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Page 5 of RussellGordon Travel Blog Posts
February 14th 2006
I have now left cuzco and I am in Arequipa in Peru. We will leave tomorrow for three nights of camping and to see the nazca lines. We also said goodbye to four people from our trip in cuzco and two new people have joined. Down to six people and two drivers now! The night after cuzco we stayed in a local village. Our rooms were mud floored, mud walled, straw roofed - but they did have electric lights which were very welcome. We had all our food provided for us there and that night we had to take part in a coca leave/chicha (local corn beer) offering to pacahamama (mother earth) for our safe travels. All very interesting. The next day was a long travelling day and up early the next morning to see condors ... read more
February 14th 2006
Well it´s been a while since I´ve written one of these, mostly because I haven´t had the time or I´ve been stuck at the top of a mountain! Lets see if I can remember... We left la paz for a town called Cocacabana on the shore of lake titicaca in Peru (forgive the spelling). Not the most exciting place in the world but great views of the lake. We took a boat accross to the lake to the island that the lake is named after. Apparently there´s a rock that looks like a puma head (I couldn´t see it my self) and that´s what titicaca means - puma head. See aren´t you learning a lot! I also had some ex cocaine addict from Lima chatting away in spanish to me about how cheap cocaine was in ... read more
January 30th 2006
I have now left la paz after spending two full days there and I´m now on the shore of lake titicaca. I went on a city tour where I learnt that if Bolivia had enough money it would be fighting chile for it´s coastal region that chile took over one hundred years ago. Apparently they are reluctant to do anything at the moment as they are still flying twenty something aircraft from the second world war.... Our guide also said Bolivia was the only country in south america to loose every war they have ever had. Things aren´t looking good! The day after that I visited the coca museum. I learnt how to make cocaine. Apparently you need 326kg of coca leaves to make 1kg of cocaine! Also coca cola was so named as it was ... read more
January 26th 2006
After Ayuni we arrived in a mining town called Potosi. Potosi is the highest city in the world and you can definately feel it. It´s a strange place but you have to love it because of that. The first evening in Potosi we went out to a restaurant as a group and i had Llama and chips. It didn´t really taste of anything at all. Something like a flavourless cross between lamb and pork. That was a first. I´m told that the guinea pigs come later in the trip. Can´t wait! The next morning we went on a city tour. I was expecting the usual stuff about churches and museums, and for the first half hour that is what we had. Then things got a little more interesting when we were told that anyone is allowed ... read more
Atiplano Lakes and Ayuni
Published: January 25th 2006South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Salar de Uyuni
January 25th 2006
I am now in Bolivia. It´s surprising how quickly it turns from a modern country like Chile into the mud roads and villages that is Bolivia. We crossed the border several days ago passing the highest point of the journey at some 5020m. There´s not much oxygen up there and we all felt weird in different ways. Luckily we dropped down to 4000 and something meters, still high but not as bad! After the ´high point´of the trip we drove through the atiplano lakes on mud tracks. Apparently we were lucky to get the truck through at this time of year as it´s the rainy season. The lakes are spectacular. There are lakes of greens, blues, and reds with snow capped volcanoes in the background. The red lakes were full of flamingos and no other people ... read more
San Pedro de Atacama
Published: January 21st 2006South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » San Pedro de Atacama
January 21st 2006
Well I've made it to San Pedro de Atacama and still in one piece! But more about that later. How did I get here you ask? Well... I joined the Dragoman truck in Santiago with seven other passengers. We have two crew - Geof and Rachel. We were left to see Santiago by ourselves on the first two days. There are not really any must sees in Santiago however I went to the art museum and the history museum. An old Chilean chatted to me in the museum for nearly an hour as he wanted to practice his english. Topics included explaining that Dublin was not the capital of Scotland and the falkland islands. The last week has mainly been alot of driving. I think we have covered 2000 km. But there have been the odd ... read more
January 12th 2006
I've spent a whole week in the city that is Santiago. The city center is modern and very american, although some of the shops surronding the centre are a little basic. The people I'm staying with are all very friendly although some of the dishes my landlady cooks are a little odd. I'm not sure if noodle and baked bean soup is a Chilean speciality or one of her weird moments. Last night it was alphabet noodle soup with a boiled potato, a piece of pumpkin, a piece of chicken, and a corn on the cob.... Generally the food is meat, bread, and potato based. You can have ún completo´which is a hotdog with the works, roast chicken with chips, steak and chips, meat in a bun, um, more meat... I think you get the idea. ... read more
January 3rd 2006
Countries visited : 2 (If you count a sandwich at Madrid airport) Alcohol units : 0 Strangers talked to : 4! Strange observations : 1 girly novels read : 0 After a two hour flight to Madrid and a fourteen four flight to Santiago I have finally made it. If there is an award for how little sleep a person can have in 24 hours then I think I should be nominated. Maybe someone can put my name down for the new years honours next year? I´m staying with a spanish lady for the first ten nights and attending a couple of spanish lessons to help me understand when I´m being sworn at or propositioned. (Somehow I don´t think the course will cover those things.) My accomodation is fine, so far. The only slightly odd thing ... read more
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