What a journey. There have been times when I´ve considered booking an early flight home. There were times when I was genuinely concerned for my safety. But far more common were the times I was having awesome fun! Certainly, with hindsight there are a lot of things I would have done differently. Saving up more money before hitting America would probably be top of that list! Note to any future travellers: there is very little you can do on a 30 pounds a day budget in the US. By contrast, theres very little you CAN´T do in Bolivia with 30 pounds. Here are some examples - my hostel at the moment costs 4 pounds per night; the bus from Sucre to La Paz (one of my highest expenditures in recent days) was 1 pound per hour of the journey; while in Sucre I did my best to have an expensive meal (three courses, a table on a balcony overlooking the main square) and it still only cost me 10 pounds.
However, I can´t help but feel that maybe there is some weird karma involved in these prices. While I was in the US, I never had a journey that went wrong, never stayed in a hostel where I was uncomfortable, and never ate a meal that made me ill. In bolivia, despite my best efforts to be selective, I must have eaten something bad because I have had some pretty bad stomach problems for over a week. On the bus from Sucre to La Paz (12 hour journey) I was sat next to the smelliest person I´ve ever met - I barely slept at all and a smell has never kept me awake before! And I had to walk out of a hostel in Sucre because it was just SO bad. Surely doors that shut properly and can be locked should be one of the top priorities for city accomodation? As a result I ended up staying in a hostel where they told me a different price on arrival (7.50 per night) to what I got charged on leaving (20 per night). That´s as much as I was paying in Seattle!
It´s as if Bolivia turned to the other countries I visited and said "wait wait wait. NONE of you guys gave him bad experiences in food, people or travel? What were you thinking? He´s meant to be travelling on a budget! He HAS to have lots of EXPERIENCES which he will hate but look back on with amusement! Do I have to do EVERYTHING myself?! Quick, someone fetch me the dodgy chicken and the old woman in the bowler hat who smells of onions and BO!"
And yet, despite all this, I really think that Bolivia has been the most amazing place I´ve visited. It´s hard to compare, because everywhere has been so unique that I couldn´t list a "top" 5 things I´ve done or seen - how can you compare driving through Canada´s amazing wilderness to lying on a beach in the beautiful caribbean? Nonetheless, Bolivia has managed to wow me with scenery, history and people that have made it pretty special.
Looking at the journey as a whole, I think it has been much better than I anticipated. Very few things went according to plan (ah, my innocent expectations to hitchhike from Anchorage to Los Angeles) but each time my plans changed, I genuinely believe it was a change for the better. I also think that 2 months is exactly the right length of time to travel. Any shorter and you spend too long looking ahead to what is yet to come instead of enjoying the moment. Any longer, and I probably would become seriously ill from the poor variety of food, not to mention missing everyone at home. Perhaps it would be different if I was travelling with friends, but I think this way worked better - I could do whatever crazy thing I felt like, and meet loads of people at the same time.
So what am I most looking forward to when I get home? Seeing my friends and family again has to top the list (especially since we´ve been planning so much stuff for when I get back), and food is high up there. I´m looking forward to being able to climb some stairs without getting lightheaded. I´m looking forward to being EITHER cold OR burnt by the sun, instead of both at the same time. I´m looking forward to clean clothes. And I´m really looking forward to not having to look forward - I´ve never been someone who enjoyed planning and preparing and deciding what to do in advance.
What am I going to miss? Mostly just that feeling that around the next corner, or over the next hill, there´s going to be something that amazes me. But I think that is a good thing to miss - it´s what will no doubt tempt me to go travelling again in a few years. And I think that if I continued any longer, I might start to take it for granted, or worse, just compare everything to what has gone before. I don´t think I can understand the kind of people I have met who have spent 8 months already just travelling through half of South America. Surely you get bored staying so long in one place? I´m bored of La Paz just because I was here for 2 days before! I suppose I am just impatient. People give me a shocked look when I say I started in Alaska just 2 months ago - they can´t imagine travelling so quickly through so many places. I guess it´s a matter of taste!
In conclusion? "Awesome, let´s do it again some time."
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Being Busy and Breathing Deeply
I have been a very busy bee. Buzzed all over the place, the last few days. I have seen some sights, and experienced some experiences. If I used the same in-depth analysis I have previously stuck to, this would be a very long blog post indeed. So i won´t.
Leaving La Paz, I took a bus all the way to Uyuni. This was a mistake. Sure, it seemed comfortable enough for the first 3 hours or so, and it was very entrancing watching an enormous thunderstorm on the horizon, but what I didn´t anticipate was the 6-7 hours of spine-shattering vibrations that would follow. I´m not kidding, I thought I had developed blisters on the back of my shoulders from contact with the seat. There was also a moment when I thought the entire roof would shake free. The fact that this was happening between the hours of midnight and 7am did not please me.
From Uyuni, I took a 3-day tour of the salt flats. This turned out to be 1 day of salt flats, and 2 days of amazing multi-coloured lagunas, decaying trains, smoking volcanos, absurd altitudes (4500m+), steaming hot springs, impressive geysers, bizzare wind-carved rocks, and great travel companions. This was probably the highlight of my entire trip, and so you will just have to wait until I upload the pictures to see what I mean, because it would be ridiculous for me to try and do it justice in text form.
Back at Uyuni, I booked my bus ticket to Potosi the next day. This bus was far less vibratory (if it´s not a real word, it is now). However, it seems that no journey can go entirely to plan - the bus stopped on a road on a hillside, and we were told that was as close as we would get to the city - we would have to walk the rest of the way. The reason? The entire city was closed. As a protest over another city trying to claim a resource-rich area which had historically belonged to Potosi, no vehicles were allowed to enter or leave the city. One of my travel companions who lives in Bolivia told me that sometimes, such protests can last over a week. Considering the city folk were slashing the tyres of fuel trucks and other vehicles trying to do their job, this left me with concerns about getting to La Paz in time for my flight.
As it turns out, some vehicles are allowed to move around within the city. Like taxis! As a result, 7 of us bundled into a small taxi, with the bags on the roof, for a (only mildly) uncomfortable ride into the city.
