Advertisement
Published: January 17th 2010
My paragliding view
those are my new puma shoes I bought myself in BA... a little too white... they need to get dirtyHola amigos!
Well, after barely getting a ticket to Mendoza, and then showing up to find out all the hostels were full... I realized just how “not” fun it is to travel during the high season. While I know it is cold and snowy back home, the Christmas and New Year’s holiday season has kicked off summer for South America... and Argentines and Chileans travel. They book up the buses, the hostels, and prices skyrocket.
When I arrived in Mendoza I went to a hostel, only to find out they were full and their two partner hostels were also booked. I huffed it 10 minutes in the scorching hot heat to hostel Lao... a nice hostel with a lush backyard and a pool. They were full; they assured me everyone else in town was full so they could only offer a hammock at half price. SOLD!!!
Thankfully my complaining about sleeping in a hammock that night got me some compassion. A very nice South African guy told me I could sleep in his bed until he got back from the bar. You see... he needed a few drinks to deal with the fact that while he was doing
Charlie taking off
our only instructions... run off the cliff a bike ride of the wine region, someone came out from behind a tree and put a gun to his face, stealing all his money, cards, and camera. The guy lives in Johannesburg, has never been mugged there, but he gets mugged while riding a bicycle in Argentina.. sorta comical.
In the morning I ripped over to the Brazilian consulate to get my visa sorted out. Brasil only makes countries get visas if that country makes Brazilians get visas. Thank you Canadian government.... I love paying $70. I was supposed to produce return tickets in and out of the country (which I didn’t have), bank statements, passport photo, hotel confirmations, a photocopy of my visa card, and my left ovary. I found an airline that lets you make a full reservation; I did that, printed the page, and then cancelled the reservation. Once I went to a random back and deposited the money in the Brazilian embassy account, they told me my visa would be done in one day! Ha Ha... I totally know how to screw the system.
The next morning Roisin (aka Charlie) from Ireland, who I met in Buenos Aires, showed up in Mendoza to
Getting ready to go
I swear the belt they use to connect the harness looks as sturdy as a paper clip meet me. I convinced her that we should go paragliding... since Lena said it was so much fun.
Right now, I need to point out that my friend Johanna, after reading my “oh my god it’s expensive in Chile facebook status” felt sorry for me and sent me an early birthday present in the form of WAY TOO MUCH MONEY - EMAIL MONEY TRANSFER. (Please note that was the closest thing to a Christmas present too... since no one in my family sent or deposited anything- except for my sister who has agreed to pay for one of my custom leather jackets from La Paz). Any who... Jo told me to spend the money on an activity... and since I am thrifty I have a few things that fall under the “Jo Birthday gift fund”
After a kinda crappy spinach cannelloni lunch, we were picked up and tossed in the back of a jeep. Half an hour later I was standing on a cliff overlooking Mendoza. We watched some random chick have a horrible take off where she was basically dragged off the edge... very comforting. I was squealing like a pig as we ran off the cliff,
Hot stuff
Taking a photo of myself - right before I felt like barfing and had to remove the helmet and then when we started climbing I was half laughing/screaming - I felt so bad for the guy stuck flying with me. It was pretty cool, except for when we hit a few seconds of turbulence. Everything was fine for about 5 minutes... and then the nausea started to kick in (stupid spinach cannelloni). I thought I would be smooth sailing while I was smooth paragliding... but nope. The guy going tandem with me took my helmet off me and told me (in Spanish) if I have to vomito... vomito to the left.
Sorry, I am sorry to announce I didn’t yack in the air. I am sure if I did the wind would have shot it back in my face, instead I got to land without a helmet and then lay down for the next 20 minutes until we took the jeep back and I had to have a 2 hour nap before I started to feel better.
The next day, even though I don’t drink wine, I went on a bicycle tour of the wine region outside Mendoza. (Jo birthday present part 2). I got a sweet cruiser bike and while I didn’t slam back copious
amounts of wine, I did enjoy the tour of the vineyards and learning about the aging process. I also got to enjoy the local olive oil, chocolate (sorta gross), and locally made liquor that was so potent I couldn’t even finish my double shot.
Friday was a lovely early morning bus ride to Santiago. Surprise, surprise, there was a strike of some sort going on and we got delayed for 4 hours waiting to get to the border, then got to spend an hour while our bus got exit stamps, entry stamps, and then all our bags X-rayed for fruit. I am sure I could sneak weapons and drugs across the border, but if I bring even one apple across into Chile I would be in serious shit.
