sAlexander.org photos | Photos from south of the border

China | Last Month In Mendoza

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:35:21 +0000

She is such a cutie, that we had a little photo shoot.

Mi Amor | Last Month In Mendoza

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:25:30 +0000

This is China, she and I got really close during my stay in Mendoza. If I was there, she was following me. I am considering sneaking her in one of my suitcases to take back to the states…

Trip Back to Town | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:47:28 +0000

We finally took a two hour train ride back to a city, where we would catch a two hour bus ride back to Cusco. Jackie and I slept on the train ride, we hadn’t realize how tired we were until we sat down.
Mr. Energy, Peter, sat looking out the window, naming all of the ruin sites we passed.

Waiting for the Train | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:47:23 +0000

We met up with Jackie, who had taken a bus down the mountain, after twisting her ankle on the hike. She was the photographer of this photo.

Cute Town at the Bottom of the Mountain | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:47:18 +0000

Here we were back in civilization at the base of the Mountain Machu Picchu. We had a lot on our minds and felt great, having finished the four day Inca Trail.

Road Back to Civilization | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:47:12 +0000

We climbed down the mountain for about an hour and a half, before we reached the town where we would catch our train.

So Long Machu Picchu | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:47:07 +0000

This is a sign at the bottom of the mountain for the people arriving on the train to visit Machu Picchu.

Hike Down the Mountain | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:47:03 +0000

After we explored the city of Machu Picchu, Peter and I started to desend down the mountain, ready to enjoy our last hike of the Inca Trail.

My Favorite View | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:46:58 +0000

To much beauty to take it all in at once.

It seems that when I am in a scenery that is as incredible as Machu Picchu or Torres del Pines, it is impossible for me to grasp all of it’s beauty. Everything just seems to be fake, like I am looking at a giant pretty picture.

The more of the world I see, the more nature impresses me and keeps me questioning it’s perfection.

Hanging Out At Machu Picchu | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:46:54 +0000

Happy that we made it.

Edge of the Incan World | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:46:48 +0000

This was a scary picture to take because right behind me the mounatin dropped off hundreds of meters to the ground. Ahhh!

Machu Picchu and More | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:46:43 +0000

Some more pictures of the beautiful mountains.

Sacrificing Stone | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:46:38 +0000

This is another offering place for sacrifices of animals. The animal would lay on the stone and the blood would drip down into the indentation, carrying the blood to the tierra for the Patcha Mama.

Inca Tomb | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:46:33 +0000

This was a place to honor the mummies and the world below. In the back you can see small graves where the Inca mummies were places.
If you look in the front part of the tomb, you can see a part of the Chakana (Inca cross) blocking the entrance. This section of the cross represents the world below, present world, and world above. On the bottom level of the Chakana, archaeologists found bones of animals which lead them to believe that there were sacrifices of animals there.

Stone Mountains | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:41:33 +0000

These two rocks make an identical replica of the mountains behind them. It was a little cloudy that day, but we could still see the uncanny resemblance.

The rocks were a symbol honoring mountains. The mountains were very important to Machu Picchu because they were the protectors of the city.

Stone Compass | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:41:28 +0000

This is a compass that they used in Machu Picchu. The top is the North and the rest fall into their places. The precision of the directions is amazing.

Chakana Cross | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:41:22 +0000

Do you recognize this figure…? Yes, this is the cross of the Incas, the Chakana. However, it seems to be only half of the cross….any ideas why they are missing the other half?

In June, the start of the new moon began the New Year for the Incas. When the sun rose, the rays of the sun would shine exactly through the sun gate (the place where I first saw Machu Picchu), coming through the windows at the perfect angle to show the exact copy of the of the half of the cross on the ground.

Pretty cool, huh?

Chakana | The Inca Trail

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:11:59 +0000

This is the Inca cross, also called the Chakana. All together, the cross represents the beliefs of the Inca culture.

The 12 points represent the 12 months in a year.

The four different directions, represent the directions of a compass.

One the top left of the cross are representations of the three worlds the Incas believed in.

On the top right side of the cross are the representations of the three most important animals to the Incas.

On the bottom right side of the cross are the representations of the ethics the Incas valued.

On the bottom left side of the cross are the representations of the resources from the earth the Incas worshiped the most.

In the center is the circle, which the Incas valued as a symbol of life.

Machu Picchu | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:50:13 +0000

We made it!

Lama Sola | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:50:09 +0000

The lamas inspired the artsy side of me to take control of the camera…Look at the roundness of those mountains in the background!

We Found Them! | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:50:03 +0000

Yey lamas! Thank god we ran into these lamas along the way to Machu Picchu, if we would have seen Machu Picchu without seeing the lamas we would have had to come back and do the hike all over again. What can I say, the two just go together!

Exotic Mountains | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:49:59 +0000

The giant humps you see hidden by the clouds, amazed me. I had never seen mountains look the way these had. They were rounded at the top and completely covered in green. You will see many more shots of them as the album goes on.

Spence, they were like the bright blue lake in Torres del Paines, that I couldn’t get over. I just kept saying, “my gosh, look at the mountains and how round they are!”

Walk Down To Machu Picchu | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:49:54 +0000

Although we were at the sun gate we still had about 30 minutes of hiking before we would reach the actually site, but I didn’t mind, it was a beautiful hike down.

Looking Good After Four Days | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:49:49 +0000

We were so excited to see it!

I really just put this picture on here because it is such a funny picture of both of us. It makes me laugh when I look at it.

First View Of Machu Picchu | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:49:44 +0000

The first site of Machu Picchu was actually more emotional than I thought it would be. I had never done a hike where I have hiked four days to see one main attraction. I felt like giving everyone around me a kiss and saying we made it!

The Sun Gates | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:49:40 +0000

After hiking about 2 hours, I walked around the corner and found myself looking up at a hill of steep stairs. It only took a couple of minutes to climb up them and when I got to the top I was standing in front of the sun gate. The gate that show the first view of Machu Picchu.

Waiting To Start Our Day | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:49:34 +0000

This is everyone standing in line waiting to start the fourth day of hiking.
We may look unhappy here, but I really enjoyed waking up with the sun and starting out hiking for the day.

The Day I Saw Machu Picchu | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:31:38 +0000

We woke up 3:40 in the morning wanting more sleep. We woke up so earlier because we had to have our documents checked before entering into Machu Picchu and we had to make it down the mountain to catch the train.

I took this picture just as the sun was starting to wake up.

Last Night | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:04:17 +0000

The third night, everyone gathered inside a building at the camp ground to have dinner. People could sit inside and order beer or pisco sour to celebrate the night before seeing Machu Picchu. This was the last night we would be with our porters and the hardest part of the hike was over, everyone was ready to let loose.

After dinner, there was small reunion for us to thank and say farewell to all the porters. Yusulpayki Porters!.

Yusulpayki, is the only word we learned in Quechua. It is one of the official languages spoke in Peru.

After the reunion we found our way back to the tents to try and get some sleep before the 3:40 wake up call to go see Machu Picchu!

Inca Spotting | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:04:13 +0000

Jackie and I were actually really lucky running into an Inca on guard of one at the ruins. He was even nice enough to let us photography him, of course, we were respectful did appropriate Inca poses for the picture.

Over the River and Through the Amazon | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:04:08 +0000

Third day and still a lot of ground to cover!

Structure of The Ruins | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:04:04 +0000

The rows of stones, were structured like this for support and stability from rain or earthquakes.

More Stairs! | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:03:59 +0000

Walking the steps of the Incas…harder than it sounds!

Yellow Orchid | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:03:55 +0000

This flower is part of the orchid family. Another beauty!

Astrology | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:03:50 +0000

This was one of my favorite stops, it was an place that astronomers worked to learn about the mysteries of the world above.

As each day that passed, I started to appreciate the intelligence of the Incas more and more. They had great skills in engineering, architecture, astrology, clocks, calenders, medicine, and road systems. I was amazed at the things they discovered with the resources they had available to them.

My Favorite Flowers | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:03:46 +0000

Along the hike, I decided that these flowers were my favorite. They look like yellow trumpets.

Making It Out Alive | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:03:41 +0000

Luckily we made it out of the caves alive, however I can’t disclose everything that happened inside them. The secrets of the Inca Trail…

Cave Two! | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:03:36 +0000

After a little while longer of hiking, we came across another cave. Who knows what we would find inside this one!

The Cave Leading Into Another Time | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:03:32 +0000

This is one of the caves we went on through the hike.

Quite a View | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:03:27 +0000

Imagine seeing this view everyday. The Incas really knew how to pick a place!

Running Man | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:03:23 +0000

This is the other side of the giant natural rock. The arrangement of the rocks looked like it was used as an area for ceremonies. If you look at the figure on the rock it looks like a man running.

I asked my guide to demonstrate the figure, can you see it?

Natural Rock | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:03:19 +0000

The next ruin we stopped at was used to grow herbs for medicine.

There was a patio centered around a giant natural rock. The Incas believe that the rock was a connection to the Patcha Mama, or to the earth, so they would leave offerings in the little shelf to please the Patcha Mama.

Ruin Along the Way | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:03:14 +0000

Along the hike we passed another ruin in the valley. It was probably another rest stop for the weary Inca travelers.

Hiking the Inca Trail | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:03:10 +0000

After about an hour of hiking up the mountain, I turned around to take a picture of the land we had covered.

In the bottom of the valley, you can see the campsite we stayed at the night before.

In the top left corner, you can see the highest point that we hiked to yesterday.

You can see why it never felt like we were ever on flat ground!

Lugar de Descansa ( Rest Area) | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:03:00 +0000

After about 30 minutes of hiking we came across the first ruin of the day. Our guide explained to us that it was used as a look out and a place to rest. The Incas would carry many valuables across the mountains like mummies, gold, food, and herbs.
I thought carrying my backpack was tough!

Beginning of Day 3 | The Inca Trail

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:02:54 +0000

We woke up early the next day, greeted with hot Coca Tea, to start the climb up the mountain.

The Trail Down the Mountain | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:11:13 +0000

Energy Fill Up | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:11:13 +0000

During dinner it started raining, so ate dinner inside the tent. In the back there is an arm sticking out, this is where the porters cooked our amazing meals.

After dinner, so we were reading to get some sleep for the next day of hiking.

The Hike Isn't Over Until It's Over | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:11:07 +0000

After a thirty minute break, we started to head down the mountain to the next campsite. It took us about an hour and thirty minutes to reach the camp site and when we arrived we were ready for some R & R .

Jump To the Clouds | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:11:01 +0000

Yes, I was very excited to have finished the climb.

Warmwanuska Mountain | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:10:56 +0000

We were worried people wouldn’t have believed us that we had made it to the top, so we took a picture of the post of the Mountain Warmiwanuska for proof.

Inca Ladies | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:10:50 +0000

Jackie and I tried to demonstrate the strength it took to make it to the top!

Obviously only the strong could have made it.

We Made It! | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:10:42 +0000

When we finally made it to the top of the mountain, we met up with the other hikers that had already reached the top. Everyone was cheering on their friends and celebrating making it to the top.

It is a great feeling to work hard and finally reach the top of a mountain with a spectacular view. We celebrated by having some chocolate and taking pictures of what we had walked.

