Saturday, December 22, 2007
2007 - the best bits
Its been a really hectic but fun year so just going to make a quick note of all the best bits before we forget what we did.
Hiking
Did some fantastic hikes this year. Here´s some of the best.
Sport
Hiking
Did some fantastic hikes this year. Here´s some of the best.
- Road trip from Brisbane to Sydney after Xmas. Visited, camped and did lots of day walks in Border Ranges NP, Girraween NP, Bald Rock NP, Washpool NP and Gibraltar Range NP despite finding the only rain and cold weather in all of Australia which was in the grip of drought.
- Kosciusko 3 day hike with Matt on Australia day weekend. Fantastic loop walk starting at the power station near Charlotte´s pass, camped near Jagungal, climbed it next day, camped near Valentine Falls (it was freezing there) and then also bagged another 2 mountains over 2000m but cant remember which ones
- Corang Peak, Budawangs 2 day hike with us, Matt, Laura and Bridget in February. Camped in a cave, beautiful walk with some lovely creek swimming, views and a little bit of bashing (think Laura and Bridget´s opinion is slightly different on this walk)
- Mt Anne Circuit, South West Tasmania with Matt. 3 day turned into 4 day hike (start of April, easter). Very heavy rain and mist on the first day, heavy rain on 2nd day but intermittent clear spells allowed us see some fantastic views. 3rd day over the ridge towards Mt Anne was also cloudy, very cold and one of the hardest days I have ever done with plenty treacherous edges, boulder hopping and clambering. Made it to the hut before dark so saved the last 2 hours back to the car for the next day. Dinner on vegimite, tea and limited stake bread. Delightful ;) end but what a walk.
- Walls of Jereusaleum, Tasmania. Super 5 day hike with Matt. Easy going, fab views, cold at night tho, the eastern spotted quolls stoll the show.
- Cradle Mountain day walk with Matt. Not a cloud in the sky, perfect day after a brilliant week in Tasmania.
- 3 peaks in 48 hours, Kanangra-Boyd NP in June with Matt. About 80-90kms, 5kms of ascents and descents up and down Cloudmaker, Paralyser (very apt name) and Guouogang, 3 hours sleep on the 1st night, 10 on the 2nd night, many mental and physical highs and lows. Highly recommended. Still managed to play football on the sunday, the day after we finished.
- Central Australia (August) with Matt, Ian and Debbie. Lots of day walks including around Ayers Rock, the Olgas, Kings Canyon (awesome), Mount Sonder, Ormiston Gorge (stunning) plus lots of other canyon
- Inca Trail. See the october blog for that one.
Sport
- Had a fantastic season playing and training (and drinking) with Waverly Old Boys and winning the league and cup double with the SW1s. Wahooo.
- Rogaining (with Matt). Did a 24 hour in April in the Turon Gold Rush. Did pretty well and came 5th in our category. Very hilly course with lots of knee pain afterwards (and during). Matt had to encourage me lots on the last hill of the day as I refused to beleive or want to walk up another bloody hill. Also did a 24 hour in Central Australia in the Eastern McDonnell Ranges which was the Australian Championships. Think we came 20th overall (out of 100+ teams), but stuffed up somewhere during the night so didn´t do as well as we wanted. Was an amazing course tho with fab scenery, canyons, desert, wildlife etc.
- Mountain biking - did some good rides around Sydney
- Horse riding - Dunk learnt how not to take corners ;)
- finishing work for 6 months in august
- Mik and Shannon´s wedding
- Tara and Colins wedding (and gate crashing their honeymoon)
- trip to Ireland in Sept (and catching everyone there)
- lots of trips with Dunk´s family (to Canberra, Brisbane, Maleny, Tassie, etc)
- did I mention not working since August
- leaving Sydney (this was very sad for us thou saying good bye to all our buddies there)
- obviously all our travels in South America
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Buenos Aires
After another long 17 hour bus journey, arrived into BA at 5.30am about 2 hours before schedule. Decided to find a cafe to hang out for a couple of hours before waking me auntie up a more respectable 8 or 9am! Its a strange first impression of a city when you arrive just before everyone wakes up and nothing is open but once we eventually found coffee and fresh croissants we were much happier.
Phoned Helen at a decent hour an turns out she´d been awake all morning anyways as her visitors had an early flight to catch - doh! She has a fantastic (seriously its cool!) 2 bed colonial apt in San Telmo right in the heart of the city. The apt is really fab, high ceilings, huge rooms, plenty room and really feels like we´re living a couple of centuries ago (except for the tv, nice kitchen!). Spent the last 2 days sorting out things for heading to Patagonia after xmas so been a bit stressed (I can feel waves of sympathy from ya here) altho its helped that we been eating like royalty. The food here is by far and away the best so far .. anything we have eaten in the trip so far doesn´t even register compared to here. The meat is incredible (melt in the mouth), coffee (caffeine high and associated Grace shakes and hyperness here for the next 7 days - poor Dunk!), chocolate - REAL chocolate (I´m fattening like mad - its great, I can leave the belt off now), fresh food (ahhh I love salads and fruit!), and alcohol. Ok wine is so cheap its stupid. We got a decent bottle for 3 euros last night. Beer is 80 cents (euros) per litre ... its cheaper then bottled water.