Today, I found out that the city was only blockading itself for one day, so I shouldn´t have any problems getting out. Also today was my main reason for visiting Potosi - a mine tour! We donned dirty overalls and helmets with old-school light packs, and jumped in a bus up to the mine entrance. As someone who has been caving a few times, I figured that the tour would be pretty easy. Obviously there wouldn´t be anything narrower than I have crawled through before. What I hadn´t counted on, was the fact that the mine entrance is at approximately 4500 metres altitude, and areas of the mine can reach over 35 degrees. Breathing was a concern, no more so than when the guide decided I (as the only male tourist in the group) should demonstrate how hard it is to move the mine carts around. These weigh half a ton, and move about 2 tons of rock about. The two of us completely failed to put a derailed mine cart back onto the tracks, but I got plenty of manliness when I later helped some miners push a full cart for a few hundred metres.
Potosi is a pretty unusual mining city. It was once the largest city in bolivia, with the spanish (and their slave locals) mining huge quantities of silver. So much so that, rumour has it, it would be possible to build a bridge from Potosi to Spain entirely out of silver, using what has been mined here. And yet, despite this 400 or so year history of mining, they don´t have the equipment and technology to process the silver they mine to a pure quality. They do some minor processing (which involved a lot of water, and spinning wheels and belts and stuff) to get to 60% quality, then export it to companies who further refine it and sell pure silver at a massive profit. Why has nobody thought to invest in some proper facilities here, take a cut, and make a fortune? The miners are definitely living in a different age. The most advanced workers use pneumatic drills. However this basically destroys their lungs in under 10 years, so the majority of miners use a chisel pole, a mallet, and lots and lots of sticks of dynamite. In the 2.5 hours or so we were underground, I heard at least a hundred thumps from explosions in other parts of the mine. No wonder that geologists predict that the entire mountain will collapse in 20-80 years because of how riddled with tunnels it is.
Planning ahead, I have a few days left before I return to the British Isles. Originally I was expecting to return to La Paz from here, but I think I can fit a visit to Sucre into my schedule, since everyone says it is a beautiful city you ¨just have to visit¨.
Hasta Luego!
Leaving La Paz, I took a bus all the way to Uyuni. This was a mistake. Sure, it seemed comfortable enough for the first 3 hours or so, and it was very entrancing watching an enormous thunderstorm on the horizon, but what I didn´t anticipate was the 6-7 hours of spine-shattering vibrations that would follow. I´m not kidding, I thought I had developed blisters on the back of my shoulders from contact with the seat. There was also a moment when I thought the entire roof would shake free. The fact that this was happening between the hours of midnight and 7am did not please me.
From Uyuni, I took a 3-day tour of the salt flats. This turned out to be 1 day of salt flats, and 2 days of amazing multi-coloured lagunas, decaying trains, smoking volcanos, absurd altitudes (4500m+), steaming hot springs, impressive geysers, bizzare wind-carved rocks, and great travel companions. This was probably the highlight of my entire trip, and so you will just have to wait until I upload the pictures to see what I mean, because it would be ridiculous for me to try and do it justice in text form.
Back at Uyuni, I booked my bus ticket to Potosi the next day. This bus was far less vibratory (if it´s not a real word, it is now). However, it seems that no journey can go entirely to plan - the bus stopped on a road on a hillside, and we were told that was as close as we would get to the city - we would have to walk the rest of the way. The reason? The entire city was closed. As a protest over another city trying to claim a resource-rich area which had historically belonged to Potosi, no vehicles were allowed to enter or leave the city. One of my travel companions who lives in Bolivia told me that sometimes, such protests can last over a week. Considering the city folk were slashing the tyres of fuel trucks and other vehicles trying to do their job, this left me with concerns about getting to La Paz in time for my flight.
As it turns out, some vehicles are allowed to move around within the city. Like taxis! As a result, 7 of us bundled into a small taxi, with the bags on the roof, for a (only mildly) uncomfortable ride into the city.
Today, I found out that the city was only blockading itself for one day, so I shouldn´t have any problems getting out. Also today was my main reason for visiting Potosi - a mine tour! We donned dirty overalls and helmets with old-school light packs, and jumped in a bus up to the mine entrance. As someone who has been caving a few times, I figured that the tour would be pretty easy. Obviously there wouldn´t be anything narrower than I have crawled through before. What I hadn´t counted on, was the fact that the mine entrance is at approximately 4500 metres altitude, and areas of the mine can reach over 35 degrees. Breathing was a concern, no more so than when the guide decided I (as the only male tourist in the group) should demonstrate how hard it is to move the mine carts around. These weigh half a ton, and move about 2 tons of rock about. The two of us completely failed to put a derailed mine cart back onto the tracks, but I got plenty of manliness when I later helped some miners push a full cart for a few hundred metres.
Potosi is a pretty unusual mining city. It was once the largest city in bolivia, with the spanish (and their slave locals) mining huge quantities of silver. So much so that, rumour has it, it would be possible to build a bridge from Potosi to Spain entirely out of silver, using what has been mined here. And yet, despite this 400 or so year history of mining, they don´t have the equipment and technology to process the silver they mine to a pure quality. They do some minor processing (which involved a lot of water, and spinning wheels and belts and stuff) to get to 60% quality, then export it to companies who further refine it and sell pure silver at a massive profit. Why has nobody thought to invest in some proper facilities here, take a cut, and make a fortune? The miners are definitely living in a different age. The most advanced workers use pneumatic drills. However this basically destroys their lungs in under 10 years, so the majority of miners use a chisel pole, a mallet, and lots and lots of sticks of dynamite. In the 2.5 hours or so we were underground, I heard at least a hundred thumps from explosions in other parts of the mine. No wonder that geologists predict that the entire mountain will collapse in 20-80 years because of how riddled with tunnels it is.
Planning ahead, I have a few days left before I return to the British Isles. Originally I was expecting to return to La Paz from here, but I think I can fit a visit to Sucre into my schedule, since everyone says it is a beautiful city you ¨just have to visit¨.
Hasta Luego!
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
The Final Countdown
doodoodoo doo...