Hike Up the Mountain | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:10:36 +0000

The second day we climbed from 3,900 meters to 4,200 meters. It too us 3 hours to climb up it, but when we got to the top, the struggles were well wroth it.

This picture is a part of the zig zag path up the side of the mountain.

Beautiful Treasures Along the Way | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:10:27 +0000

We started the second day early in the morning. The weather looked good, the Patcha Mama had been kind to us.

This is one of the beautiful flowers we came across on the hike.

Home For Three Nights | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:03:45 +0000

These were our rooms/ houses. They were spacious, kept the rain out, and the warmth in.
The next morning we would wake up at 5am with the sun to start the day out hiking.

First Camp Site | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:03:40 +0000

At around four we made it to our first camp site. It was nice to have a little time to relax before we met up to eat dinner. I took the time to write about the day in my journal.

The house in the back of the picture, is actually a house of a family. There is a small town within the National Park of the Inca trail. There is a small school and a community that live throughout the mountains.

The hut next to the house is where we ate our breakfast and dinner. It was a nice shelter from the rain which was very common in the nights.

The Inca Trail- Four Days and Three Nights | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:03:35 +0000

This is the trail that we hiked for four days and three nights.

The first day we hiked from about 2500 meters to 3,000 meters.

The second day, 3,000 meters to 4,500 meters and then back down to 3, 500 meters.

The third day, 3,500 meters to 4,000 meters, and back down to 3, 500 meters.

The fourth day, 3,500 meters down to 2, 500 meters.

Throughout the whole trail it seemed like we were either climbing up or down, and both directions them have their own challenges.

All together a great hike!

Grand Meal | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:03:30 +0000

This was the amazing type of meals we had for every lunch and dinner. I couldn’t believe how well we ate while being 4,000 meters high in mountains.

La Patcha Mama | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:03:25 +0000

The Incas believed that if they respected the mother earth and made sacrifices to her she would, in return, give the fruitful land and good weather. They called her the " La Pactha Mama" and before eating or drinking anything they would always give a little to the “Patcha Mama”.

I of course wanted the “Patcha Mama” to give us good weather as well, so I gave her a little of my soup. It may sound silly, but while we were hiking we didn’t have any rain and it is the rainy season. I will leave it to you to explain that one!…

Company During Lunch | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:03:17 +0000

When we stopped for lunch we were greeted with a couple asnos (donkeys).

For longer hikes, like the nine day hike to Machu Picchu, they use donkeys, mules, and horses to port the food and camping gear…I have been considering coming back to do it one day…

Our First Inca Ruin | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:03:11 +0000

This is the first Inca Ruin we came across. In Peru there were 15 million Inca inhabitants, so there are ruins all over the country. Machu Picchu just happens to be the second Inca capital, Cusco being the first.

Looking Back | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:03:00 +0000

After hiking up a steep hill, I took a moment to look back on what we had climbed.

Hike Through the Moutains | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:02:50 +0000

Hiking and loving it. What is better than hiking through beautiful green mountains, following the path of an ancient culture?… I can’t think of anything!

Hikers Along the Way | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:02:41 +0000

Along the hike we ran into a couple fellow hikers soaking up the sun. We decided we would leave them be and continued on with our hike.

Never a Moment Dull Moment | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:02:34 +0000

Now we were ready to do some serious hiking, true ladies don’t go hiking without a little color on their lips!

Quick Touchup On the Mountain | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:02:27 +0000

Along the trial, our guide pointed out small white parasites that were stuck on the cactus. He took them in his hand and pushed on them until red liquid spilled out of them. He told us that people use them to make lipstick. So, Jackie and I took advantage of the lipstick and fixed ourselves up a bit!

Four Days and Three Nights, Following the footsteps of the Incas | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:02:20 +0000

This is the group that I hiked with on the Inca trail. Our guide, Havier, Jackie, myself, and Peter, a man from Holland.

We had energy and were ready to follow the footsteps of the Incas.

Gathering Supplies For the Hike | The Inca Trail

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:02:14 +0000

On the drive up to the Inca trail, we stopped in a small town to buy some snacks, a pancho for the rain, and some water.

It was a cute place with coble stone streets and a feel of the typical Peruvian lifestyle.

Thanksgiving Dinner On the Bus | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:21:08 +0000

Earlier on that day Jackie, Patrick, and I had a feast for Thanksgiving lunch. For dinner, we had some great bus food to finish off day.

As you can see, we were very excited about the rice pudding!

Photo Shoot | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:42:48 +0000

The worker on the bus saw us taking pictures and asked if we wanted to take a picture of him, we, of course, said yes!

Once we got off the bus ride and made it back to our hostel, we gathered our things together and caught a 26 hour bus ride to Cusco. Fun!

Our Rough Ride | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:42:43 +0000

Even the monkey was hanging on for dear life.

I am kidding Mom, it wasn’t that rough, :).

Taking the "Ban"-Bus/ Van | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:42:39 +0000

So we had to do the “Lima thing” and take the bus/van. It was an interesting experience.

The City Bus/ Van | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:42:34 +0000

This is a city bus in Lima, it looked more like a big van to me, but either way it got the job done.

Break In the Park | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:42:29 +0000

This is a small park we stopped at during out our walk through the city.

A Bright Country | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:42:24 +0000

This was the look of most of the buildings in Lima, painted the with brightest colors the Peruvians could find.

I think if America made all the buildings bright blue, yellow, pink, or red it would just look tacky, but some how Peru has pulled it off. Well done Peru!

Flowers of Peru | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:42:18 +0000

Here is a beautiful flower we passed by while walking in Lima, they were all over.

What is the Focus of the Picture, the Garden or the Building? | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:42:13 +0000

Another beautiful building, but the building wasn’t even the eye catcher. In front of the building was a giant garden filled with every color of flower imaginable.

Architecture in Lima | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:42:07 +0000

The architecture and the colors of the buildings in Lima were beautiful.

I took quite a lot of pictures of the buildings as we walked through city, so if you aren’t interested in the architecture of Lima, I advise you to skipped the next couple pictures. :)

Thanksgiving Dinner | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:42:00 +0000

Jackie and I finally met up in the Hostel and we met a guy from Australia, who was staying in our hostel room with us.

He just graduated from high school and wanted to see some of the world before he started his University. He has been the youngest traveler that I have met in my travels. He reminded me of myself last year starting my first South American experience. He is now working at an orphanage in Cusco, Peru. It was nice to see someone just starting their travels at such a young age, I felt like I was seeing the beginning of a an amazing experience for him.

We invited him out for Thanksgiving dinner with us. We found a typical Peruvian meal for 8 soles, which was about $2.50. It was a 3 course meal and we ate like the Americans do…until we were uncomfortable full.

Barranco Lima | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:41:55 +0000

This picture was taken from the kissing bridge, looking down at a path leading to the beach. I really liked this area of town and staying here gave me a different perspective of Lima. I left Lima last, year thinking of it as a dirty poor city. However, this year I found some of the charm Lima had to offer.

Midnight Beauty In the Plaza | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:41:48 +0000

After spending a night at Laura’s house, I flew to Lima, Peru to continue my journey to Machu Picchu.

This picture was taking in the plaza next to our hostel. We stayed in a great section of Lima, called Barranco. I had actually been to this area last year with Spencer and it brought back a lot of old memories. Last year, I would never have imagined that I would be back to see Lima again. Who knows where I will be next year…

Sushi! | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:41:42 +0000

After we got drinks, we order sushi to go and ate it at their apartment.

This was the first time I had eaten sushi in almost 6 months and god it was good!

After I left Valpo, I stopped in Santiago to see my old friend and professor, Laura. We also went out for sushi and ended up talking all night about everything going on in each other’s lives. She is someone I have always admired and enjoyed exchanging stories of our different experiences. It was really good to see her and I will always feel like I have something to learn from her.

Night Out With Some Old Friends | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:41:36 +0000

There actually happen to be many people in Valpo that I planned on seeing. There were two students from last year’s summer program that were living in Valpo this year. So I met up with Wes and Emily for drinks and to catch up on each other’s new lives.

It looks like Valpo won over a lot of people last summer. It definitely has a charm about it, that will keep me coming back to visit.

Walk Through the Garden | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:41:30 +0000

We spent the day walking around looking at the exotic plants and taking about each others travels. We also ran into Perina, my Chilean sister. She was working the the zip line section in the park

Jardin Botanical Nacional | Trip to Machu Picchu. Valpo- Santiago- Lima

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:41:23 +0000

On my way to Machu Picchu, I decided to stop in Valparaiso to see my Chilean Family for the last time of my South America trip. It was great to see them again, they were as welcoming and kind as always.

They also had another foreign exchange student living with them. He and I went to check out the Beautiful Botanical Garden, a couple minutes away from their house.

Truco | Last Month In Mendoza

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:43:50 +0000

At the end of the 6 hour asado we were all getting a little tired. One of the girls brought out her Mate and we all played some Truco (an Argentine card game most similar to poker).

It was a good way to finish off the day.

Circle Therapy | Last Month In Mendoza

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:43:49 +0000

Just kidding, we played another game :)

My Shirades Team | Last Month In Mendoza

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:43:48 +0000

Well, this is harder than it sounds in Spanish. There many not be any talking while you are acting, but every movie title gets changed into Spanish (not an exact translation either).

I will admit I was not the best player on the team, but it was a lot of fun.

The Cook | Last Month In Mendoza

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:43:47 +0000

Applause for the cook!

Group photo | Last Month In Mendoza

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:33:15 +0000

This was my favorite class, everyone was really welcoming, fun, and helpful.

We all had two classes together and they made the seven hours of class a lot more bearable.

Food | Last Month In Mendoza

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:33:14 +0000

The food was the best food I have ever tasted at an asado. There were potatoes, every vegetable you can imagine, meat, chocolate cake, champagne, and the feeling of finishing our studies of Lacan for the semester.

However, when I say it was the best asado I have ever tasted, I, of course, mean second best after the asado Spencer made!

Profe de Psicoterapia | Last Month In Mendoza

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:33:13 +0000

The woman to the right is my teacher. She a great psychoanalyst and was one of my favorite professors.

Waiting For the Food | Last Month In Mendoza

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:33:12 +0000

We were all getting pretty hungry by this point.

Asado With My Psicoterapia Class | Last Month In Mendoza

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:17:30 +0000

I finally made it!

When they told me the plans, I heard, we are going to meet at “a las dos”, when they really said “a las doce”. Oops

Halloween Night In Argentina | Last Month In Mendoza

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:42:52 +0000

The Frenches and I decided to switch nationalities for Halloween. I was a French girl and they were Cowboys from Texas.
-Yeeeehaaaa…!
-…ehhhhh, oui oui.

I found out later, that Spencer had dressed up as a French boy that same night. I guess the French rubbed off on us a little.

It Was Good Hiking With You | Torres del Paine

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:46:38 +0000

During the boat ride, my mind was filled with thoughts. I was thinking how exciting it would be tell my family and friends about our amazing experience and that I had successfully finished the W circuit. However as I was thinking, I realized that no matter how many stories I would tell about the hike, no one I knew would ever really understand the experience of the four days. The only people that could relate with the true beauty of the experience were the people that had walked the same footsteps we had. I was very grateful that I had someone that knew how amazing the four days really were, someone that was as moved by nature as I was, someone that could say it really was incredible, and keep my experience from turning into a faded memory of something amazing.