Also the city is lovely, people are sooo friendly, welcoming and delighted to see tourists, great parks and architecture, if you liked shopping you´d be in heaven so think we´re going to be very happy for xmas!! The next week promises to be just food glorious food and beer and wine and coffee and of course chocolate!! We´re staying til the 28th and then off to Bariloche for a night before crossing to Puerto Montt in Chile. Plan is 6 weeks hiking and bussing down the Carretas Austral, then back into Argentian Patagonia.
Hope you all have a wonderful festive season. Email me if you want a number to catch us on over the hols!
Phoned Helen at a decent hour an turns out she´d been awake all morning anyways as her visitors had an early flight to catch - doh! She has a fantastic (seriously its cool!) 2 bed colonial apt in San Telmo right in the heart of the city. The apt is really fab, high ceilings, huge rooms, plenty room and really feels like we´re living a couple of centuries ago (except for the tv, nice kitchen!). Spent the last 2 days sorting out things for heading to Patagonia after xmas so been a bit stressed (I can feel waves of sympathy from ya here) altho its helped that we been eating like royalty. The food here is by far and away the best so far .. anything we have eaten in the trip so far doesn´t even register compared to here. The meat is incredible (melt in the mouth), coffee (caffeine high and associated Grace shakes and hyperness here for the next 7 days - poor Dunk!), chocolate - REAL chocolate (I´m fattening like mad - its great, I can leave the belt off now), fresh food (ahhh I love salads and fruit!), and alcohol. Ok wine is so cheap its stupid. We got a decent bottle for 3 euros last night. Beer is 80 cents (euros) per litre ... its cheaper then bottled water.
Also the city is lovely, people are sooo friendly, welcoming and delighted to see tourists, great parks and architecture, if you liked shopping you´d be in heaven so think we´re going to be very happy for xmas!! The next week promises to be just food glorious food and beer and wine and coffee and of course chocolate!! We´re staying til the 28th and then off to Bariloche for a night before crossing to Puerto Montt in Chile. Plan is 6 weeks hiking and bussing down the Carretas Austral, then back into Argentian Patagonia.
Hope you all have a wonderful festive season. Email me if you want a number to catch us on over the hols!
Iguazu Falls
From Miranda we headed to Foz Do Iguazu and the straight across the border to the Argentian town of Puerto Iguazu. After the 24 hour trip from Miranda to Foz Do Iguazu we ran out of steam so didn´t see the falls from the Brazilian side. Had no problems with passports either - I dont think the brazilians looked at Dunk´s visa once!
Stayed in Puerto Iguazu which is a nice little town full of good places to eat. First impressions of Argentina were that its slightly poorer then Brazil, but very friendly, courteous and helpful and also (important for us) WAY cheaper. Stayed at Colonial Hostel for 70 pesos (18 euros) for air con, ensuite room and a proper brekkie! Dunk sampled a legendery argentian steak and morcillo (blolod sausage like blacl pudding) that night and it was goooood - way better then Brazil where the beef is tough (from the type of cattle they have there are indian cross), always very salty and very well cooked (almost crisped). I tried the pasta (my poor tummy is still recovering from some dodgy food) and it was fresh and sooo tasty. Already liking Argentina a LOT!
Next day we spent the entire day at Iguazu Falls. I´m not even going to try and explain how good the falls are cos its impossible to do justice to a place thats so naturally beautiful, huge, powerful and overwhelming. It is just as good as ya read and the photos dont do the place a tad of justice! Bring lots of water tho, they charge extorionate prices for liquids of any kind which is a bit crazy really as the heat this time of year is dangerous. We were just drenched in sweat all day long! Was definitely one of the highlights of our trip so far and would highly recommend everyone to go out of your way to go there!
Next stop ... Buenos Aires.
Stayed in Puerto Iguazu which is a nice little town full of good places to eat. First impressions of Argentina were that its slightly poorer then Brazil, but very friendly, courteous and helpful and also (important for us) WAY cheaper. Stayed at Colonial Hostel for 70 pesos (18 euros) for air con, ensuite room and a proper brekkie! Dunk sampled a legendery argentian steak and morcillo (blolod sausage like blacl pudding) that night and it was goooood - way better then Brazil where the beef is tough (from the type of cattle they have there are indian cross), always very salty and very well cooked (almost crisped). I tried the pasta (my poor tummy is still recovering from some dodgy food) and it was fresh and sooo tasty. Already liking Argentina a LOT!
Next day we spent the entire day at Iguazu Falls. I´m not even going to try and explain how good the falls are cos its impossible to do justice to a place thats so naturally beautiful, huge, powerful and overwhelming. It is just as good as ya read and the photos dont do the place a tad of justice! Bring lots of water tho, they charge extorionate prices for liquids of any kind which is a bit crazy really as the heat this time of year is dangerous. We were just drenched in sweat all day long! Was definitely one of the highlights of our trip so far and would highly recommend everyone to go out of your way to go there!
Next stop ... Buenos Aires.
