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OneWaySupertramp - Jess and James

Setting off with one way tickets to Mexico via Cuba (a two-month detour), we have set ourselves the challenge of travelling through Central and South America down to the southern tip of Argentina by bus/train/boat.

This blog began in September 2008 and will last as long as our travels (and our money!) does.

We’ll write and photograph all our adventures, discoveries and passions - food and football, people and pictures, wildlife and walking, books and buildings, mountains and music. We promise you won´t read a boring day-to-day diary, just interesting tales from the road.

Plus for our friends with itchy feet, real backpacking tips direct from the road.

Feel free subscribe to our blog.
We’d love to hear from you so type away and leave your comments after our entries.

Hasta luego!
Jess and James

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Joined on: July 25th 2008
Last Login: November 17th 2009

Blog Entries: 55
Photos: 996
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Blogs & Travel Journals

by OneWaySupertramp, order by Date newest first.

By OneWaySupertramp
November 23rd 2009

Nobody knows we're here! South America » Chile » Coquimbo Region » La Serena

The dark side of the moon

"We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking up at the stars." Oscar Wilde The area around La Serena in northern Chile boasts the clearest skies in the world, hence the white domes of observatories dot the neighbouring mountains. In amongst this belt of star gazing scientific centres is Mamalluca, a 'tourist' observatory (scientists don't like tourist hordes disturbing their work). Through a digital telescope and also a manual one, we saw star clusters, Jupiter, a red giant star and the moon up close and personal. The moon was the most impressive. Afterwards [View Full Entry]

The moon photographed through the telescope

The moon taken with the zoom on our camera

By OneWaySupertramp
October 11th 2009

Following in the footsteps of dinosaurs in Torotoro South America » Bolivia » Cochabamba Department » Cochabamba

The journey was arduous but the scenery made up for everything

The national park of Torotoro is in the centre of Bolivia, 138km from the city of Cochabamba. Few tourists make the trip (it wasn't even in our guide book) as a public bus only runs on Thursdays and Sundays. The fact that it is so remote was one of the biggest attractions for us. We caught the 6am bus from the outskirts of Cochabamba. The bus was packed with locals returning to Torotoro after the weekend market, most were chatting to each other in Quechua. When the seats were occupied, the aisle filled with people sitting on sacks of corn, bundles [View Full Entry]

By OneWaySupertramp
October 8th 2009

A Special Fiesta of Sport South America » Bolivia » Cochabamba Department » Cochabamba

Special Olympics comes to town

A familiar logo caught my eye. A poster in the window of a bank in the centre of Cochabamba. I double-backed for a closer look. It was advert for Special Olympics. My first involvement with Special Olympics was at the National Games in Ireland back in 2002 and I´ve been a volunteer ever since. Now travelling in South America I find out the National Games of Bolivia were taking place in the very same city from tomorrow? It was not to be missed. A quick change to our travel plans and we´re set...we are going to the Games! As soon as [View Full Entry]

By OneWaySupertramp
October 4th 2009

Girl Power Bolivian Style South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » La Paz

Martha La Alteña and Super Raconcito

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to El Multifunctional in El Alto for La Lucha Libre! Tonight we have a star studded line up just for you. Its a special evening indeed. The ticket you hold in your hand is priceless my friends. For your eyes only tonight we have Ninja Boliviano, Gitano, El Magnifico and Jaider Lee. Back from the dead we have Gran Mortis and Cobarde. Back from the future Picudo will try to command the ring. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it´s the Titans of the ring we bring. Now boys and girls don´t be frightened but we wary, for [View Full Entry]

By OneWaySupertramp
September 25th 2009

Tupiza to Uyuni - A journey out of this world South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Salar de Uyuni

Dali Desert

Tupiza is the wildwest of Bolivia - it was here that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid came to plot their fated final heist. Paula and Yoav were with us, over on holiday. It was fantastic to be with them on this 4 day jeep tour which from start to finish was filled with the most incredible scenery. From Tupiza our 4x4 climbed upwards, twisting through the rocky red landscape. Under cloudless skies of the bluest blue, we watched the landscape morph as we travelled from Tupiza south-west towards the Chilean border and then north to the Salar de Uyuni. The [View Full Entry]