It was good hiking with you Spence.

A Story From a Fellow Hiker | Torres del Paine

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:46:30 +0000

On the boat we ran into a man that had finished the 7 day circuit. He told us how strange it felt watching all the people getting off the boat to start their hike. He couldn’t believe it had only been seven days since he had taken the boat to begin his hike. He said that he felt like so much had change within himself that he was coming back a different person.

I felt like the four day hike we finished was quite an amazing experience, but I couldn’t imagine the feeling of finishing the 7 day circuit. I do believe it would really change a persons outlook on their life.

Back to Civilization | Torres del Paine

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:46:23 +0000

The next morning we woke up early to hike back down the mountain and catch the 12:00 boat, that would take us back to civilization.

Campsite View | Torres del Paine

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:46:16 +0000

This was the view right next to our tent. The shore was covered in icebergs, which made for some pretty pictures. However, when it came to washing the dishes the experience wasn’t as pleasant.

This was also the night that we treated ourselves and stayed at the 4 mil peso (8 dollars) camp sight, instead of hiking an extra hour to get to the free camp sight.

We still slept in our tent and cooked outside, but included with the camp sight they offered a cabin to warm up and…hot showers!

I want to add that we did feel a little guilty showering while we were supposed to be outdoors, roughing it. However, let me also add that it was completely worth it! After averaging 7 hour hikes per day, sleeping in the same sleeping bags night after night, and walking through mud all day for three days, a shower can look like the best thing the world has to offer.

All Alone | Torres del Paine

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:46:08 +0000

After the Hike in Torres del Paine we went to El Calafate, Argentina to see the National Park of Glaciers.

In The National Park we saw a glacier that moved two meters a day, creating noise from the shifting and breakage of the ice. We were able to walk along a bridge and get close enough to see all the cracks and details of the glacier.

Glacier Grey still had something that the National Park of Glaciers didn’t have to offer. Glacier Grey sat alone in the lake, it didn’t have any man made bridge for people to come to look at it nor boats surrounding it. It seemed more real, undiscovered, and mysterious than the glaciers in the National Park.

Reached the Peak | Torres del Paine

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:46:02 +0000

When we reached the top we saw the amazing view we had been awaiting. It was just us four at the top of the rock and the only thing we could hear were the waves crashing up against the rocks. All around us were icebergs that had strayed away from Glacier Grey. It was one of the many amazing moments during the journey.

Pieces of Glacier Grey | Torres del Paine

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:45:55 +0000

We finally reached the camp grounds. All of us, including the fast paced William and Alastair, were about to fall from exhaustion .

After having a hot cup of tea we prepared to finish the hike and get a closer look at the glacier.

Along the climb up the high jetting rock, I found a big iceberg that had broken off of the glacier.

Blown Away | Torres del Paine

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:45:48 +0000

I forgot to mention the point in the hike when the wind got so strong that I had to hang on to a tree to keep from being blown away.

Looking at my face, you can see I was impressively calm for facing near death. These days it takes a lot to frighten me.

Blowup Dolls | Torres del Paine

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:45:41 +0000

Spencer and I were approaching the glacier.

Our blowup doll suits make really make the picture.

Coast of Icebergs | Torres del Paine

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:45:34 +0000

As we came around the mountains, we were greeted with clusters of icebergs all along the coast.

Approching Glacier Grey | Torres del Paine

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:45:27 +0000

The third day was the coldest and windiest of the four. At one point, the wind actually knocked me over; however I am sure the parachuting packs we were carrying had something to do with this.

At the very left corner there is a glimpse of Glacier Grey.

New Friends | Torres del Paine

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:45:20 +0000

On the trail we ran into two guys from England, William and Alastair, who we had met on the bus coming to Torres del Paine.

They were also hiking to Glacier Grey that day, so we decided to hike together.

We were in for quite a surprise once we started hiking with them. Their pace was ridiculously fast; at first Spencer and I thought it might have been a joke, but sure enough this was the pace they intended to keep throughout the whole day. After a while we got into our groove and were able to keep up with the guys pretty good.

We met up with both of them in Puerto Natales after the hike. We got some cooked food and celebrated surviving the four days of hiking. A couple days after Puerto Natales we met up with William in El Calafate, Argentina, where we shared a hostel room.

Scary Bridge | Torres del Paine

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:45:10 +0000

On the third day we woke up feeling refreshed and started our 8 hour hike to Glacier Grey.

Leaving the campsite we ran into this “sturdy” looking bridge that said, “No Cruzar Mas Dos Personas”. Since we had giant packs on our backs we decided to play it safe and cross the bridge one at a time.

We also thought it would be a good idea if at least one of us survived to tell the story of our hike.

Home Sweet Home | Torres del Paine

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:03:26 +0000

This was our home for four days. It was a really good tent, spacious, warm, light, and kept the wind out.

Skipping Stones | Torres del Paine

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:03:21 +0000

Towards the last two hours of the second day hike we found a beach with covered in skipping stones! So we took advantage of the opportunity to give our packs a rest and throw some stones (this was my first time to throw a skipping stone…it wasn’t too bad). We then quickly got our things together to make it to the camp grounds before dark.

Mountains of Three Shades of Brown | Torres del Paine

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:03:16 +0000

These are the mountains of three shades of brown that I couldn’t get over…I still can’t!

Little Lagoon | Torres del Paine

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:03:11 +0000

This was the direction we headed after lunch to finish the second leg of our hike.

Light Finding It's Way Through the Clouds | Torres del Paine

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:03:05 +0000

…I know this is a pretty amazing picture. I wish everyone could have experienced it that day.

Opening from the Heavens | Torres del Paine

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:02:59 +0000

The weather changed very quickly while hiking. We started the second day off with clouds, crossing our fingers that it wouldn’t rain, and as the day went on the clouds started to break apart and we ended up with another beautiful day in Torres del Paine.

Stop for Lunch | Torres del Paine

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:02:53 +0000

We found a great location to stop and make some soup for lunch. To one side we had the bright glacier lake, to the other side towered dark mountains covered in white snow, behind us were the three shaded brown mountains, and in front of us lied the curiosity of what we would find next.

Day Alone | Torres del Paine

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:02:48 +0000

This was my favorite hike of the four days. No mater which part of the hike we were walking, the panorama views were always amazing. The whole day we walked alone, just us and the outdoors. It was a very moving experience to be so far from the hussel and bussel we are familiar with and just enjoy what nature had to offer. The land seemed like it was ours to explore and experience for the day.

Filling Up by the stream | Torres del Paine

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:02:40 +0000

We hopped through a lot of rivers, mud, and swamp. Somehow, we managed to keep our shoes relatively dry, which was the most important thing, because wet shoes, at best, means miserable hiking.

The Second Day in Torres del Paine | Torres del Paine

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:02:28 +0000

We started our second day in high spirits; it had felt great to eat and give our bodies a rest overnight.

Los Torres | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:04:39 +0000

In the morning we had planned to come back and look at the Torres during the sunrise. Supposedly it puts a orange and pink hue on them and it is their most beautiful time of the day. However we didn’t make it up the next morning because the hike we had planned to do would have been too strenuous with the two hour hike up and down the mountain to look at the sunrise.

Looking Out Over the Lake | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:04:34 +0000

We decided to go down to get a view next to the frozen lake. It really was incredible.

Enjoying the View | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:04:29 +0000

We all had a seat on one of the boulders and looked out at the Torres we had hiked 4.5 hours to reach.

I want to stress the difference between hiking all day to reach a site and easily coming across a beautiful site. There are definitely advantages to both: when you run across a site you have stumbled upon one of earths many jewels and you are lucky to have spotted it.

However in my opinion it is more rewarding to work all day, sweat, have aches throughout your body and end the day knowing it was all worth it; the site turns into something more than just a pretty view, it turns into an accomplishment. This is how we all felt at the end of the day when we sat down to enjoy the view of the massive “Torres”.

Walk Through the Snow | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:04:25 +0000

At the top of the wall of boulders we ran into some snow , the last part of the hike before we were rewarded with an incredible view.

Climb Up the Boulders | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:04:20 +0000

This was the hour long hike from the base of the lookout of the Torres to the lookout. It was covered with giant boulders and rocks so we had to use all fours while climbing. Thankfully this was after we had set up camp at the base of the lookout and didn’t have our packs with us.

Spencer and James wanted a bit more of a challenge so they raced to the top. Torry and I stayed behind and enjoyed the climb up. Let me remind you this was after a 3.5 hour hike, with our packs, and most of it was uphill.

Twisted Hollow Tree | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:04:16 +0000

This is a tree we ran across during our first day of hiking. If you look closely at the tree, you can see that the trunk is twisted and the tree is hollow inside; it looks like an orange peel. The only cause we could come up with was that it was struck by lighting.

Do you have any ideas what could have made it look like this?

A Moment with Nature | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:04:12 +0000

Would any believe me if I said that I just happen to catch Spencer connecting with nature in the middle of a bridge…

Over the River and Through the Woods | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:04:07 +0000

This was one of the paths that took us to the Torres. We found that there were lots of different paths that lead to who knows where (we didn’t take them).

We also went through every type of scenery, terrain, or landscape that I could have imagined.

Our Destination at the Top of the Mountain | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:42:07 +0000

At the very left corner you can see the Torres, to the right side of the towers is one of my favorite mountains. It had three shades of brown which were symmetrically aligned throughout the whole mountain.

Girls Crossing the Bridge | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:42:02 +0000

Torry and I crossing another old bridge. It was fun to be hiking with a girl: I had someone to get excited with about being able to drink water from the streams.

Drinking from the Streams. | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:41:57 +0000

The water was very clean and didn’t have to be filtered. We were really excited about being able to live off some of the land.

Gaze through the Valley | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:41:52 +0000

Recognize the picture…we all had to get a picture here.

Spencer pulls off this pose well, but it was actually like doing squats with our packs on.

Walk Through the Moutains | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:41:47 +0000

This is one of the amazing views along our walk.

I have to warn you there will be tons of amazing photos to come in this gallery, but remember this is our dairy as well our blog and not once in the trip did we get tired of walking down a mountain side with the views ahead of us. In the future I want remember every moment of the adventure through Torres del Paine.

Rickety Old Bridge | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:41:43 +0000

This is the first rickety old bridge we crossed, after jumping across it we found that the bridge was being held up by a nail (one nail) holding a piece of into another piece of wood.

The two people behind me are Torry and James; they are from England and were are hiking buddies for the first day of the hike up to the Torres. They are currently doing an “around the world” trip and we hope to be seeing them in Mendoza soon.

Preparing to Start the Hike | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:41:38 +0000

This is us before we started the 8 hour hike; we were strong, optimistic, and ready to take on nature’s challenges…

We were doing great until about 10 min into hike when we had to stop at a Refugio to ask for directions.

Lookout at the Tower in Torres del Pine | Torres del Paine

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:41:27 +0000

This is a stop we took on our bus ride heading to the base of the park.