The Pantanal, Brazil
The Pantanal is a massive swamp area that covers about 220, 000 square kms, mostly in Brazil but also in Bolivia and Paraguay. Orginally we wanted to do a trip in Bolivia as its more unexplored and less exploited then in Brazil (and LOADS cheaper) but we couldn´t find a tour operator except for one but they couldn´t bring us as they couldn´t source enough petrol for a 3 day trip! This part of Bolivia is well cut off from the rest of the country altho there is a new road being built which should help open up the region.
Instead we decided to go with Explore Pantanal tour group based in Miranda which is run by Marcello (a Brazilian with 16 years guiding experience) and his wife Mirjam (Swiss) who is the organiser. We paid more then the usual backpacker odds (660 reais ie about 350 eur each), for a 5 day trip as the backpacker tours tend to be much shorter and bigger groups. Bit of a price shock to the wallet after 3 weeks in Bolivia but we reckon it was worth it. Mirjam was really helpful with info in getting there, local things to do and also booking our bus onto Foz De Iguazu after the tour ended.
So off we set on a melting monday morning .. dunno what the temps were but probably mid 30s at least. Its the rainy season so the weather tends to be either very hot, sunny and dry or else very hot, humid and lashing rain. The roads are mostly MUD, large holes of either mud, water or something in between or else dry and bumpy as hell if its stayed dry for a few days.
On the first morning we saw a giant anteater ... for me this was the best creature we saw of the entire trip. They have crazy long hairy tails, big long snouts (all the better for eating ants) and kind of lope along in a cartoon-ish fashion. We also saw LOTS of caiman (alligators) and I mean LOTS. One place we stopped at had at least 200 of all sizes, and this was typical of what we saw over the trip. At this time of year they congrugate in the remaining water holes and eat the last of the fish, smaller caiman and anything else they can catch. We also saw heaps of birds including the massive jabiru stork. The pantanal is flat as a pancake ... actually its flatter so most of it is grass or swamp land punctuated by little islands called capones which have bigger trees and are the only places that dont get flooded in the wet season even tho they´re only about 1-5metres higher then the surrounding land.
We saw lots of cattle being herded by real live and kicking cowboys. This place is seriosuly wild west territory!! The cattle get moved out this time of year to drier plains so its busy times for the cowboys. They ride mules mostly as they have more stamina then horses and ride saddles that are mostly sheepskins with a bit of leather on top. Also they curvy long horns (made from cow horns) to call the cattle, lassoos and drink mate (herbal tea drank cold or hot which is hugely popular in southern brazil, paraguay and all of argentina) like it was going out of fashion.
The first 2 nights we stayed in a very basic fazenda (cattle ranch) which dorm bunk beds, basic facilities which leaked like crazy in the downpour on the second day and eat reasonably basic food (some of it was pretty hard going like dried beef in rice which tasted worse then it smelt and looked - will be giving that a miss in future). Did some walks where we say loads of hyacinth macaws (very cool blue, 1m long macaw), capybaras, deer, loads of birds and a LOT of cattle). On the 3rd day we headed to another fazenda which was much better quality in all respects and run really well. We stayed in hammocks on the 3rd night and it was such a cool way to sleep in the heat. The drive to the 2nd fazenda was a bit more adventurous then we all wanted as we spent 2 hours bogged in a deep waterhole in the track. Thankfully Dunk had some experience (or just a brain) to help get the 4wd out and would have helped it the tour guides had brought a shovel and some better implements (which we would have thought obvious since its the wet season). Digging with sticks SUCKS.
We went piranha fishing on the 3rd afternoon (nice and peaceful after the early bogging) and we all caught some. The caimans were a bit scary thou as they lurked very near us and occasionaly approached us if we had caught a fish. The piranhas were very plentiful, easy to catch and have vicisous teeth so had to be careful taking out the hook not to loose a finger! Very tasty also (or maybe it was relative to the basic food of the prior day or 2).
On the 4th day, the cowboys on the fazenda were doing a cattle muster and we were invited. It was brilliant, spent 7 hours out on horseback watching them working (very skillful and they work so hard under the savage heat of the sun), plodding along on our well trained (bored of tourists) horses, staying well out of the way of bulls and caimans of which there was plenty.
On the last night, the tour guides decided we should go camping (which is fine as that was what we had booked) and it was a beautiful night except for one thing - plagues of mosquitos - the worst I have EVER seen. It was unrelenting and made the whole camping affair pretty awful really (and thats compared to a lot of camping nights we have had). We basically sat in the fire smoke (and sweated buckets), made the occasional dash around to try and lose the mossies and eventually just got in the tent. The tent was melting tho and surrounded by the whine of mossies made it a slow night to sleep. Next morning was just as bad even at 5am (altho at least it was cooler) as we headed back early with another 4wd from the fazenda (so as if we got bogged again we´d have more help).