Jabba the Hut was hiding round the corner

By OneWaySupertramp
September 7th 2009

Explosives training in Potosi South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Potosi

Potosi

It is about 2am and from our window we are looking down upon the clouds. A full moon illuminates a blanket of white candyfloss with only peaks of chocolate mountains piercing through. A sight that reminded me of a plane journey at night, even the bumpy ride resembles turbulence. But we are not on a plane. We are on an overnight bus climbing from Tarija to Potosi crossing over the Cordilleras de Chichas on a dusty unpaved road. We are leaving behind the highest vineyards in the world and heading to the highest city in the world. Potosi sits at 13,500 [View Full Entry]

By OneWaySupertramp
August 30th 2009

Filadelfia Freedom: Escape to Bolivia´s vineyards South America » Bolivia » Tarija Department » Tarija

I´ve never been to Munich but I´m sure it looks nothing like this

Filadelfia, in the Paraguayan Chaco, seemed like an obvious stopover for us en route from Concepcion to Sucre, Bolivia. Here´s what the Lonely Planet (as misleading as ever) had to say about the town: "This neat Mennonite community...resembles a suburb of Munich...most of the town´s inhabitants are European descendants and Guten Tag is a regular greeting". Guten Tag me arse! I had in mind a dustier version of the Mennonite community we camped in during our time in Belize. Reserved but friendly, and the women made delicious cakes. As for Filadelfia? In the two whole days (two days too [View Full Entry]

Height of excitment in Filadelfia on a Saturday

Paraguayan Immigration post in Mariscal Estigarribia

Our favourite Bolivian wine: we give it 8 out of 10

By OneWaySupertramp
August 22nd 2009

The Paraguayan Connection South America » Paraguay » Asunciòn

With Nilsa

"Let's meet early". Words of dread. Everyone has a different idea of what time they consider to be early. Inevitably it is always earlier than I´d like it to be. I cautiously replied, "How early is early?". James and I were having a cup of cocido (Paraguayan herbal tea) and a mbeju (floury pancake-like thing made from manioc which is cassava) in an Asuncion cafe with Nilsa, the sister of Marcela, a friend of Ellen, James' sister. A Paraguayan connection from back home. Nilsa herself lived in Dublin a few years ago. Apparently there are a few Paraguayan families living in [View Full Entry]

By OneWaySupertramp
August 18th 2009

The Power of Water - Iguacu and Itaipu South America » Brazil » Paraná » Foz do Iguaçu

First glimpse of the falls from Brazil

I have a distinct memory as a child sitting at our kitchen table in Moymet watching Tarzan on tv, on what I think were Saturday afternoons. It was always in black and white. In the show there was a big set of waterfalls in the jungle and the huge falls always seemed to trigger my imagination. I was a seven year old kid once more as the Iguacu mist dampened my face. There are two sides of the falls to visit - the Brazilian side and the Argentinian side. We had based ourselves in the town of Foz do Iguacu on [View Full Entry]

Brazil is on my left and Paraguay is on my right

By OneWaySupertramp
August 1st 2009

Family fun in Rio South America » Brazil » Rio de Janeiro » Rio de Janeiro

Cidade Maravihosa
"The marvelous city" - Rio de Janeiro lives up to its nickname.

Rio is magical. There is something very special about the place - the picture perfect setting, the refreshing caipirinhas, the feel of sand between my toes...but best of all my parents and sisters were with us for a holiday. We started and ended our three weeks together in Copacabana. And yes, Barry Manilow played in my head throughout. I am not really a beach bum. It can be more hassle than it is worth. All girls know that sand gets everywhere. Regular readers of the blog will notice that we have tended more towards cities and mountains than sand and sea. [View Full Entry]

Copacabana beach with the Sugarloaf in the background

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