was trying to throw in a little bit of new as well as revisiting with Alex many of the splendid places I had already visited. Juyuy is also renowned as the national capital of Pacha Pacha Mama, or Mother Earth. Apparently this is the place where you start to feel the real proximity to Bolivia. Apart from food that seems more Andean (like locro, humitas and sopa de mani) than Argentina's pizza, pasta and meat show, I cannot say that I really felt this. I did like Jujuy though. It felt more like a big town than a city to me. I loved its markets and its buzzy atmosphere. It was a nice place to relax for a couple of days, as we knew that we were well and truly on the way out of the country, but we still had a few places to go.

When in doubt, take all roads!

North of Jujuy the road snakes its way through the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a painter's palette of colour on barren hillsides and small hamlets that communities ofQuechua speakers call home. This route is also part of the infamous Inca Trail, the route that the Incas both carved out and took from the north to the south of the continent (effectively from Colombia to Santiago de Chile) all those years ago. There were three places that we were deciding on doing in the Quebrada; we could not decide, so needless to say, we did all three! Purmamarca, Tilcara and Humahuaca, in that order.

Purmamarca.

Having fun in Purmamarca.

Purmamarca is renowned for its Cerro de Siete Colores or the Hill of Seven Colours, which literally sits behind the tiny town. As the bus rolled into town, I was blown away by the number of buses and cars I saw parked, quite literally, everywhere! My, my how this tiny town had changed since 1999. The Quebrada de Humahuaca, incorporating Purmamarca, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003. Such an act has clearly increased the interest of both national and international tourism to the area. There were people ... everywhere! The central town square was crawling with vendors and tourists. Eek! It just seemed like the Disneyland of the Quebrada to me. Having said that, nobody can take away from the beauty of its surrounds, and I tried to focus on that. Accommodation, and particularly budget accommodation, still has a long way to go. We checked into a place called Mama Coca, but had to leave at 10pm as the chain smoking owners had us gasping for air. They were also both particularly rude when we politely approached them about feeling like we were being gassed!

With Naty and Marcelo of Alta Montana.

Tilcara followed Purmamarca. This area features even more dramatic mountainous landscapes that are very rich in aboriginal/ indigenous traditions. I love people and culture and it was just getting better the further north we went. We hung out here for a few days in the amazing Alta Montana Hostal. The owners, Marcelo and Naty made us feel at home, and in no time at all we were sitting on the porch together sipping mate. We 'shared' the hostel with a big group of kids in their final year of high school from Cordoba. The school was Colegio Maestro Diehl; a music/arts school. They were on an end of year gig, which included playing instruments and singing with some of the local schools and communities. They were awesome, awesome kids! Open-minded, friendly, polite, courteous and fun, Alex and I built an amazing rapport with them over the several days we were there.

Chewing coca leaves with Horacio Galan.

One of the highlights of our trip to Tilcara was our walk with amazing local guide, Horacio Galan (if you go to Tilcara, look him up via Alta Montana Hostal). He took us on a walk through the countryside, including some steep uphill climbs, amazing caves (Cuevas de Waira) and breathtaking views. As we had been slowly moving up north the elevation was also creeping up slowly; in Tilcara it was 2465 metres above sea level. Horacio bought us some coca leaves (widely used in northern Argentina and Bolivia) and explained how they helped combat altitude and altitude sickness. After this walk I was sold and they would prove to be invaluable in the high altitudes of southern Bolivia later on!

Another Tilcara highlight was the walk culminating in the Garganta del Diablo, or Devil's Throat. A geographical feature formed by the movement of teutonic plates, it is now a deep chasm or gorge, and a walk further along the track leads you to a gorgeous waterfall. There is much evidence of aquatic life here, as in fossils of trilobites. Like a lot of the surrounding area, this was once under water. No trip to Tilcara, however, would really be complete without visiting El Pucara, a pre-Inca fortification strategically located on a hill, just out of town. Of course, we decided to do this on the same day as the walk to the Devil's Throat! When we got back to the hostal we were dead!

Trekking with Horacio.

Happy Birthday to Ombi!

We have been lucky in Argentina to find hostels and accommodation with kitchens, so we have been
able to do a lot of cooking. The fruit and veggies from the markets have been excellent. It has also been relatively easy to find grains and pulses such as lentils, chick peas and quinoa (although the latter is ridiculously expensive; more so than in Australia). Alta Montana had a particularly good kitchen. I also spent my birthday here; pretty laid back. Naty made me a rice flour cake and surprised me by singing me Happy Birthday later that night. I was going to miss her and Marcelo; they had been truly awesome!

It was finally time to go, and Humahuaca would be our final destination in Argentina. The kids from Colegio Maestro Diehl would also be going to Humahuaca ... hugs all around as they asked us to look them up when we got there. I liked Humahuaca as soon as we arrived. It had the small-town feel and beautiful scenery of Purmamarca without the throngs of tourists. We found a gorgeous little place to stay called Waira; small, comfortable, homely and with excellent staff. With the northern Argentine landscape providing one spectacular backdrop better then the next, Humahuaca was no different. The Hill of Seven Colours move over ... here we have the Mountains of 14 colours! Despite the fact that the last weeks had provided us with more layers of colour than we had ever seen before, how could we not do the hills with 14!?

The mountains of 14 colours, Humahuaca.

Of course we did it! We went with a local elder in his truck who was super-knowledgeable and gave us a lot of history about the area. The windy road up was almost as spectacular as the final destination (thank heavens for those coca leaves, it was pretty high!) The mountains of the14 colours are known as Hornocal. It was a beautiful spot to breathe in (quite literally!), sit down and just take it all in! So often, here in the north, I have found myself taking in the spectacular beauty and being thankful that I am able to do this. I am well aware that so many are not!

The town itself is small, but still a wander around is very revealing. Very close to the Bolivian

The kids from Colegio Maestro Diehl, Humahuaca.

border, Humahuaca certainly has a different feel and vibe, from the people's faces to the food! We caught up again with the kids from Colegio Maestro Diehl, and hung out with them at their hostel. Seriously, lovely, lovely kids! They would be leaving a day before us! Their ways, personalities and drive had so impressed Alex and I that we decided to give them a farewell speech at their dinner (before catching the bus back to Cordoba that night). I spoke in English (many of them had excellent English) and Alex in Spanish. Many of them cried, and each and every one of them hugged us both. They told us how great it had been meeting us and that we were an inspiration to them! One girl grabbed me before I left and told me that although she knew that she could 'do it', how important it was to hear it from us, that 'each and every one of them was able to achieve if they believed in and followed their dream.' Wow! As we walked away and waved goodbye, I had a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. To make a difference in someone's life is one of the greatest gifts! Since saying goodbye, many of these kids have contacted us personally to tell us how wonderful it was to meet us, and how inspirational we were to them. Honoured, that is the only word to describe how I feel!

The end of the Argentine line! La Quiaca.

So, the time had come, Bolivia was around the corner! Well, perhaps over the hill! La Quiaca is truly the end of the line; 5171kilometres north of Ushuaia, Argentina's most southern point, and a world apart. Our only mission here was to spend the last of our pesos and cross over into Bolivia. We found this pretty flawless, actually. A bag full of goodies later, we were exiting Argentina and ... Bolivia here we come!

Ombi

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind". – Bernard M. Baruch

Next: The tranquility of Tupiza and the breathtaking Salt Flats of Uyuni.

On the way to San Juan de Jujuy.

San Juan city centre.

A bit of Dulce de Leche?

Hugging a llama!

Purmamarca.

A tiny town amidst spectacular hills; Purmamarca.

Alta Montanita Hostal, Humahuaca.

Soccer, Humahuaca.

The students of Maestro Diehl College, Cordoba.

Stream; Tilcara.

El Pucara, pre-Incan fortification, Tilcara.

Cactus, Tilcara.

Waira Cave, Tilcara.

Some meat in San Juan.

Waira Cave, inside.

Cacti, Tilcara.

Humahuaca street art.

Humahuaca.

The mountains of 14 colours.

Transport in La Quiaca.

The last pesos go on an ice-cream ... of course!

The adventure continues.

Goodbye Argentina!

Trekking, Tilcara.

Ombi's homemade lentil stew.

Chillin' at Alta Montana, Tilcara.

Humahuaca town centre.

May there be peace and love.

The wild, wild ... north ... of Argentina

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 15:06:00 +0000

Amaicha del Valle.

Although Amaicha del Valle (in the Calchaquies Valley)is only a short bus ride from Tafi del Valle, it may as well be another world away. It's the first place (heading north) that starts to feel a little bit less Argentine, a little bit more rural, a little bit more indigenous and a little bit more like Bolivia! I love that! In my opinion, it is the most visually spectacular part of the country. In Amaicha resides the only indigenous community in northern Argentina that has still conserved its Diaguita culture; ancestral traditions and Mother Earth (Pacha Mama) rules here. It has a lovely, relaxed and safe vibe. You feel it as soon as you enter the small village. Not many tourists either, which is part of the reason we chose it. We stayed in a place called Pacha Cuty; basic, clean and no locks on the door. Yes, no locks on any of the doors! That's unheard of. That's just the way it is there. I was a bit wary because, as a traveller, you just don't do that. But we followed suit, and had no problems whatsoever.

Pachamama Museum.

We had a couple of very laid back days here. I felt like I had been dropped off in the middle of wild, wild west ... well, north! Part of our deal at the hostel included dinner, and the hosts went out of their way to make me vegetarian and us wheat-free food. All exceptionally tasty You are a great chef Juan. Apart from chilling we did manage to see the Pachamama (Mother Earth) Museum. This museum was designed by the painter and sculptor, Hector Cruz, who apart from displaying his wares wanted to describe and present the culture of the people that once lived here.

The Quilmes Ruins.

Hitching a ride with the locals.

We also visited the Quilmes Ruins, the ruins of a pre-Hispanic settlement, not too far out of Amaicha. With no real organised transport out there we got a taxi. Although the ruins have been considerably reconstructed, the views and walks around the area are phenomenal and the place rich in history. The natives who lived here were conquered as slaves, and were taken to the Quilmes district in a Buenos Aires suburb 1500 kilometres away. Very dry and dusty, we walked the five kilometres back to the main road, and with no buses or taxis in sight, managed to hitch the short ride home with some locals. In their beaten up truck we stopped at a few places along the way including the guy's father's house and the lady's grandma. You can't pay for these experiences.