Less than 2 weeks remaining on my trip (12 days in fact) and I´m really starting to look forward to some home comforts: friends, family and familiar foods. I certainly wouldn´t want to cut short the remainder of my time here though!
Currently I´m in La Paz, capital of Bolivia. Also apparently the 3rd largest city in Bolivia, which I find hard to believe when I look out of a window and see this sprawling mass of civilisation. It is a nightmare maze of streets - the first city I´ve got lost in on foot - and the rainy season finally caught up with me. I arrived by bus into the centre(ish) of the city, to be greeted by a thunderstorm. I´m glad that I had a second dry bag to put my stuff in! I do love a good thunderstorm and the accompanying torrential rain, but it´s far more enjoyable when you don´t need to worry about your phone/wallet/camera getting soaked. Shorts probably weren´t a good idea though.
I have only one serious complaint about this city. Nowhere sells any towels! Literally nowhere. I tried sports shops (of which there are hundreds), camping/outdoors shops, street stalls, nowhere has any and nobody knows where there are any. If only john lewis or someone had set up a branch here I would know where to go! And so my search for a towel to replace the one I left in Cusco continues...
Speaking of Cusco, that was a fun city! This is where I discovered "The Point" hostels, with their hostel bars, free pool table, wifi, cheap laundry, and nightly games. A true backpackers delight! Not so delightful was the result of deciding to open the bottle of 18-year-old scotch I bought in Venezuela´s duty free (sorry dad, but I didn´t think it would survive the rest of my journey). I awoke the next day to a new discovery - hangovers are worse at high altitude! Needless to say, that day became a write-off. The day after, I had an amusing time walking around the city centre, remembering some of the places I visited when I was there over 6 years ago with World Challenge. One thing that has changed though - the main business (apart from the obligatory hat, poncho and pan pipe sales) now seems to be massages! In the space of an hour, I must have been given at least 40 different business cards for massage parlours. And only one person offered me drugs (after I turned down the offer to eat at his restaurant)!
After Cusco, I took a tourist bus to Puno on Lake Titicaca. While I was there I went on a tour to Sillustani, a strange place with extremely old "burial towers". Mostly I just enjoyed seeing all the alpacas and dogs that lived there, and the periods where we were standing still so I could recover my breath (what with it being 4000m up). The other main highlight of Puno was staying at another The Point hostel, this time with outdoor bar, bonfire, and the evening ending with some pretty embarassing attempts at salsa dancing.
And then across the border, and into Bolivia! The border control is a bit of a joke: you get off the bus on one side of the border, go to 1 building to get your Peru exit card stamped, go to another to get your Bolivian entry stamp, and a third for customs, then stroll across the border to reboard the bus which has driven along beside you. Anyway, first stop: Copacabana! This town is pretty much defined by its awesome views of the lake. There are tours from here out to Isla del Sol, the most sacred place for the Incas (i think), but I couldn´t make myself get up early enough in the morning to visit it. The trouble with staying in hostels with bars, and taking buses during the days, is that your sleep pattern gets a bit messed up!
Leaving Copacabana (and some really nice sunny weather) behind, I get to La Paz. First impressions were slightly marred by my evening shower being made incredibly difficult by a power cut midway through. Getting dressed in the dark, in a strange place, and trying to avoid getting your clothes wet is quite the challenge.
In conclusion, I´ve pretty much been coasting along from one city to the next. One or two major sights left to see, and not a lot of time to do them!
Next stop: Uyuni and it´s neighbouring salt flats!
Less than 2 weeks remaining on my trip (12 days in fact) and I´m really starting to look forward to some home comforts: friends, family and familiar foods. I certainly wouldn´t want to cut short the remainder of my time here though!
Currently I´m in La Paz, capital of Bolivia. Also apparently the 3rd largest city in Bolivia, which I find hard to believe when I look out of a window and see this sprawling mass of civilisation. It is a nightmare maze of streets - the first city I´ve got lost in on foot - and the rainy season finally caught up with me. I arrived by bus into the centre(ish) of the city, to be greeted by a thunderstorm. I´m glad that I had a second dry bag to put my stuff in! I do love a good thunderstorm and the accompanying torrential rain, but it´s far more enjoyable when you don´t need to worry about your phone/wallet/camera getting soaked. Shorts probably weren´t a good idea though.
I have only one serious complaint about this city. Nowhere sells any towels! Literally nowhere. I tried sports shops (of which there are hundreds), camping/outdoors shops, street stalls, nowhere has any and nobody knows where there are any. If only john lewis or someone had set up a branch here I would know where to go! And so my search for a towel to replace the one I left in Cusco continues...
Speaking of Cusco, that was a fun city! This is where I discovered "The Point" hostels, with their hostel bars, free pool table, wifi, cheap laundry, and nightly games. A true backpackers delight! Not so delightful was the result of deciding to open the bottle of 18-year-old scotch I bought in Venezuela´s duty free (sorry dad, but I didn´t think it would survive the rest of my journey). I awoke the next day to a new discovery - hangovers are worse at high altitude! Needless to say, that day became a write-off. The day after, I had an amusing time walking around the city centre, remembering some of the places I visited when I was there over 6 years ago with World Challenge. One thing that has changed though - the main business (apart from the obligatory hat, poncho and pan pipe sales) now seems to be massages! In the space of an hour, I must have been given at least 40 different business cards for massage parlours. And only one person offered me drugs (after I turned down the offer to eat at his restaurant)!
After Cusco, I took a tourist bus to Puno on Lake Titicaca. While I was there I went on a tour to Sillustani, a strange place with extremely old "burial towers". Mostly I just enjoyed seeing all the alpacas and dogs that lived there, and the periods where we were standing still so I could recover my breath (what with it being 4000m up). The other main highlight of Puno was staying at another The Point hostel, this time with outdoor bar, bonfire, and the evening ending with some pretty embarassing attempts at salsa dancing.
