Where are Caroline + Neil?

Photos Photos and More Photos

2006-07-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

We took way too many pictures on this trip, so I've placed them all up on flickr yee! No more hassling Caroline about wanting to see photos :)

Heres the link --> http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolinerojas/

Caroline.

Neil heads back home

2006-04-20T04:05:00.000-07:00

17 April 2006

Today arrived back in Melbourne after flying out of Santiago on Saturday night Santiago time. Lost a day there somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. Caroline will be staying in Santiago another two weeks and hopefully she will keep you posted of any further adventures. I really enjoyed my trip to South America and hope to head back there soon.

Neil

Karaoke leads to bad singing

2006-04-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

13 April 2006

Took most of today easy and relaxed after a fairly busy week and also did some shopping. Late in the evening we went out to a karaoke bar in downtown Santiago with a bunch of Caroline´s cousins. A good time was had by all and we ended back at home about 5am. Caroline and I along with Caroline´s cousin Alejandra graced the karaoke stage to absolutely butcher a version of U2´s ´The Streets Have No Name´. I think my dreams of becoming the next Australian Idol have been totally shattered.

14 April 2006

We both woke up this morning feeling a little worse for wear. Australian bars could learn something from Chilean and Peruvian bars where most basic spirits are mixed fifty-fifty with any post mix.

Today we headed down south about 100km to the seaside town of San Antonio. We had a look around at the various markets and the other goings on. There was heaps of people around as it was Good Friday and everyone was getting away for the long weekend.

After lunch we headed to El Quisco, a short trip from San Antonio and also by the sea, to pay a visit to Caroline´s great aunt. She lives in a great spot - you just walk out onto the front porch and you get 180 degree views of the Pacific Ocean. We also found out that she was the dressmaker for the family of Salvador Allende, the Chilean president who was in power when Pinochet took power back in 1973. Would have liked to ask her a whole bunch of questions but my Spanish isn´t that good. On our way home we dropped into the house of Caroline´s uncle Juan. Have been doing a lot of eating and drinking in the last couple of days.

Neil

Alejandra, Neil and Caroline belting a very bad version of ´The Streets Have No Name´

Caroline and her cousins, Carolina and Alejandra

Caroline and all her cousins that came to the karaoke bar

A new bus, waterfalls and some rare wine

2006-04-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

12 April 2006

Today was our last day of the tour and with a new bus that had arrived during the night we headed off from Temuco and back to Santiago. We finally made it Saltos del Laja mid morning. Here we spent about an hour or so having a look at the falls from various angles and also the surrounding river.

Our next stop was a visit to the Balduzzi Winery which is a small boutique winery of Italian origin about 250km south of Santiago. We had a tour of the wine making facilities and sampled some of their fine wines. We tasted some Carmenere wine which is only found in Chile as it was totally wiped out in Europe where it usually grows by disease hundreds of years ago. Caroline and I made some purchases which we will hopefully share with you all. We then headed back to Santiago and we got dropped off right near where we are staying in San Bernardo and we said farewell to our group and guide.

I got some unexpected news as we were confirming my flights when we got home. We found out that I wasn´t flying out tomorrow as expected but on Saturday - so my holiday is extended by an extra two days.

Neil

A beautiful old Citroen by the side of the road

Saltos del Laja waterfall

Caroline near the base of the waterfalls at Saltos del Laja

A few from near the top of Saltos del Laja

Some of the vines at the Balduzzi Winery

That´s where the good stuff comes from at Balduzzi Winery

Rain and a broken down bus

2006-04-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

10 April 2006

Today we left Valdivia and headed further south to almost the end of the Pan American Highway, which runs almsot the length of Chile, at Puerto Montt. Puerto Montt is the stepping off point to the rest of southern Chile. Here we stopped off for some lunch and had a look at the local handicraft markets. After spending about two hours in Puerto Montt we headed north to Puerto Varas which sits on the edge of Lago Llanquihue. Caroline and I took a stroll around the town before it started raining. This is the first time that we have experienced rain whilst in Chile and the second lot of rain that we had experienced in our whole trip around South America. We went out for dinner - where the waitress was playing Kylie Minogue´s greatest hits on the stereo - however, the food was good which made up for it.

11 April 2006

Feeling a little sad today as I will be heading home in a couple of days ending my visit to South America. Today we were meant to travel from Puerto Varas to Saltos del Laja - Chile´s widest waterfalls. Unfortunately our plans came unstuck as our bus broke down just outside of Temuco, about 200km south of our destination. It was pouring with rain, as it had been doing most of the day, and our bus had to be towed back to Temuco with us inside. We decided to spend the night in Temuco and visit the waterfalls in the morning on our way back to Santiago. Not much happened in Temuco apart from many games of fussball in the hostel we were staying at.