Waterfalls near Cafayate.

Next up was the spectacular Cafayate. The Quebrada de Cafayate, it is not only surrounded by some of Argentina's best vineyards, but also with some of its most spectacular scenery. The place has lots of wineries and other amazing things to see. A lot of it can be done on foot and although there are certainly lots of tourists it manages to keep a small-town feel and charm. We hit the jackpot withHostal Benjamin, a little place close to the city centre and with our own kitchen. I always love a good kitchen! We bumped into Milton, an Argentine backpacker, that we had briefly met on our way back from the Quilmes Ruins, and hung out together for the next few days. The three of us did a guided walk through an area with a number of waterfalls. Some bits were hard, and a little scary for me, but between the guide, Alex and Milton, I did it!

Riding through the Gorge of the Shells.

The highlight however, without a doubt, was the bicycle ride through the part of the Quebrada de Quebrada de las Conchas (Gorge of the Shells, so known as millions of years ago it was all underwater, and today fossils of shells are scattered throughout). The three of us hired bicycles and caught a bus 50 kilometres away from Cafayate, to then cycle back towards it, through the Martian-like landscape. This area is the backdrop to distinctive sandstone landforms such as the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), El Anfiteatro (Amphitheatre), El Sapo (toad) and los Castillos (Castles). Zipping along from one place to the next was mind-blowingly exhilarating! The last five kilometres, however, was also mind-blowingly tough on our butts! After a full day, and having had a brilliant time, we got back to Cafayate totally spent! We stopped at the first place we could find water and skulled it like people dying of thirst in the desert. We certainly got some weird looks from the locals.
Cafayate known as

Beautiful Cafayate.

We were finding it hard to leave Cafayate as it was so laid-back, relaxed and beautiful. We also managed another guided walk through an area with a local lady from the Diaguita community. She showed us some rock paintings, told us about her people and also explained how the local plants were used medicinally by her community. She also talked about the 'evils' of modern-day food such as wheat and sugar and went on to tell us that her great grandmother had lived until the age of 111! Food for thought, so to speak! Although not wine-buffs, we did also try the local torrontes wine and visit the excellent wine museum.

Arrow Gorge.

We had heard about a little place called Cachi further up north. Apparently not so easy to get to Quebrada de las Flechas (Arrow Gorge). Part one OK, part 2???? We landed in tiny Angastaco, there were no tourists ... and there was one truck willing to take us solo to Cachi ... at a hefty price of course, as we had nobody to share with. What to do? We ended up hitching a ride in the back of a Hi-Lux. Before we even had the chance to actually hitch a ride, we saw two couples walking towards their car. We went over, introduced ourselves, had a chat, and before we knew it we were sitting in the back of the truck with all of their suitcases, shoes, newly acquired cacti ... and the wind (and dust!) blowing through our hair as we took the spectacular but fairly isolated dirt road to Cachi! Yeee haa!
It's rather difficult without your own transport, but well worth it if you can. Of course we figured we'd give it a crack! We were told that we would be able to get a bus to Angastaco, only a couple of hours away, and that from there we could find smaller trucks that, when full, would take you the rest of the way. The ride to Angastaco was windy, but yet again, spectacular!

On the way to Cachi.

What can I say? What an experience! We got to see a few off the beaten track places that we would not have otherwise seen, especially the Artesans' route, where we actually got to see women weaving everything from scarves to ponchos. As buses do not come this way, there are far fewer tourists than elsewhere. We even got to meet the wife (husband now deceased) who had woven and presented the Argentine Pope with a poncho.

The Artisans' Route.

We finally made it to Cachi by dusk; totally covered in dust but very happy campers! We thanked our new friends profusely for allowing us to come for the ride. But it wasn't over yet ... we had to find a place to sleep. Alex waited with the backpacks, and the Queen of Clean (moi!) was off ... I had a clean room and comfortable bed to find! As I walked around and checked a few places out I admired the quaint little town with its gorgeous colonial architecture. This would be a great place to chill for a day or so. We ended up at the clean and comfortable Hotel Nevado de Cachi. Luxurious it was not, but clean, safe, well-priced and with comfortable beds it was. A shower had never felt so good! The dirt and dust ... it was everywhere! Even after we were all polished up, we were exhausted. With no communal kitchen in this place, we decided to try Viracocha Restaurant across the road. We were pleased with the quality of the food, but as usual (with touristy places!) we felt the portion sizes could have been a little more generous. Clean and fed, there was only one thing left at the end of this long and arduous day ... bed!

Cachi by day.

Cachi.

There's not a lot to do in this spectacularly beautiful town, but that's part of the charm really. We did stop in at the local archaeological museum as well as went for a walk to the cemetery on top of the hill. Other than that we wandered, relaxed, drank coffee and observed. That's the life, hey!

We were beginning to feel that we were never going to leave Argentina. In the north it's spectacular views one day, even more brilliant ones the next!

Ombi

"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it". –Robin Williams

Next: Wrapping up in Argentina; San Salvador de Jujuy and the Quebrada de Humahuaca.

The Quilmes Ruins.

Pachamama Museum.

The eternal backpackers ... Amaicha del Valle.

In Amaicha del Valle.

We were not the only ones enjoying the Quilmes Ruins.

In life ... you have to smile!

In Pacha Cuty Hostal, Amaicha del Valle.

Next destination?

The vineyards of Cafayate.

Cafayate.

Mural, Cafayate.

Spot the llama! Cafayate.

Mural, Cafayate.

Cafayate.

Home cooking, Cafayate.

The walk to the waterfalls, Cafayate.

We made it! The waterfalls of Cafayate.

With Milton; waterfalls, Cafayate.

Out and about in Cafayate.

Cafayate.

Rock painting; with Gabriela of the Diaguita community.

Billy Goat Gruff in Cafayate.

The Devil's Throat, Gorge of the Shells.

What a ride!

Alex does his thing.

Cemetery at Cachi.

Cachi.

One spectacular view after another; with Milton.

Life is for living.

This is the way!

We did it ... 50 kilometre ride!

Cafayate town.

Riding on the back of the Hi Lux to Cachi.

Zapatista Ombi.

The Artisans' Route.

Thanks for the ride guys!

Alex enjoying a drink at Viracocha Restaurant.

Leaving Amaicha del Valle.

The Old Mates Tour Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 03:55:00 +0000

Dinosaurs ... alive and kicking!

When I had been here in 1999 I had done a day trip out to Valley of the Moon from San Juan, but this time we decided to go out and stay there so we could explore the area properly and over a few days. It had always left a really big impression on me and I wanted to share it with Alex. We made our way to the relaxed, green little village of Valle Fertil, 250 kilometres northeast of San Juan and set amid colourful hills and rivers, from where we would do our adventuring. We ended up at the Campo Base (Valle de la Luna) Hostelling International Hostel. It was a small, yet fun hostel where we met and made some great friends, and also hung out with them over the next few days.

The two main trips to do from Valle Fertil are the Valley of the Moon (Valle de la Luna) which is formally known as Ischigualasto Triassic Park and Talampaya National Park. Both are, in a word, incredible! After a day of wandering around the town, and taking it easy, we set out on a couple of adventures.

The Bocce Field.

The Valley of the Moon was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, as it's one of the most important fossil reserves in the world. Move over Jurassic Park! Here we are talking Triassic, and this place is home to some of the oldest fossil remains on earth, dating back some 230 million years (unless, of course, you believe that man walked with dinosaurs 2000 years ago!) The eerie landscape, constituting years of erosion, is what has given the park its memorable name. It really does resemble a lunar landscape. Over three hours and 40 kilometres we saw numerous natural rock formations like 'the worm', 'the mushroom', 'the submarine', 'the Sphinx' and 'the bocce field'. Not to mention the mind-blowing landscape that was the backdrop. It was possibly the bocce field that had me most intrigued; this area has perfectly polished spheres made of the same material as the soil, and there is no explanation for their formation. Yet again, I could only admire and keep telling myself how truly fortunate I was to be able to see this!

Talampaya National Park.

Run for your life!!!!

The next day we visited Talampaya National Park, known as the Talampaya Canyon, which was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Whist this park too has numerous fossil remains, the main attraction are the gorges and rock formations with walls of up to 150 metres high, narrowing to 80 metres at one point. A guided tour took us through a series of rock formations, (The Monkey, The Gothic Cathedral), a botanical garden, petroglyphs and even a botanical garden. Nature truly astounds!

In Tucuman with Pepe.

And so, with some more spectacular sights under our belt, the Old Mates Tour was to continue. Next San Miguel de Tucuman, or simply Tucuman, as the locals call it, to see my friend Pepe and his family. A friendship forged in Rio Gallegos in 1999, in the very south of Argentina, I would then visit him and his family several months later as I continued my trip upwards through the continent. I stayed with Pepe and his parents then, and I was returning to do the same. Unfortunately it would be without his wonderful Dad, Antonio, who has since passed away. Pepe was to meet us at the bus terminal. Once again a very emotional reunion it was. I ran off the bus and Pepe and I embraced as Alex looked on and took some photos. I was speechless, and my eyes teared up as I hugged Pepe, who is like a brother to me. We just hugged for a few minutes and, in-between tears, I introduced him to Alex. It was like no time had passed.
we were off to

With Flora and Pepe.

Pepe had taken a couple of hours off work (he is a teacher) so that he could take us back to his place. As we sat in the taxis the memories came flooding back ... the people, the places, how wonderfully I had been treated by his family, how they had made me feel loved, how they had loved me! In no time we were at Pepe's house, and it was more hugs and tears all around as I hugged Flora (Pepe's mum), who told me how great it was to have a member of the family back again. Her daughter had come back to visit her!

With our Tucuman Family.

Pepe had to go back to work, so we spent the afternoon with Flora chatting and reminiscing. What a beautiful, kind lady. Despite the fact that she was in her 80s and ill, she gave up her double bed for us. I insisted no, she insisted (harder than us!) yes! We spent a brilliant week in Tucuman, chilling and catching up with the rest of the 'family'; Pepe's Aunt Dali and his cousin Mari, Mari's son Danny and partner Fernando, Anita ( a good friend of theirs who was really like family) and her family. That very same afternoon Anita came screaming through the house with a big hug for me. The Gringa Loca (crazy foreigner) had come back and this time with a bit more than a shaved head! That night we went to visit Dali and the family. More hugs and tears. Feeling very loved!

Asado with the family.

