http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Ana-Maria/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Ana Maria en-us Sun, 27 Dec 2009 09:57:50 +0000 Sun, 27 Dec 2009 09:57:50 +0000 I can't believe its been a year This has by far been the best year of my life and I'm sad its come to an end but one thing is for sure I now have a serious travel addiction and long list of places I want to see or return to in the future.For now it's probably best I take a break because I really have seen to much. After a quick stop in NY and visit to the law firm that sucked my soul out but g http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/blog-428088.html All of East Africa I thought I was ready to go home. I thought I was over traveling and had reached a catch 22 where I wanted to continue but knew if I did wouldn't be able to appreciate it because I'd seen too much. Then I arrived in Turkey and 2 seconds later all those ideas went flying out the window. Back to my happy self it was time to explore Istanbul and that I did. I loved everything http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-424148.html I don't know how I survived backpacking East Africa on my own but what I do know is that my year around the world hit a low point. Not long after arriving in Dar I stopped having fun became alone and started counting the minutes until I'd leave the continent. East Africa broke me to say the least. Strangely enough I wasn't jumping for joy the day I left. Instead I was sad sad that I'd had s http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/blog-424133.html UGANDAGetting off the bus in Kampala shocked me. What do you mean there aren't 50 taxi drivers harassing me when I get off the bus It's peaceful And I can even walk through a busy market in the center with out people shouting at me following me or striking up conversation for money I LOVE YOU UGANDASure it's still East Africa and there are no roads the buses stop all the time you're http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/blog-420058.html Even after all the poverty I've seen during my travels going to the Masai village shocked me. To start you off with an idea the kids were dirty covered in flies and had snot running down their noses that no one bothered to wipe off.The Masai are famous all over the world and most people who come to Kenya plan to see them. While there exists this glamorous image of them in their traditional brig http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/blog-420039.html Kenya is ONE step above Tanzania. In my last blog I talked about how Tanzania was either really beautiful or really awful and annoying. Well Kenya is the same except with a few more nice people who want to look after you and make sure you're ok.1 THE KENYA RESEMBLING TANZANIAThere have been many times during the last 11 months when I've wanted to be alone but kept meeting one great person a http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/blog-417676.html You've been traveling for a while haven't you one of the girls I took the ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar with asked me.Oh I'm used to it... I've had plenty of training in SE Asia especially Indonesia I told her after a little incident that went something like thisWe get out of the taxi at the dock.No thank you. Please don't touch my bag. I am not paying you to carry it. I will carry http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Zanzibar/blog-414768.html Whether in the middle of South Africa or on top of it as they say because it's at a higher altitude visiting the tiny country of Lesotho with its Sotho speaking Basotho people was a journey worth making even if there was no border control or customs agent to stamp my passport as proof.The multi colored flat mountains waist high grass filled hills and drastic difference in temperature between w http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/blog-411854.html South Africa is a prime example of a country divided into 2 worlds. There are those living first world lives we're used to with our cell phones and computers and those living in tribal villages without electricity who follow the same customs and traditions their ancestors have for years.After leaving the Garden Route and finally getting a taste of tribal Africa I couldn't help but ask myself if http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/blog-409773.html Where am I I spend my nights sitting around camp fires drinking Savanna's really good South African cider roasting marshmallows braiiing equivalent of a bbq and talking to other travelers. Everything is absolutely gorgeous. The streets are perfectly paved the hostels better than any other country I've been to and the people incredibly nice. Last I checked I did not sign up to be in Eur http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/blog-406457.html 1 REFUGEES XENOPHOBIAImagine being from the DRC Somalia or Rwanda. Imagine having watched your family burn to death in front of you. Imagine the hardships you went through to get all the way to South Africa sometimes entirely on foot. Imagine getting to South Africa and meeting your husband a man whose family was shot in front of his eyes. Then imagine the happiness of starting over in a http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Cape-Town/blog-401376.html HOME STAYAfter my internship with the Cape Times see below I moved to the suburbs. I lived with a family and a few other volunteers while interning in Human Rights next blog. Immediately after arriving I regretted having gone to Mama Africa the famous African food restaurant in Cape Town. Though happy to have tried crocodile tastes like chicken and fish ostrich healthy tasting dark mea http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Cape-Town/blog-404787.html 8 months into my travels I'm a bit exhausted. I haven't exactly been spending my days relaxing at nice resorts in tropical paradises with a strawberry margarita in hand as some people seem to think when they hear the word travel. Instead I've been backpacking figuring out my next destination as I go and every day needing to find a hostel find out bus times to the next destination book tick http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Cape-Town/blog-399105.html I love Buenos Aires It represents the Argentina that people love and hate love because of its lifestyle and beauty and hate because of its pretentiousness. For me however it was something else that made me like it less.For a while I wanted to move there. I mean there are really nice parks everywhere good cheap wine some of the best steak in the world the best ice cream gelato brought o http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/Buenos-Aires/blog-393256.html Whether because I missed the group of people I'd been traveling with for the last three weeks saw northern Argentina after Bolivia's amazing sights felt that I was repeating things by visiting places that reminded me of Bolivia or was just getting a little tired of traveling I can't say I felt as great about doing northern Argentina as I did when I extended my trip to see it.It is definitely a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/blog-393251.html Instead of going back to Argentina as planned and spending my day drinking good wine eating good steak and enjoying life I decided to climb Huayna Potosi in Bolivia because it looked awesome 7 of the people I was traveling with were doing it AND it only cost 120US for 3 days so cheap compared to the 12 hour ice climbing I did in Patagonia for 50US. Although I knew it would be somewhat dif http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Huayna-Potosi/blog-392203.html LA PAZ BOLIVIA Originally it wasn't even a stop on my list but after being convinced by the people I was traveling with to go I can't believe I almost skipped it.1 SAN PEDRO PRISONSan Pedro prison is the largest prison in La Paz. Once you get past the gates its supposed to be a community with hotel like accommodations. By that I mean that there are restaurants children playing because http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-389953.html Back in my IAS 45 World History class at Berkeley Go Bears I learned about Potosi as an example of Spanish exploitation of the native population they conquered. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to see this city and the mines first hand. Unfortunately I had just about the worst tour group Ive ever encountered in my life. HISTORY OF POTOSI AND ITS MINESPotosi was founded as a mining http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/blog-388780.html Aside from the first 3 the pics are in the following order Uyuni Tupiza Bus Scenery. All are worth a look.1 WORST TRANSPORTATION BEST SCENERYI arrived in Bolivia from Brasil on the death train route. Although I opted for the air conditioned train instead of the death train known as such because merchandise and animals sat inside while people sat on top and fell to their death during the t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/blog-388493.html While backpacking a lot of crazy things happen daily that never get incorporated into my blog so I figured now would be a great time to pause and tell you about 2 events that happened back to back with some ridiculous pictures of course... but only a limited few because I can't put up naked ones even naked ones where body parts are covered or not showing on this site. They ended up being rem http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Mato-Grosso-do-Sul/Bonito/blog-385613.html