http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/OneWaySupertramp/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from OneWaySupertramp en-us Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:19:41 +0000 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:19:41 +0000 Every now and then a stone would clatter off the undercarriage I almost expected one to rip trough the floor. It's early morning in South Patagonia and we are on a rough unpaved road heading to Torres del Paine National Park one of the most beautiful parks in South America. Well that's what the guide books proclaim. My first sight of the park certainly lived up to expectation.From a distance I http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-459148.html Blame the Chileans grunts the Argentinian driver explaining why the bus was running five hours late thanks to a strike at the border.The overland journey from Rio Gallegos to Ushuaia both in Argentina has the bureaucratic inconvenience of passing through Chile. That means four border controls each time off the bus queue up fill out the forms passports stamped and bags checked. For this b http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Tierra-del-Fuego/Ushuaia/blog-456795.html While resting up and taking in the sights of Santiago the capital of Chile we learned that November is a good time of year to go whales watching in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Argentina. This meant instead of heading south through Chile we would meander back across the continent once more. Plans are made for changing We made a quick check of bus routes and timetables it is possible to http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Chubut/Puerto-Piramides/blog-452689.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Coquimbo-Region/La-Serena/blog-450501.html 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 w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Cochabamba-Department/Cochabamba/blog-450290.html A familiar logo caught my eye. A poster in the window of a bank in the centre of Cochabamba. I doublebacked 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 Ive been a volunteer ever since. Now travelling in South America I find out the National Games of Bolivia were taking place in the very sa http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Cochabamba-Department/Cochabamba/blog-445625.html Ladies and GentlemenWelcome to El Multifunctional in El Alto for La Lucha LibreTonight 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 tr http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-445621.html 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 skie http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/Salar-de-Uyuni/blog-445796.html 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 Ch http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/Potosi/blog-436511.html Filadelfia in the Paraguayan Chaco seemed like an obvious stopover for us en route from Concepcion to Sucre Bolivia.Heres 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 towns inhabitants are European descendants and Guten Tag is a regular greeting.Guten Tag me arseI had in mind a dustier v http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Tarija-Department/Tarija/blog-436008.html 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 Id 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 pancakelike thing made from manioc which is cassava in an Asuncion cafe with Nilsa the sister of Marcela a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Paraguay/Asunci%F2n/blog-433860.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-433335.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/blog-428239.html Thirty minutes gone in the first half. Brazil are two nil down against USA in the Confederations Cup final. The mood in the bar is edgy. Brazilians are not used to losing finals It could be a long second half.We were sitting in a bar just off Paulista Avenue the financial centre of Brazil. Paulista is a lot like Fifth Avenue in New York but in my opinion Paulista is more impressive. It is our f http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Sao-Paulo/S-o-Paulo/blog-428238.html Like a crack on a worn pavement the Colca Canyon is a crack on the earths surface. It is the second deepest in the world at 3191 meters the deepest is just next door.The road from Arequipa to Chivay crosses a high Andean plateau. It is a bleak place up there like driving across the moon. After Chivay we took the road to Cabanaconde a boneshaking three hours. Between Chivay and Cabanaconde http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Colca-Canyon/blog-416929.html Since arriving in Arequipa every day more and more posters with hand written slogans were added to the gates of the huge catedral on the main square. The front pages on display at newspaper stands displayed increasingly graphic photos and passionate headlines. Articles about Peru's Amazon started to appear on the BBC website. CNN En Espanol ran grainy footage of violent clashes during demonstrati http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-416919.html The Nazca lines are one of the many mysteries in this world. Are they real proof of alien life marked out on the Peruvian desert If ever there was a case Mulder and Scully needed to investigateHeading inland from the Pacific coast on the Panamericana highway we drove through the heart of the Nazca lines but we had no idea. They are so large the construction workers building the road didnt see http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Nazca/Nazca-Lines/blog-414895.html There were two main reasons we decided not to go to the Galapagos islands.1. Money. We could not justify blowing one months budget on a five day tour.2. Ecorespect. Back in October we saw a documentary about how the island and the unique animals living on it are being destroyed by the boat loads of tourists who visit every day. Some places are so special they should be left alone.So with a clear http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Ballestas-Islands/blog-414154.html Generally James and I dont make return trips there are too many other places in the world to discover But passing down the Pacific coast of Peru overnighting in Lima was unavoidable a city we had already visited five years previous.My overriding memory of Lima was that it was a kip and I could see why Paddington Bear left. Compared to the sunny heights of Cusco and Lake Titicaca it was inde http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Lima/Lima/Lima/blog-413809.html Life starts early here in Otavalo. Especially if youre a plump guinea pig and it is Saturday.Otavalos animal market starts around 4am is in full swing at 6am and winds down by 8am. Careful inspections passionate haggling and a lot of poo goes down just off the PanAmericana highway and it usually all happens while Im still dribbling on my pillow. Not today though. By the time my brain woke up http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Otavalo/blog-402405.html