Flora went out of her way to cook me a range of vegetarian dishes which were absolutely delicious. Although Pepe had to work, we spent as much time as we could with him; dinners with his aunt, afternoon tea with Anita and her family, (another!) big asado (BBQ) at Mari and Fernando's house just outside of town. That was on a Sunday, as is the norm in Argentina; they raise show horses, so that was the backdrop to our all-day eating! They say that Tucuman is a big city with a small town feel. Well, yes and no! Unfortunately, it also has a reputation of not being so safe. We most certainly got that vibe, but were our usual, vigilant selves. We did walk into the city centre on several occasions during the day, taking in the sights, having good (well, not as good as Melbourne!) coffee and just generally chilling out.

Bye, bye Flora, we will miss you!

The week passed before we knew it. Mari and Fernando had invited us out to their holiday house at Tafi del Valle. Only 126 kilometres from Tucuman, this pretty little town, overlooking a lake, is where folks from Tucuman come in summer. That would be perfect as we were planning to go there on the Monday anyway. In this way, we could do it together and then keep moving. Unfortunately Pepe would not be able to come as he had hurt his ankle and had been ordered total rest and relaxation by his doctor. Mari would come and pick up up on the Saturday afternoon. We packed our backpacks on the Saturday morning and slowly said our goodbyes to Flora and Pepe. This was proving to be really hard. Finally the time came, and Mari came to pick us up. I hugged Pepe with gusto, and then hugged Flora even harder. I told them both that I loved them. "I love you too", Flora told me. As I jumped in the car and waved goodbye, I bawled my eyes out. You see, Flora has advanced breast cancer, and I probably will not see her again.

At the holiday house in Tafi del Valle.

Mari is very close to her aunt, and we chatted about this in the car. These people are my family. They have treated me with the love and respect that some of my own blood have not afforded me. I always hold special people close to my heart. We had a wonderful two days at Tafi. We ate, slept, went for drives and hung out. Peaceful, tranquil and relaxing ... before our adventure would continue.

In no time at all, it was time to say goodbye to Mari and Fernando as well. Where had the time gone? On Monday they dropped us off at the small bus terminal, from where we would be heading north to Amaicha del Valle. Again, more hugs and tears as we said goodbye. I repeat, this is never something that I will get used to. I have made some friends overseas that have touched the core of my being. Silence as the bus took off and we waved goodbye. I momentarily felt very sad and alone!

Ombi

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." – William James

Dedication: Pepe, Flora, Dali and Mari you are our Tucuman family and we love you from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for all the love you showed us, not only in the week that we were with you, but over the last fifteen years as we stayed in contact. We love you all!

Dedicacion: Pepe, Flora, Dali and Mari son nuestra familia en Tucuman y les amamos de nuestros corazones. Gracias por todo el amor que nos brindaste, no solamente en la semana que pasamos con ustedes, pero en las ultimas quince anos que nos quedamos en contacto. Les amamos a todos!

Welcome to the land of dinosaurs.

Selfie in the Valley of the Moon

Valle Fertil

Talampaya ... but we are simply grains of sand

On the road to Talampaya

Rock Art, Valley of the Moon.

These are the layers of our lives; Valley of the Moon.

Valley of the Moon

Great to see you again Pepe.

With the gorgeous Flora; Pepe's mum.

Feeling at home with Flora and Pepe.

With Mari, Pepe's cousin.

Good food, good wine and good friends.

In Flora's yard.

Always the devil.

Good salami and cheese in Argentina!

Pepe's work look.

Any time is a good time for an asado in Argentina.

With Pepe.

Fernando on one of his horses.

A shop that sells ONLY sweets ... common in Argentina!

With Pepe and Ana.

With Ana's gorgeous family.

Flora feeding me her home-made hommous.

To mate or not to mate, THAT is the question!

In my case, good friends and good coffee.

Tafi del Valle ... serious about their food!

Mari's weekend home.

The house at Tafi del Valle.

Fernando and Alex ... Tafi del Valle.

Tafi del Valle.

Talampaya.

Pac Man ... the Bocce Field.

Ahhhhhhh!

Guanaco, Talampaya National Park.

Peruvian horse breeder Fernando. Tucuman.

Perspective ... Talampaya National Park.

Argentina ... The Old Mates Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 13:04:00 +0000

Melbourne trams? No, Mendoza trams!

After seeing the many photos we posted on Facebook and our Facebook page, veryitchyfeet.com, our friend from Buenos Aires, Diego, noted that our trip through Argentina was like an old mates tour. Well, yes, I suppose it was! Travelling is not only about seeing new places, experiencing different cultures and meeting new friends ... it is also about catching up with old ones!

Welcome to Mendoza.

Iguazu Falls was going to be pretty hard to beat, but it was time to move on once again and so we were off to Mendoza, in the centre of the country (to the west and close to the Chilean border). It is smack bang in the middle of the some of the country's best vineyards and has a lovely, temperate climate, but as neither Alex nor I are really into wine, visiting wineries was not our focus. We stayed at a lovely little colonial hotel called Hotel Zamora, which I can highly recommend; comfortable, clean and close to the centre. We also met a lovely Chilean family there, (Natalia, Jose and baby Balthasar) who we have since remained in touch with. New friends to catch up with on our next trip to Chile!

Our trip to the Chilean border.

Close to Bridge of the Incas.

The highlight of our trip to Mendoza was our day trip, heading west, through the Andes, to to the border of Chile. Thermals, hats and gloves a must, it was very, very cold, but remarkably spectacular. We took in places like Potrerillos, Uspallata, Penitentes, the Bridge of the Incas and a viewpoint from where we could see the imposing Mount Aconcagua, South America's highest peak at 6,960 metres. Aconcagua. Breathtakingly beautiful (as well as cold) we had a great day including a shot on a cable car with the glistening snow below.

Another Mendoza highlight was the 'bus turistico' Mendoza City Tour which took in several of the main sights and was a lovely way to take in several things quickly. Apart from going past several 'obligatory' sights, we also visited Cerro (hill) de la Gloria, where we able to take a short walk to the top of a hill which rewarded us with spectacular views over the city. Central Park was also an expansive place that we took a stroll through ... always good to see the locals hanging out on a Sunday. We also took a tram out to Maipu, about 15 kilometres from Mendoza City. Again we strolled around and took in the tranquil countryside. We visited the very interesting Museo Nacional del Vino y la Vendimia (National Museum of Wine). Set in a colonial home where an Italian immigrant started his own wine company, we received a personalised tour of this immigrant's life and how he became a wine baron.

Mendoza vineyard.

Pictures tell a thousand words.

I was getting excited, our next destination would be San Juan, just a couple hours north of Mendoza. There we would be catching up with my gorgeous friend Viviana, whom I met in a park (in San Juan) when I was travelling through South America in 1999. We hit it off all those years ago, and remained in contact, but I had not seen her since. We were both very, very excited. She would be meeting us at the bus station. Needless to say, it was a very emotional reunion, where we both hugged and cried for several minutes. Fifteen years had passed but the bond we had created all those years ago was as strong as ever.

1999 with Maxi and Vivi.

Sunday asado with the family.

We spent a wonderful week in San Juan. Whilst we most certainly got out and about and did things, our main focus was to spend time with Vivi. We stayed at a great (clean, inexpensive, friendly staff) place called Hotel Nuevo San Francisco, in a centrally located and safe part of town. We can highly recommend it. Each morning we would meet Vivi and do things together; we usually ended up at her place, which she shares with her delightful parents Gloria and Jorge. In no time at all, we formed a very strong bond and I knew it was going to be hard to say goodbye. I was overcome with emotion when we found Soy Chu, a fantastic vegetarian restaurant. We had mostly been cooking in as Argentina is (I really do love you Argentina!) the meat, pizza and pasta show ... a tough gig for a vegetarian who eats no wheat! I had hit the jackpot ... or so I thought ... a couple of days in, we were going to Vivi's house and her mum was cooking up an array of vegetable dishes. Move over Soy Chu ... hello Soy Gloria! Needless to say that became her nickname.

Pocito Town!

Our trips close to San Juan included 'Pocito Town', a place Vivi and I had visited together 15 years ago; the 'highlight' being its mini Statue of Liberty in the main square. So many good memories. We sat in the plaza and sipped on mate as we watched the world go by. Another day we went out to Zonda, a tranquil mountainous area. Weekends in Argentina are all about family. On the Saturday Vivi's brother, Enrique, took us out to see the Ullum Dam as well as the Merced Del Estero Bodega, a boutique winery with some truly exceptional wines (coming from a wine dyslexic that's pretty decent praise). So, we actually ended up seeing a winery in Argentina after all! We bought some wine to give to Vivi's Dad, Jorge, as well as some for Enrique and the family as Sunday would be family asado (BBQ) day, and needless to say we were invited.

Sunday at Enrique's house was a full on family affair. The table was full of both food and people. Once again Gloria made sure that there were loads of veggie dishes. Lucky me! Apparently quite a few were new creations, just for me. Why thank you Gloria!

Thank you for the miracle received.

Our last day in San Juan was spent visiting 'La Difunta Correa' (the deceased Correa). Enrique's father-in-law had kindly offered to take us. Surely we could not leave Argentina without visiting a 'saint' whom people from all over Argentina as well as neighbouring countries come to see? Correa is a semi-pagan mythical figure. Apparently she died around 1840 during the Argentine civil wars. In an attempt to reach her sick husband she undertook a long and arduous walk ... she died along the way, but was found several days later with her child still feeding on her breast. And so a legend was born! Although not acknowledged by the Catholic Church the Difunta Correa is an unofficial popular saint. Her devout followers believe her to perform miracles. The shrine dedicated to her is phenomenal; from the tens of thousands of thank you notes for having saved lives and cured illnesses to the numerous number plates of new cars and models of new houses that were able to be bought. We even saw people 'walking' up the stairway to her shrine backwards and on their elbows! Some people choose to do this as a sign of respect for the 'miracle' granted them. Nothing like a good urban myth!

Goodbye Gloria, I will miss you!

And so our time in San Juan had come to an end. Our last night was a touching and emotional affair. We hugged, we cried, we laughed, and we vowed to remain in touch. Some people come into your life for a short time and some are just meant to always be in it. Vivi is meant to be in mine! As I hugged Gloria goodbye I gave her one of my favourite silver rings. She didn't want to accept it, but I insisted. Yes, it was one of my favourite rings, but it's only a 'thing' and I wanted to give it to her. We focus so much on the material, but it's really not what matters. I knew how much it would mean to Gloria, yet for me it had simply been something that I had bought. Things come and go; good people don't! As we walked home to our hotel Vivi stood by her door and waved until we could no longer see each other. My heart slumped. I always find such moments really heart-wrenching!