All in all we had a fantastic trip. In hindsight, we shouldnt have gone camping (sleeping in hammocks under mossie nets is cheap and better fun at this time of year) and the tour guides should have known better altho in fairness they are just still testing the waters with what kind of trips they can do at this time of year. I´d highly recommend the 2nd fazenda we stayed at (Rio Vermelho I think) as the food was fantastic and the people who run the show were brilliant ... really genuine, friendly, helpful. We´d still go with the same tour again altho would hope they could do a few things a bit better (like bring a bloody shovel!, maybe better food on some of the days and less of the husband-wife fighting on the last day would have been good as well). It sounds like the backpacker tours in general are very badly run, we saw some of them and they all stay in a boat on a river in the same place, are brought around in large groups and allegedly feed awfully so considering that I think we picked well.
Would highly recommend a trip to the pantanal, probably to a fazenda. The wildlife is just incrredible. Like every day we say 100s of caimans, birds, lizards, etc and also the lifestyle there is worth a look at too.
Instead we decided to go with Explore Pantanal tour group based in Miranda which is run by Marcello (a Brazilian with 16 years guiding experience) and his wife Mirjam (Swiss) who is the organiser. We paid more then the usual backpacker odds (660 reais ie about 350 eur each), for a 5 day trip as the backpacker tours tend to be much shorter and bigger groups. Bit of a price shock to the wallet after 3 weeks in Bolivia but we reckon it was worth it. Mirjam was really helpful with info in getting there, local things to do and also booking our bus onto Foz De Iguazu after the tour ended.
So off we set on a melting monday morning .. dunno what the temps were but probably mid 30s at least. Its the rainy season so the weather tends to be either very hot, sunny and dry or else very hot, humid and lashing rain. The roads are mostly MUD, large holes of either mud, water or something in between or else dry and bumpy as hell if its stayed dry for a few days.
On the first morning we saw a giant anteater ... for me this was the best creature we saw of the entire trip. They have crazy long hairy tails, big long snouts (all the better for eating ants) and kind of lope along in a cartoon-ish fashion. We also saw LOTS of caiman (alligators) and I mean LOTS. One place we stopped at had at least 200 of all sizes, and this was typical of what we saw over the trip. At this time of year they congrugate in the remaining water holes and eat the last of the fish, smaller caiman and anything else they can catch. We also saw heaps of birds including the massive jabiru stork. The pantanal is flat as a pancake ... actually its flatter so most of it is grass or swamp land punctuated by little islands called capones which have bigger trees and are the only places that dont get flooded in the wet season even tho they´re only about 1-5metres higher then the surrounding land.
We saw lots of cattle being herded by real live and kicking cowboys. This place is seriosuly wild west territory!! The cattle get moved out this time of year to drier plains so its busy times for the cowboys. They ride mules mostly as they have more stamina then horses and ride saddles that are mostly sheepskins with a bit of leather on top. Also they curvy long horns (made from cow horns) to call the cattle, lassoos and drink mate (herbal tea drank cold or hot which is hugely popular in southern brazil, paraguay and all of argentina) like it was going out of fashion.
The first 2 nights we stayed in a very basic fazenda (cattle ranch) which dorm bunk beds, basic facilities which leaked like crazy in the downpour on the second day and eat reasonably basic food (some of it was pretty hard going like dried beef in rice which tasted worse then it smelt and looked - will be giving that a miss in future). Did some walks where we say loads of hyacinth macaws (very cool blue, 1m long macaw), capybaras, deer, loads of birds and a LOT of cattle). On the 3rd day we headed to another fazenda which was much better quality in all respects and run really well. We stayed in hammocks on the 3rd night and it was such a cool way to sleep in the heat. The drive to the 2nd fazenda was a bit more adventurous then we all wanted as we spent 2 hours bogged in a deep waterhole in the track. Thankfully Dunk had some experience (or just a brain) to help get the 4wd out and would have helped it the tour guides had brought a shovel and some better implements (which we would have thought obvious since its the wet season). Digging with sticks SUCKS.
We went piranha fishing on the 3rd afternoon (nice and peaceful after the early bogging) and we all caught some. The caimans were a bit scary thou as they lurked very near us and occasionaly approached us if we had caught a fish. The piranhas were very plentiful, easy to catch and have vicisous teeth so had to be careful taking out the hook not to loose a finger! Very tasty also (or maybe it was relative to the basic food of the prior day or 2).
On the 4th day, the cowboys on the fazenda were doing a cattle muster and we were invited. It was brilliant, spent 7 hours out on horseback watching them working (very skillful and they work so hard under the savage heat of the sun), plodding along on our well trained (bored of tourists) horses, staying well out of the way of bulls and caimans of which there was plenty.
On the last night, the tour guides decided we should go camping (which is fine as that was what we had booked) and it was a beautiful night except for one thing - plagues of mosquitos - the worst I have EVER seen. It was unrelenting and made the whole camping affair pretty awful really (and thats compared to a lot of camping nights we have had). We basically sat in the fire smoke (and sweated buckets), made the occasional dash around to try and lose the mossies and eventually just got in the tent. The tent was melting tho and surrounded by the whine of mossies made it a slow night to sleep. Next morning was just as bad even at 5am (altho at least it was cooler) as we headed back early with another 4wd from the fazenda (so as if we got bogged again we´d have more help).
