Salta means 'Jump', So we did.

---

You're taking me back here, about a week or so now. I last wrote on an airplane, typed it later and really have done neither since. Feeling like I owe ya one, Today is the day. Happy Fourth of July friends! I landed in Lima, Peru 23 hours after I'd awoken in Madrid, Spain. Feeling mentally tired, and utterly disoriented by time and distance I got off my last flight- chatting with a fantastic couple from Tennessee- who were more than willing to assist me should my 'plan' not realize. We'd arrived late, and as anxious as i was to finally leave an airport I was more anxious to meet the Casusol family, who had agreed to pick me up and have me stay with them for my short Lima stay. Exiting the airport doors i began scanning the crowd- my brain semi-looking for something I'd recognize (though of course that wouldn't be the case) but Ah HA, something I DID know, even after 23hours of out-and-in-motion... MY NAME. And suddenly I was awake again, pointing and waving my relief. After a quick glance at each other that was it was truly Them I was waving to they scurried to the doors on the other side of the the barricade and i was well received. Mrs. Casusol's arm was immediately linked through mine and I was guided toward the car. Nothing could have been more perfect than a brief stay at someone's home, where more than visiting Another city in a short period of time, I felt like I got to just visit with them. To relax, sleep well without sharing a room with strangers etc, eat well, see a museum and a bit of Lima...it was truly a perfect day. I couldn't have been more grateful for their hospitality nor their low stress pace. What a perfect transition from one half of my travels to the other. Thank you Casusol Family.

The next day, after my day in Lima, they kindly dropped me back off that the airport where I sped off to La Paz, Bolivia which is the highest altitude capital city in the world. I spent my entire trip, layover and all, scoping out the next set of adventures in my guidebook. Upon arrival- to an INCREDIBLY layed back airport-I declined a few taxis who were less than adimate at offering me their service. Then arrived Chelsey, who i was waiting for, yelling my name, running my way. In this emptyish little airport seated in the mountains there was no reason not to run hug and squeal. Ah. The next step begins. Chelsey had been studying in Ecuador since January and traveled through Ecuador and Peru after her program. She'd found herself in Bolivia having met her friend Ilya who'd been studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

So we headed to the hostel chatting all the way. Actually, it seems we've chatted the last week straight. And La Paz the city, as you come around a mountain BOOM it surprises you, and makes you catch your breath. Clinging to the valley and sprawling out of what was moments ago nothing is a city; big and bustling. Truly a favorite sight. We started talking about where we wanted to go, what to do, to see... and I'd said I had REALLY set my sights on seeing Lake Titicaca and visiting Isla del Sol. (Lake Titicaca is the highest navegable lake in the world.. whatever that Really means) Uh oh. She inhales through clenched teeth, an obvious conflict. Turns out she had JUST returned from there that SAME DAY. hmmmm. We met up with the others we'd be traveling with, mostly Ilya. Talked about some plans, options and of course continued playing some catch-up. In the end, it was decided that Isla del Sol and Lake Titicaca were not to be missed. So at 6am the following morning I took off on my own for a solo excurious. I stored my bag, took only what i'd need for the night and set off. Bolivia, just feels safter than most central American countries I've explored. It's calmer, and you really don't have to worry about people trying to lead you astray- granted I still did wory a bit. So on my 3-4hour bus ride I met Claudia, a Bolivian medical student. We chatted, I asked about her school, her country etc and she shared some typical snacks with me. It was really nice, a good spanish warm-back-up. And i'd been curious about this puffy cereal rice snack too. We parted ways with a hug and a cheek kiss in Copacabana when i bought my boatride to Isla del Sol. I spent the day getting to the Island, finding lodging, and mostly hiking around the many rocky paths covering the town and admiring this BEAUTIFUL pristine lake surrounded by mountains. In the distances you see the snow capped mountains of the Cordillera Real. The sun beats down on this little island, but at night it's freezing with roaring, whipping winds. It was a good little solo excursion to visit such an amazingly beautiful lake. The next day I headed back to La Paz and met up with Chelsey and Ilya again, who's job it was to coordinate out next move while i was gone.