Ombi

Destiny is destiny.

Dedication: My beautiful friend Viviana, it was our destiny to meet again, and I know that it is our destiny to now meet again in Australia. Thank you for the love and friendship that you have shown me over the years. Fifteen years passed but I always held you close to my heart. You are a true friend; you are my sister. Gloria and Jorge – thanks for embracing Alex and I like your own family. We love you all very much!

Dedicación: Mi linda amiga Viviana, era nuestro destino de vernos otra vez, y se que es nuestro destino vernos otra vez en Australia. Quince anos pasaron pero siempre te he tenido cerca de mi corazon. Eres una amiga verdadera; eres mi hermana. Gloria y Jorge – gracias por tratar a Alex y a mi como su propria familia. Les amamos muchísimo!

Next: The Old Mates Tour Part 2. First the Fertile Valley west of San Juan (The Valley of the Moon and Talampaya National Park) and then catching up with more old friends.

" Creatures like the sheep, that are used to traveling, know about moving on" – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

National Museum of wine, Maipu.

The many faces of dulce de leche (caramelised condensed milk).

Cerro Gloria, Mendoza.

Contemplatively enjoying ice-cream in Maipu.

With our new Chilean friends.

Enjoying some good meat and wine in Mendoza.

Don't close the tap or the water will freeze!

Chairlift near Chilean border.

This cake is called 'Bomba'; merengue, chocolate, dulce de leche. OMG!

Say no to child labour!

The mate after the Sunday asado.

Vivi's dad Jorge.

About to eat meat ...

Wine tasting, Bodega Merced Estero, near San Juan.

Ullum Dam, near San Juan.

Day trip out to Zonda, near San Juan.

The cult of the Difunta Correa.

Thank you Difunta Correa for the miracles granted.

The many notes and photos thanking the Difunta Correa for the miracles granted them.

Gotta fit in as many hugs as I can.

With my San Juan family.

Clowns in 1999, still clowns now!

Around Zonda, near San Juan.

Zonda.

Painted bus on our day trip to Chilean border.

Coffee anyone? Mendoza.

The beautiful mountains that border Chile.

Our day trip to the Chilean border, view after spectacular view.

Bridge of the Incas.

Close enough to Mendoza but freezing!

Chips ... Argentine style!

In the far distance, Mt Acongagua, highest in South America.

Near Bridge of the Incas.

A rarity; a condor close up.

Day trip through the Andes.

Spectacular views.

Sunday asado with Vivi's family, San Juan.

And so we were off ... Buenos Aires here we come!

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 01:10:00 +0000

Dad's been mapping my travels since 1989.

Getting ready for a one-month trip is one thing. Getting ready for one of a year is entirely another! Although I finished up work several weeks before our departure on 13 August, I never expected that we would have so many things to do, wrap up and finalise. We were literally pumping until the eleventh hour. We decided months ago that we'd go away for a year ... of work ... play ... perhaps a sabbatical ... to South America ... Asia Minor ... eastern Europe ... Italy perhaps ... the Greek Islands?! We figured that buying a cheap return ticket to South America would be a great start although the actual journey and destinations were still unknown. Six months in South America and another six in Europe, ' somewhere in Europe', sounded like a plan. Thus the idea was born and the tickets bought! First destination, Buenos Aires.

Ready, set, travel!

Of course you can't multi-task in a rat race, which is what we felt we were living in, so how could we possibly plan a trip of such magnitude? Too busy wrapping up our jobs in IT and community engagement, respectively. Tickets ... check, Lonely Planet ... check. And that's it folks! With only a week to go we were trying to pack our bags, say goodbye to friends and family, organise our apartment and get ourselves sorted. Our last night was spent at Dad's as our first flight from Melbourne to Sydney would be at 6.00am, demanding a 2.30am wake up. And so the eve of 12 August arrived, and with it a sense of, well, a lot of things. The time had come! Tomorrow we would be leaving for yet another trip of a lifetime! I have had many. Head spinning, thoughts whirring ... was I, were we, up for this ... again? But you see, travel has become the blood that pulses through our veins, the bread that feeds us and the elixir that fills our souls and makes us scream, 'we are happy to be alive', so the answer to the question is, simply, yes!

Going to miss you Dad!

Ready, set, travel! We got up early and Dad took us to the airport. The plan was to check in early and sit down to a nice cuppa and say our goodbyes tranquilly and calmly. Not really nouns that people use to describe anything about me normally, but hey, it was all going smoothly, and I was sure that we were going to be able to manage this one. Dad was parking the car and we were checking in. "Your reciprocity visas please" asked the lady at the check-in counter. Say what? Alex has dual citizenship and so, although leaving Australia on his Australian passport, was going to enter Argentina on his Ecuadorian one to save him the AUD$100.00 that Australians have to pay for their one year visas. If you have multiple passports, flaunt them! You used to be able to get this upon arrival ... but apparently you now have to do it on line ... and show the receipt to the person at the check in-counter ... otherwise you can't board the flight! How did we miss that one! Have the world travellers become too complacent? Fortunately, as we were early, we were able to organise this from the airport, but I have to say that a very tense hour ensued. The staff assigned to help us had no idea. Alex then tried to log on and we went through a proxy company who did not give a receipt immediately. We needed a receipt! Aaaaaaah! A supervisor finally helped us log onto the official site and we soon had our visas paid for and receipt printed. By this stage it was 5.30am and we needed to board. All we got was a quick hug with Dad, and we had to go. The bright side? We were going!

Up, up and away; hasta la vista Australia!

It was going to be a long flight; Melbourne to Sydney, Sydney to Auckland, Auckland to Santiago (Chile) and finally Santiago to Buenos Aires (Argentina). I knew it was going to be a loooong one when I realised that the airlines had not organised any of my gluten-free meals nor had I brought any snacks. Losing it! Both me and the airlines that is! It was indeed a long flight, but as most of the flights were surprisingly empty, we did get a fair bit of sleep. We also managed some sushi at Auckland Airport. Sad at what can excite one at times.

Several hours and time changes later we arrived at Ezeiza Airport, some 22 kilometres from the city centre. We were exhausted, and we had the 'look' to prove it. Our friend Cheryl, who now lives in BA, was coming to pick us up with her partner Walter, whom we had not met yet, although heard loads about. Tired but excited, we made our way through passport control and picked up our bags. We were here! We were in Argentina! Let the journey begin!

The official car picks us up; gracias Walter!

We walked out, spotted Cheryl and Walter and then Cheryl and I proceeded with a 'Chariots of Fire' type run towards each other. Lots of screaming and hugging between the girls and then introductions all around. We were actually here, albeit exhausted. We were even afforded an official ride home, aka Walter’s car complete with Australian and Ecuadorian flags.

Party time in Buenos Aires.

The two and half weeks that followed have been truly amazing, and I mean truly, truly amazing. We have stayed with Cheryl for most of that time. Thanks so much Cheryl; I can't tell you how much we have enjoyed staying with you. In a land of meat, pizza and pasta (I am vegetarian and Alex and I don't eat wheat), I cannot express what a godsend her kitchen has been. We have shared lots of magic moments, good coffee and laughs. We have been staying in San Telmo, the heart of all that is both touristy and tango. No amount of tourism, however, can take from the cobbled streets, old plazas and the old-world feel of this beautiful little suburb. It has been lovely to simply stroll, wander and just take it all in.

In Barrio Cafetero with Cheryl.

Buenos Aires has offered us a little bit of everything on this amazing trip that we have only just begun; colourful markets, street art and graffiti, beautiful sunsets and amazing coffee, to only name a few things. Particularly good was Coffee Town in San Telmo (Agustina Roman was the 2014 Argentina barista champion), Barrio Cafetero in the downtown area and Lattente in Palermo. The country continues with its trials and tribulations, including inflation and increasing poverty. Seeing people sleeping on the streets is common place, as is kids jumping into to waste bins to scrounge for food. In buses small children try to sell you lollies and tissues. I can only look at them as my eyes well up with tears; their place is in school, not in trains trying to sell me tissues for fifty cents. A blind man walked through a carriage one day holding out his hand. I was simply overcome with emotion as I pressed some money into his hands and then wept silently. I know that I cannot single-handedly change the world, but I can never, will never, 'accept' these injustices.

Buenos Aires Street Art 'Las Islas Malvinas' (The Falklands Islands conflict)

San Telmo.

Military Band.

Sunset at Puerto de Frutas, Tigre.

Buenos Aires holds a very special place in my heart as I have so many friends here; Carolina and Fabiana whom I met whilst travelling through Europe in 1993; Charo whom I met in Colonia Suiza, Uruguay, in 1999 and then of course Diego, who I danced 1999/ 2000 away with when I lived in Quito, Ecuador. We have been able to catch up with all of them. We visited Tigre with Faby and her family and had fun at the 'Puerto de Frutas', an artisans' market near the riverfront. If you think the Aussies are serious about their BBQs and meat ... well, move over Australia ... the Argentines are equally as serious, if not more so, about their asados (BBQ!), and they are a serious, serious 'throw on every size, cut and type of meat and sausage affair! On telling an Argentine many years ago that I was a vegetarian, his prompt reply was simply, "Oh, you poor thing"! Faby and her husband Gaby showed us how this was done at their place!

With Diego in Chascomus.

Another day we went out to Chascomus with Diego and his husband Federico (I can say that now as they are legally married in Argentina! Congrats guys!). It's a quiet little town some 120 kilometres outside of Buenos Aires and is situated around a number of lakes. It's a quaint little spot to walk around, relax and breathe in some country air.

The impressive Iguazu Waterfalls.

Struggling to say goodbye to Cheryl, and not quite ready to say goodbye ... just yet ... we thought we'd diverge east and visit the spectacular Iguazu Waterfalls, on the border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. A mere 19 hour bus ride away! Argentina is a massive country and the distances between places reflect its enormity. The buses are excellent and you can choose seats that recline a fair way back, making for a decent sleep. A sleep that beats one on any economy seat on a plane! Nineteen hours later ... we were in Puerto de Iguazu looking for a place to stay. Bring on that sunny, sub-tropical climate! The usual scouting around found us a place called Peter Pan. How apt that the Peter Pan of travel should end up there!