All in all we had a fantastic trip. In hindsight, we shouldnt have gone camping (sleeping in hammocks under mossie nets is cheap and better fun at this time of year) and the tour guides should have known better altho in fairness they are just still testing the waters with what kind of trips they can do at this time of year. I´d highly recommend the 2nd fazenda we stayed at (Rio Vermelho I think) as the food was fantastic and the people who run the show were brilliant ... really genuine, friendly, helpful. We´d still go with the same tour again altho would hope they could do a few things a bit better (like bring a bloody shovel!, maybe better food on some of the days and less of the husband-wife fighting on the last day would have been good as well). It sounds like the backpacker tours in general are very badly run, we saw some of them and they all stay in a boat on a river in the same place, are brought around in large groups and allegedly feed awfully so considering that I think we picked well.
Would highly recommend a trip to the pantanal, probably to a fazenda. The wildlife is just incrredible. Like every day we say 100s of caimans, birds, lizards, etc and also the lifestyle there is worth a look at too.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Slow train to the brazil-bolivian border
SO last time we wrote we were waiting for the train in Santa Cruz which was delayed by 10 hours. Finally it left at around 10.30pm, 10.5 hours later then the schedule. WE had ¨first¨ class seats so didn¨t have to queue to get a seat or anything altho we did cos everyone else was so we thought we better as well. The train is pretty grubby but good leg room and the seats were ok. ALso could open the windows all the way so was great for sticking your head out and looking around. Managed to get some sleep in between ticket and drug checks which happened every couple of hours or just when we had always managed to fall into a deep sleep!
There was quite a few Mennonites on the train as they have population centres around San Jose De CHiquitos and places like that. Quite strange seeing them all dressed up identically in their nice smart overalls and shirts and hats and dresses for the women. THink they found us strange too as they stared at us a bit and there wasn{t that many backpackers on the train maybe 4 of us all up.
The train stopped at EVERY little place for the 600kms between Santa Cruz and the border. AT every stop, hoards of local kids and women got on the train to sell lemonade which was really good and a variety of empanadas, bbq meat, and other various dishes. GOod entertainment!
THe highlight of the trip was passing by the area of Chocis which has got an area of sandstone plateaus that look really cool. WOuld love to check that area out for walking sometime. Reminded me of a cross between KIngs Canyon and the Budawangs in Australia but really green since its the wet season. Very beautiful tho and will post photos at some stage. THis was the bonus of having a late train otherwise we would have passed this area at night time!
EVentually got to Puerto Quijarro around 8pm on the friday night after a long hot day sweltering on the train. WE stank and were pretty exhausted. FOund an ok place to stay and some dodgy food to eat and slept like logs. Puerto Quijarro is a hole - typical dodgy border town with plenty dodgy characters and just not a nice place to be. IT was dusty as hell when we arrived and an hour later got a huge storm so everything turned into rivers of mud.
THe next morning we headed to the border early. WAs stinking hot ... probably mid 30s at 8am and we got covered in mud walking across the border. HEaded to COrumba which is in BRazil and experienced a kind of time warp sensation as Brazil and COrumba is clean, dry, well off, nice cars, paved streets, no mud, happy well dressed people and just about as far from BOlivia and Puerto Quijarro as you could imagine. Was really strange feeling. Of course the prices jumped about 600percent once we crossed the border as well!
GOt our brazilian passport stamps at the bus station after having to walk about 2kms wityh out backpacks as the taxi prices were outrageous. Arrived drenched in sweat and stinking. THey stamped my australian passport, didn-t even look at DUnks visa and off we went.
Booked a bus to Miranda where our pantanal tour started on monday. MAnaged to miss the bus as I had gone to town looking to an ATM as we had no reais. We forgot that BRazil is an hour ahead!! anyways the very sweet and amused ticket seller changed our tickets no hassles! COst us 15 euros each for a ticket which is about 10 times more expensive then BOlivia BUT when we saw the bus we knew why. I have never been on a better bus anywhere in the world. IT was amazing! Air-con that was properly cold, beautifully clean and loads of space with the most comfy seats ever.
HAd a great view of the pantanal from the bus, managed to see caiman, jabiru storks, spoonbills, deer, etc and we hadnt even started the tour. In Miranda, the tour guys picked us and we stayed with them for sat and sunday. THey cooked us some great traditional food and it was good to chill out after the epic journey from Santa Cruz. WAs ridicously hot on the sunday gain ... probably getting near to 40C and humid too. I was melted!!
OK next post will tell ya all about the Pantanal!
BTW we did a tour with Explore Pantanal.
There was quite a few Mennonites on the train as they have population centres around San Jose De CHiquitos and places like that. Quite strange seeing them all dressed up identically in their nice smart overalls and shirts and hats and dresses for the women. THink they found us strange too as they stared at us a bit and there wasn{t that many backpackers on the train maybe 4 of us all up.
The train stopped at EVERY little place for the 600kms between Santa Cruz and the border. AT every stop, hoards of local kids and women got on the train to sell lemonade which was really good and a variety of empanadas, bbq meat, and other various dishes. GOod entertainment!