Neil

Down at the docks of Puerto Montt

Neil doing some shopping at the markets in Puerto Montt

Some boats waiting for high tide at Puerto Montt

Caroline taking it easy in Puerto Varas

Some poor fisherman´s boat washed up on the beach at Puerto Varas

Some rocks at Puerto Varas

Some Chilean cowboys practising their moves near Puerto Varas

Sea lions, rivers and german-chilean beer

2006-04-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

09 April 2006

Today we left the town of Pucon and headed down souh to Valdiva which is the meeting point of three rivers as they go into the Pacific Ocean. These rivers are the Calle Calle, Cau Cau and Cruces. On our way to Valdivia we made our way past two of the seven lakes that are a key feature of the area. We stopped off at Lago Panguipulli and Lago Calafquen. This area has a strong Mapuche (native Chilean) tradition and in many places you can´t own land if you are not a Mapuche. We made it to Valdivia mid afternoon and we had a quick look around the local fish market which has some resident sea lions looking for an easy meal.

We then grabbed some lunch with our group at a local seafood restaurant (fortunately, there was something on the menu for me). Today was the Chilean superclassico - Colo Colo vs Universidad de Chile and there was heaps of people in the restaurant watching the game. For the record Colo Colo won 3-1 much to the chagrin of our guide is a Universidad de Chile fan.

After lunch we checked out a fort on the coast on the Pacific Ocean and then stopped of at the Kunstmann Brewery where we sampled some of the brews they produce. Kuntsmann is a Chilean beer that was started by the large German population that came to the area.

Neil

Caroline on the shores of Lago Calafquen

Looking out over Lago Panguipulli

The fresh fish market at Valdivia

A sea lion looking for an easy meal at the fish markets in Valdivia

Valdivia

Neil sampling some of the Kuntsmann brewery produce

Volcano climbing

2006-04-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

07 April 2006

Not much happened today as we spent most of the day in bus as we travelled 770km from Pichilemu to Puco - which is the adventure capital of Chile. We did stop of at Santa Cruz and have a look at a private museum which is owned by a former Chilean arms dealer and one of the richest men in Chile. Rumour has it that sold arms to both Iran and Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war and made the best cluster bombs.

08 April 2006

Today we spent the day in Puco and we decided to do a climb of the nearby Volcan Villarrica. This volcano is still active and is about 2500m in height. It was an early start in order to make the most of the fine weather. It was a four hour hike to the top of the volcano through rock, ice and snow. Unfortunatey, Caroline had to pull out of the climb part way in because wasn´t feeling very well. The climb was pretty tough and I was very glad when we had breaks. The pain was worth it though when we reached the top the views were spectacular. Coming down the volcano was a whole lot easier as we slid down channels in the snow and ice. It only took us just over an hour to get down. After a quick dinner we went to some local hot springs to ease our sore bodies for a couple of hours.

Neil

Caroline reached this point of the volcano

Neil taking it easy during the climb up the volcano

Neil all suited up for his madcap slide down the volcano

Coming down the volcano on your arse

Volcan Villarrica in all its glory

Sunset over the Pacific

2006-04-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

06 April 2006

After spending a few days relaxing in Santiago we set out today on a week long tour of the lakes district to the south of Santiago. Its not a proper organised tour - you just pay for the bus and the accommodation is extra. You also get to choose what activities you want to do at each stop and you can hop off the bus anytime you want.

Our first stop was Pichilemu - which is the surf capital of Chile and obviously has the best surf in Chile. Its only about 200km from Santiago so it didn´t take us long to get there. Caroline and I decided to some horse riding along the beach. Both of us had never ridden a horse before and we probably thought we were controlling the horses but they probably just went along the path that they usually go.

After this went and watched the sun set over the Pacific Ocean - something that we have never seen before. Whilst watching the sun set we partly gatecrashed a celebration a bunch of surfers were having - I think there was some kind of competition on today. Later on we had a barbecue at the hostel where we were staying and then had some drinks at a local bar and sampled some of the local beers.

The beach at Pichilemu

A surfer in search of some better waves

Pichilemu as the sun starts to go down and the fogs rolls in

A bunch of surfers celebrating something in Pichilemu

Sunset over the Pacific Ocean

A cheesy photo of us as the sun goes down

A little bit of tango and some thoughts on Buenos Aires

2006-04-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

31 March 2006

We returned to Buenos Aires today from Puerto Iguazu after a short delay at the airport. Once back in Buenos Aires we enjoyed a meal at a vegetarian restaurant in San Telmo - our first visit to such an establishment whilst in South America. The food was great and they had a large selection of food to choose from. We also did some more shopping. Most stuff is fairly cheap over here.

Late in the evening we saw a tango show in downtown Buenos Aires with our friends Ashley and Alex. The show was great and an absolute bargain at only 25 pesos (about $12). It showcased the music, songs and dances of the tango. We didn´t get home until the early hours of the morning.

01 April 2006

Today was our last day in Buenos Aires. I have really enjoyed our visit to Buenos Aires and would have liked to spend a little more time here. We will definitely pay this city another visit. Of all the major cities we have visited in South America I like Buenos Aires the most and could quite easily see myself living here for a while and I don´t stand out as much as in the rest of South America that we have visited. We caught up on some last minute shopping and visited the suburb of Palermo - which is heavily influenced by the Italians before we headed off to the airport.