The rule for hiking in Torres del Paine is that if the towers are clearly seen when you arrive, then it is best to start the hike heading toward the towers. Rain is so common that the next couple days they could be hidden meaning that a person would miss seeing the “Torres” in the park “Torres del Paine”.

If the towers were hidden by clouds, we would have taken another boat to the other side of the park and start our hike going in the opposite direction.

However, as you can see, we had a pretty clear sky, so we embarked on our day journey to reach the Torres.

The rupture | Patagonia

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:04:45 +0000

About every four years there is a rupture in the edge of the Glacier. What happens is the Glacier moves up to the land, blocking a river. After time the water builds up behind the glaciers creating a lot of pressure on one side of the ice. Once the pressure reaches a certain point it breaks the through the ice. This is the rupture, but the excitement doesn’t stop there. The water only break through the bottom part of the ice creating an ice tunnel. The ceiling of the tunnel eventually becomes weak and falls making a pretty big splash and some good pictures for everyone viewing the glacier that day.

The last rupture was in July of 2008, so we just missed some of the excitement, however it explains the tunnel that is in the picture.

Day at Perito Moreno | Patagonia

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:04:40 +0000

We spent most of our time hoping that a chuck of ice would crack and fall into the icy water. When a piece would fall it looked like the size of a motorcycle. However the time it took for us to hearing the splash showed how far away we really were from the glacier and just how big the falling chucks really were.

Perito Moreno | Patagonia

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:04:36 +0000

The Glacier is 5 kilometers (3 mi) wide, with an average height of 60 m (197 ft) above the surface of the water, with a total ice depth of 170 meters (558 ft).

El Calafate, Perito Moreno Glacier | Patagonia

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:04:30 +0000

Perito Moreno Glacier is located in the “Los Glaciases Nacional Parque”. The icefield of the park is the world’s thrid largest reserve of fresh water.

The Glacier moves two meters a day which is incredible fast seeing that on average glaciers move . This makes the glacier fun to watch because you can constantly hear the ice shifting and seeing giant pieces of ice fall into the water.

Chocolate shop in Puerto Natales | Patagonia

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:23:18 +0000

We decided to take shelter from the cold weather in a chocolate shop as we waiting for our flight back to Santiago, ending our trip.

We drank some cafe, ate some chocolate, and played some card games…those of which I am still paying the bets I lost.

Puerto Natales Architecture | Patagonia

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:23:14 +0000

A pretty building we ran into on our walk along the coast.

The Coast in Puerto Natales | Patagonia

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:23:06 +0000

We took a quick walk down to the beach, it was a cold and rainy day, but we could still see the charm the town had to offer.

We were in the Lake District so rain was always a a good prediction for the weather during the trip.

Punta Arenas | Patagonia

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:10:32 +0000

Punta Arenas was a cute city, the trees especially caught our attention. The town has a couple excursions like visiting the penguin colonies, but overall wasn’t too touristy.

For us Punta Arenas was a good cheap place to stock up on food for our planned hike through Torres del Pines.

Our Quick Flight From Puerto Mont to Punta Arenas | Patagonia

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:10:27 +0000

We had a short night in Bariloche and left the next morning for Puerto Mont. We decided to travel the 3 hour classy way from Puerto Mont to Punta Arenas in Chile, instead of taking the 20 hour bus ride.

The Lift Down | Patagonia

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:00:50 +0000

We decided to take the lift down to experience a more relaxing view of the city instead of hiking down the steep hill.

First Impression of the Patagonia | Patagonia

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:00:45 +0000

This was the first view I had seen of the Patagonia and was taken away by it’s beauty. However, I didn’t know that the Patagonia was holding out for me and there would be gorgeous view after gorgeous view along our trip.

View of Bariloche | Patagonia

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:00:41 +0000

This was the beautiful view we were rewarded with once we reached the end of the 30 min hike.

If you think it looks amazing, just remember that the camera doesn’t do the view justice.

Bariloche Hike | Patagonia

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:00:29 +0000

We arrived in Bariloche at 1:00 after a 18 hour bus ride, and were hiking by 2:00 to reach a stop on a hill with an amazing view of the city and countryside

After-Game Celebration | Futból!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:25:25 +0000

After the game, the fans for both teams continued to cheer their hearts out. I expected the Boca fans to back down and show Godoy some respect, but that definitely did not happen. When the final whistle blew, the riot police formed lines on each side of the field to keep the fans where they belong.

Gol! | Futból!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:25:22 +0000

The Godoy team scores again! Despite being huge underdogs, the Godoy team won the game 4-1. This was quite a big victory for little-o-Mendoza.

Boca Flag | Futból!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:25:20 +0000

I was incredibly impressed by the Boca flag. The flag was enormous; I would guess it was large enough to cover half of the soccer field. I know it was large enough to cover nearly 11,000 people.

They brought the flag out when the Boca team stepped out on the field.

Godoy Section | Futból!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:25:18 +0000

The Godoy section was on the opposite side of the stadium. We had a pretty nice view of the section, so every time that Godoy scored, it was like sitting in a theater with a perfect view.

Boca Section | Futból!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:25:15 +0000

Here is a shot of the Boca popular section. We were seated pretty close to this area, and we were also rooting for Boca (although I secretly wanted the Godoy team to win).

Riot Police | Futból!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:25:13 +0000

The riot police were scattered all over the place, although they were strategically placed to ensure separation between the two popular sections.

Prison | Futból!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:25:11 +0000

This is a good shot of the barbed-wire that surrounded the popular sections. It really did look like a prison.

Stadium Blueprint | Futból!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:08:14 +0000

In this photo you can see the bird’s eye view of the stadium. A few things to note:

The red lines are riot police
The two colored sections on the end are the popular sections, or what we refer to as General Admission. They are the cheapest seats, and they get pretty roudy.
The popular sections are pretty packed; each popular section had around eleven thousand (11,000) cheering fans.
The yellow and black hazard area is where the hooligans stream into once the game is starting.
Our group was located at the orange cross.

Boca vs Godoy | Futból!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:08:12 +0000

Boca, whose team nearly always boasts the best Argentine players, plays against Godoy Cruz, the futból team of Mendoza. Going into this game, Boca was ranked #4 in Argentina and Godoy was ranked #17. There are 18 teams in Argentina, so needless to say, Godoy was the big underdog.

The Gals | Futból!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:08:10 +0000

Our viewing party consisted of 7 girls and 3 guys. Luckly the girls had over 30 thousand guys to keep them company.

The Mendoza Stadium | Futból!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:08:07 +0000

Welcome to the Mendoza Futból stadium! I put on my angry face in preparation for the crazy battle between Godoy Cruz and Boca Juniors.

The Pair of Kiters | La Serena

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:28:20 +0000

I don’t know if “Kiters” is a word… but I’m using it. So ha!

Nicole's First Kite | La Serena

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:28:17 +0000

I found out after walking down the beach for a while that Nicole has never flown a kite! Shame on you Mr and Mrs Allegar… (joking)

Here is Nicole with her first kite flying experience

I Heart La Serena | La Serena

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:28:11 +0000

We stumbled upon this while walking down the beach. I couldn’t help but to be reminded of the Spain trip I took with a number of track friends in March of 2008. Good Times.

Arrival at the Beach | La Serena

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:28:09 +0000

Upon arrival to the Beach, the weary traveler is greeted by a large lighthouse and the mountains towering over the ocean in the distant sky. Unfortunately, the lighthouse didn’t make it into this picture.

The Day of the Beach | La Serena

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:28:07 +0000

Our second full day in La Serena was spent exploring the miles and miles of coastline near the city. This photo is of the path that leads weary travelers from the city of La Serena to the beaches. Fun.

The Observatory of Mamalluca | La Serena

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:28:04 +0000

This is a photo outside the dome of the telescope. The telescope housed in this building had a 12 inch, 200x mirror. In the foreground of the picture (to the right) you can see the outline of a telescope frame, whose mirror is 10 inches, 100×.

Night-time Sky | La Serena

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:27:58 +0000

After spending some time in Vicuña, we visited an observatory 9km up a mountain. The sunset was quite beautiful, and after the sun disappeared, the stars were even more incredible.

The Face of Vicuña | La Serena

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:47:09 +0000

Our second afternoon in the La Serena area was spent in the small pueblo of Vicuña. It have a very indigenous feel to it.. and included this pretty face.

Pretty Old-Fashion Building | La Serena

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:47:06 +0000

Nicole loved this building. I thought it was alright… :)

Pretty Gal | La Serena

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:47:04 +0000

Through all of our traveling (nearly 20 hours to arrive in La Serena), Nicole still managed to stay beautiful. Well done!

Our First View of La Serena | La Serena

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:47:00 +0000

I found La Serena incredibly beautiful. The town had a much different style of architecture than every other city I’ve visited in Chile. Not to say that I don’t appreciate Chilean architecture, I’m just saying it was nice to have a bit of change.

My Broken Computer | Our Life in Mendoza

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:48:31 +0000

Unfortunately, a couple days ago, my computer decided to commit suicide. The hard-drive went “pheww”, taking with it about two weeks of hard work.

Package from Da Family | Our Life in Mendoza

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:48:26 +0000

After hearing how bland the food is here in South America, my family did the greatest thing possible: sent me a carton full of delicious food! Taco and Fajita seasoning, hot-sauce concentrate, and more! Yummy

Night out of Tango | Our Life in Mendoza

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:41:35 +0000

The full crew went out for a night of Tango, and boy was it fun! Everyone was able to do a bit of Tango dancing, although it was more difficult than usual due to the over-crowded dance floor.

A first sip of Mate | Our Life in Mendoza

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:41:26 +0000

Jackie, a new friend of ours thanks to our buddy Wes, is sipping on her first cup of Mate. Wes, whom we met in Chile last year, came to visit all the Mendoza folk for a few days. He, much like Nicole and I, decided to come back to South America after the wonderful introduction we had last summer. He’ll be working in Valparaiso, doing who knows what.

Chile Just Over the Mountains | Hike Through the Andes

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:00:27 +0000

We decided all we had to do was cross over the mountains ahead and we would be in Chile…and then if we went over a couple more mountains we would hit Bolivia…it’s amazing how much ground you can cover in five hours.

My Beautiful Boy Scout Wondering Through the Desert | Hike Through the Andes

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:00:22 +0000

After finding our way down the mountain, Spencer realized a little bit of sun block would have been a good idea, so to save his neck he had to show a little skin.

The Peak | Hike Through the Andes

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:00:18 +0000

After about three and half hours of hiking, scratches coving our legs, cactus thorns stuck in our shoes, we reached the peak of one of the mountains, and enjoyed the beautiful scenery with the feeling of accomplishment.

Lunch Break on the Side of the Moutain | Hike Through the Andes

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:00:13 +0000

We found a small spot on the side of the mountain that had a little shade so we took a 15 min break and enjoyed our sandwiches while guzzling down some water.

The Half Pipe | Hike Through the Andes

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:00:08 +0000

Who would have thought that even out in the middle of nowhere we would run across a half pipe. This is Spencer and Fransua ripping it up, too bad they didn’t bring their boards.