And then across the border, and into Bolivia! The border control is a bit of a joke: you get off the bus on one side of the border, go to 1 building to get your Peru exit card stamped, go to another to get your Bolivian entry stamp, and a third for customs, then stroll across the border to reboard the bus which has driven along beside you. Anyway, first stop: Copacabana! This town is pretty much defined by its awesome views of the lake. There are tours from here out to Isla del Sol, the most sacred place for the Incas (i think), but I couldn´t make myself get up early enough in the morning to visit it. The trouble with staying in hostels with bars, and taking buses during the days, is that your sleep pattern gets a bit messed up!
Leaving Copacabana (and some really nice sunny weather) behind, I get to La Paz. First impressions were slightly marred by my evening shower being made incredibly difficult by a power cut midway through. Getting dressed in the dark, in a strange place, and trying to avoid getting your clothes wet is quite the challenge.
In conclusion, I´ve pretty much been coasting along from one city to the next. One or two major sights left to see, and not a lot of time to do them!
Next stop: Uyuni and it´s neighbouring salt flats!
Sunday, 6 November 2011
A Change In Approach
Preparation is the key to success.
This is the phrase I have adopted for the remainder of my trip. Pretty much everything that has gone wrong (and there hasn´t been many things, honest!) has been because I didn´t prepare well enough, or far enough in advance. With this in mind, and knowing that I have a mere 3 weeks remaining on my voyage, I sat down tonight to make a day-by-day itinerary for these last days.
This has me very excited! Reading through the footprint book and looking online has made me realise that these last few weeks are what I have been most looking forward to out of the whole thing. Huge high altitude lake surrounded by altiplano? Bus rides through mountains and epic scenery? Giant salt flats, silver mines, dynamite and cactii? These are the things that dreams are made of. Essentially I have decided that I have had enough of big cities, and I want to get out to where the sky is big and the landscape empty!
But how could I possibly be bored of cities? Surely they are diverse centres of culture, with varied people and characters and traditions? Are there not great architectural achievements dating back hundreds of years?
Yes, indeed, they are and there are. However, I have come to realise that really, all cities are the same. And here´s my main way of showing it: where would urban tourism be without churches and museums?
I have been in lima now for 4 or 5 days. Certainly longer than I meant to, and not because there is a lot to do (see "Preparation is the key to success", above). I took a day to explore the city centre, where there are many colonial structures and cathedrals and grand government buildings and so on. I forgot to take the battery for my camera. And you know what? It doesn´t matter! Why bother taking pictures of those buildings? Even without google I´m sure you can easily imagine what they look like. I found it more interesting when I took a random road and found myself in two distinct areas: one where they seem to sell all the football trophies and shirts for the country, and another where every single building is set aside for paper manufacturing. At least these were unexpected!
Going back slightly further (since I have nothing more to say on peru yet), let´s talk about curacao.
I was beginning, after a day or two there, to worry that I would never see a beach. This concerned me greatly, as I was in the caribbean for gods sake and I wanted to swim in the nice warm waters! I did manage to walk to the nearest beach one day, but it took me an hour and a half each way, and because it was a sunday and the beach was small, it was packed and I was already burning so I didn´t even stay long. The walk was interesting though so it was worthwhile.
However, all my hopes were exceeded when, on my last full day on curacao, I bought onto a guided bus tour which I was HIGHLY skeptical about. The guy running it (Yrae i think his name was), was legendary. Both driver and tour guide (in spanish and english!), he seemed to know everyone on the island, constantly getting waves and cheerful shouts. The tour was enlightening for me since I knew nothing about the island (shell sold their oil stuff there to the government for one guldar, approximately 25p?), and there was free drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, in a big coolbox full of ice in the back. It was sad that the Curacao Liqeur factory was closed that day, but the driver got us a free taster at a tourist shop elsewhere while telling us the history. And then the beach. Ah what a nice beach it was when it wasn´t so busy! The water WAS warm. There were crabs walking along the rocks next to the beach. There was cheap food and drink. There was lots of sun. It was brilliant, and made better by Yrae giving us an extra hour before having to head back.
There were 4 other people on the bus tour and we all went out in the evening for some clubbing. All you can drink happy hour? yes please! Unfortunately we didn´t stay long after the happy hour, and the evening went rapidly downhill when I found out we were getting a taxi to a stripclub - "Campo Alegra". The guys and girl I was with were clearly excited about the prospect, and I later found out this was because they had never been to a strip club. They didn´t know how very awkward such places are. Luckily, it wasn´t expensive and the taxis were cheap so I was still pretty happy with the overall outcome of the evening.
I suspect that is enough blog for one entry. My next stop is Cuzco - I wonder how much of it I will remember from the last time I was there over 6 years ago? I will probably update the blog again within the next week!
This is the phrase I have adopted for the remainder of my trip. Pretty much everything that has gone wrong (and there hasn´t been many things, honest!) has been because I didn´t prepare well enough, or far enough in advance. With this in mind, and knowing that I have a mere 3 weeks remaining on my voyage, I sat down tonight to make a day-by-day itinerary for these last days.
This has me very excited! Reading through the footprint book and looking online has made me realise that these last few weeks are what I have been most looking forward to out of the whole thing. Huge high altitude lake surrounded by altiplano? Bus rides through mountains and epic scenery? Giant salt flats, silver mines, dynamite and cactii? These are the things that dreams are made of. Essentially I have decided that I have had enough of big cities, and I want to get out to where the sky is big and the landscape empty!
But how could I possibly be bored of cities? Surely they are diverse centres of culture, with varied people and characters and traditions? Are there not great architectural achievements dating back hundreds of years?
Yes, indeed, they are and there are. However, I have come to realise that really, all cities are the same. And here´s my main way of showing it: where would urban tourism be without churches and museums?
I have been in lima now for 4 or 5 days. Certainly longer than I meant to, and not because there is a lot to do (see "Preparation is the key to success", above). I took a day to explore the city centre, where there are many colonial structures and cathedrals and grand government buildings and so on. I forgot to take the battery for my camera. And you know what? It doesn´t matter! Why bother taking pictures of those buildings? Even without google I´m sure you can easily imagine what they look like. I found it more interesting when I took a random road and found myself in two distinct areas: one where they seem to sell all the football trophies and shirts for the country, and another where every single building is set aside for paper manufacturing. At least these were unexpected!