Fat tourists and the biggest shower of our lives

2006-04-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

29 March 2006

Today we headed up to Puerto Iguazu to check out the Iguazu Falls - the biggest falls in the world. We would be staying for two nights and three days. We arrived early afternoon after our flight was delayed briefly. We took a tour of a local Indian village and the surrounding jungle. We then took a ride on a catamaran up the Iguazu river to the meeting point of three countries - Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. We then went for a bit of a cruise up the river. Not much else happened for the rest of the day.

30 March 2006

Today we took a day trip to check out the Iguazu Falls and we had an early start. When we arrived at the entrance to the falls we took a train to a point where you walk about a kilometre to visit the Devil´s Throat waterfall. This waterfall is the highest of all the falls and about 70m in height. It was very noisy and there was heaps of spray going everywhere and soaking everyone on the viewing platform. We took lots of photos and then headed back to the train.

Unfortunately our train was delayed and it took us a while to get back to our next stop. I think the delay was caused by all the fat toursits that seemed to be at the falls. I have never seen so many fat tourists in all my life. We then went for a walk along some of the upper walkways and checked out some pretty amazing views of the waterfalls. After lunch we went on a Grand Adventure that involved a tour through the jungle on the back of a truck and then a trip on a jet boat along the Iguazu river. The jet boat went through the rapids and then took us right underneath two waterfalls so that you got totally soaked. You couldn´t see much as the water was absolutely pelting down on top of you. We then did a short walk back up to the train. I think we missed out on part of our tour because of the earlier delay but overall it was a pretty good tour and we were pretty tired by the end of it all.

Neil

Visiting the locals in the jungle. These people don´t actually belong to any country which prompted a young American tourist to ask: ¨What happens if they kill a man?¨.

Caroline crossing one of the many bridges in the jungle

Neil + Caroline taking it easy on the Iguazu River cruise

The Devil´s Throat waterfall. If you can see the little black things they are birds that fly around amongst the spray

Neil overlooking the Devil´s Throat waterfall

The Devil´s Throat waterfall

Some of the many waterfalls that make up the Iguazu Falls

Getting close to the edge at one of the waterfalls

We were about to follow that jet boat into the waterfall

Caroline and Neil on the jet boat before we got soaked

Neil on dry land but still thoroughly drenched from our trip under the waterfall

A different view of the waterfalls

Finally some photos

2006-04-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

I know you all have waited a long time but we have finally managed to post some photos for you to have a look at. You will have to look in the entries for them.

Enjoy

Neil

The sights of Buenos Aires and Caroline finds a team to support

2006-04-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

27 March 2006

We decided to check out down town Buenos Aires, as most of the museums and galleries are closed on Monday in San Telmo. Downtown Buenos Aires is extremely busy and there is heaps of people going somewhere or doing something. Buenos Aires has been busiest city we have visited so far. We checked out some of the sites of the city and the shops and took a wander down to the river and had a quick look at the bridge by Santiago Calatrava.

We the caught up with some friends who came over to Chile with us and they shared their experiences of standing in the roughest section (la doce) of the ground for the Boca-River match. We also swapped stories of our travels around Peru. We went out for dinner at a local restaurant. They did some really nice pasta (the itlain influence in the area) and we also sampled some Argentinian wine . Prices were excellent! Unfortunately the Blues were being played a little too loud so we decided to go back to our hostel.

28 March 2006

After a good nights sleep and a late start to the day we decided to check out some galleries and museums. Unfortunately the museums that we wanted to see were closed for renovations until 2007 so we decided to head back into Central Buenos Aires and have a look at some sites. We had a look at the obelisk that marks the spot where the first Argentinian flag was raised. The obelisk sits in a huge roundabout that sits within a 22 lane wide avenue, which is the biggest in the world. It takes you two changes of lights to get across it by foot. At every intersection the drivers all treat it like they are starting off from a grand prix - so you have eight lanes of cars flying off from the intersection. We checked out some bookshops - books are fairly cheap over here and there is also heaps of secondhand book shops. I purchased myself a Boca shirt at one of the many sports stores that are in this part of town.

Late in the afternoon we did a tour of the Boca Juniors stadium and museum which is called ¨La Bombonera¨ because from above it supposedly looks like a chocolate box. The museum had old shirts and some of the many trophies that Boca has won over the years. In our tour of the stadium we got to sit in the stands (the stadium is actually quite small and the stands are steep and only holds about 50,000 people); stand on a small part of the pitch; check out the press conference room and even the Boca change rooms.

In the evening we went out to a soccer match - Racing vs San Lorenzo. These are two of the oldest clubs in Buenos Aires even older than Boca and so it was a grudge match. The stadium probably about half full but the locals were making a lot of noise and it would have been deafening if the ground was full. It was a crunch match for Racing (the home team) as they were sitting on the bottom of the ladder without a win. The first half was pretty bad with both teams playing badly. The main highlight of the first half was a fight between the hamburger stall man and a disgruntled customer. Caroline also started chatting with these two old timers. One of them had been a member of Racing since the 1930s and the other the 1950s. They were complaining that the ground was never full anymore and told us about the glory days of the 1970s and 1980s when they won heaps of titles.