THe highlight of the trip was passing by the area of Chocis which has got an area of sandstone plateaus that look really cool. WOuld love to check that area out for walking sometime. Reminded me of a cross between KIngs Canyon and the Budawangs in Australia but really green since its the wet season. Very beautiful tho and will post photos at some stage. THis was the bonus of having a late train otherwise we would have passed this area at night time!
EVentually got to Puerto Quijarro around 8pm on the friday night after a long hot day sweltering on the train. WE stank and were pretty exhausted. FOund an ok place to stay and some dodgy food to eat and slept like logs. Puerto Quijarro is a hole - typical dodgy border town with plenty dodgy characters and just not a nice place to be. IT was dusty as hell when we arrived and an hour later got a huge storm so everything turned into rivers of mud.
THe next morning we headed to the border early. WAs stinking hot ... probably mid 30s at 8am and we got covered in mud walking across the border. HEaded to COrumba which is in BRazil and experienced a kind of time warp sensation as Brazil and COrumba is clean, dry, well off, nice cars, paved streets, no mud, happy well dressed people and just about as far from BOlivia and Puerto Quijarro as you could imagine. Was really strange feeling. Of course the prices jumped about 600percent once we crossed the border as well!
GOt our brazilian passport stamps at the bus station after having to walk about 2kms wityh out backpacks as the taxi prices were outrageous. Arrived drenched in sweat and stinking. THey stamped my australian passport, didn-t even look at DUnks visa and off we went.
Booked a bus to Miranda where our pantanal tour started on monday. MAnaged to miss the bus as I had gone to town looking to an ATM as we had no reais. We forgot that BRazil is an hour ahead!! anyways the very sweet and amused ticket seller changed our tickets no hassles! COst us 15 euros each for a ticket which is about 10 times more expensive then BOlivia BUT when we saw the bus we knew why. I have never been on a better bus anywhere in the world. IT was amazing! Air-con that was properly cold, beautifully clean and loads of space with the most comfy seats ever.
HAd a great view of the pantanal from the bus, managed to see caiman, jabiru storks, spoonbills, deer, etc and we hadnt even started the tour. In Miranda, the tour guys picked us and we stayed with them for sat and sunday. THey cooked us some great traditional food and it was good to chill out after the epic journey from Santa Cruz. WAs ridicously hot on the sunday gain ... probably getting near to 40C and humid too. I was melted!!
OK next post will tell ya all about the Pantanal!
BTW we did a tour with Explore Pantanal.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Still in Santa Cruz waiting for the train ... SIGH
Ah here´s a little rant to show that it its not all fun and games on our travels. Been in Santa Cruz for 5 days now and beginning to get a little tired of ´wasting time´trying to get to Brazil.
Firstly we had to wait for 3 days for Dunk´s visa for Brazil as Aussies have to get a visa for entry there. Presumably cos the Aussies dish out the same treatment to Brazialians. Going to chance me switching from using my aussie passport (in married name and Bolivian entry stamps) to my Irish passport (in maiden name and no south american stamps at all) all in the name of saving 35 US dollars ... well every buck counts and anyways its the principal. Hopefully I wont have to go back to Bolivia and wait for another 2 days in Puerto Suarez for another visa. Maybe bribery or tantrums will be used!
Next delay was yesterday when we went to get the train. Couldn´t get a ticket without a passport so all the trains were booked up yesterday so got a ticket for today. Back to the hostel (stayed at Hotel Magdelna which has a pool, tv, huge rooms, hot water! for about 90 bobs ie 9 euros!) which was slightly embarassing as I´d had a little hissy fit when they returned our laundry SOPPING wet yesterday (ya ya I know its raining but if you couldn´t get our laundry dry why did ya bloody wash it in the first place - wet stuf tends to ferment nastily in backpacks especially when stashed for 24 hours!).
Turned up this morning and saw this omnious sign saying train to Quijarro departs at 22:00 (obviously in Spanish so am beginning to hope my Spanish is more crap then I think) when we´re supposed to depart at 12:00. Ohhhh nnooo we thinking lots of bad words now. SO we go the info booth and ask what time the train departs and the girl looks at us like we´re from outer space (ya ya my Spanish is bad and my accent is worse) and then after about 1 minute staring as us says the train leaves at 10 tonight and when I ask why she gives an even worse your a f%%%ing alien stare and blabs off 4 words in Spanish that gave us no clue. SO we asked a nice policeman what was going on (in the same pigeon Spanish since I didn´t have time to relearn my accent in the 30 seconds from the previous encounter) and he miracously understood me perfectly, explained what was going on ie train is delayed for 10 hours cos of the rainy weather. BUGGA.
So we´re now in an internet cafe burning up time as its cheaper then drinking beer or sitting in a cafe eating chocolate cake (which is what I really want to do!!). Am really hoping the train goes tonight as we want to get to Corumba, Brazil for saturday night so we can see the locals party (we´re too much of 2 pot screamers these days), then do a 5 day tour of the pantanal and then Iguazu Falls before heading to Buenos Aires. Pretty frustrating sitting here waiting but not much else to do. Other options are the road which takes MANY days this time of year or a flight for 500US (I dont think so!!).