Going back slightly further (since I have nothing more to say on peru yet), let´s talk about curacao.
I was beginning, after a day or two there, to worry that I would never see a beach. This concerned me greatly, as I was in the caribbean for gods sake and I wanted to swim in the nice warm waters! I did manage to walk to the nearest beach one day, but it took me an hour and a half each way, and because it was a sunday and the beach was small, it was packed and I was already burning so I didn´t even stay long. The walk was interesting though so it was worthwhile.
However, all my hopes were exceeded when, on my last full day on curacao, I bought onto a guided bus tour which I was HIGHLY skeptical about. The guy running it (Yrae i think his name was), was legendary. Both driver and tour guide (in spanish and english!), he seemed to know everyone on the island, constantly getting waves and cheerful shouts. The tour was enlightening for me since I knew nothing about the island (shell sold their oil stuff there to the government for one guldar, approximately 25p?), and there was free drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, in a big coolbox full of ice in the back. It was sad that the Curacao Liqeur factory was closed that day, but the driver got us a free taster at a tourist shop elsewhere while telling us the history. And then the beach. Ah what a nice beach it was when it wasn´t so busy! The water WAS warm. There were crabs walking along the rocks next to the beach. There was cheap food and drink. There was lots of sun. It was brilliant, and made better by Yrae giving us an extra hour before having to head back.
There were 4 other people on the bus tour and we all went out in the evening for some clubbing. All you can drink happy hour? yes please! Unfortunately we didn´t stay long after the happy hour, and the evening went rapidly downhill when I found out we were getting a taxi to a stripclub - "Campo Alegra". The guys and girl I was with were clearly excited about the prospect, and I later found out this was because they had never been to a strip club. They didn´t know how very awkward such places are. Luckily, it wasn´t expensive and the taxis were cheap so I was still pretty happy with the overall outcome of the evening.
I suspect that is enough blog for one entry. My next stop is Cuzco - I wonder how much of it I will remember from the last time I was there over 6 years ago? I will probably update the blog again within the next week!
Saturday, 29 October 2011
heaven and hell
So here i sit at a table in a jazz bar in the caribbean, drinking a heineken that cost me about 1.20 pounds. The sunlight is fading but its still very warm and theres a candle on the table which is probably bright enough for me to read my book by. Tomorrow i will try to head to the beach, if there is a bus on sundays. Surely this is heaven?
Of course, i had to go through hell to get here. Heres a summary starting from around thr time i finished my last post.
I spent a few days with my parents in los angeles (mostly mum as dads flight was a few days sooner). This was great for a number of reasons: foremost being that its great to be seeing sights with somebody familiar. it also helped that my parents always have somewhere else they want to see (no aimless wandering like me!), they had a hire car, and they were paying for everything! The attractions of the city proved to be very elusive, with cloudy days to start with, and every possible tourist sight being closed on the one day we happened to arrive - the observatory shut on a monday, a famous house and gardens shut on tuesday, and so on. In the end though, we had a great time. The sun even put in a grand appearance on the last 2 days. I'm still finding sand in my pockets and shoes!
What followed was an exercise in futility. On the last night in LA i sat down with the internet to book some accomodation and look up transport in venezuela. After a few hours i concluded that finding cheap accomodation was going to be impossible, and anything else was WAY out of my price range. And so, i looked at going somewhere else instead! Somehow (no idea how!) I ended up looking at curacao, a caribbean island very close to venezuela. I found there were very reasonable flights too - 130 dollara from miami, and 120 dollars on to caracas in time to catch my flight to peru! Perfect! I booked the flights and emailed some qccomodation places, then slept soundly, worry-free. The next day, it all fell apart.
Arriving at LAX, i told american airlines i intended to catch the first flight to miami, but miss the connection and take my (also AA) flight to curacao. Yes i understood i would get no refund for the miami-caracas flight, but that was fine by me. They then told me i would have to pay 1400 dollars if i did not take the connection to caracas, as it would void my other flights from the same reservation (bolivia back to the uk). I gave them a look was a mixture of skepticism, outrage, humour and confusion. It was a complicated look, so i accompanied it with the words "you want me to pay 1400 dillars to NOT take a flight?". Apparently so. I then suggested a possible, though frustrating, alternative. Why not cancel the miami-curacao flight (i could get full refund on it), take the flight to caracas, then buy a new flight to curacao the same day? They looked at me, clearly recogniding my genius. I checked in. and went to the gate for my flight. Next to it was an info desk, where i asked for a list of fliflights from caracas to curacao after i was to arrive. This was smart, as i knew my spanish wasnt great so it would. be easier in the US. There were several flights with seats, i felt confident.
Then my flight was delayed 3 hours (though only 15mins at a time, so u couldnt walk off). This delay included the time at the end where they fixed the plane, boarded everyone, taxied to the runway, and THEN realised the fuel pump was still broken, so back to the terminal and onto a new plane. I was most frustrated by the fact this vindicated the idiot i overheard as we were boarding who said "says you should never board a flight after they SAY itd fixed." This meant i missed the connection they had so insisted on, but they booked me on the next one. However, this meant that only 1 flight would be available by the time i landed, instead of 5.
I landed in caracas to find my rucksack had been left in miami. After 2 hours queuing to find this out, they knew it would arrrive with the next flight, 30mins before the curacao flight i hoped to board would be - at 9pm (originally i was set to land at 9.45am). I went to the appropriate ticket desk to find it would cost me the equivalent of 500 dollars. No thanks! I'll book one on the internet for much less tomorrow! I wandered to the exit, askung various official-looking people if there was a hotel nearby. One said yes, and he could call a taxi too, and did i need currency exchange? I decided that all these things were good, so i ended up exchanging money with a car rental employee at $1 to 6.5BsF instead of the official 4BsF, counting it in the lift to avoid the eyes of the police and cameras (apparently). With a buddy, they then tried to persuade me they could get me a cheaper flight, but i decided to stick with the internet, and adked for the taxi to a hotel. One of the men took me outside, past the official taxis, to his car (having agreed a fee), at which point he removed the shoulder tab things (eppaulets maybe?) from his airport uniform. I admit to worrying when we drove through some dodgy areas of caracas, but it turned our he was honest. We got to a hotel (like a US motel) and i got a room which wasnt too expensive. It was noisy though. i think the windows were to blame, since i could feel a strong breeze when in bed, despite the window being shut (no ac or fan).