In the second half the crowd was trying to get their team going and the team responded by playing better and eventually they scored a goal 13 minutes before the end of the game. The crowd went absolutely nuts and the noise was deafening. People in the standing areas were shouting and everyone was taunting the opposition supporters who were own locked off section for their own security. Racing won the game and the crowd went home happy and tried to throw stones or rocks at the trains that full of San Lorenzo fans as they headed home. It was a great night and Caroline is now a passionate Racing fan.

Tomorrow we are off to the Iguazu falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil.

Neil

Neil in the Plaza de Mayo - this is where all the big demonstrations take place

The Casa Rosada (the Pink House)

Looking out from the Plaza de Mayo

Santiago Calatrava rolls out another bridge this time for the people of Buenos Aires

Buildings on the Avenida de Julio

The obelisk that marks the spot where the first Argentinian flag was raised

A Buenos Aires local taking it easy in the middle of the 22 lane Avenida de Julio

Diego Maradona´s footprint outside ¨La Bombonera¨- he was so fast he didn´t leave one

Neil giving the Boca team their orders - hopefully this team will listen to me

Inside ¨La Bombonera¨

Neil waiting for the next game at ¨La Bombonera¨

Racing and San Lorenzo line up before the big game

Caroline and one of the old timers (had been a member since the 1930s)she was talking to - he went home happy after the win

The Racing fans decide to spark their team into action by letting of a flare

Super Classico

2006-04-01T13:13:00.000-08:00

26 March 2006

Today we got on another flight as we headed off to Buenos Aires for a week. The reason for heading to Buenos Aires today was because the biggest game in argentine soccer if not South American soccer was on in Buenos Aires. It was between River Plate and Boca Juniors. Unfortunately we were unable to get tickets to the game apparently scalpers were offering between $300-500US a ticket.

After some hassles getting accomodation we settles on a hostel in San Telmo - a suburb of Buenos Aires close to Boca Junioes home ground where the game was being played. After visiting the local Sunday markets of SanTelmo where we made some purchases we headed off to a local bar/cafe to watch the big game. Because we were close to the Boca Juniors heartland all but three people in the cafe were Boca fans. I think I have to include myself as a Boca fan although a very minor one. (Neil will insert a detailed match report to anyone who cares to listen) Boca fan went home happy after a 1-1 draw. San Telmo is a nice old area that has cobbled streets and lots of old building. I think its considered the bohemian-artist section of town. We will explore the rest of Buenos Aires in the next couple of days.

Neil

Street Performers in San Telmo Buenos Aires

Neil in San Telmo

Neil watching the big game with the locals

More Football

2006-03-27T08:52:00.000-08:00

25 March 2006

Have spent the last couple of days hanging around Chile. Caroline´s parents arrived back from their trip to Brazil nd yesterday we went out to lunch at a traditional Chilean restaurant. Again I had a Chilean salad. At night I went off to another soccer match, this time to see a chilean league match between Union Espanola and Universidad de Concepcion. Union Espanola is Caroline´s cousin´s husband Valentine´s team. It was abit of a difference to the previous game we went to as the crowd was much smaller and the stadium was very old. I think if someone had let off a flare it might have burnt the whole place down. The game wasnt that great we left happy as Union Espanola won 1-0. It was a boy´s night out as I went with Valentine and Caroline´s dad and uncle. I think i make Union Española my chilean team as they are abit of a battler side but still okay as they wont the title last year. They are also not as popular as some of the other Chilean teams.

Today we went to a local artifical lake to check out the South American waterski championships- something I hadnt seen in the flesh before - only watched the Moomba Masters on T.V

Neil

Union Espanola vs Universidad Concepcion

Us at the lake watching some waterskiing

Football and Architecture

2006-03-27T08:38:00.000-08:00

21 March 2006

Today we had a look around some shops in a shopping mall near the centre of Santiago. Our highlight of the day was going to see a soccer match between Universidad de Catolica of Chile and Deportivo Cali of Columbia in Copa Liberatodores game. For those not in the know - Copa Liberatodores is the South American Version of the European Champions League. It took us ages to get to the game as it seemed everyone was driving to the game and we missed the first ten minutes. Anyways the Universidad fans came away happy as they won 2-1. It was a pretty good game and the crowd was really into it - being mostly Universidad fans. Security checks were non-existent compared to Melbourne Victory games but there was alot of police in full riot gear. At the game I got to hear the Chilean term ¨Huevon¨which I think means egg head or something like that, and is the quintessential Chilean insult - useed to full effect on the referees, opposition players and of course Universidad players. I had a great time and really enjoyed the experience. Hopefully I may be able to catch a chilean league match before I leave.

22 March 2006

Today we again paid a visit to Central Santiago to check out some more sites. This time we went with Caroline´s cousin, Carolina. We checked out the Catedral Metropolitana, the Plaza de Armas (every South American city or town has one), the Casa Colorada and its Museo de Santiago, the Palacio de Bellas Artes and Museo de Arte Contemporaneo where we saw some interesting artwords. We also checked out the Universidad de Catolica which was showing some of the design and architectural work by its students. The main reason for the visit was to have a look at the new School of Medicine building by Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena.It was pretty good and had some interesting feature.Took some photos but didnt spend a whole lot of time because I was with non-architects. We also had a look at some markets and shops.