Breathtaking!

I visited the Brazilian side of the falls in 1999 when I was backpacking South America as a solo traveller, and stayed on and saw the Brazilian side. I do remember the majesty and grandeur, but nothing can take from seeing it all again! This time we stayed on the Argentine side and ended up there on a picture-perfect day. The views from the Argentine side are different; more scenic and sweeping views as opposed to the smaller in your-face-dramatic-drop. Both beautiful! Both with something different to offer. The Argentine side is bigger with more walking, walkways and views. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could take from the views and energy that beheld us.

The photo says it all.

We only spent a couple of days at Puerto de Iguazu, but managed to fit in a few things, including walking to the confluence, very close by, of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. I looked across the waters and reminisced about my time in both of these other countries that we would not make on this trip. The world is huge and when its attractions, culture and people enthral you, time is never enough.

The flowers are in Argentina, R Brazil and L Paraguay.

At the Milonga.

Back in Buenos Aires, we would spend our last two days with Cheryl, relaxing, doing spin/ cycle classes Buenos Aires style, catching up with Effie,a Melbourne friend, who would coincidentally be here for a few days before we continued along our journey, eating good home-made food with Cheryl, and contemplating moving along once again. This is the part that I always find difficult.

What better way to spend our last night in this vibrant city than at a Milonga; that's the locals' version of a touristy tango show. Locals and foreigners seductively danced the passionate yet 'sad' dance to the strains of a soulful tango band, El Afronte. I observed and felt ... it was all I could do!
And so just as our Buenos Aires sojourn began with a bang, it finished with one!
Ombi

No, I did NOT scoff the entire jar!

PD I have a confession to make... I am addicted to dulce de leche, a type of caramelised condensed milk, which is as Argentinian as, well, meat! It's in cakes, biscuits, desserts and if that isn't enough, buy yourself a tub and spoon it into your mouth ... I do!

"Characterise people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words."

Dedication:
To you Cheryl Quirion! You started off as a friend but really you are now our sister! Thanks for having us for two weeks, looking after us and feeding us! You are here to stay. Love you sister!

Next: Mendoza, San Juan, Tucuman and northern Argentina.

Wine transporters; Australia to Argentina.

At Coffee Town with Cheryl and Walter.

"The city of Pope Francisco".

Chillin' with Cheryl.

L to R: Gaby, Alex, Faby, Florencia, Gonzalo and Nicolas.

Beautiful Buenos Aires.

With Pato (L) and Caro (R); first met in Paris in 1993.

Retiro Cemetery.

Buenos Aires; the old and the new.

With Faby and family in Tigre.

Good times ... and good food, Buenos Aires.

BA street art.

Walter and Alex; 'los compadres'.

With Caro (C) and Pato.

Smoking causes impotency! Death pales in comparison!

A day with Caro and Luis.

Church is for praying not legislating. Umm, yep!

With Diego (L) and Fernando (R) at Chascomus.

With the guy that's able to put a smile on my dial daily.

With Charo (L) and her mum Gladys (R).

Buenos Aires.

Colon Theatre, Buenos Aires.

We came, we ate, we shopped ... Bangkok style

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 21:32:00 +0000

I want that Barbie t-shirt!

We had a mission in Bangkok ! To eat good food and shop! Whilst the food in Myanmar was palatable and at times even delicious (particularly the veggie dishes), it really had nothing on Thai food. Bangkok has, in many ways, become a home away from home, as we now know where to stay, where to shop and what to buy!

We had a mission, and we were going to accomplish eat ... eat well and shop! We only had a couple of days, but our mission was clear!

I have written about Bangkok ad nauseum in other posts, so this one will tell the story with photos (more than usual, anyway).

Enjoy!

Ombi

"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything". - Albert Einstein

Thailand wants democracy, and they want it now!

The Bangkok protests.

The people of Thailand speak out.

There ain't a revolution without technology!

The people of Thailand want to be heard!

Not what I'd call my accessory store.

Face book thongs in Khao San Rd.

A bit of shopping ... a bit of coconut ice-cream.

Rattanakosin Festival. Bangkok.

Holding up the fort, Bangkok.

My kinda t-shirt!

Face cream!!??

Takeaway Pad Thai at Bangkok Airport ... till we meet again.

Shopping at Chatachuk.

On to Mandalay and a Bagan New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 21:20:00 +0000

The streets of central Mandalay.

We had been told not to go to Mandalay; that it was dusty and dirty and nothing more than a big town! It was, however, the last royal capital of Burma, and I personally felt compelled to go there. We loved it! Yes, it was dusty and dirty, but if you took the time to explore it really did contain some veritable treasures. We spent a great few days there, exploring both on foot and on the back of a motorbike. We stayed at the Rich Queen Guest House! Nothing like a rich queen, hey! It was quiet and comfortable, yet right in the centre of Mandalay, near the central market.

Mandalay central market.

Smack bang in the centre of town, our guest house was virtually on top of the central market, which was abuzz with action from the early hours of the morning until dusk. We wandered around there several times in the course of our stay doing everything from eating, observing and buying. The natural focus of the city is an abrupt hill, rising above a vast moated and walled square. Once upon a time it contained a sprawling royal city but nowadays it is the reconstructed Mandalay Palace. Mostly an out-of-bounds area of military encampments, we certainly were not prepared to hand over some of our money to the Burmese government to see a smidgeon (of what they wanted us to see!) of the inside. We were quite happy to hire some bikes and go around the outside, observing daily life, the sunset and some other great temples surrounding it.

Mahamuni Pagoda.

Our Mandalay highlight, without a doubt, was the day that we both spent on the back of a motorbike taking in the many spectacular sights around the city. Myaung and Pho Se were just the best tour guides, not only taking us around but giving an amazing commentary everywhere we went. They both had a great sense of humour and had us laughing the whole way. We started at 8.00am and finished at 7.00pm. We came 'home' exhausted but satisfied! First off was the Mahamuni Pagoda, one of Myanmar's most famous. Even in the early hours people were scuttling about, praying and observing. Alex had a chance to see the famous and highly venerated 13 foot high Buddha image, which many locals believe is 2000 years old. Over the years so much gold leaf has been applied by the (male only!) faithful that the figure is now entirely covered in a knobbly six inch layer of pure gold!

Mahamuni Pagoda.

Mandalay stone carvers.

Close by was the marble stone carving. It was amazing to watch so many people chip, blast and polish away in order to create Buddha images of all shapes and sizes, but I could not help but wonder what the fine dust was doing to their lungs! OH & S ... what's that! We then continued on to the bronze casting area, which was basically the bronze version of the marble version! All done by hand too. We then visited a couple of monasteries and even a nunnery. They were all very interesting and the number of rules they adhere to is quite impressive (if that's the word). Not the life for me, I must say! But then I am not really one for rules, am I?

Mandalay sits on the Ayeyarawady River, and as you cross over it you cannot help but be blown away by the visual impact of Sagaing's uncountable white and gold stupas. They shimmer alluringly on a series of hills that

Saigang as seen on the back of a motorbike.

rise above the almost flat town centre of Mandalay behind. A steep walk up to the top of one of the pagodas (not for the faint or the weak hearted!) provided us with an amazing view over the sparkling pagodas, which apart from being an assault on the senses, looked like a highly polished 22 carat gold necklace. Sagaing is also known as the 'Buddhist Land' or 'Religious City' due to the many stupas in a relatively small area.

The infamous U-Bein Bridge.

Our guides also took us to a number of less-known attractions as we not only wanted to see the path less travelled, but we did not want to pay money to the government by going in to the main attractions. Often, we were the only ones there! We did, however, go to Amarapura, which is famous for U Bein Bridge, the world's longest teak footbridge. It gently curves around the shallow Taungthaman Lake, creating one of Myanmar's most photographed sites. It is said that the best time to visit is just after sunrise when hundreds of villagers and monks commute back and forth across it. We, however, went for the sunset. It was absolutely chockers and thronging with tourists. Our guides, however, took us underneath it, and showed us a different side ... fishermen, people having wedding photos taken, kids swimming. They managed to make a touristy experience into a not so touristy one. They had certainly worked us out! Tourists aside, it was impressive indeed!

Our Muslim roti hangout in Mandalay.

And so our day on the back of a motorbike was coming to an end. As we made our way home, I contemplated life, with the wind blowing through my hair, or was that over my helmet and into my face! How lucky I am to be able to live the life I live! I felt at peace and I felt happy! We arrived back at the guest house exhausted, and thanked our guides profusely. I am not sure who was happier and more stoked ... them or us! We were hungry so we went out to find a bite to eat. We had previously found a Muslim set-up on the road (quite literally!) that made cheap rotis and curries, and made our way over for a quick meal. Small tables and even smaller chairs by the side of the road, we shovelled the yummy food in.

Our last day in Mandalay was spent seeing a few more of the local sights and meeting some new fun people, like Teresia and Fred from Swaustralia (is that what you call Swedes that have lived in Australia for ten years?) and their friend Jenni from Scotland. They would be going on to Bagan and so would we. Maybe we would see them there.

Mandalay Palace.

Time was flying. Bagan would be our last stop and the place where we would spend our New Year.

Horses, carts and temples of Bagan.

I said a Bagan New Year not a bogan one! Whilst our bus ride from Hsipaw from Bagan was Winner Guest House. The owner is obviously very used to these ridiculous-o-clock arrivals, and so greeted us with a smile, a cup of tea and lit a fire by the roadside for us. Minties moment!
comfortable, we did indeed arrive at ridiculous-o-clock, just before 3am! There were a number of horse and carts (famous in Bagan) and other forms of transport ready to take people to their hotels. Let's face it, what are the other options at 3am? We knew that we were only a couple of kilometres away and so Alex and I decided to walk it. Myanmar is generally an extremely safe country and the centre of Bagan not that big at all. The walk was quiet and peaceful and some of the temples were lit up, so it all looked very impressive and felt rather overwhelming. It was another one of those travellers' moments where I not only felt so very grateful to be alive bit so honoured and thankful that we were able to do this! I constantly remind myself of how fortunate I am able to be able to travel to the places I do, and see things that the very locals I visit cannot. In no time at all we arrived at

Sunrise over Bagan.