Our Boy Scoutes | Hike Through the Andes

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:44:33 +0000

The boys always made sure to check out the trails before we embarked down the mountain…however they were not very good at avoiding the cactus that covered the ground.

Staring at The Moutains Peak | Hike Through the Andes

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:02:31 +0000

This is where the five of us set out on our five hour hike through the Andes Mountains.

The second mountain in the picture underneath the mountain with the towers on top of it, was the farthest we hiked.

Infinity Termas | Termas de Cacheuta

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:36:04 +0000

This picture doesn’t capture the beauty of the termas at all. The termas abruptly ended at the edge of a large cliff (30 or so feet), and it really looked like an infinity pool.

I'm the King of the Valley! | Termas de Cacheuta

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:35:57 +0000

The title says it all…

Pretty Mountains and Nicole | Termas de Cacheuta

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:27:24 +0000

Nicole in front of the pretty mountains. The city we were in (Cacheuta) was very beautiful, but the Argintine girls that we went with insisted that 30 km up the road was much more beautiful. Well… too bad they don’t have a hot tub 30k up.

Nicole and Co. Hiking Across The Rocks | Termas de Cacheuta

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:27:16 +0000

Nicole and company are taking a stroll along the pretty river. How pretty.

My Cold Exit from the Water | Termas de Cacheuta

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:27:13 +0000

The water was quite cold, I must admit… and there were no towels about, nor a change of clothes. But it was totally worth it.

My Quick Dive | Termas de Cacheuta

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:14:01 +0000

Don’t worry… I jumped in feet first!

As we were hiking along, we came across a deep section of the river (which was generally quite shallow… a couple feet deep at most. This area was 10 feet deep) right next to a 15 footish cliff. You know what that means!

Hike Across the Boulders | Termas de Cacheuta

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:13:58 +0000

After hiking down to the river, Nicole, Adrian, Isuar and I went on a quick hike along the river. Well… it turned into quite a long hike, but it was a ton of fun anyways!

Hike to the Bottom of the World | Termas de Cacheuta

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:00:16 +0000

Near the hot springs was a large valley with a river running through the center; Nicole, our friends, and I all decided to go on a quick hike.

The Full Cacheuta Crew | Termas de Cacheuta

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:18:29 +0000

This is the full group that went up to the Termas, and we’re all posing beautify on a large rock, situated near a freezing river (remember, it is the middle of winter).

Olympic Gymnastic Impression | Termas de Cacheuta

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:21:09 +0000

We were doing our best impression of the olympic gymnists. I don’t know if you watched them at all… but it’s pretty impressive.

Nicole's Photo Shoot | Termas de Cacheuta

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:53:20 +0000

Nicole and Alice decided to stay behind and take some portrait shots.

The Road Less Taken... No Thanks | Termas de Cacheuta

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:46:04 +0000

This was the main pedestrian bridge until a wind storm destroyed it. I’ll pass.

Dinner from a Dog's Perspective | Termas de Cacheuta

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:40:41 +0000

There were four little dogs (stray dogs) sitting next to a family’s table, watching every move they made. You are seeing it from the position of the 5th dog.

Picture of the crew | Termas de Cacheuta

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:30:08 +0000

This is a picture of the full crew; I was feeling a bit sleepy so I decided to close my eyes, but everyone else is nice and lively.

Walking to the Termas | Termas de Cacheuta

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:57:27 +0000

Spencer, Isuar, and our two new Argentine friends are walking to the spa. You can see the excitement on all of their faces

Plaza Independencia Trees | Our Life in Mendoza

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:25:42 +0000

I know Spence already put some photos from the Plaza, but I felt like there were a couple more that deserved some attention.

This picture was taken after a morning of pouring rain while I was walking to Spencer’s chess game.

A Position From My First Tourny | Our Life in Mendoza

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:27:12 +0000

This is a position 9 moves into my game. In this position, there are a number of good moves for white, but one move that is tons better (white to move). Can you spot the one more? If you think you’ve gotten it, leave it as a comment.

Tickin' Time | Our Life in Mendoza

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:50:30 +0000

Nicole got all artsy while I was playing chess, and took this picture. The chess room was huge; there were over 50 players (and 25 chess boards) filling the room.

My Thought Filled Game | Our Life in Mendoza

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:47:27 +0000

I am thinking hard about this move.

My First Chess Tourny | Our Life in Mendoza

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:43:04 +0000

Just for the record, the room was full of adults too… Nicole just decided to take pictures where all the kids were.

Plaza Independencia - More Fountains | Our Life in Mendoza

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:41:21 +0000

More Fountains. Still Pretty.

Plaza Independencia | Our Life in Mendoza

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:40:15 +0000

Here is Plaza Independencia, full of fountains. How pretty.

Scrabble in Spanish! | Our Life in Mendoza

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:35:59 +0000

This was my first game of scrabble in Spanish… it was quite exciting and quite difficult. Just to fess up, there are two misspelled words on the board: seguas (missing an i), and rana (no nya).

My First Goal | Our Life in Mendoza

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:33:28 +0000

Needless to say, I was quite happy when I scored my first goal. I pulled the whole shirt over the head thing… very fun.

Gringo Team Member #4: Frank | Our Life in Mendoza

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:28:03 +0000

Just for the record, I have butchered all of our French friends’ names. They are all very elegant French names, but since they are difficult to pronounce, and I have no idea how to spell them, I use the American equivalent. Shame on me.

Gringo Team Member #3: Adrian | Our Life in Mendoza

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:55:01 +0000

He’s so big and bad that a camera can’t even capture his full form!

Gringo Team Member #2: Spencer! | Our Life in Mendoza

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:52:56 +0000

It’s a bird… no, it’s a plane… it’s Spencer!

Gringo Teammember #1: Isuar | Our Life in Mendoza

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:51:08 +0000

He’s mean, he’s green… he’s Isuar! (Pronounced Is-ua)

Futbol in the Park | Our Life in Mendoza

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:47:38 +0000

This last Sunday, four gringos (including myself) faced off against three Argentinians. It was an emotional battle, but in the end… the gringos came out on top. But with out the one player handicap… who knows what could’ve happened.

Breakfast with the Crew | Our Life in Mendoza

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:35:08 +0000

Here is the entire crew (minus myself).

From left to right: Nicole, Luciano’s gf, Luciano, Roger, Alice, Mumu, Isuar. And I took the picture. Apologies to Luciano’s gf… learning your name is now high on my priority list.

Pancakes Galore | Our Life in Mendoza

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:31:25 +0000

Yummy, yummy. I found these pancakes on a new favorite blog of mine, “Homesick Texan”:http://homesick-texan.blogspot.com. Please, avoid comic commentary

Mickey Mouse Pancakes | Our Life in Mendoza

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:28:25 +0000

Part of the “typical american breakfast” I made for my roommates, Mickey Mouse had a good showing in Argentina.

Tortillas + Limon + Sugar = Yummy Desert Tortillas | Our Life in Mendoza

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:43:55 +0000

The title says it all. But use caution… the lemon sugar mix is incredibly sticky, and if readily available, wearing rubber gloves is recommended when eating desert tortillas.

Our Bakery | Our Life in Mendoza

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:22:49 +0000

Spencer and I¹ made homemade tortillas as a practice run for our big Tex Mex meal we are making everyone on Sunday.

Behind the tortillas is some pound cake I made².

¹ Spencer did most of the work, I just help to the rolling, the fun part

² It actually turned out pretty tasty

Side View | Getting Settled

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:15:45 +0000

This is the view that people will see when they pass by our room.

Our New Desk in Action | Getting Settled

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:13:24 +0000

After an exhausting four blocks of carrying the desk we managed to fit it into our room.

It is the perfect size for both of us to sit and we it looks out at the lushes garden.

An extra little tid-bit about the desk: last night Spencer was too excited to sleep because of everything we had planned to do today (picking up the desk was one of these things), so he woke up at 6 in the morning to prepare for the day…that is how great our desk is!

Mid Afternoon Chat | Our Life in Mendoza

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:57:22 +0000

Everybody hanging out in our living room in the afternoon.

I don’t know if we have introduced China, our dog (really the owner’s dog) yet, but she is quite the dog and worth mentioning in our blog.

Meet our Roommates | Our Life in Mendoza

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:54:04 +0000

Our roomies from France.
Alice, Isuar, Spence, and myself.

A Little Discovered Treasure On Villanueva | Getting Settled

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:51:24 +0000

This is the outside of the Remate (auction). This was both Spencer and I’s first experience at an auction, let alone an auction in Spanish!

Our Second Attempt | Getting Settled

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:46:32 +0000

This was another piece that we liked, however we were not as lucky with this as we were with the desk. Our max was 30 pesos (10 USD) and it sold for 75 pesos (23 USD)…o well you can’t win them all!

We have decided that instead of trying to find wall decorations we are going to use some paint, canvas, and a little talent to brighten up the room.

Our Desk | Getting Settled

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:41:24 +0000

Look what we found! This table is long enough that both Spencer and I can work at it with plenty of room, it is solid wood, and even has a drawer. What would you pay for it…Our max was 150 pesos (45 USD) and we got it for 130 pesos (39 USD), not to shabby, huh? It would be an understatement to say that we were very happy with ourselves after we “won” the auction.

On the Hunt for a Desk | Getting Settled

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:37:20 +0000

This is a remate (auction), four blocks from our house, where we went to looking for furniture for our room.

Surprisingly, Spencer and I could understand everything the Auctioneer was saying, however I don’t think they speak at the ridiculous rate they do in the States.

Goat-looking-things | Road Trip to Malargue

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:01:00 +0000

Nicole had the bus driver stop, roll down his window, and take this picture of the flock / heard / pack / grouping of goat-looking-things. I thought it was pretty funny. It was even funnier when the bus driver stopped in the middle of the highway, just so he could take of his jacket.

T-Bars Are Awesome | Road Trip to Malargue

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:58:21 +0000

Heck yeah, taking the lift up the mountain! Notice how you can’t see any of the snow-contours in the photo due to low-light? It was like that in real life too. Bummer.

Spencer's Texas Pride | Road Trip to Malargue

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:55:45 +0000

Yeeeeeha! I felt like such the Texan in my jeans. Good thing I wasn’t born there, nor did I go to elementary school and university there. That’d be all too ironic… it’d almost be like after all of my super hip days in Colorado talking about how Texans are invading the mountains, I turned into one myself!

Self Sufficient | Road Trip to Malargue

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:53:11 +0000

Las Lenas was actually quite self sufficient. They had quite a bit of lodging (four four-star hotels), gas station, internet cafe, supermarket, and more!

Welcome to Las Lenas | Road Trip to Malargue

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:50:41 +0000

Remember all of those blue skies in our previous photos. Yeah… you won’t be seeing those for a while. Welcome to Las Lenas, the gringo summer getaway.

Bus to Las Lenas | Road Trip to Malargue

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:49:02 +0000

This is the view from the bus (before we picked up 4 other people, filling the bus to the brim). It was quite a fun experience, riding in the busses. On the way home, the bus driver was incredibly nice to Nicole and I, and shared his mate in the true Argentine fashion.