Neil

Neil and Caroline outside the Catedral Metropolitana

The new Medicine building by Alejandro Aravena

Neil and Caroline´s cousin Carolina

Neil and Caroline at the Universidad de Catolica vs Deportivo Cali game

The final scoreboard at the Universidad de Catolica vs Deportivo Cali game

Flying like a bird in Miraflores

2006-03-18T13:16:00.000-08:00

16 March 2006

Another early start as our tour of Peru drew to an end. We took a bus from Puno to Juliaca to catch a plane back to Lima. We arrived back in Lima about 12 noon. As soon as you arrive back in Lima you really notice the difference between Lima and the other places we have visited in Peru.

After a fairly dodgy lunch we headed down to Miraflores with John + Laura (the other two remaining members of our group). Miraflores is like the rich and classy end of Lima and if you only visited Miraflores you wouldnt get the real picture of the city. The reason for the visit to Miraflores was to go paragliding. I wasnt that keen on it at the start but Caroline had had her heart set on it for a while - but it in the end all four of us took up the challenge. I am glad that I decided do it. We floated hundreds of metres above the beaches and roadways and pools as your pilot gives you a guided aerial view of Miraflores. The sensation of flyin around was amazing and I think I had the biggest grin on my face the whole time. Not usually my kind of thing but it was so much fun. Caroline and the others also enjoyed it a lot. Caroline also got to see a Peruvian beagle - which reminded her of Peanut.

As it was our last night together as a group we went out for dinner in Miraflores with our tour leader to say thanks for a great tour.

Neil

Miraflores from the air

Miraflores from the air

Miraflores from the air

Its long way down there

Neil coming into land - stand clear

Seasickness on the highest lake in the world

2006-03-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

14 March 2006

Yesterday was spent traveling from Cuzco to Puno. This took 7 hours on a bus! Puno is at an altitude of 3800m above sea level.

Today was an early start again for us as we headed out onto Lake Titcaca to visit some of the Islands. Lake Titcaca is the highest navigatable lake in the world and its huge. We experienced rain for the first time since we have been in South America. However the rain soon disappeared and it was blue skies again.

Our first stop was Taquile Island which was about a 3 hour boat ride from Puno. We took a hike over the island which was quite tough because of the altitude, but the scenery was picturesque. We stopped off in the main plaza for lunch and then caught the boat to a near by island called Amantani.

On Amantani Island we stayed with a family in their home. We met our families and after a brief stay at our home, went up the hill to the local football pitch. It was only half the size and was concrete. We played two games of gringos vs locals. We won the first game 5-3 - one of the few times the locals had lost. The locals then immediately challenged us to a rematch - feeling the altitude we lost 4-1. We returned to our host home where we had a very simple dinner of soup and potatoes with our family in their small dark kitchen. We had some fun and games playing around with one of the children who lived in the house.

After dinner we got dressed up in traditional costumes to go to a fiesta. I only had to where a woolen hat and poncho, but Caroline had to wear traditional skirt, blouse and headscarf. At the fiesta we did some traditional Peruvian dancing which after a while seemed all to be the same. I dont think the locals were that impressed with our dancing skills.

15 March 2006

After a good night sleep we left Amantani Island and our host families. The lake was a bit choppy and both Caroline and I suffered from abit of sea sickness. On the way back to Puno, we stopped off at the Uros Islands which are a series of man made islands make of reeds. Its quite interesting and the islands were quite stable(and bouncy).

Once we were back in Puno we decided to pay a visit to the Fertility Temple, just outside of Puno. It was listed in one of our guidebooks as one of the top thirty things to do in Peru. When we arrived we were abit disappointed as it was a bit smaller than we expected. Being a Fertility Temple it had a whole series of phallic shaped statues. Even though it wasnt as big as we thought it was still worth a visit just for some funny photos. Late in the evening we again went out for dinner and drinks in Puno - which was a lot of fun.

Neil.

Lake Titicaca from Taquile Island.

Neil starring on the soccer field on Amantani Island.

The winning soccer team

The house where we stayed on Amantani Island.

A view of one of the floating Uros Islands

The Fertility Temple in Puno - not quite up to size.

Back in Cuzco

2006-03-17T13:00:00.000-08:00

12 March 2006

Not much happening toay as we spent most of the day travelling back to Cuzco. Really loving Cuzco! People here are generally really nice, helping you out if you look alittle lost. Lots of great places to eat, drink and shop. Definitely one of my favouite places so far.

Caroline.

Jungle Fever

2006-03-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

10 March 2006

Today we left cuzco for the Amazon Jungle. Our first stop was Puerto Maldonado which is considered the capital of the Amazon in these parts. The airport in Puerto Maldonardo was fairly basic - where you get off the plane onto the tarmac and the terminal was just a big shed. When we walked off the plane we were hit by this wave of heat - it was about 33 degrees with very very high humidity. We took a bus ride into town to take a one and a half hour boat up the Madre Del Dios river to our jungle lodge - which looked pretty impressive amongst the trees. Our Cabins are pretty basic with flyscrees instead of windows and only cold showers - which wasn´t so bad considering the heat.