The next day Charlie, Danielle (from Victoria who we met on the bus the day before) walked around the city. We tried a local treat that is sort of like peach nectar, floating peaches, and then loads of wheat. Weird but tasty. Next were the hot candied nuts that smelled so go we couldn’t resist. While we were in a clothing store buying shorts, the sales lady told Danielle and
Wine and Bike tour
I heart cruiser bikes.... I that we shouldn’t eat them... they will make us more fat. Skinny ass Charlie, who was not eating nuts, was fine.
After Santiago we made our way to Pucon, aka the Banff of Chile. We arrived in the morning and it pissed rain all day giving me a chance to catch up on my journal and watch the Indian Jones trilogy in our kick ass hostel.
My second day in Pucon it was still drizzling, but we decided to try out another Lena recommendation - hydro speeding or river boarding (and the last part of the Jo Birthday gift). Instead of rafting down the class three river, you jump in the river and boogie board down rapids holding onto a foam raft.
In the already crappy weather, we put on wetsuits, cold wet booties, flippers and helmets. We were given what looks like a Styrofoam raft that a child might play on and told to jump in. The water was FREEZING, even with the wetsuits, and our hands are inside the board holding on in freezing cold water. Good bye motor skills.
The next hour was a hilarious ride through some seriously crazy rapids. Our
Wine time
packed and ready to be sent.. bought... and drank first easy set, I of course nail my knee or a rock. Then through what I can only describe is a massive washing machine section - I avoided a rock the size of my car, only slide over a boulder, hit something, get flipped on my back, lost one arm in my raft, and raked my back across 3 more giant rocks. The French guide at the back of our group managed to come help me once I was through. Terrifying, yet somehow entertaining at the same time. This would never be legal in Canada... we didn’t even sign waivers! We are supposed to be able to see videos of the trip soon, so I will post when I get them on the next blog.
I jumped on a morning bus and hopped back over the andes to San Martin de los Andes in Argentina. Another small chocolate box town where I chilled out for a few days. On Friday I met Hannah - a hilarious girl from Leeds in Bariloche. Bariloche - aka Nick Wilson's old stomping ground from his Ski Canada days - is another version of Banff transplanted to the lakes district of Argentina, except every
Santiago Ladies
posing by a fountain during our day out in Santiago second shop is a chocolate shop. I walked around for a couple of hours then met Hannah at the bus station - the entire town is booked up so we jumped on a bus to El Bolson, a cute hippy town 2 hours south.
Saturday is market day and we spent hours walking around checking out the local artisans work and eating eating eating. I have finally found someone with my love of food, and the ability to pack it back as well as I can. We first shared half a waffle topped with fresh raspberries. We inhaled cherries as we walked to a lookout, then back to the market where we shared a milaneza sandswich, some veggie tarts, fresh raspberry juice, pizza, some more veggie tarts, and then another waffle.. this time with dulce, raspberries and whipped cream.
El Bolson is known for its fertile soil so we had as much fruit as we could, and its also known for its local micro breweries - hannah bought beers from five different ones... all were good. We did a big 5 hour hike to help us get in shape for the south. Tonight we catch a 28 hour
Crotch protector
Hannah trying to help Charlie with her lady gaga inspired wet suit jacket bus to El Chalten in southern Patagonia. Anyone jealous of my travels... think of me as I sit on a bus tonight... tomorrow... and then Tuesday morning. I'm doing this all so that I can hike some hikes that are supposed to be amazing... I don't even like hiking that much and in my opinion... the rocky mountains close to home are just as nice as some of the shit i've seen down here.
Hope you are all well. I have now officially entered the last month of my 20’s... depression has set in so any nice emails from home are greatly appreciated. My only happiness before my bus from hell is the news that all 10 kilos sent home in the mail from Peru and Bolivia have made it home. YAHHHHHHHH!!!!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.391s; Tpl: 0.043s; cc: 15; qc: 65; dbt: 0.1433s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
shawna yeske
non-member comment
Gifts
Your lucky you made the comment about me paying for your jacket...and just how hell are we supposed to send you a Xmas/Birthday gift when you are travelling day to day? Don't pull the guilt trip, your the one who wanted to be away for your birthday and Xmas!! You'll have to come home for your Xmas $$, dad put 100 bucks and the usual lottery tickets under the tree for you. It will probably still be there when you get home. XXO Big sis