So we grabbed a quick dinner, and hopped on a 12 hour night bus to Uyuni. The 12hours wouldn't have been so bad had the road been anywhere near decent.. or even had it BEEN A ROAD AT ALL. Unfortunately, it seemed our bus galloped along, swaying as if it had legs stepping down the road, and vibrating as if it's wheels were made of marble squares. Just an absolutely ridiculous ride. The time i slept was obviously brief, and it happened only when the bus was stopped while workers rushed about in the freezing cold, duct tapping the winshield in a gridlike fashion.

We SOMEHOW arrived 40minutes early and were greeted by the company we'd selected to tour the Salt Flats of Uyuni (oo-u-nee). With only a few hours sleep we bummed around the company's office before any place to eat opened for the day. In a few short hours we were packed into a 4x4 jeep with a British couple and a Spaniard, none of whom proved to be good company, and our guide of course. Our first stop was something of a locomotive graveyard where we coulod explore the first trains ever brought to Bolivia. For the next three days we bounced along through the Bolivian wilderness where we really went to see the remains of a prehistoric sea/salt lake which presents in the form of JUSt salt. Some of the biggest Salt Flats in the world. Where the sky and ground meet at the horizon in colors that only confuse. The sky blue, the ground white, they both appear that they could be sky. And mounds of salt raked up to be processed was the only thing breaking the pure Flat ground that seemed to go ON AND ON. It was so unfamiliar a sight that we couldn't help but be confused and try to place it with snowy places, places we've been, places that makes sense and fit in your brain somewhere. But it was literally FLAT as far as you could see until BOOM arise the mountains. That night our tour group along with several others stayed at a 'hostel' completely constructed from salt bricks, the platforms of the beds (upon which were the mattresses), the nightstands, the tables...all salt. The floor was even dusted in a layer of granule salt. Totally nuts. I must mention at that altitude, at this time of the year, in the mountains, and without any external heat source... salt is NOT an insulating building material. We slept in most of our clothes and the 3 of us finished a large bottle of wine before even attempting to sleep in the bitter cold. The next few days were similar, amazing nature and scenery unreachable by public transport, and cold nights. The desert and salt and lagoons of water that still remain allow for wildlife such as 3 species of flamingoes roaming and feeding in cold waters. Most of them have gone to warmer places this time of the year. Our guide whiped up meals along the way at different sights and stops. Sometiem we were certain we were on the moon where it looked like sand had been wax like and melted over rocks and frozen there. Some rock formations are considered inspiration of Salvador Dali's paintings. The terrain changing so rapidlly it was unbelievable, sometimes salt, others pure desert, cactus', moon rocks rising out of what seems like absolute nothingness... everything just so completely unrecognizable uncategorizable that it leaves you just jaw dropped at times, sighing disbelief and near confusion. And did i mention bitter cold nights? Our companions, as far as the others on our tour group... well, lets just stick to saying it's a good thing the sights were incredible because they weren't making up for anything. But little could detract from the experience. Bolivian wilderness. Wow. Who could have guessed. Certainly not me. On the last day of the tour, rather than driving the 6 hours have to Uyuni, we got dropped off at the border of Chile and Bolivia. We crossed into San Pedro de Atacama de Chile. The little border town had little to offer in and of itself. However, it was eally cool to see the Atacama desert of Northern Chile. The next day we hopped on a 12 hour bus to Salta, Argentina. The town was fantastic. Plazas, bustling streets, popcorn/kettlecorn stands on every corner, markets tucked between buildings and under big roofs... so strange Latin America and European hybrid that struck a great balance. We spent our first evening getting oriented and we met our new friend, Carlos who used to work in Fort Lauderdale. He gave us some free kettlecorn from his cart and asked us where we planned to watch the world cup Argentina vs Germany game the next day. He said we should come by and find him at a nearby bar he pointed out. Ok. So, the world cup game had been a real priority in getting to Argentina before saturday. So saturday morning we spent scoping out and buying jerseys for the game. The city was clearly revved up. We made our purchases just as the game was to begin and then the 3 of us took off running toward the area we'd met carlos. We found him. He waved us down and ran with us until we plowed into a hole-in the-wall bar of all Argentinean men and us 4. With beer and pizza we watched a painful defeat of Argentina to Germany. At the end we looked at eachother, and Chelsey and Ilya were officially set on jumping off a bridge. We'd talked about bungee-jumping in Salta before arriving...but watching such a defeat really sealed the deal. So we headed back to our hostel and inquired. Within a half hour a van arrived to pick us up to take us to a bridge we could jump off. Yikes, I was not all in on the idea from the first notion. Not until I actually saw the bridge did i decide that i could and would also be throwing myself off a bridge that day. I should mention in Spanish, Salta the name of the town, means 'jump'. The perfect place right? SO i got up there an after a few munites of looking down... and begin really nervous i raised my hands straight up in the air and let myself fall... head first tow the riveer until my head dipped into the water and i was yanked back up spinning and disoriented until a guy in a boat caught me and reeled be in. Wow. The next day, fourth of july, we spent our day whitwater rafting through some of the most beautiful scenery you can imagine. It was fun and exciting and totally beautiful.