Our first excusion was a short boat ride across the river to Monkey Island which has five different kinds of monkeys living peacefully together. We walked around abit and the guide guide started calling out to the monkeys telling them he had bananas. Soon a whole bunch of monkeys came from everywhere. I got to have a small tamarind monkey sit on my shoulder and fed aother. It was great fun.

After dinner we went for a boat ride in the dark along the river trying to spot caimains. (which are like alligators) We didnt have much luck and only managed to see a few. When we went back to our cabins the jungle starting to come alive with noise. Whilist on the boat we could see lightning off in the disance but didnt get any rain.

11 March 2006

We were up early this morning for a four hour trek through the jungle. Our guide took us through the jungle near our cabins and explaining bits of pieces about local trees and wildlife. I got to swing on a vine like Tarzan and Caroline got to wear a skirt made out of palm leaves. We made it to a bird watching tower that overlooked a lake on which we travelled by boat. Before we could travel on the boat alot of water had to be bailed out.

The trek was good - just being part of the Amazon jungle - the only problem bein the heat and the humidity that increased as the trek wore on and we were both pretty tired hen we arrived back. I had a quick dip in the swimming pool on the lodge where the water was an unnatural green colour.

In the afternoon we went and paid a visit to a local family who live about 20 minutes down the river. Here we got to see how they lived an got to have a firing a bow and arrow. The heat and humity here is amazing with your clothes feeling damp after you have been walking for only a few steps.
Neil

Our Tour group on the Madre Del Dios

Monkey hanging around on Monkey Island

We saw this sign during our 4 hour jungle trek

Neil swinging through the jungle

On a canoe in a lake in the jungle

Our Viewing platform in the jungle

Our lodges in the jungle

Blog Trouble

2006-03-12T14:29:00.000-08:00

Neil accidently deleted the entire blog! Nice one! So we had to publish it again. We´ve lost your comments. Sorry! Feel free to post them again

Caroline.

Ruins, ruins and more ruins

2006-03-12T14:25:00.000-08:00

09 March 2006

We headed off today to see the Sacred Valley of Cuzco. First stop was Sasqaywaman, some ruins that overlook the city of Cuzco and gave a great view of the city. You don´t realise how big the city is until you view it from this vantage point.

Next stop was llama and alpaca where we got to feed some of them. We also saw some of the local people turning the wool of these animals into garments.

Our next stop to visit was the village of Pisac which is famous for its market and ruins. A small group of us chose to visit the Pisac ruins and when we arrived we were glad we made the choice. Everywhere we looked was a picture postcard view down into the Sacred Valley - so we took a number of photos. We then headed back down to Pisac to do some shopping at the market. We bought a number of items and did some bargaining with the locals. There was heaps of alpaca products and I even saw a human skull with hair on it. Not sure if it was real and I didn´t stop to ask.Our last stop for the day was Ollantytambo where paid a visit to some Inca ruins. Again most of the buildings had been destroyed by the Spanish.

As at least half our tour group was going back to Lima tomorrow we went out to a local restaurant called Fallen Angel for a meal and some drinks. The food was fantastic. Some of us then headed off to the local Irish Pub. Yes, they even have an Irish Pub in Cuzco. Although to be perfectly honest there wasn´t much Irish about it apart from selling Guinness. I don´t think there was any Peruvians at the bar. When we arrived at the bar it was the start of a happy half hour. Instead of the usual drinks at half price they gave us two drinks for the price of one. So I had 2 vodkas for the 8 peruvian soles - which is about $aus4. And they were strong mixes as well.

We are off to the Jungle tomorrow.

Neil

Sasqaywaman - Above Cuzco

View from Sasqaywaman

Caroline feeding an Alpaca at a farm.

Peruvians making Alpaca stuff

View of the Sacred Valley from the Pisac Ruins

Pisac Markets

Neil climbing the Ollantytambo Ruins

Neil posing in front of Ollantytambo Ruins

Ollantytambo Ruins

Machu Picchu

2006-03-12T14:24:00.000-08:00

08 March 2006

Today was marked down as one of the highlights of our Peruvian tour and our visit to Machu Picchu didnt disappoint. We had another early start as we had to catch one of the earliest trains to Machu Picchu. Caroline was feeling alot better today so she was able to enjoy the day much better than yesterday. After a four hour train ride through some picturesque countryside we arrived at Aguas Callientes. From here we took a half hour bus ride up the mountain to Machu Picchu. It was quite hairy bus ride at times with the narrow road barely holding two buses.

We were given a guided tour of the ruins which went for over two hours. The tourwas great as we were given a very detailed history of the place. You dont realise how big it is until you have to walk around it. We took heaps of photos and hopefully they turn out well as the light was good for picture taking. There was quite a number of tourist and sometimes we had to wait to look at some of the sites, but wasn´t too bad. After the tour we had some free time to ourselvesand then headed down to Aguas Calientes for some food. I´m glad we made it to Machu Picchu as it is a pretty awe inspiring place.

We the caought the train back to Ollantytambo we caught a bus bck to Cuzco as it would be quicker than taking the train. We had a demon driver who loved overtaking going around bends and we almost had some close calls -but we arrived back safely.