Anyways I can imagine you all have stacks of sympathy for us sitting here on our asses with very little worries aside from how long will the train take IF and when it does go! Dont worry too much about us tho cos we have eaten our little asses fat in the last 5 days. There´s a great cuban just off the main plaza), bakery (behind the cathedral on the main plaza), german restaurant (called Casona - yummo food), Tia Lia brazilian lunch place (all ya can eat for 2.5euros and the best chorizos ever), vegie place (Su Salad) I dont think we ever eat so much vegtables in one sitting! The irish pub is pure cac tho ... full of wanna be posers drinking cocktails altho the location is nice looking out over the square.
Also Santa Cruz is famous cos of its beautiful women - the most in Bolivia ... this is a bit strange cos their not that beautiful (maybe its just cos I´m used to hanging out with such beautiful people all the time - compliment to you my friends!) or maybe its relative to the girls in the rest of the country who wear that horrible traditional dress. At first its a novelty, but then as you observe, smell, sit near, behind, get brushed closely, very closely on buses by ´ladies´in this attire you learn that this costume is a costume that masks a 1000 bad smells (llama, sheep, baby, BO, food, etc I wont get too uncharitable) and inner fat layers and that girls just tend to grow out to fill into this costume. Anyways suffice to say the dress sense here is WAY better then anywhere else we been so far.
Ok been in here now for 3 hours looking at bus timetables and trying (failing) to get cheap flights anywhere so going to console ourselves with chocolate, coffee, beer, and anything else tasty we can fit into the next 3 hours before the train leaves (fingers crossed).
Also the weather has lashed on us for the last 2 days so pretty glad we piked out on Amboro (altho mostly we did this cos of time reasons). Will have to come back in the dry season for that one!
Firstly we had to wait for 3 days for Dunk´s visa for Brazil as Aussies have to get a visa for entry there. Presumably cos the Aussies dish out the same treatment to Brazialians. Going to chance me switching from using my aussie passport (in married name and Bolivian entry stamps) to my Irish passport (in maiden name and no south american stamps at all) all in the name of saving 35 US dollars ... well every buck counts and anyways its the principal. Hopefully I wont have to go back to Bolivia and wait for another 2 days in Puerto Suarez for another visa. Maybe bribery or tantrums will be used!
Next delay was yesterday when we went to get the train. Couldn´t get a ticket without a passport so all the trains were booked up yesterday so got a ticket for today. Back to the hostel (stayed at Hotel Magdelna which has a pool, tv, huge rooms, hot water! for about 90 bobs ie 9 euros!) which was slightly embarassing as I´d had a little hissy fit when they returned our laundry SOPPING wet yesterday (ya ya I know its raining but if you couldn´t get our laundry dry why did ya bloody wash it in the first place - wet stuf tends to ferment nastily in backpacks especially when stashed for 24 hours!).
Turned up this morning and saw this omnious sign saying train to Quijarro departs at 22:00 (obviously in Spanish so am beginning to hope my Spanish is more crap then I think) when we´re supposed to depart at 12:00. Ohhhh nnooo we thinking lots of bad words now. SO we go the info booth and ask what time the train departs and the girl looks at us like we´re from outer space (ya ya my Spanish is bad and my accent is worse) and then after about 1 minute staring as us says the train leaves at 10 tonight and when I ask why she gives an even worse your a f%%%ing alien stare and blabs off 4 words in Spanish that gave us no clue. SO we asked a nice policeman what was going on (in the same pigeon Spanish since I didn´t have time to relearn my accent in the 30 seconds from the previous encounter) and he miracously understood me perfectly, explained what was going on ie train is delayed for 10 hours cos of the rainy weather. BUGGA.
So we´re now in an internet cafe burning up time as its cheaper then drinking beer or sitting in a cafe eating chocolate cake (which is what I really want to do!!). Am really hoping the train goes tonight as we want to get to Corumba, Brazil for saturday night so we can see the locals party (we´re too much of 2 pot screamers these days), then do a 5 day tour of the pantanal and then Iguazu Falls before heading to Buenos Aires. Pretty frustrating sitting here waiting but not much else to do. Other options are the road which takes MANY days this time of year or a flight for 500US (I dont think so!!).
Anyways I can imagine you all have stacks of sympathy for us sitting here on our asses with very little worries aside from how long will the train take IF and when it does go! Dont worry too much about us tho cos we have eaten our little asses fat in the last 5 days. There´s a great cuban just off the main plaza), bakery (behind the cathedral on the main plaza), german restaurant (called Casona - yummo food), Tia Lia brazilian lunch place (all ya can eat for 2.5euros and the best chorizos ever), vegie place (Su Salad) I dont think we ever eat so much vegtables in one sitting! The irish pub is pure cac tho ... full of wanna be posers drinking cocktails altho the location is nice looking out over the square.