Bikes Bikes Bikes | Road Trip to Malargue

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:45:26 +0000

This picture doesn’t quite do justice to the quantity of bikes in Malargue. The city was filled with them; without a doubt, more bikes than cars. I love those types of cities, where the cars drive 2 ~~mph~~ km/hr just because of all the bikers. It is how I imaging Holland being. Oh, and I really would like to visit Holland soon, and see the places I lived when I was young. That way when people ask me about my 4 years of living there, I’ll have something to say other than “Oh… I really don’t remember much of it”.

Pretty Trees | Road Trip to Malargue

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:41:21 +0000

I need to learn more about trees. All I can tell you about these trees is that they have leaves, and they’re pretty. Anyone know what kind of tree it is?

Going Away Party | Our Life in Mendoza

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:58:26 +0000

This is Lars, he is the person the “Going Away Party” was for. The girl in the picture lives in the other house next to us.

Enjoying Our Jardin | Our Life in Mendoza

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:59:27 +0000

The tree above the picture is an olive tree, the plant behind Luciano grows tomatoes, the tree around the side of the house grows lemons, there is a fig tree somewhere in the yard, and a tree that grows a very small fruit with a similar taste of an orange.

Luciano and His Music | Our Life in Mendoza

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:53:08 +0000

Luciano broke out his guitar and played a couple tunes while everyone was standing around talking.

In fact we are listening to Luciano’s CD as I write this post…

AfterTthe Feast | Our Life in Mendoza

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:48:43 +0000

After the feast we stood around and got to know each other a little better…too bad everyone is leaving. However, we did meet one guy that told us about some great skiing in Malargue and we have plans to meet up with him there this Thurs before school starts.

The Sign | Our Life in Mendoza

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:40:54 +0000

“In this house we speak only Spanish”

The grammar is a little off, but I think we got the point across!

In This House We Speak Only Spanish | Our Life in Mendoza

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:38:07 +0000

In our house there is a rule that Spanish is the only language that is allowed to be spoken.

So everyone combined the languages they knew (Spencer and I knowing Spanish and English) and wrote a big sign stating the rule for the upcoming travelers.

Luciano | Our Life in Mendoza

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:32:14 +0000

This is our land lord. He is a great guy, he cooked all the food and always makes everyone feel really welcomed.

Asado | Our Life in Mendoza

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:26:17 +0000

We had an asado (BBQ) for a friend that was leaving for the states. It was a really tasty lunch with tons of meat and wine.

Most of the people we have met so far are leaving for the states because the first semester is over at the Universities here.

All the students have told us how social and welcoming the people are that we live with. The asado was a great way to connect with everyone here. Spencer and I are very happy with our house :).

Our Failed Feria Attempt | Our Life in Mendoza

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:39:27 +0000

We were told that Parque Central had a giant feria on Sunday. We planned to look around the feria all day long, however when we arrived, all we found was a small park!

The Outside of Our House | Getting Settled

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:25:36 +0000

The front of our house.

Our Pretty Gate | Getting Settled

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:24:12 +0000

The second and pretty gate leading to our house.

The Walk Up To Our House | Getting Settled

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:21:05 +0000

Our own secret garden…

The View From Outside Our House | Getting Settled

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:12:43 +0000

Our pretty patio…

The flower clock | Chile!

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:12:00 +0000

This is the point that separates Vina (our home) and Vaplo (our school). I took this while waiting for Spencer by the beach.

Our comfy living room | Getting Settled

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:09:28 +0000

As the title explains this is our living room, it has a big estufa (heater), so it is a great room to hang out in when life is getting a little cold.

The pink bathroom | Getting Settled

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:07:15 +0000

Spencer is really excited about this look!

Another fun story about the bathroom, is the way the hot water in the shower works. If you want hot water you can only have the hot water nob turned on, if you turn the cold nob on the water heater shuts off, and the shower water goes cold. Normally, in South America it is pretty difficult to find a hot shower. In our case, the shower is so hot, that it scolds us…bit of a catch 22 situation.

Smoked Dino | Getting Settled

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:06:12 +0000

It turns out Mendoza had the last surviving Dinosaur on the planet… it’s to bad they wanted to compare Dino meat with their world famous beef.

Ride Back to Mendoza | Chile!

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:08:42 +0000

The entire drive to and from Santiago and Mendoza is absolutely breathe taking.

It is over a mountain pass of the Andes.

The scenery itself is worth the eight hour bus trip.

Spencer Starts to Learn Guitar | Chile!

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:04:54 +0000

While the girls started up the conversation about relationships and the importance of being independent as a women, Spencer decided he would start to learn guitar.

He didn’t do too bad either, after our conversation, he played us the beginning of Fur Elise, by Beethoven.

Night With Some Friends | Chile!

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:58:27 +0000

Laura had two girlfriends from Valparaiso down for the weekend as well. We sat around the table all night drinking wine and talking about music, books, boyfriends (Spencer didn’t participate in this conversation), and life. It was a great night.

The other great thing about the night was the two women from Valparaiso did not speak English very well, so we all had to talk in Spanish whether we wanted to or not…and we wanted to!

Trip to Visit Laura | Chile!

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:51:25 +0000

Our professor and friend from last summer invited us to come stay at her apartment in Santiago for the weekend.

Laura, JP, Spencer, and I all sat down to enjoy once and catch up on each others lives over the past year.

Spencer's Chilean Family | Chile!

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:42:59 +0000

The delayed picture of the family Spencer stayed with last year. This is the first and only picture Spencer has with his family.

However this photo is lacking a lot of important people that also lived in the house. Spencer house was always busy with other students and family members.

My old room | Chile!

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:33:06 +0000

This room brought back so many good memories of last year in Chile. I couldn’t believe I was back in Vina, sleeping in my old bed again.

Our Cozy Room | Getting Settled

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:16:54 +0000

Hopefully by the end of the 5 months we will have gave the room a touch of our own personalities!

Our Kitchen | Getting Settled

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:13:50 +0000

Spencer really classes up the cocina (kitchen) with his quico (Chilean slang for posh) stance.

Our set of Keys | Getting Settled

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:00:17 +0000

These are our keys, taking us through a maze of many doors to our room.

The Outrageous Obelisk | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:33:57 +0000

We we all a little disappointed in this Obelisk, we think they were really pushing this one. Sometimes a rock is just a rock. Outrageous.

Our little Oso | Chile!

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:28:58 +0000

We call him a little oso (bear) because he is just a little ball of fur. I know a lot of people don’t like little dogs, but how can you deny this face…

The biggest lemon in the world! | Chile!

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:25:41 +0000

This lemon is the size of a grapefruit…but don’t let it fool you, it has the amount of lemon as a lemon, what a rip-off!

Working on our Salsa Moves | Chile!

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:23:07 +0000

Spencer and I learned a couple of moves from the Chileans, here we come Salsateca (a salsa dance club)!

Our return to Chile | Chile!

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:18:36 +0000

Perina (my Chilean sister) had some friends over to the house because it was their last day of classes. We had some good laughs and did some Salsa dancing. It was really good to see them again

Current Map of Our Trip | Chile!

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:27:20 +0000

This is where all we’ve been, as of today. It should get updated at time moves on.

Good Ole' Argentine Signs | Mendoza

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:25:24 +0000

Sometimes the bike route got a little confusing.

We thought the idea was to follow the signs for the wine vineyards…obviously we were mistaken.

Chocolate and Liquor Factory | Mendoza

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:16:19 +0000

Historias y sabores (Stories and flavors) was one of our first stops.

After a short tour we sat down and enjoined some liquor and Chocolate.

Our Wine and Bike Tour | Mendoza

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:09:23 +0000

We rented bikes and rode to a number of vineyards in Mendoza.

Cafe on the lake | Mendoza

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:52:16 +0000

This is the cafe Spencer and I went to last summer, we have been back a couple times this year.

It is a great place to read Harry Potter and watch the rowing club on the lake.

Spencer is the guy in the “lighter shade of red”.

Little Dogie in the Window | Mendoza

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:20:25 +0000

“How much is that dogie in the window?…”

Every time that we’ve passed this shop, this dog has been staring into the window of the same shop. We think that his/her owner works inside. Or perhaps the dog just really likes skateboards.

Interesting Lunch Menu | Mendoza

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:14:15 +0000

Their translation: “kid to the Provenzal with dads Spanish”

Correct translation: “Provenzial baby goat with Spanish potatoes”

I love mistranslations. Especially when they involve serving kids for meals… accompanied by your fathers language skills!

Cafe on the lake | Mendoza

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:32:30 +0000

This is one of our favorite places in Mendoza, it is in the center of a beautiful park that we like to run at.

Our long trip from Salta to Mendoza | Mendoza

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:21:11 +0000

Spencer is getting his beauty sleep on the bus, doesn’t he look comfy! We were on the bus for about 13 hours…fun stuff!

On the road again | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:20:32 +0000

I am being very Argentinian drinking mate on our way back to the city of Salta.

Kids playing | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:18:16 +0000

These were some kids playing on the stairs with some string.

Family in Humahuaca | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:14:47 +0000

A family selling jewelry on the stairs up to the statue.

Humahuaca | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:12:24 +0000

A view of the town from the top of the stairs.

Statue in Humahuaca | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:10:44 +0000

The center of the city is a beautiful statue.

Humahuaca | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:08:16 +0000

A little street in the little town of Humahuaca.

Statue | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:06:26 +0000

A Statue in Humahuaca.

Sheep crossing | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:03:59 +0000

On the way out of Humahuaca we had to stop for a sheep herder and his flock.

A dead cactus | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:01:34 +0000

This is what the inside of a cactus looks like.

If you would like a little extra info on the cactus read on: If you are ever stranded in a dessert (I know this isn’t the most likely situation) and you are looking for a way to get water out of a cactus you should first, cut the top of the cactus off (this isn’t very easy to do , especially with all the knives you are probably carrying on you). Then you should mush the cactus up into a pulpy mixture (you can do this my smashing or by chewing the cactus). Once you have everything mushed, you should drain the liquid from the pulp (do not eat the pulp) and enjoy the little bit of water you can suck up.

So that is one difficult way to get water in the dessert, I doubt that situation will ever come up, but now you know what to do.

Inca's Land | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:48:43 +0000

This is a far away view of the church with the seven colored mountains in the background.

Incas land | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:48:26 +0000

This is a far away view of the church with the seven colored mountains in the background.

The church | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:46:11 +0000

This is the church. We were very proud explores!

A view through the eyes of the past | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:44:06 +0000

This was a doorway leading up to the church.

Spencer amoung the Cacti | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:41:13 +0000

At the top of the mountain there was a church/sanctuary that the Incas built. Spencer courageously led us past the giant cactus and to the top of the mountain.

A building amoung the ruins | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:36:59 +0000

This is one of the many little houses on the mountain, that the Incas lived in about 600 years ago.

Another Lama | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:32:41 +0000

Alright, this is the last picture of a lama…for a while. I couldn’t pick which on to put on the website, so I put both of them on.

A Lama | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:29:46 +0000

We are hoping one day a lama will spit on us…I mean, how many people can say they have been spit on my a lama?

Lamas | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:25:52 +0000

In Humahuaca we visited the ruins of the Indigenous people that lived there in the 1500s.