Neil

Caroline at Machu Picchu, with Huyana Picchu in the background

One of the many views of Machu Picchu

Another one of those great views

Is it Indiana Jones, no its just Neil at Machu Picchu

The terraces of Machu Picchu

Another view of Machu Picchu

Neil at Machu Picchu - farmhouses in background

Caroline at the entrance to one of the temples

Neil overlooking Machu Picchu

Plazas, Churches and Altitude Sickness

2006-03-12T14:22:00.000-08:00

07 March 2006

Today we had an early morning flight from lima to Cuzco - the capital of the Incas and also of tourism. First thing you notice when you get off the plain is how much cleaner the air is here compared to Lima. Cuzco is about 3400m above sea level so we had to be a bit careful about over exerting ourselves at such altitude. To put it into perspective a plane usually flys at this type of altitude. One way to overcome th altitude is to drink coca tea which is made from the same plant that gives us cocaine.

We had a brief tour of the city looking at the main plazas of Cuzco and also the artist bohemian quarter. Caroline was not feeling that great probably due to her not being used to the altitude. Whilist Caroline was resting I took to the streets of Cuzco to see some of the sights. I also got to try out some spanish which is not that good - but I managed to communicate well enough. I paid a visit to one of the many churched that are in Cuzco - the iglesia de la Compania, and was givene a guided tour. Most of the churches in Cuzco were built on the foundations of Inca temples that were destroyed during the spanish conquest.

Also paid a visit to the Museum of Popular Art and Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art. The contemporary art museum was showing an exhibition of graphic design by students of La Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru- that was really quite good.

Neil

Streets in Cuzco

Cathedral in Plaza de Armas

Plaza de Armas in Cuzco

Some Inca foundations

Caroline in the streets of Cuzco

Caroline in Plaza de San Blaez

Plaza de Armas

Off to the land of the Incas

2006-03-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

06 March 2006

Today we arrived in the land of the Incas as we arrived in Lima from Santiago for a two week tour we are doing of Peru. The first thing that hits you as you walk out of the airport pollution, heat and the smell - most of all the smell - it was quite overpowering. We took a cab ride to our hotel through the streets of Lima which demonstrated that drivers in Lima were crazier than the ones in Santiago which was hard to fathom. Sometime they would make lanes where there wasn´t any and petrol is really expensive over here with it being about $US5 a litre but it doesn´t stop everyone from driving. There is so many cars - most of them in bad conditions all constantly using there horns.

We were given a brief tour of Lima by our tour guide and we were shown the main parts of central Lima. It has a lot of colonial Spanish architecture and a lot of churches - being a Catholic country and all. Nothing too modern in terms of architecture but the city has a certain character to it. We will explore it further when we arrive back from our tour.

Neil

Statue of General San Martin in San Martin Plaza

Main street in Lima, also known as chicken and shoe street because it has heaps of chicken and shoe shops

One of Lima´s famous patios off the Plaza de Armas

Post office in Lima

Off to see the seaside

2006-03-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

05 March 2006

Today we again travelled with Caroline´s family. This time we went to Viña del Mar and Valpairiso, which is on the coast of Chile north of Santiago. On the way there we took the scenic route and stopped at a local market. We drove initially through Viña del Mar which looks like a smaller version of the Gold Coast with lots of ugly high rise apartment buildings which all look similar. We went onto Valpairiso which had a bit more charm to it and is only about 5 minutes from Viña del Mar. It has heaps of old buildings and less of the ugly apartment buildings. Our destination was one of the houses of Pablo Neruda (famous Chilean author who won a Nobel Prize for Literature) called San Sebastian. After our bus driver got the directions wrong a few times and driving up a number of very steep narrow roads we finally reached our destination. It was a pretty amazing and eclectic house with fantastic views over the city and sea. Unfortunately we were not able to take photos of the interior because it was a museum but hopefully my exterior shots give some idea of what it looks like. For all those awaiting to see photos we will post them next weekend (17th).

We then headed back to Viña del Mar and its casino for lunch. After lunch we had a look around the city on the back of a horse and buggy. I think these are around for the tourists and I think we paid a little too much. But it was a good way to see the older part of the town which lay behind the apartment buildings along the foreshore. It was sometimes a bit hairy when the driver tried to cross lanes of traffic amongst all the cars who don´t like to give way here in Chile.

For all those architects reading this it was just announced that they are going to build the tallest building in South America right here in Santiago done by a local firm of architects. It will comprise a hotel, offices and apartments and doesn´t look to bad in the pictures.