Famous for both its sunrises and sunsets we decided to do both, not initially in one day, but that's how it turned out! After a relaxing hour at Winner we decided to take a horse and cart and go and see the sunrise; so off we went in the early hours of the morning to Shwesandaw Pagoda. The tourists were arriving in throngs, with the same aim as us, to take some photos from a spot that is renowned for both its sunrises and sunsets. This pagoda not only offers mind-blowing views of the many temples that fill the surrounding valleys, but it's also a spectacular spot to view the hot-air balloons that set off very close by. Balloons over Bagan is possibly one of the most exotic hot air balloon experiences in the world. If that's your gig book well in advance and start saving your pennies! Alex and I were content with seeing them and not being in them ... this time!

Out and about in Bagan.

We came back to Winner hungry but feeling exhilarated. After some brekkie and a shower, and feeling somewhat reinvigorated, we set off by bike to see what we'd come here for ... temples, temples and more temples in a place that can only be described as a temple wonderland! Over the next few days we would see these countless temples on foot, bicycle and electric bike too. Beside highways and rickety train tracks amble ox carts through rice fields and rolling plains, all rimmed by the Shan Mountains to the east and the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River to the west, conjuring up scenes that hark back centuries. There were big temples, small temples, hidden temples, fancy temples, discreet temples, crumbling temples, all having something to offer. We often found that the hidden, more discreet ones were the most fascinating, as the local gatekeepers would come out, unlock them and tell us a story. On our first night we ended up back at the Shwensandaw Pagoda, along with throngs of tourists, viewing the sunset. Different, but equally as spectacular as the sunrise. Needless to say, that night we were buggered and slept like babies!

Laquerware factory in Bagan.

Whilst in Bagan we also visited a couple of laquerware factories and shops. The way in which they cut and weave the bamboo and then laquer it is amazing. It's quite an intricate process and to watch the several steps involved is very interesting. From tiny bowls, to huge vases, we saw them ply away at their craft. Found a coffee-shop-stop at the Black Bamboo; great coffee but overpriced and overrated food. Of course we didn't eat the food, we just wanted a good coffee!

With the Swaustralians and others on New Year's.

The New Year was approaching ... we had bumped into Teresia, Fred and Jenni again, and we decided to meet up at a place called Aroma 2. The night started with some drinks a few doors down (as they were cheaper!) and then ended up at Aroma. There was a fire going in the middle and the music was pumping. We all got into it and had a dance. Into the groove ... and not the fire that is! Met some really good fun people that night as well as bumping into others that we had met in the weeks before and so had a really enjoyable night. The countdown was on ...
10,9,8, 7,6,5,4,3,2,1 ... Happy New Year!!!! And the fire crackers went off! Dangerous?! Not any more so than people dancing around (and not falling into) a fire!!! By 1.00am we were virtually being pushed out and told to leave! Keep in mind that the surrounding places had long closed and that the New Year is not particularly significant nor celebratable in Myanmar. The taxi drivers were asking for an obscene amount to drive the short distance to our guest house, so Alex and I decided to walk; coupled with the fact that we were totally sober and that Myanmar is generally safe at all hours, we felt comfortable doing so. Arrived safely and went straight to bed.

The things you find in temples!

Our last day in Bagan was perhaps a bit more cruisy than the others. We would be taking an overnight bus to Yangon, and our flight back to Bangkok would be leaving the next night. Our bus would leave at 4.00am and be getting into Yangon at ridiculous-o-clock (yet again). On the bus we bumped into our French friend Fabian; he'd been in Bagan too but we had not seen him. The bus ride was comfortable enough, and low and behold, there we were at the Yangon bus station just before 5.00am the next morning. Despite it being very early morning, the bus station was thronging with people. Fabien was going to Bangkok on the same flight as us, so we all negotiated a ride to the airport in a songthaew (passenger pick up). We decided that it simply would not have been worth going into the centre of Yangon, finding a place to store our bags and then coming back to the airport; the centre was an hour away from the bus station whilst the airport was reasonably close to the bus station.

Eating up before we fly out of Yangon.

OMG! I thought I was going to die! Seriously! Our driver was driving like a psycho! We all concurred that he was either drug or alcohol affected. We asked him to slow down but he seemed to laugh it off! I am the most easy going passenger but this time I wondered if we were going to make it to the airport alive! Every minute seemed like an hour and that ten minute ride had felt like the longest ten minutes of my life! We got off that passenger truck and I was shaking. We handed over our money, 'thanked' the driver and walked off. Big breath in, big breath out. I was standing and I was alive!

Goodbye Yangon and Myanmar!

That day at the airport was a very long and boring one. With only a couple of places to buy coffee and only one to buy food, we just sat down, relaxed, chatted and walked around the very small airport ... several times. An exercise in how to occupy yourself indeed! Finally, it was time to fly. Bangkok here we come!

Ombi

"Love is joy. Don't convince yourself that suffering is part of it. " - Paulo Coelho

Next: Last few days dining and shopping in Bangkok.

Bronze casting.

Inside a monastery.

International Buddhist University School.

Lacquerware.

Thet Kyadi Thay nunnery.

Mandalay central market.

Monks.

View from the top of Saigang Hill.

Around Saigang.

One of the lesser seen temples around Mandalay.

Life beneath the U-Bein Bridge.

Our tour guides, Myaung and Pho Se.

Tranquility at a lesser viewed temple.

Locals hanging around the temples.

How some of the others live ...children in Mandalay.

Mandalay Palace.

Alex with the local kids, by the river in Mandalay.

The many temples of Mandalay.

Sunrise at the infamous Shwesandaw Pagoda.

Back again ... sunset at the Shwesandaw Pagoda.

Inside one of the many temples of Bagan.

Burmese chime.

Selfies with the locals of Bagan.

Bagan.

Taung Paw Teik Pagoda.

Praying at the temple, Bagan.

The many faces of Bagan.

Partying with the lovely Fabienne from Switzerland!

Umbrella making.

A hill tribe Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 20:59:00 +0000

Hsipaw early morning fresh produce market.

Seriously, what bus gets into ... anywhere ... at 3.30am! Talk about all dressed up and nowhere to go! The bus dumped the three of us (we were travelling with our French friend Fabien) somewhere on the side of the road in the little hamlet of Hsipaw. We had a map and so the three of us navigated our way to Mr Charles Guest House. It didn't take us long to get there, but everything was still very quiet and the gates to the hotel closed. We tried to quietly get someone's attention, and after ten minutes or so, someone finally let us in. What to do? We relaxed for an hour or so, and then walked over to Hsipaw's fresh produce market, which starts at 4.30am. We were not going to be able to check in until much later, so we figured we may as well use our time wisely.

Hsipaw early morning fresh produce market.

Whilst I do love markets, getting up at the crack of dawn is not generally something that excites me. But here we were ... the market was lit up by low-level lighting, and people were selling all types of fresh produce from veggies and hers to chicken and meat. It was great to walk along, observe and get caught up in the market atmosphere. What does infuriate me, however, are the tourists that treat such a magic moment as a 'freak show photo opportunity'! I wanted to say, "Dudes, get that camera out of their faces!" We are always mindful of this, even if it means getting blurry or distant shots. Show a bit of respect!

Namtok Waterfall.

Once back at the guest house and checked in, we had some brekkie and then went for a walk around town and then on to a beautiful walk through rice fields, general country living and the gorgeous Namtok Waterfall. This was a world away from the world as we know it ... country people happily doing their country thing with smiles on their faces and a hearty 'mingalaba' (hello) ... where did we get it wrong! I felt happy, inspired, rejuvenated, at peace ... it can only be described as that magical 'traveller's minties moment' that travellers know so well!

That evening we also visited the Shan Palace, which was where the last Shan Prince lived before he was abducted by the military. It is now lived in by his nephew and family. A family member, Fern, was most keen to chat to us, show us pictures and tell us what had happened. Even only a year ago this would not have been possible and the nephew was actually jailed for speaking to foreigners. Indeed Myanmar is changing at lightning speed!

Hill tribe kids around Hsipaw.

We had heard that the trekking in Hsipaw was amazing; that it was like the hill tribe treks in

northern thailand 20 years ago! I remember doing that trek in Thailand 20 years ago and loving it, then going back ten years later to see how much had changed (not for the better - welcome to the freak show!). Would a trek here capture the magic that I remembered from 20 years ago? Along with Fabien we organised an overnight trek from the guest house. Leaving the next morning, it would be just the three of us and our guide Kyaw-Kyaw (pronounced Jo-Jo). We left on the 24 December and came back on Christmas day. What an amazing two days! Our knowledgeable guide took us through valleys, fields and villages which offered simple people and spectacular views. This is what it feels like to be truly alive! I felt so incredibly lucky. Coffee stops (not so nice and in wooden huts), playing with the kids and observing the general living of the various tribes were the highlights. The main villages we passed through were either Shan or Palau.

Palau lady cooking dinner.

I must say that whilst the Burmese food did not blow me away (too oily and too many fried things), the fresh veggies were amazing, and the way in which the villagers cooked them was amazing. On both days, our lunch was amazing. Indeed, my favourite food in Myanmar was on this trek. Christmas Eve (keeping in mind that it's not celebrated in this Buddhist country) was spent in a basic, sparse wooden hut, with a Palau villager cooking us dinner and her young son who said nothing as part of his training as was robed in monk's attire. This child, however, had the most amazing energy! We all sat around the open fireplace drinking tea as the mother cooked and the child watched. Priceless! This family was totally unaware of the commercial fracas that would be occurring in our own countries at this very time. I felt totally at peace! These people seemed to have so little and yet they had so much. We, on the other hand, have so much, but in many other ways so little! When the lady finished cooking she retreated into a corner and started chanting ... in the same room as we were in; it was the only space she had! These are the moments that have shaped the way I think about the world in which I live.

Getting breakfast ready.

I had the most peaceful night's sleep, and woke up to the rays of the sun streaming through our window. Again, we were cooked a hearty and healthy breakfast, of mainly vegetables. I observed the red dusty floor outside (no roads!) and the way in which the villagers had to walk to the well to get the water. The amenities were basic, electricity virtually nonexistent and yet the people always offered a smile! This was a world away from my own! We said our goodbyes and I thanked our host profusely. "Please come back again. You are welcome here anytime", she told us through our guide. Perhaps, I thought, but there are so many other places I need to see in this lifetime!

Palau school room.