I got on the internet, booked my flight (250dollars, more than i wanted but cheaper than the airport!). I also explained to my parents (and the people on whats app - shout out!) what had happened, and that all was well.
In the morning i collected my bag, decided against changing my clothes (i wad getting on another flight, after all). I checked my bag on the new flight (after taking out my phonr charger at last! It died just after the alarm i set in the morning). Ot turned iut to be a 30 minute flight (complimentary juice though) and i landed happily in the sun, with no idea where i was going. I shared a taxi to the capital, willemstad, and booked a room in the cheapest place i could find (still 60 dollars though!). It has a bed, a sidetable, a bathroom and a tv. Hardly my moneys worth, but i was content to spend 1 night there (i have since discp ered thats actually the cheapest). The shower dribbles out lukewarm water (there is only a cold tap). I left swiftly to explore the town.
And so here i sit with my beer in the dark, content to blather away on my blog listening to jazz, safe in the knowlege i have a place to sleep tonight. Lesson learnt since last post: gcse spanish doesnt cover "i have lost my baggage, but if i leave the terminal and book another flight for just after my bag arrives, can it be transferred directly across?"
Of course, i had to go through hell to get here. Heres a summary starting from around thr time i finished my last post.
I spent a few days with my parents in los angeles (mostly mum as dads flight was a few days sooner). This was great for a number of reasons: foremost being that its great to be seeing sights with somebody familiar. it also helped that my parents always have somewhere else they want to see (no aimless wandering like me!), they had a hire car, and they were paying for everything! The attractions of the city proved to be very elusive, with cloudy days to start with, and every possible tourist sight being closed on the one day we happened to arrive - the observatory shut on a monday, a famous house and gardens shut on tuesday, and so on. In the end though, we had a great time. The sun even put in a grand appearance on the last 2 days. I'm still finding sand in my pockets and shoes!
What followed was an exercise in futility. On the last night in LA i sat down with the internet to book some accomodation and look up transport in venezuela. After a few hours i concluded that finding cheap accomodation was going to be impossible, and anything else was WAY out of my price range. And so, i looked at going somewhere else instead! Somehow (no idea how!) I ended up looking at curacao, a caribbean island very close to venezuela. I found there were very reasonable flights too - 130 dollara from miami, and 120 dollars on to caracas in time to catch my flight to peru! Perfect! I booked the flights and emailed some qccomodation places, then slept soundly, worry-free. The next day, it all fell apart.
Arriving at LAX, i told american airlines i intended to catch the first flight to miami, but miss the connection and take my (also AA) flight to curacao. Yes i understood i would get no refund for the miami-caracas flight, but that was fine by me. They then told me i would have to pay 1400 dollars if i did not take the connection to caracas, as it would void my other flights from the same reservation (bolivia back to the uk). I gave them a look was a mixture of skepticism, outrage, humour and confusion. It was a complicated look, so i accompanied it with the words "you want me to pay 1400 dillars to NOT take a flight?". Apparently so. I then suggested a possible, though frustrating, alternative. Why not cancel the miami-curacao flight (i could get full refund on it), take the flight to caracas, then buy a new flight to curacao the same day? They looked at me, clearly recogniding my genius. I checked in. and went to the gate for my flight. Next to it was an info desk, where i asked for a list of fliflights from caracas to curacao after i was to arrive. This was smart, as i knew my spanish wasnt great so it would. be easier in the US. There were several flights with seats, i felt confident.
Then my flight was delayed 3 hours (though only 15mins at a time, so u couldnt walk off). This delay included the time at the end where they fixed the plane, boarded everyone, taxied to the runway, and THEN realised the fuel pump was still broken, so back to the terminal and onto a new plane. I was most frustrated by the fact this vindicated the idiot i overheard as we were boarding who said "says you should never board a flight after they SAY itd fixed." This meant i missed the connection they had so insisted on, but they booked me on the next one. However, this meant that only 1 flight would be available by the time i landed, instead of 5.
I landed in caracas to find my rucksack had been left in miami. After 2 hours queuing to find this out, they knew it would arrrive with the next flight, 30mins before the curacao flight i hoped to board would be - at 9pm (originally i was set to land at 9.45am). I went to the appropriate ticket desk to find it would cost me the equivalent of 500 dollars. No thanks! I'll book one on the internet for much less tomorrow! I wandered to the exit, askung various official-looking people if there was a hotel nearby. One said yes, and he could call a taxi too, and did i need currency exchange? I decided that all these things were good, so i ended up exchanging money with a car rental employee at $1 to 6.5BsF instead of the official 4BsF, counting it in the lift to avoid the eyes of the police and cameras (apparently). With a buddy, they then tried to persuade me they could get me a cheaper flight, but i decided to stick with the internet, and adked for the taxi to a hotel. One of the men took me outside, past the official taxis, to his car (having agreed a fee), at which point he removed the shoulder tab things (eppaulets maybe?) from his airport uniform. I admit to worrying when we drove through some dodgy areas of caracas, but it turned our he was honest. We got to a hotel (like a US motel) and i got a room which wasnt too expensive. It was noisy though. i think the windows were to blame, since i could feel a strong breeze when in bed, despite the window being shut (no ac or fan).
I got on the internet, booked my flight (250dollars, more than i wanted but cheaper than the airport!). I also explained to my parents (and the people on whats app - shout out!) what had happened, and that all was well.
In the morning i collected my bag, decided against changing my clothes (i wad getting on another flight, after all). I checked my bag on the new flight (after taking out my phonr charger at last! It died just after the alarm i set in the morning). Ot turned iut to be a 30 minute flight (complimentary juice though) and i landed happily in the sun, with no idea where i was going. I shared a taxi to the capital, willemstad, and booked a room in the cheapest place i could find (still 60 dollars though!). It has a bed, a sidetable, a bathroom and a tv. Hardly my moneys worth, but i was content to spend 1 night there (i have since discp ered thats actually the cheapest). The shower dribbles out lukewarm water (there is only a cold tap). I left swiftly to explore the town.