Neil

Vina del Mar Beach

The Rojas gang and Neil

Valpairiso

A view from San Sebastian

Pisco sours and a good old fashioned riot

2006-03-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

04 March 2006

Yesterday was a pretty relaxing day after the hectic day travelling around the sites of Santiago. We paid a visit to Caroline´s cousin´s farm. Her name is Carolina - which can make things confusing. Carolina and her husband have a kiwi farm - but they also grow peaches and grapes. The farm was located in a beautiful setting at the bottom of a couple of hills that were covered in cacti. They also had a few cows and some horses. Carolina´s husband being a mad football fan is preparing a futsal pitch near his house. Over here they call futsal, baby football

In the evening we went out for a family dinner. There was heaps of people them - a lot of them were Caroline´s dad´s cousins - all up there was about 40 of us there. There was lots of kissing of cheeks and shaking of hands as we met them all. Festivities didn´t start up until about 10pm and dinner didn´t start until 11pm - which apparently is quite normal over here. We started off with a pisco sour which is like the Chilean national drink and they like to think that they invented it - but the Peruvians beg to differ. The main meal was a slab of meat and some salad. Being a vegetarian they gave me an enlarged Chilean salad that is made up of a whole plate of vegetables. I don´t eat a whole plate of vegetables at the best of times and it was a bit of a struggle. Can´t complain about the Chilean wine though.

A big part of the night was dancing and because we were from Australia we had to bust some moves in front of the whole restaurant. There is not much to Chilean dancing. They also had this Marco Antonio Solis (big Mexican singer) impersonator which all the girls loved. Caroline and I thought he was a bit gross. The night ended up about 4am.
Today not much happened until we were returning home from a relative´s house and we were driving along the freeway when we came across a massive traffic jam. We thought there must have been an accident or something because we saw a few ambulances drive along a side road. We had to turn around and drive the wrong way up the freeway. Luckily the police had close part of the freeway so it was pretty safe. When we finally made it home we found that there was a protest going on at the end of our street on the freeway with groups of people chanting around a number of fires. Apparently the government had wiped the debt of people who live in government housing but they hadn´t done it to all the residents and these guys were complaining. The police soon rocked up and were firing tear gas into the crowds to disperse them (apparently a tear gas canister hit a neighbours car). It was all a bit exciting and dangerous.

Neil

Caroline´s cousin Carolina´s kiwi farm

Carolina´s house down on the kiwi farm.

Marco Antonio Solis (big Mexican singer) impersonator with Caroline´s cousin Alex

Caroline dancing with her uncle Juan

Fun and games in Santiago

2006-03-12T14:17:00.000-08:00

1 March 2006

We have now been in Santiago for two days. It took us a bit longer to get to Santiago as our plane was delayed in Auckland for four hours. Rumour has it that they didn´t have enough fuel for the trip from Auckland to Santiago. Maybe they used too much fuel because of all the baggage that Caroline´s Mum was carrying. We travelled across with some of Caroline´s dad´s friend who is from Argentina and his family. After arriving at the airport we were greeted by heaps of Caroline´s family who had all turned up to meet us. It was a very dry 30 degrees when we arrived and has been the same for the rest of the time that we have been here. There has been no rain for ages and everything is brown and you see lots of people watering there grass and their dirt and driveways. We are staying with Caroline´s aunt and uncle in San Bernardo which is south of Santiago. After arriving we had some lunch with all the family. Cos I´m a vegetarian I had to have beans. We were introduced to the streets of San Bernardo where we noticed heaps of stray dogs - they are apparently well fed because there wasn´t a skinny one amongst them - we came across stray dogs everywhere we have been. There is also heaps of people selling stuff on the sidewalk and when the police rock up they quickly pack up and move to a different place. I think they have a lookout for the cops. It was a bit like Footscray but with lots more people.We then played a visit to Caroline´s uncle´s fruit shop called "Don Juan" - literally Mr John.

We were travelling around in the back of Don Juan´s truck just holding onto the bars behind the drivers seats. It wasn´t that bad accept for going around corners and when started to fall asleep after only having a couple of hours sleep. We also visited the supermarket that´s run by Caroline´s cousin and Don Juan´s house and watched some football on TV - a game in which Diego Maradona was making a guest appearance. By the end of the day we were pretty tired.

2 March 2006

On our second day in Santiago we were given a tour of the city in a minibus with Caroline´s family. We took a quick ride on the metro - I actually thought we going somewhere but we just went to a station and then we came back again. Next stop was the Estadio National - the home of the Chilean football - we weren´t allowed on the ground cos they were setting up for some concert. For all those football fans out there this was the ground where Harry Kewell made his debut for Australia when he was only 18.We then went to the Central Market in Santiago for lunch - if anyone saw the last series of the Amazing Race this was where the gay guys had the argument with the dodgy fish guys. We had lunch and were seranaded by three mariachis singing us some Chilean songs.

Next up we went to Ex-National Congress which was bombed in 73, when pinochet took over. Looks fine now. This is where allende "committed suicide". We posed with some guards. Chileans love their uniforms and hats! tried to get into the museum under the plaza de Armas but Lagos (chilean president) was there so everything was pretty much shut down. he´s now on my list!

We ended the day at Cerro San Cristobel. Its a big mountain/hill where you can look out onto all of Santiago. Its massive. Theres also a big statue of the Virgin Mary which goes down well in a Catholic country. We rode on the dodgy old cable cars which keep on hitting all the trees while travelling scaring Caroline's mum and dad.
Will post photos later.

Chile´s Estadio Nacional - Home of the National football team.

Ex-National Congress

Having lunch at the Central Market.

View of Santiago from Cerro San Cristobel

View of Santiago from Cerro San Cristobel with Caroline´s big head