That evening we wall went out for a cup of good coffee...unfortunately mine had a sneaky nut in it.. to which i'm of course allergic. So while my traveling companions figured out which buses we should take to our next city the following day, i spend the next 6 hours puking my brains out at our hostel. Ooops. And that was our last night together, the 3 of us. And we'd just had soem really fantastic times together. I made that one memorable. oops.

The following day and evening was spent gloomily taking care of things, picutre exchanges, airlines stuff.. etc... all really blah feeling in the burning hot sun of Salta as the moments that would separate us loomed. And we fuddy duddied around all day, until Boom Ilya was hugging us and walking down the hostel stairs. Immediately Chelsey and I decided, no, let's go wave and say goodbye- so we sprinted down to the street after him. But we got down the stairs yelling his name, spin in a circle. He was already gone. And it's so incredible the pace of our lives. Some thing take forever some moments drag and others... just poof. Gone.

Four hours later at 10pm we boarded an 18hour bus to Medoza, Argentina. Yep 18 hours. Somehow those 18 hours flew by. I slept about 9-10 straight! Upon arrival we found a woman who's ex-husband drove the transport to their small hostel. It feels like staying in someone's mom and dad's house, essentially we are. And there's homemade bread for breakfast in the morning. We easily got in touch with my friend from Hamline who spend the last semester in Buenos Aires, actually in the same program as Ilya, our friend we'd just parted with. Can you see the world shrinking here? So we met up with him and his friend from home who came to travel with him. The four of us hung out for the evening and today we met up at the bus station to head out to winery- since THAt is what you MUST do in Mendoza. We got told to get off the bus Much too early- about 5km too early. So we maade our way to finally reach one of many wineries in the area. Though it wasn't the one we'd set out to visit. It was ABSOLUTELY charming. And Mendoza's climate smells, feels and looks like midwestern fall. Fall, being my hands-down favorite season was a real treat. Our walk and visit to the vinyard couldn't have been more beautiful. We're really getting a walk though the seasons and because of altitude and distance to the sea we really never know what a place is going to look and feel like until we get there. And the wine tasting was great! We made our way back to Mendoza much easier than our initial adventure. And after getting differ we parted ways. Tomorrow Chelsey and I will try to make it to Santiago, Chile. The way has been closed due snow fall- remember on the border like la Cordillera de los Andes. So hopefully the Andes mountains will cooperate with our plans tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

SO i actually typed this from Chelsey's friend's apartment in Santiago, Chile. SO we obviously made it. It was also the most Amazing and beautiful busride of my life. From Mendoza which was like Fall through the full out snowy winter of the Andes where ski lifts cross the highway.. back to spring summer on the other side. Amazing. Here we are. Today we'll spend seeing Santiago and in the next few we'll go to Valparaiso and Isla Negra. Whoo. Chile. And then... onto Patagonia.. and hopefully then end of the world, the Southernmost city on the planet.

---