And so here i sit with my beer in the dark, content to blather away on my blog listening to jazz, safe in the knowlege i have a place to sleep tonight. Lesson learnt since last post: gcse spanish doesnt cover "i have lost my baggage, but if i leave the terminal and book another flight for just after my bag arrives, can it be transferred directly across?"
Sunday, 23 October 2011
Change of Scenery
As promised, here is my next post!
I spent a few days in Vancouver, staying in the magnificent house of the Bhorgesi's. This was surprisingly peaceful, considering I never left the city. I spent a day wandering around downtown, including a visit to Grandville Island (a great little island in the middle of vancouver, with a public market, small shops and a guy playing calming guitar music in a little square with birds everywhere). I also visited the brewery there and tasted some of their beers: conclusion? I've tasted better! While in Vancouver I also went to the aquarium in Stanley Park - this was very nice because they had Beluga Whales, and a trio of dolphins which put on a show (no thanks to a cheeky seagull that stole one of their reward fish!). It also had a great little room where you can stand with butterflies circling you and big orange birds strolling between your feet, with a sloth hanging from the tree above your head. Good times!
From Vancouver I took a greyhound bus (I decided this had to be tried at least once!) to Seattle, where I only stayed one night. This was probably a mistake, as I arrived later than expected and so the main thing I wanted to do (an underground tour in the city) was already closed. However, I had a nice chat with a random person in a whiskey bar, and watched a film in the hostel's private theater. Sadly, I decided not to sit in the hostel's hot tub, since I felt I would look quite ridiculous outside in an alleyway, in a hot tub, on my own!
From Seattle I took the Amtrak train straight to Los Angeles. This was quite an ordeal! 36 hours in total from start to finish, and at no point leaving the confines of the train. It was reasonably luxurious - the seats reclined slightly, footrests came out a bit, there was a cafe, a restaurant and an observation car with big windows. However, it was just so SLOW. It is quicker to drive the distance, by several hours. To give you an idea of the slowness of the train, there was a point where we had to wait an unexpected 50 minutes because.... wait for it.... the engine wasn't powerful enough to pull the train up the next hill. They had to wait for another engine to come along, attach on the front, and pull it up. Let's not linger on considering why they didn't foresee this problem on a route that they do twice a day.
One of the plus sides of the train journey was that I had a chance to see some changing scenery. Theoretically. In practice, it was pretty much industrial sites the entire way (i've probably never seen so many scaffold bars in storage in my entire life). There was a brilliant sunrise though, and some spectacular moments where the train is passing through empty, desert-like hills and then suddenly you are surrounded by a giant field of cabbage or some such vegetable. The wonders of modern irrigation!
Arriving into Los Angeles, a mere 1 hour later than expected (frankly amazing considering the problems, and the length of the journey - take note london midlands!), I was met unexpectedly by my parents at the station. I was expecting to meet them of course, but not until the hotel. This made it far easier for me to travel from the station (I had vague directions written down and I was manfully planning to walk the whole 45mins or so). And what hotel are my parents hosting me at? Why it's the J W Marriott of course! Only a 5* hotel in downtown Los Angeles! Thank you UCL funding! Of course, I am sharing my parents' room, but that's fine since there are 2 double beds.
Being here truly made me feel out of place with my unkempt beard and dirty clothes, so I have made some efforts to improve my appearance - even going so far as to brush my hair for the first time in 3 weeks!
Alas, I must hurry off now. Having spent the morning walking along the sandy beaches of Malibu up to my ankles in the gentle surf, and the afternoon luxuriating in the rooftop pool, it's time now to go to the bar to meet my parents and have a nice evening meal.
Change of scenery indeed!
Monday, 17 October 2011
Coming In From The Cold
Greetings one and all!
I have successfully traversed the Alaska Highway and more besides to complete the longest leg of my journey - Anchorage to Vancouver! Google maps tells me that's 2,194 miles, and I can tell you it sure felt like a long way! With Katie as my personal chauffeur for the journey, all I had to do was sit back and enjoy the views (and pay for half the gas) and enjoy them I did! To summarise: Alaska's interior has some really fantastic mountains, the Yukon has vast forests and impressively grey landscapes, and British Columbia has some wonderful lakes, rivers, and canyons. One thing they all seemed to have in common, however, is cold nights! Sleeping in a car seems so much easier when you are cruising along in the passenger seat, with the sun shining down on you keeping you warm during the day. But when the chill of night sets in, and the electrically heated seats (hell yes) shut down, it can get real cold!
My conclusion? Somebody needs to invent a nose-warming device for sleeping. Always, without fail, it was my nose that seemed to wake me in the night screaming "ARE YOU TRYING TO FREEZE ME TO DEATH?". Various efforts to cover my face to keep my nose warm (for example, using my buff or the hood of my sleeping back) resulted in a slow suffocation which was not conducive to peaceful sleep at all. As a result, my nights were a constant battle between oxygen supply and heat conservation.
One of the hardest things with such a long drive, is finding a way to fill your evenings without spending a lot of money. After 8-9 hours of driving each day, you certainly don't feel like going straight to bed in that very same vehicle. The things you crave are contact with the outside world, and a nice beverage of the alcoholic variety. As a result, we took part in a daily cruise of whichever settlement we were in, regardless of size, in order to discover the holy grail - a pub with cheap drinks and free wifi! Such a place is indeed a treasure of mythical proportions, and as such are exceedingly rare. To purchase a beer for $5 was the best we could hope for, and usually free wifi was obtained instead by parking outside a hotel for the night (also useful for free breakfasts in the morning!).
What could you, as a traveller following in my trail, experience along such a voyage?