Also Santa Cruz is famous cos of its beautiful women - the most in Bolivia ... this is a bit strange cos their not that beautiful (maybe its just cos I´m used to hanging out with such beautiful people all the time - compliment to you my friends!) or maybe its relative to the girls in the rest of the country who wear that horrible traditional dress. At first its a novelty, but then as you observe, smell, sit near, behind, get brushed closely, very closely on buses by ´ladies´in this attire you learn that this costume is a costume that masks a 1000 bad smells (llama, sheep, baby, BO, food, etc I wont get too uncharitable) and inner fat layers and that girls just tend to grow out to fill into this costume. Anyways suffice to say the dress sense here is WAY better then anywhere else we been so far.
Ok been in here now for 3 hours looking at bus timetables and trying (failing) to get cheap flights anywhere so going to console ourselves with chocolate, coffee, beer, and anything else tasty we can fit into the next 3 hours before the train leaves (fingers crossed).
Also the weather has lashed on us for the last 2 days so pretty glad we piked out on Amboro (altho mostly we did this cos of time reasons). Will have to come back in the dry season for that one!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
La Paz to Cochobamba to Santa Cruz
Spent 7 hours on the bus from La Paz to Santa Cruz, as per usual just turned up at the bus station and paid half the price they asked for. Also incredibly the bus left on time but as per usual with La Paz buses spent an hour filling the bus in El Alto (which is a really poor city on the rim overlooking La Paz). First 3-4 hours was driving along the vast expanses of the altoplano (not very exciting) altho did get a very tasty kind of mashed pototo filled with something snack from one of the local vendors who get on the buses along the way. The drive then heads over a high pass (damn cold, bits of snow lying plus raining) before descending down to 2500m to Cochobamba.
Cochobamba is a friendly little place, some good bars and restaurants. Spent a couple of hours in the square (well it was more like a roundabout with gardens) watching the newly married couples getting all their photos done plus watching out for the local shoeshine boys didn´t swipe nything from us (dodgy little muppets). Stayed in Hostel Jardina which was basic but fine. Got good mexican for dinner!
Next morning headed to the bus station for 6.45am ... managed to just about get on the 6.30am bus for a cheap 25 bols (we could have got the 7am but it costs more the earlier yo buy your ticket!) for the trip to Santa Cruz. Its 10 hours but the first 4 hours are incredibly spectacular. Cochobamba is still very dry and sparse and brown but has a few trees and from there head up over another ridge of mountains until suddenly everything turns green and from sparse altoplano landscape into cloudforest. Really sudden and surprising. The road then winds down thru steep valleys of cloudforest until a couple of hours later it hits the lowlands which is all very tropical and green. The temperature also goes from about 10C in La Paz, a pleasant 20Cish in Cochobamba (called the city of eternal spring) to a humid 30C in the lowlands. Bit of a shock to the system but nice to be back in hot weather and shorts again!
Santa Cruz is a lovely city, very modern, clean and feels more like a 1st world city then anywhere we have been so far. Staying in a great hotel for 9 eur per night for an ensuite, pool, fan and cble tv (which is pure awful 100 channels of poo but occasionally I get to see premiership highlights). Food is great here too. Huge portions tho - it baffles us how much food they can eat here in one go!! speaking of which off to some brazilian style buffet for lunch to stuff our faces for a couple of euros each and then it will be siesta for the afternoon!
Leaving on the train to the border tomorrow ... 20 hours on the so called ´death train´as its so slow and boring you risk dying of boredom! From there trying to sort out some panatal tour which could be interesting as sounds like lots of people trying to rip off gringos there.
Cochobamba is a friendly little place, some good bars and restaurants. Spent a couple of hours in the square (well it was more like a roundabout with gardens) watching the newly married couples getting all their photos done plus watching out for the local shoeshine boys didn´t swipe nything from us (dodgy little muppets). Stayed in Hostel Jardina which was basic but fine. Got good mexican for dinner!
Next morning headed to the bus station for 6.45am ... managed to just about get on the 6.30am bus for a cheap 25 bols (we could have got the 7am but it costs more the earlier yo buy your ticket!) for the trip to Santa Cruz. Its 10 hours but the first 4 hours are incredibly spectacular. Cochobamba is still very dry and sparse and brown but has a few trees and from there head up over another ridge of mountains until suddenly everything turns green and from sparse altoplano landscape into cloudforest. Really sudden and surprising. The road then winds down thru steep valleys of cloudforest until a couple of hours later it hits the lowlands which is all very tropical and green. The temperature also goes from about 10C in La Paz, a pleasant 20Cish in Cochobamba (called the city of eternal spring) to a humid 30C in the lowlands. Bit of a shock to the system but nice to be back in hot weather and shorts again!
Santa Cruz is a lovely city, very modern, clean and feels more like a 1st world city then anywhere we have been so far. Staying in a great hotel for 9 eur per night for an ensuite, pool, fan and cble tv (which is pure awful 100 channels of poo but occasionally I get to see premiership highlights). Food is great here too. Huge portions tho - it baffles us how much food they can eat here in one go!! speaking of which off to some brazilian style buffet for lunch to stuff our faces for a couple of euros each and then it will be siesta for the afternoon!
Leaving on the train to the border tomorrow ... 20 hours on the so called ´death train´as its so slow and boring you risk dying of boredom! From there trying to sort out some panatal tour which could be interesting as sounds like lots of people trying to rip off gringos there.
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