And so, on Christmas Day, we made our way back to Hsipaw ... it was like any other day to the villagers we met and waved to along the way. We stopped at a school in one of the villages, and I could not help but notice how bare their classroom was in comparison to ours. In fact the school was only one classroom! I thought about the kids over here whinging, whining and complaining about not wanting to go to school ... they needed to be looking at this! A happy little bunch they were, but how many of them would progress and get the education they deserve? An issue close to my heart; education (along with health) is the only true way forward.

Just after midday we were met by a pick up which took us to some 'natural hot springs'. OMG (I am going to sound like a 'precious tourist' now!) ... the 'hot springs' were two concrete boxes (one for the men and another for the women) filled with people scrubbing every single bit of their bodies (in the water!!!) as well as other bits that I did not know existed! This was surrounded by food stands and lots and lots of rubbish! Did we want to go in? Fat chance!! Was I sure? Absolutely! I could well and truly wait for a shower when we got back to the guest house! Back by 5pm, we thanked Kyo-Kyo profusely, for our amazing experience. The evening was spent relaxing. Tomorrow we would take it easy and catch the overnight bus to Bagan, which of course would be arriving at ridiculous-o-clock once again!

Relaxing at Pontoon Cafe.

I must mention Pontoon Coffee run by the very affable Maureen, an Australian who has been living

here for some 15 years. We had heard about this place on the grapevine, and I must say the coffee was excellent. Whilst culture immersion is important to me, my weakness is good (actually excellent) coffee!

Ombi

Next: A Bagan New Year

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever" - Mahatma Gandhi

Alex and Fabien in the fields around Hsipaw.

Hsipaw early morning fresh produce market.

Laundry, Hsipaw.

Home cooking, Hsipaw.

'Washing machine', Hsipaw.

The only mosque in Hsipaw.

With Fern at the Shan Palace, Hsipaw.

Working the fields, Hsipaw.

Hill tribe baby.

Our guide, Kyo-Kyo and a hill tribe toddler.

Alex hangin' out with the village kids.

Hill tribe school kids

Fabien shows a little kid a picture of herself.

This is the way we build a house!

Hill tribe kid teaching Alex about 'how to entertain oneself'!

Trekking and contemplating.

Hello sunshine!

Life in a Palau Village.

Hsipaw.

Hsipaw transport!

Great shakes at Mr Shake's, Hsipaw.

Around Hsipaw.

Back from our trek; exhausted but happy.

Fruit and veggies, Hsipaw.

River li, Hsipaw.

Chinese temple, Hsipaw.

Barber store,

Drying out corn, Hsipaw.

Noodle factory, Hsipaw.

Some say Myanmar ... some say Burma

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 19:23:00 +0000

Flying over central Australia en route to Bangkok, via KL.

With only a couple of months behind me since I'd been to Thailand, oops, I was doing it again! Well, actually, Alex and I would do a few days in Bangkok, followed by a little over two weeks Myanmar (Burma) followed by a final last few days in Bangkok (read ... I really wanted to make sure I got to the infamous Chatachuk market). Myanmar or Burma? That would require a post (or two) unto itself!

Ombi, Thai coffee and Nu Deang.

Having just secured a new job, and with both Alex and I having a couple of weeks off over Christmas, we decided to get away. What better way to spend our 'free time' than travelling? Around the festive season there is no such thing as a cheap ticket, so we did our best by buying a Melbourne-Bangkok return and a Bangkok-Yangon (capital of Myanmar) return with Air Asia. To be frank (would you expect anything less from me?); I love bypassing the festive debacle. As much as I love my family, I love 'missing out on' the presents, the hype, the commercialism, and a tradition I find overwhelmingly outdated. I secretly, well perhaps not so secretly, wish that we could make a bigger effort with people between New Year and Christmas and not just the few days between Christmas and the New Year! Slap! That was me slapping me off my bandwagon! Oh yes, back to the trip!

Loaded with two weeks worth of a brilliant handover notes at my new job, I jumped onto the plane exhausted. I had spent most of the last week trying to get ready inbetween trying to take in lots of new information. Does it come as any surprise that I fell asleep before take-off?

With Link's family and baby Sean.

Thailand is easy for both Alex and I; we have done it so many times that it really has become second nature. We would both be going to Pong and Link's house together, for a couple of days. These are the gorgeous friends I stayed with when I was here on my last trip. Land, pick up bags, go through passport control, grab a taxi, go to Pong and Link's. The roads have improved considerably in the last couple of decades, and especially when it's not peak hour, getting around Bangkok is a breeze. We were there in no time at all, with Pong, Link and Nu Deang there to greet us with open arms. Nu Deang came out and gave me a big hug; she remembered me as I had been there only recently. She recognised Alex too as we had spoken to him several times on skype. Nu Deang took me to see her baby brother Sean; he had most certainly grown in only a couple of months. What a cutie!

Bangkok haircut!

The next couple of days really were lots of fun! Good times and good food with Pong, Link and both of their families. Alex and I would not make it to Kanchanaburi to visit Pong's parents this time, but they came to us. I also managed to fit in a haircut with the lady that I had it cut by last time I was here. Ten minutes and done! I love it! I am one of those 'cut my hair and let me get out' kinda gals! Don't want to hear your problems, or your whingeing, just cut my hair and let me leave!

December is a lovely time to be in Bangkok as the humidity is low and the temperature pleasant. Pity I did not do my homework on Myanmar though ... more on that later! Loaded with tummies full of great food, and hearts and minds full of good times, we were off to Myanmar. After hugs all around we jumped into a taxi and were on our way to the airport. A new adventure awaited us! Myanmar here we come!

On the way from the Yangon Airport to Downtown.

As I mentioned, we had barely done any research, with only a Myanmar Lonely Planet in tow. All I knew was that tourism was booming and that the accommodation, and many other prices, were also outdated. Oh well, I had the right clothes (!!) with me and we were used to wingin' it. So, here goes. The flight to Yangon was short and painless and after a little over an hour we found ourselves in Yangon. Let the journey begin!

In practice this was my second trip to Myanmar, in theory my first. In the mid 90s I remember doing a 'half day tour' from somewhere in the south of Thailand, because ... well, it was not really the done thing then, and well, I could! All I remember was that it rained and rained, the temples looked different and that the people seemed very poor! Having said that Thailand too was very different back then. With some fleeting memories, I wondered how Myanmar would stack up in 2013!

Burmese vendor with the infamous Thanaka on her face.

We had at least booked our first few nights in Yangon and would be staying at the Hninn Si Budget Inn. We had organised this from Australia, including a free pick up from the airport. Samsun, our driver, was there to meet us, and in the 30 minutes or so it took to drive us in, we learnt some basic Burmese. Mingalaba (hello) and Gesu ve (thank you) would be used many, many times over on this trip. This was exciting! I felt like a little kid, as I stared at the surroundings as Samsun taught us Burmese and explained what we were looking at. Very different to Thailand. Most definitely poorer. My appreciation of Myanmar after our two week stay would be 'it's what Thailand was like 20 years ago'.

Myanmar street food.

We arrived at the hotel, and settled in; very basic, but very clean. The number of visitors to Myanmar is comparatively small compared to her neighbours, which is primarily due to its current political situation. After the military junta transferred power to a civilian government in 2011, the tourism sector saw a massive increase and in 2012, for the first time in the history of the nation, tourists numbered more than a million. It is believed that this more than doubled in 2013. So, we were living the change. One side effect of this lightning speed growth and change is that prices for things such as accommodation, transport and tour services have more than doubled in a period one to two years. We had also read that ATMs were virtually non-existent and that only crisp, off-the-press US dollar notes would be accepted. Not that we felt overly comfortable carrying a wad of US dollars, but it did not seem like we had much choice. Once there, we found that although not common, it was not impossible to find the odd ATM. As I mentioned, we were living the change that is occurring in Myanmar right now!

Holding up the Sule Pagoda.

We spent a couple of days in Yangon, taking in some amazing sights, such as the Sule and Shwedagon pagodas. The former is a spectacular temple which was within walking distance of our accommodation. Surrounded by government buildings and commercial shops, it's not every city whose primary traffic circle is occupied by a 2000-year-old golden temple. It is particularly beautiful at dusk and indeed very atmospheric. We did not actually go inside as we had to pay ... and considering the way in which the country spends its money, Alex and I were very cautious about paying out! Whilst Myanmar is a geographically beautiful country, populated by gentle people, it is also notorious for its human rights abuses, so we wanted to ensure that as little of our money as possible was going to the government, via things such as entry fees to temples! I almost lost my marbles when we were told that we had to pay USD $8.00 to get into the Shwedagon Pagoda. Whilst it is the 'Burmese Mecca' and arguably the most famous and impressive religious structure in the entire country, I was incensed at the thought of where my money would possibly go. In a country where wages are around USD $40-$50 per month, I found the $8.00 entry fee ludicrous! Come in 'toursist' spinner! Breathe in, breathe out ... after a little tiff with Alex, in we went ... it was swarming with tourists and I was trying not to do a head count and tally the government's profits! I just have to let some things go!

Shwedagon Pagoda.

I should explain that whilst Myanmar's currency is the kyat (pronounced chat), that the country also uses the American dollar ... nice clean and crisp notes thank you very much! The exchange rate is approximately just under 1000 kyats to the US dollar.

Shwedagon Pagoda.

I must say despite my little hissy fit, I did enjoy the Shwedagon Pagoda; it is indeed a spectacular sight. We went there in the later part of the afternoon as it morphed from a glittering bright gold to a crimson gold and orange as the sun casts its last rays. Despite the number of people and my initial trauma, I was still bedazzled with the visual intoxication it provided me with. As the masses poised their cameras to take the usual touristy shots, I walked around and tried to take in the peace and tranquility of the beautiful temple away from the maddening crowds. I had found my peace!

The many faces of Myanmar, Yangon.

Over the next couple of days we casually walked around taking in everything from ports to Musmeah Yeshua, Yangon's only Jewish synagogue; people watching, of course, was the compulsory activity. The sprawling mess of the Bogyoke Aung San Market was in the mix ... markets always are! Myanmar, despite its recent surge of tourism is still very much a third world country. The roads desperately need repairing, the footpaths are often pot-holed viewing platforms for the sewerage and mosquitos that live below and most cars would not ... have passed a basic inspection ... 20 years ago. But it's the people that really captured our hearts! Always a smile which became even broader when we would say hello in Burmese! I could not help but wonder if this would all change when the country would be 'permanently damaged' by tourism. By the end of our time in this country, we would note that it was like Thailand 20 years ago. With change always comes the good, the bad and the ugly! Myanmar ... watch this space!