Tok - This is a small town which clearly exists for just one purpose: it is the junction where people heading into alaska decide if they are aiming for Anchorage or Fairbanks. As such, there is nothing much to see, though we did experience several inches of snow so that was fun :)
Whitehorse - Probably the biggest city in the Yukon, there are many touristy shops where you can buy hand-crafted-just-about-anything. They also seem to believe it is important to have two of everything in a square mile, so there are two tim hortons, two starbucks, and so forth. If you truly wish to follow my footsteps, you will have to sleep on the sofa of total strangers (discovered on couchsurfing by Katie), in a house which has possibly never been cleaned, at all. This house is also the residence of a dog who feels it is his DUTY to bark extremely loudly at every person who approaches the front door, regardless if they only left the house for a minute. Few Z's were caught here.
Watson Lake - Small town with big drama! There is 1 bar here (it has wifi!), and it is huge with a grand total of 3 other people in it. However, as the night progresses, you may experience a strange phenomenon - a middle-aged woman might appear, ghostlike, and purchase shots for everyone present (eventually over 10 people by the end of the evening), repeatedly and without pause. Such shots will invariably be B52s, since that is all the bar staff know how to make, or tequila. Several hours will pass, with many a cry of "cheers!" before relations break-down and the very same kindly purchaser of spirits will turn into a mentalist, attack one person, bite another, and end up getting arrested without ever paying for the drinks. Good times all round! On another note, there is an astonishing number of signs in the "Signpost Forest" here. Something like 50,000 by my estimate! If you ever wondered where those stolen road signs end up, look no further!
Dawson Creek - Not, as you might suspect, the location for a famous 90s television series! It is in-fact the end (or start, depending on your outlook) of the Alaska Highway. Mile 0, as every hotel, bar and cafe will tell you.
Quesnel - City of bridges! We performed a total of 13 bridge crossings during our stay in this location, partially because we couldn't find the way to the pub we wanted to attend, but also because there are a number of footbridges which could be described variously as "quaint" and "entirely pointless". What else does this wondrous location have going for it? Free pool at the bar!
Well I think that is, if anything, too long a blog post so I will keep my future plans a secret and post again (possibly) when I reach Los Angeles!
I have successfully traversed the Alaska Highway and more besides to complete the longest leg of my journey - Anchorage to Vancouver! Google maps tells me that's 2,194 miles, and I can tell you it sure felt like a long way! With Katie as my personal chauffeur for the journey, all I had to do was sit back and enjoy the views (and pay for half the gas) and enjoy them I did! To summarise: Alaska's interior has some really fantastic mountains, the Yukon has vast forests and impressively grey landscapes, and British Columbia has some wonderful lakes, rivers, and canyons. One thing they all seemed to have in common, however, is cold nights! Sleeping in a car seems so much easier when you are cruising along in the passenger seat, with the sun shining down on you keeping you warm during the day. But when the chill of night sets in, and the electrically heated seats (hell yes) shut down, it can get real cold!
My conclusion? Somebody needs to invent a nose-warming device for sleeping. Always, without fail, it was my nose that seemed to wake me in the night screaming "ARE YOU TRYING TO FREEZE ME TO DEATH?". Various efforts to cover my face to keep my nose warm (for example, using my buff or the hood of my sleeping back) resulted in a slow suffocation which was not conducive to peaceful sleep at all. As a result, my nights were a constant battle between oxygen supply and heat conservation.
One of the hardest things with such a long drive, is finding a way to fill your evenings without spending a lot of money. After 8-9 hours of driving each day, you certainly don't feel like going straight to bed in that very same vehicle. The things you crave are contact with the outside world, and a nice beverage of the alcoholic variety. As a result, we took part in a daily cruise of whichever settlement we were in, regardless of size, in order to discover the holy grail - a pub with cheap drinks and free wifi! Such a place is indeed a treasure of mythical proportions, and as such are exceedingly rare. To purchase a beer for $5 was the best we could hope for, and usually free wifi was obtained instead by parking outside a hotel for the night (also useful for free breakfasts in the morning!).
What could you, as a traveller following in my trail, experience along such a voyage?
Tok - This is a small town which clearly exists for just one purpose: it is the junction where people heading into alaska decide if they are aiming for Anchorage or Fairbanks. As such, there is nothing much to see, though we did experience several inches of snow so that was fun :)
Whitehorse - Probably the biggest city in the Yukon, there are many touristy shops where you can buy hand-crafted-just-about-anything. They also seem to believe it is important to have two of everything in a square mile, so there are two tim hortons, two starbucks, and so forth. If you truly wish to follow my footsteps, you will have to sleep on the sofa of total strangers (discovered on couchsurfing by Katie), in a house which has possibly never been cleaned, at all. This house is also the residence of a dog who feels it is his DUTY to bark extremely loudly at every person who approaches the front door, regardless if they only left the house for a minute. Few Z's were caught here.
Watson Lake - Small town with big drama! There is 1 bar here (it has wifi!), and it is huge with a grand total of 3 other people in it. However, as the night progresses, you may experience a strange phenomenon - a middle-aged woman might appear, ghostlike, and purchase shots for everyone present (eventually over 10 people by the end of the evening), repeatedly and without pause. Such shots will invariably be B52s, since that is all the bar staff know how to make, or tequila. Several hours will pass, with many a cry of "cheers!" before relations break-down and the very same kindly purchaser of spirits will turn into a mentalist, attack one person, bite another, and end up getting arrested without ever paying for the drinks. Good times all round! On another note, there is an astonishing number of signs in the "Signpost Forest" here. Something like 50,000 by my estimate! If you ever wondered where those stolen road signs end up, look no further!
Dawson Creek - Not, as you might suspect, the location for a famous 90s television series! It is in-fact the end (or start, depending on your outlook) of the Alaska Highway. Mile 0, as every hotel, bar and cafe will tell you.
Quesnel - City of bridges! We performed a total of 13 bridge crossings during our stay in this location, partially because we couldn't find the way to the pub we wanted to attend, but also because there are a number of footbridges which could be described variously as "quaint" and "entirely pointless". What else does this wondrous location have going for it? Free pool at the bar!
Well I think that is, if anything, too long a blog post so I will keep my future plans a secret and post again (possibly) when I reach Los Angeles!
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