Along the walk up the mountain there were LAMAS in a cage! I get very excited when I see a Lama and there were two of them, you can imagine my excitement!

Humahuaca | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:21:21 +0000

On the walk up to the Ruins in Humahuaca something caught my eye…?

Miramara graveyard | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:16:31 +0000

This is where they bury their dead, a little depressing, but still interesting to see.

Miramara | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:13:57 +0000

We drove through a little town called Miramara to see a great view of the mountain of seven colors.

The river in the road | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:06:17 +0000

An obstacle we ran into on the way. Believe it or not, but we survived the river/puddle of water…it was pretty close though.

A little bridge | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:00:55 +0000

Una puenta (a bridge), we crossed over this to head back to the city of Salta and back to civilization.

The drive down | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:56:19 +0000

This is the road we were heading down, quite the ride, huh?!

View from above | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:51:36 +0000

We made a pit stop to take a picture of the view. It was amazing!

Our new friend | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:48:58 +0000

Spencer and I befriended a Cactus. It wasn’t a bad idea since they were surrounding us.

The Giant Cacutus | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:47:14 +0000

Yes, this your eyes are not tricking you, I am standing next to a 20 foot cactus. They were like trees, they were everywhere and gigantic.

A whole new world | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:46:00 +0000

We entered Parque Nacional de Cardones, we weren’t on our own turf anymore. We were entering a world where cactus ruled the land.

Cachi | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:40:37 +0000

After a good night rest in a Cachi hostel, we explored the town square. There wasn’t a whole lot to see, but we enjoyed ourselves none the less.

Bronze Warrior | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:39:17 +0000

He was guarding Cachi. The surrounding mountains did a good job too.

Night drive to Cachi | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:38:00 +0000

The crew packed up late evening in Cafayate and traveled to Cachi. This is a view along the way.

Enjoying a glass of wine | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:29:58 +0000

Spencer and Sean sitting, looking out at the vineyard, drinking their wine, and talking about futbol…of course what else do boys talk about.

Wine Tasting | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:27:24 +0000

This is the blush wine that we bought a bottle of, it had quite a nice body!

The Wine Tour | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:23:06 +0000

We went on about a 15 minute tour to get the inside scoop of how they make their wines in Cafayate. It turns out that the north (Cafayate) is known for its white wines, while the south (Mendoza) is known for their red wines. This is because the Uvas (grapes) get more sunlight in the North than they do in the south. The best white wine is produced in places where there is lots of sunlight, while red wine tastes better where there is less sunlight.

Vasija Secreta | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:21:32 +0000

Nicole, modeling for the winery. Very nice of her.

Secret Glass Winery | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:17:26 +0000

After a quaint lunch in Cafayate, the three amigos toured the one open winery in Cafayate (it is very low tourist season, so many places are closed, from hostels to wineries).

Cafayate Plaza | From Cafayate to Humahuaca

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:12:46 +0000

The palm tree filled plaza of Cafayate. Palm trees are not exactly native to northern Argentina, but I must say that they fit quite well in this quaint, wine producing city.

Small, Squished Spaces | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:34:38 +0000

It got a little tight in the car at times!

Our Wonderful World | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:21:40 +0000

Wow, is all I can say.

Crazy Car ride | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:17:10 +0000

I must have thought I could get a better look at the mountains from this view point.

Reaching Sky-risers | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:14:35 +0000

These are the castles in the shade.

Royal Rocks | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:10:39 +0000

Along the dive we were supposed to find castles, which I think all of the mountains resemble castles, but out of everything we saw, these re minded me the most of the royal city.

Our Jagged Journey | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:08:08 +0000

The picture doesn’t do the view justice, it was a beautiful drive.

Laughing with Lamas | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:04:31 +0000

Along the way we saw a little girl playing with a couple of Lamas.

Hidden Houses | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:39:11 +0000

If you look closely at the mountain you will see little houses built into the mountain.

We found it amazing that people lived in these small houses, out in the middle of no where. It is a completely different life style than anything we have ever experienced.

Picture Perfect | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:33:50 +0000

This is what it looked like through out the whole drive to Cafayate. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.

Marvelous Map | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:33:29 +0000

This is the route we took on our trip. Pretty sweet.

The Sinking Titanic | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:23:25 +0000

Alright you guys make the decision….

Dualing Dino | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:53:06 +0000

See… it is a dino! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out the acutal photo

The Teetering Titanic | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:26:20 +0000

This was another one of the formations we were supposed to look for along the drive.

Spencer thought it looked like a Dinosaur’s head resting on the ground.

The view via the ventanas | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:14:25 +0000

This is Las Ventanas (The Windows), which is really only one window, but it is still pretty.

El Sitting Sapo | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:10:00 +0000

If you know what El Sapo is in Spanish you will know this rock formation is supposed to look like a toad.

A Petrified Puzzel | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:09:24 +0000

Along the trip we were told that we would see many different images formed by the mountains and rocks for water and wind erosion. What do you think this animal is supposed to be…? If you guessed an iguana, you were right.

Dessert desires for a dummy....you can fix that one Spencer | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:51:25 +0000

Along the entrance of the Amphitheater people were selling jewelry and playing music.

Astounding Amphitheater | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:41:02 +0000

Our next stop was “El Anfiteatro”: (The Amphitheater). Another one of natures amazing creations.

Steep struggle to the summit | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:28:48 +0000

Spencer climbed to the top of the rocks, while Sean and I nervously watch him reach the top. As you can see it was a pretty steep climb.

A savory swallow of a sweetheart | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:24:34 +0000

Me sitting in the throat.

Heart of the Hell-raiser | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:16:21 +0000

Inside the throat of the devil.

Amigos apt for adventure | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:10:49 +0000

Sean, Spencer, and I standing at the mouth of the Gragante de Diablo.

Persue the Parlous Passage | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:53:01 +0000

Sean and I daring to enter the Gargante de Diablo.

Grand Garganta | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:44:43 +0000

Graganta de Diablo (Throat of the Devil). It was created by water erosion over the years.

Plans of Paradise | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:37:13 +0000

Sean, Spencer, and I rented a car to travel around the province of Salta. We headed south of the city to Cafayate and Cachi, then went north to Puramamarca, Humahuaca, Tilcara, and “Milmara”.

Mean Mate Machines! | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:22:58 +0000

My god who are those Argentinians…Oh, it is just Spencer and Nicole drinking Mate while driving like they own the road.

Start to the South of Salta. | Our Rocken Roadtrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:20:26 +0000

Spencer, Sean, and I start our road trip by heading to Cafayate, which is in the southern province of Salta.

It was about an 130 kilometer drive to Cafayate, but every second of it was breath taking.

The herd of dogs. | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:10:24 +0000

Spencer taking a break with one of our perros (dogs).

For most of the hike we had a herd of dogs following us. We tried to loose them, but they were very tricky. We would let them run ahead and then hide, we would walk separate ways to confuse them, we even tried to out run them, but no matter what we did, they found us. Finally, the herd got carried away running around a corner, and Spencer and I saw an opportunity. We sprinted up another path, and after running a while, we lost them. Although we lost the pack, one of the dogs was able to find us; he is standing in the background.

Path through the woods | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:05:53 +0000

The beaten path up the mountain in San Lorenzo.

A creek along the hike | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:03:49 +0000

A pretty creek along the hike.

Hike up the mountain in San Lorenzo | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:58:05 +0000

What a good hiker, he is prepared for anything.

Stairs leading to our hike in San Lorenzo | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:59:09 +0000

Inside the province of Salta, but outside the main city is a small town called Lorenzo.

Spencer and I took a 45 min bus ride out to the town to go on a hike.

I am standing at the top of the stairs ready to conquer the mountain, if you look closely there is a dog standing behind me. He is just the start to our interesting hike up the mountain…

Market in Plaza San Martin | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:54:47 +0000

In Plaza San Martin, there is a market everyday, that sells everything from music and souvenirs to food and cotton candy. I bought Spencer his Matte cup and a cool Argentinian backpack in this Plaza.

Plaza San Martin | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:51:06 +0000

This is in Plaza San Martin, in Salta. It is across the street from the teleferico (gondola).

Information about Pablo's Poem | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:44:14 +0000

“… of the drawing was made for a political detain devoted to 1980”
maybe we should find out what was going on at this time…?

Poem of Pablo Neruda | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:42:31 +0000

For the dead, our dead, we ask for justice.

For the blood that spilled….., we ask for justice.

For the executioner that ordered this death, we ask for justice.

For those that defended this crime, we ask for justice.

I don’t want them to give me the hand …covered… in our blood. We ask for justice.

I don’t want …. in your tranquil house, I want them to see here… in this plaza en this site.

-Pablo Neruda

Good Ole' Pabs | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:32:51 +0000

While riding down from the mountain we spotted the work of our Chilean friend, Pablo Neruda.

Spencer pensively looking out at the city of Salta | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:28:19 +0000

Behind Spencer is the city of Salta from the mountain top view.

Nicole gazing through the waterfall | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:25:40 +0000

At the top of the mountain there are about 4 different waterfalls, however, they are not natural. The water is pumped from the bottom of mountain and brought to the top, to create a beautiful site of nature …we hope their wastefulness is worth the pretty picture. What do you think…?

View of the city from the Teleferico | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:17:56 +0000

A view of the city, as we rode up the moutain. Inside the teleferico (gondola) there was a little girl with her family saying, “tengo miedo…mucho miedo”. She was really cute, plus Spencer and I could understand everything she said. We thought about taking her along with us on our journey through South America, but we decided against it.

Teleferico | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:11:12 +0000

There is a teleferico (gondola) that takes people to the top of one of the mountains in the city. At the top they have shops, a gymnasium, and a spectacular view of the city.

Alley in Salta | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:09:46 +0000

This is an alley in Salta, that I thought looked cool… some people think I was getting a little camera crazy…

Salta Cathedral | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:56:10 +0000

A beautiful cathedral in Plaza 9 de Julio. We spent a large portion of our time in this Plaza, there is an archeology museum, Cafes (with WIFI), and little shops surrounding the area.

Our view from the hostel. | Salta, Argentina

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:54:33 +0000

This is the view from our Hostel in Salta, a province in Northern Argentina. What more could a weary traveler ask for.

Che Guevara | Alta Gracia

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:30:07 +0000

The famous picture of Che during the Cuban revolution. In the bottom of the photo you can see him as a young boy.

Che's journey | Alta Gracia

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:24:11 +0000

When Che was younger, he and a friend went on a trip all through South America. They traveled for nine months and covered eight thousand miles.

This is the route they took.

Che's motorcycle | Alta Gracia

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:11:57 +0000

Che traveled around South America on this motorcycle with his friend, Alberto Granado.

"Mate Lubricates the Mind" - Che | Alta Gracia

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:04:57 +0000

A picture of Che drinking Matte with a Uruguayan journalist.

To the right of the photo is his actual cup.

La Casa de Che (Che's House) | Alta Gracia

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:37:02 +0000

This was Ernesto Guevara’s house as a young boy. Ernesto was given the nickname Che because of his frequent use of it, meaning pal in Argentina.

The house is now a museum dedicated to Che’s part in the Cuban revolution, and his childhood life.