Alex's doppelganger, on the stop over to Inle Lake.

Our next stop would be the placid Inle Lake, in Shan State, an overnight bus ride from Yangon. I must mention that whilst relatively comfortable, the overnight buses in Myanmar would rock up at their destinations at really odd hours, like 3 or 4am in the morning. What does one do at this hour? And speaking of buses and the likes ... we took a taxi to the Yangon bus terminal, which was some 45 minutes away from the centre, to encounter a bus city! Seriously, this place was an entity unto itself! I had never seen anything like it ... buses, people, cars and food stands everywhere! It was indeed a small city. We ended up on a VIP bus to Nyaungshwe near the edge of the lake, which was three seats, rather than the usual four, across. Very comfortable, but freezing! Hello Kitty had never looked so good; the blankets provided were thick, warm and well, very Hello Kitty! We met Fabienne and Jochen, a fun Swiss/ German couple who we chatted, laughed and had a middle-of-the-night food break with. Crazy young travellers like us, note the young! Check out their blog. We tried to sleep through the cold, but I struggled as I found it uncomfortably cold. When we arrived at Nyaungshwe in the early hours of the morning, I understood why ... not only had the bus been cold, but it was very chilly outside ... as in mist chilly! When I had looked at temperatures across Myanmar, I had looked at the top temperatures, but not the bottom ones. We were going to have some cold mornings and nights in this place!

Lake Inle countryside.

We had booked Remember Inn Hotel from Yangon the night before, and once off the bus we made our way there. A thin veil of mist covered the town (and us!) as we walked the short distance to our destination. Sure it was peak tourist season but in Myanmar we never really felt bombarded by by people and tourists. We had not made any advance bookings as we did not really have an itinerary; the plan of action was to book only a night or two in advance, once we had worked out where our next stop would actually be. Sometimes we got a place first pop, and other times it would take a few goes. Luckily, all the places we chose (again, what would we do without mobile technology and the capacity to review potential places!?) were comfortable and clean. Over our two weeks we would pay between USD$20.00 and $40.00 per night with $25-30 being an average (double bed and private bathroom). This has apparently more than doubled in the last couple of years. This is what we call progress!

Our boat on Lake Inle.

Weaver, Inle Lake.

Nyaungshwe has grown into a bustling traveller centre, and this place is probably as close as Myanmar gets to having a backpacker scene. And with a backpacker scene comes good coffee ... of course I found some! We even found a restaurant that made great soup and veggie dishes; Wa Toat became our local! On paper, Inle Lake is about 22 kilometres long and 11 kilometres wide, but it really is hard to tell where the lake finishes and the marshes start. In any case, it is obligatory, almost a rite of passage, to do the Inle Lake longboat trip. The drivers of the boats will almost certainly find you, before you find them. Indeed we were approached by many, and in the end we went with an affable guy called Kyo-Kyo (pronounced Jo-Jo). So, we spent a day on the lake, looking and stopping at everything from stilt-house villages and floating gardens to lotus weaving and cheroot (a type of cigar) making. And then there were monasteries (including the famous jumping cat one, but there didn't appear to be any cats, let alone jumping ones!), temples and pagodas. There are a number of tribes and groups in the country, and the Lake is renowned for the Intha technique of leg rowing, where one leg is wrapped around the paddle to drive the blade through the water. The balancing act is amazing to watch!

Market day in Nyaungshwe.

We also happened to be in Nyaungshwe on its big market day, where hill tribe people come from around the surrounding areas to sell their wares and food. I had a mission ... to buy another jumper! My legs were OK in the only pants I had, Thai Fisherman's pants, but I just needed that extra layer up top for boat trips, early mornings, late nights and bus trips. I picked myself up a lovely little grey number. In fact, so lovely that I only ever wore it inside out! The style was acceptable, the print on it was not! Well, it's certainly better than being cold!

We were going to visit Mandalay next, but we'd heard of a little place called Hsipaw up north, that was supposed to not be very touristy as well as being a great place to do some hill-tribe trekking ... the kind of trekking that was available in northern Thailand years ago before the masses descended. With a flexible itinerary and no firm plans, we decided that that would be our next stop. So, we booked our ticket and were off without further ado.

The infamous fishermen of Inle Lake.

As usual, the bus would arrive at its final destination at a really odd time ... 3am! We tried to choose the bus that left latest but that made little, if any, difference. We met a great French guy, Fabien, at the bus station as we were leaving Nyangshwe. We would end up at the same guest house in Hsipaw and in fact on the same hill tribe trek. We actually met some lovely travellers not only around the Inle Lake area but around Myanmar in general. We noticed that it was a bit more of a mature travellers set and that there were very few young, say under 25s, around. I feel Myanmar just takes that little bit more to navigate and it most certainly isn't party central. If it's a party you want you are certainly 'barking up the wrong country'!

Ombi

Next: An 'uncommercial' Christmas in Hsipaw, Mandalay and New Year in Bagan.

"The amount of love and good feelings you have at the end of your life is equal to the love and good feelings you put out during your life" - Anonymous

Somewhere over central Australia.

Alex and baby Sean.

Ombi and Nu Deang.

With Link's mother.

Myanmar ... moving forward!

This is how we wire our house,! Yangon.

Alex enjoying Shan soup in Yangon.

OH&S eat your heart out, Yangon.

Local Thai coffee at Pong and Link's local market.

Leaving Melbourne Airport, with the obligatory coffee.

Nu Deang with Pong's parents.

Downtown Yangon.

Temples of Yangon.

Market food, Yangon.

The many faces of Myanmar, Yangon.

Free wireless at the temple; how times have changed!

No money to pay your USD $8.00 entry fee? Do not fear!

Outside mosque, Yangon.

One of the many mosques in Yangon.

The many faces of Myanmar, Yangon.

Downtown Yangon with sule Pagoda in background.

Reading the morning paper, Yangon.

Nyaungshwe morning market, Inle Lake.

Chicken anyone? Morning market, Inle.

Nyaungshwe, Inle Lake.

Nyaungshwe.

Nyaungshwe lady.

Washing time, Nyaungshwe.

Around Inle Lake.

The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round.

Sunset, around Nyaungshwe.

Around the Nyaungshwe countryside.

Nyaungshwe lady.

Seamstresses, Nyaungshwe market.

One night (OK so it was four) in Bangkok

noreply@blogger.com (Ombi and Alex) — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 21:32:00 +0000

With Pensiri at Lamphu House

This trip was proving to be lots of fun and I had , as usual, been able to pack in a fair bit. Pong and Link had asked me to come back and stay with them for my last few days, but I had some serious 'Bangkok cramming' to do and I needed to be in the middle of the action to do it.

I had already booked my hotel, Siam 2 in Banglamphu. We had stayed there there on our last trip so I knew exactly what to expect and how to get there. It was comfy, clean and close enough to the action without actually being in it. The minibus from Kanchanaburi stopped very close by and I swaggered to my accommodation like a local ... although I am sure that with my backpack, I hardly looked like one! This part of Bangkok always feels like home to me!

Mango and sticky rice

I was on a mission ... as Alex tells me, I usually am! I immediately went to my 'local' dentist and made an appointment to have my teeth cleaned and checked. I only ever use dentists in Australia if I have to as they are exorbitant compared to other countries. Appointment next morning!

I met some lovely people at Siam 2, including Aussie sisters Diane and Deb and Argentine-Brazilian couple Gabriele and Cybele. It's always lovely to meet people who you click with. Siam has a pool so a few nighttime sessions reminiscing about both Brazil and Argentina were had. Cybele and Gabriele, don't be surprised if I do knock on your door in Buenos Aires and say hello!

Thai coffee and green curry at the 'local'

My next days were spent walking around various parts of Bangkok, eating (bring Thai Street food on!), having massages (stick those elbows in, none of that 'soft' stuff for me!), people-watching, shopping, jumping on and off buses, which of course included meeting and chatting to people, and ... I was even able to fit in some sightseeing of the cultural sort. I must say, I was a bit disappointed with Mahboonkrong (better known as MBK) Centre. At eight stories high and with some 2000 shops, it's a shopper's mecca. I must say, I think it has gone rapidly down hill in the last few years, and the shopping just ain't what it used to be. It seems to be more expensive and more commercial. Oh well, I still had Chatachuk to go. This is the mother of all markets, and seriously, if you can't find it here (15 000 plus booths!) you won't find it anywhere! For someone who hates shopping, I love this place! I love the vibe, the frenetic energy, the mix of people, and the many, many different things on offer. As usual, I put in some serious hours, but my diligence paid off and I found and bought what I was looking for.

Raw silk, Jim Thompson's House

On my way back from the market, I visited Jim Thompson's House (the cultural, sightseeing bit), very close to Siam Square. I have been meaning to do this for years but somehow have never gotten around to it. Jim Thompson was an American who moved to Thailand in the 1940's and in 1959 pretty much single- handedly turned the Thai silk industry into a hugely successful export business. What's remarkable about 'this house' is that it's actually a collection of six traditional Thai wooden homes which he then reconstructed in a jungle like garden. Thompson was also an avid collector of both Thai and oriental art. The guided tour was well and truly worth it.

Sunday night had arrived and I had fitted in everything I needed and wanted to do. Always room for more though! There's always next time, and of course there will be a next time! I would be flying back home the next day, on my birthday 14 October, but with the stopover in Brunei, would not get home until the 15th.

The changing face of Bangkok

Another trip down, and many, many more to go!

Ombi

"Dont cry because it's over, smile because it happened" – Dr Seuss

Next: Christmas and New Year in Myanmar (Burma) ... with stopovers in Bangkok ... of course!

The many faces of Khao San Road

A 'nice journey' for some ...

Banglamphu street vendor

Street food ... plastic table cloth and all

Ah Ronald ... you can run but you cannot hide!

Pigs ears anyone?

Pretty clothes for the bigger woman?

Fake it till you make it!

Fried scorpion perhaps?

Watch out!

No (extra) words needed ... Chatachuk Market

Deb and Di at Siam 2

Flowers, Jim Thompson's House

Banglamphu, Bangkok

Roti Ti-Mahaba, one of my fave Bangkok restaurants

Toilet etiquette

Cybele and Gabriel

Thai Quit Line

Random sign close to Bangkok

Miss Tim in Ko Samet, why not Madame Joe in Bangkok?

Bangkok