Hike to Che Guevera's House | Alta Gracia

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:30:43 +0000

Our travel amigos…However they took their time hiking to Che’s house, Spencer and I were in a bit of a rush.

Center of the city | Alta Gracia

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:23:07 +0000

Spencer being a typical gringo, sporting the 3 liter water bottle. You can always spot them!

Pretty park | Alta Gracia

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:17:18 +0000

This is where we departed the bus from Cordoba. It was an hour long trip to Alta Gracia, a beautiful northern pueblo in the province of Cordoba.

My Work Area | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:51:52 +0000

Wake up in the morning, eat breakfast, prepare hot water and Mate, and go to my “office”. Welcome to my morning.

A Goodbye Meal with Jasper | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:49:34 +0000

During Jasper’s last few hours here in Cordoba, we went out and had food and wine.

Cheers to the Dutchman!

Three Gringos, an Argentine and a Dutchman | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:46:51 +0000

We had met Chandra on a train from Tigre to Buenos Aires, and she’s living in Cordoba, working for a company that does architectural work for companies in the States.

For Nicole’s birthday, her and her boyfriend met up with Jasper, Nicole and I for dinner and desert.

Another Waterfall | Cumbrecita de Argentina (23 Junio)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:37:22 +0000

This waterfall was at the end of a beautiful 15 minute hike out of Cumbrecita

Pensive Traveler | Cumbrecita de Argentina (23 Junio)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:25:46 +0000

This poem gives me chills, and is a great description of both the photo and how I’d like to live my life:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that, the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

two roads diverged in a wood, and I —

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost

The Travelers | Cumbrecita de Argentina (23 Junio)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:21:49 +0000

The guia struggles along after a long climb up to a waterfall.

Iguazu Falls | Cumbrecita de Argentina (23 Junio)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:18:03 +0000

Just joking… Iguazu is much smaller.

"Mate Lubricates the Mind" - Che | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:16:03 +0000

He sips his Mate as he plans his travels for South America…Who knows where will he be tomorrow or what he will discover next?

Nicole's New Mate cup | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:57:13 +0000

This is my first time drinking out of my Mate cup…the start to an addiction.

Goodbye te and cafe, Matte is in the house now!

Nicole's New Mate cup | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:53:14 +0000

There is nothing better than Matte and honey in the morning, isn’t that right Spencer.

Spencer is a BIG fan of honey and Mate, but who could blame him…

Pretty Rocks With Pretty People | Cumbrecita de Argentina (23 Junio)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:02:02 +0000

Nicole and I acting as pretty as possible; we’d hate to get beat by those pretty rocks.

Pond with a view | Cumbrecita de Argentina (23 Junio)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:56:02 +0000

Many small creaks run through Cumbrecita, creating beautiful lakes and waterfalls (which are apparently as large as iguazu during the summer… I have my doubts).

Oh, and for those that did not know (few do), a cumbre is the peak of a mountain, so cumbrecita is like a smaller mountain peak, or a peak of a foothill mountain.

White Picket Fence, but Argentinian Brown Style | Cumbrecita de Argentina (23 Junio)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:50:02 +0000

White is too flashy for South America (although the Argentine people are the flashiest of them all), so they choose to have a brown picket fence instead. Same dream… different implementation.

Captive Audience | Cumbrecita de Argentina (23 Junio)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:38:23 +0000

Nicole and Jasper pay close attention as our guia (guide) tells us very interesting things regarding a variety of subject. He also enjoys making fun of us all for sleeping through a good portion of the drive.

Pretty Road | Cumbrecita de Argentina (23 Junio)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:34:52 +0000

Very pretty, but beware of the drivers… they’re crazy!

El Lago de Muerto | Cumbrecita de Argentina (23 Junio)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:21:14 +0000

The title means “the lake of death,” but it’s just a joke. This was a beautiful lake we saw on our way to La Cumbrecita, a small village on the foothills of the Sierras. It was about a three hour drive from Cordoba to Cumbrecita, so it was nice to have a quick break to stretch the legs. The beautiful view was a plus as well.

Chillin With the Homies | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:14:32 +0000

There we a ton of nice people in our hostal here in Cordoba. To the left is Chris, a wine enthusiast. Next to him is Sarah, a recent graduate of Berkley. Behind Sarah, your’s truly (Spencer) and Kyle, Sarah’s boyfriend and also a recent Berkley grad, are chatting it up about webdesign; much to the annoyance of Sarah and Nicole, Kyle and I had to talk about all the best practices in webdesign, and share a few tips about starting a webdesign business (and of course, swap business cards).

Los Cocinadores | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:10:06 +0000

You’re probably thinking to yourself, “wow, they are such great cooks, making Empanadas from scratch!”

Well, before you get too excited, I should probably tell you that we bought the dough at the local supermarcado. We thought it was cheating, until we found out that all of the local restaurants around town do the same thing

Grubbin' Some Homemade Empanadas | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:48:34 +0000

yummy… and so easy to make!

Empanadas y Vino | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:46:42 +0000

Empanadas and Wine… a classic Argentine dinner. Here dinner is much later than we are accustomed to in the States; on a weekday, dinner is eaten around 10 or 11, and on a weekend, dinner time approaches 12.

Empanadas en el Horno | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:44:47 +0000

Empanadas in the oven… yummy. Half of the Empanadas had ham and tomato within, and the other half had corn, a surprisingly delicious treat.

Our hostal | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:48:13 +0000

Here is an interior view of our hostal in Cordoba. If you look closely, you can see my hand as I try to jump out of the way before the picture is taken.

More of the Terrace | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:40:01 +0000

This is the outdoor terrace… the hostal chill spot. It includes a pool table, a bar (and chairs), and a delicious overview of Cordoba. Yum.

Baluch Backpacker's Terrace | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:33:26 +0000

This is the terrace at Baluch Backpacker’s (our current hostal). It’s pretty sweet… but a bit cold during this time of the year.

Cordoba is pretty too!

The Best Picture Ever (from this particular angle) | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:31:32 +0000

The Cordoba skyline… We think it is gorgeous. No need for anything else.

Cordoba Background (and Spencer's Missing Head) | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:29:29 +0000

So, I love this picture, but Nicole think it looks like crap (she wants me to change ‘crap’ to ‘okay’, but she’s a dirty liar).

What do you all think?

Our Mess of a Room | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:26:09 +0000

Mom, dad… I really have cleaned up my act. This is just a bad angle on the room; it is super clean, it just doesn’t look like it. I promise.

Our Juice Assembly Line | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:22:46 +0000

We went to the supermercado (grocery store) to buy some yummy juice, but they only had the fake crap. So we decided to make our own jugo… we bought 10 huge oranges and 6 even bigger grapefruits, and squeezed the juices out of them!!!!

Chillin in the Hostal | Cordoba (21 de Junio a ...)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 13:39:18 +0000

Nicole and I are chillin in the hostal with a couple new friends we met an hour or two ago.

Jasper… he is from Holland and speaks Dutch, English, Spanish, German, French.

Virginia… Born in a small town in Uraguay, she moved to Brazil for a while and now attends school in Montevisto. She speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and is learning English.

Government Protests | Buenos Aires

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:53:19 +0000

Argentinians are currently split into two main political groups: farmers and city dwellers. The argentinian government has added a large, large tax on certain farming goods, and the farmers are showing their anger.

Cafe Torelli | Buenos Aires

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:48:52 +0000

Nicole and I chillin’ at Cafe Torelli, a historic cafe in Buenos Aires. After waiting outside of the door as a elegantly dressed bouncer expressed his authority, we sat down with some new friends and had some coffee.

El Tigre - Part 1 | Buenos Aires

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:40:03 +0000

Tigre is a town to the north of Buenos Aires, and we recently spent the afternoon there. We plan on returning shortly to visit the historic Isla Martin Garcia and enjoy the day on the delta.

Obelisk de Buenos Aires | Buenos Aires

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:51:51 +0000

Behind us is an Obelisk, which is a four sided pyramid made out of a single ancient piece of stone. Obelisks were originally put at the entrance of pyramids in Egypt. Modern Obelisk are made out of many pieces of stone because of how big they are. In Buenas Aires it is political symbol located in the center of the city. It was built to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the first founding of the city. If this has intrigued you and you want to learn more about the Obelisk check out:
Buenos Aires Obelisk

El feria de San Temlo (Market in San Telmo) | Buenos Aires

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:32:55 +0000

Every Sunday there is a feria (market) in a district of Buenos Aires, called San Temlo. The market is full of locals, street dancers, and shoppers. We watched a tango show on the street, which is just as good, if not better, as going to an actual tango show. It is such a beautiful dance, I am still urging Spencer to become my tango partner.

San Telmo Hostel, Buenos Aires | Buenos Aires

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:09:59 +0000

Our first hostel room in San Telmo, Buenos Aires. One of my memorable experiences here was meeting a girl from France in the kitchen. She came up to me, gazed into my eyes for a couple seconds, went in for a soft kiss on the cheek, slowly backed away and said “Lea?”. I stood there confused starring at her and then Spencer finally saved me and said “I’m Spencer and this is Nicole”… I still think there was something weird about the whole thing, but que sera sera (what will be, will be)!

Plaza de Mayo | Buenos Aires

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:57:55 +0000

Protesters do their thing in the late afternoon at Plaza de Mayo, the main Plaza of Buenos Aires. Government buildings surround this national symbol of Argentina.

La Boca Shopping Square | Buenos Aires

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:54:19 +0000

A shopping square in La Boca.

Statues and Spencer | Buenos Aires

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:46:44 +0000

Spencer stands in front of three Argintinian legends: Evita Peron, a tango dancer, and a soccer player.

Calles de La Boca (Streets of La Boca) | Buenos Aires

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:39:41 +0000

La Boca, one of the poorest barrios in Buenos Aires, also has some of the most beautiful streets in the city. The inviting streets bring visitors from around the city to marvel at tango dancers, eat at a family owned cafe, shop along the cobblestone street, or just enjoy life in the sunlight.

The Glowing Man | Buenos Aires

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:29:05 +0000

Our tango show included quite a few performers, including a few singers. This man appeared to be on fire, or perhaps Spencer just got carried away with the effect of using the night setting on his camera. Either way, the man is definitely burning. Nicole has a crush on the guy playing guitar in the background… (“cause he’s awesome!”).

Quick Moving Tango Dancers | Buenos Aires

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:02:58 +0000

The dancers dancers rushed across the floor in a passionate tango, while we sat back and enjoyed some vino (wine).

Tango Show | Buenos Aires

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:59:57 +0000

Nicole and I went to a Tango show in San Telmo, a barrio (neighborhood) known for it’s tango dancing. The show itself was full of incredible dancing and showmanship, and it has inspired us to try it ourselves. Hopefully we don’t get booed out of the tango clubs :).

Faculdad De Ingenerio (School of Engineering) | Buenos Aires

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:53:35 +0000

Here I am in front of the engineering school like a regular ole’ student. Although regular students don’t usually pose… or take pictures… shucks.

San Telmo Street | Buenos Aires

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:48:03 +0000

Spencer and Nicole chillaxin on a San Telmo street in Buenos Aires. The cobblestone path is a remnant of the immigrant rush of the 20th century into the city.