Where we've been...

We've been running around a bit lately, and haven't had the time to update the blog as much as we'd like. It's 9pm in Bogota now, so we certainly don't have time at the moment.

So, here are a few panoramas to update you on where we've been...

We started here, high above Santiago, Chile...
Then to the port city of Valparaiso...
Then a quick flight to Lima, and its Plaza De Armas...
And off to Cuzco which has its own Plaza De Armas...
Then for a little walk - through the Lares Valley in Peru, where we walked to see places like this:
And then some more walking...
And a bit more...
And finally through the Sun Gate, to take in this vista...
Which includes, if you look closely this...
Overall, a pretty amazing week. We'll be back as soon as time allows with proper updates on the goings-on.

NEW Feature!!! The progress map!!!

Carlos has applied his phenomenal Adobe Illustrator skillz to the challenge of creating a cogent visual expression for the progress of our sojourn through Sud America. Below is the result of his efforts (click to enlarge):

To complement his efforts, I've done a bit of statistical work. To date, from Philadelphia to Valparaiso, we have traveled a total of:

8,459.2 miles or
13,613.8 kilometers

Hopefully, we'll be able to keep this feature up to date as we move along, and maybe add some new statistical elements (empanadas consumed, photographs taken, litros de cerveca, etc.)

But for now, it's time to finish our exploration of Valparaiso... Ciao!

Buenos Aires Photos

Here's my set of photos from our week in Buenos Aires. It's a very photogenic place, where we stayed for a while, so there's 145 pictures of boulevards, cemeteries, protests, and more. Click the photo below to launch the Picasa gallery.

Pista-Off in the Andes

Hello Everyone! Our adventures have brought us to Chile. In the winter. Near the Andes.

If that doesn´t conjure up images of skiing, then I don´t know what does! Hammer and I decided a skiing adventure was in order while the other guys decided to explore Santiago for the day. When we arrived in Santiago on Thursday, there was intermittent rain in the city, but I knew that it must be snowing in the mountains a few thousand feet above us in elevation so I was getting pumped for a powder day in the Andes. As with any good ski day, it started before dawn when a mini-bus picked us up from the hostel and took us to the tour office to pick up skis, boots, poles, goggles, and ski pants. Although that took a long time, soon we were heading up to the mountains in a packed mini-bus sharing cups of matte tea (an argentine tea I picked up and was eager to try. Yummmmm) and cliff bars.

The drive was really the first adventure, and soon the mountains we had seen from the city were all around us. The best way up them was over many tight switchbacks that a steady line of cars was snaking up. We had chains on the tires, and the ride wasn´t too scary, but plenty scenic. Soon, we were at the base of El Colorado, one of the bigger mountains close to Santiago and we jumped into our ski boots and headed for the first lift. After all, it was a powder day!

The mountain was above the treeline, so it was a big expanse of snow, with a good network of ski lifts and surface lifts crawling up. The day started out warm and sunny and we had amazing views of the Andes all around us, and could even see Santiago way down below. Most of the mountain had sections that were expertly groomed right next to areas of fresh powder, so there was something for everyone. The mountain wasn´t too steep, but the 10 or so inches of fresh snow made for really great skiing.

We were conquering even the toughest trails, but there was a section of the mountain that led to the base of a closed lift, requiring a short hike back to the open lifts. I parted ways with Hammer (the rule that there are no friends on powder days was only a little true!) for an hour or so to spin some laps in the knee deep fresh snow, and I got a fresh line each lap. Needless to say, I was prett happy!!!!! While the terrain wasn´t very steep, there is something magical about being able to take perfect turns in thigh deep snow. Ahhhhhhhh!

Hammer and I rendevoused at a mid-mountain eatery for a great lunch and a few beers. But we were there to ski, and were quickly back at it. After a few more runs, Dan joined me on the fun powder field and he was carving up turns like Alberta Tomba. We did the short hike out and found another little powder stash that Dan promptly got stuck in. But hey, it´s not easy to put your skis on when the snow is up to your thighs! I needed to spin a few more laps on that powder field, so we parted ways for another short time. I could have skied that part of the mountain until my legs gave out, which actually happened after another hour over there! As I was heading back to the base area, Dan passed me overhead on a lift, and he gave out the first part of our new favorite cheer, ¨Chi, Chi, Chi¨and of course I responded with the ¨Le, Le, Le, Viva Chile!¨

At 4:30 we met up at the base area with time for either one more run, or one well-deserved beer. Guess what we decided on???? Beer never tastes as good as when it´s after an amazing day on the slopes, and this was no exception. We traded our boots for sneakers and boarded the mini-bus back to town. The sun was setting on the Andes as we snaked down the mountains, and we were exhausted and really excited that we had such a fun day on the slopes.

After getting back to town, we regrouped with the Hern, Mike, and Carlos and headed to the beautiful port town of Valparaiso which we have been exploring all day and will get a post all to itself.

Ciao, Joey

Valparaiso... It's not just a Lutheran school in Indiana anymore!

It's also where we are, on the Chilean coast. After a delightful week in Buenos Aires, which is a truly fantastic city - among the finest I've visited, we flew to Santiago de Chile. After a fairly quiet night in the city, we broke up in the morning - with Joey and Dan leaving at the break of dawn for skiing in the Andes, and Carlos, Hern, and I slept in and explored some of the cool parks and interesting cafe's of the city.

Carlos has spent the better part of the last two days reciting the following exchange from There's Something About Mary:

---

Norm: Really? Where would I have seen your work?
Pat Healy: Well, have you been to, uh well, let me see... Santiago, Chile?
Norm: Twice last year. Which building's yours?
PAre you familiar with the soccer stadium?
Norm: Did you build the Estadio Olimpico?
Pat Healy: No, just down the street the Celinto Catayente Towers. It's quite a fine example, in fact. I recommend that next time you're up that way that you drop in and take a gander at it yourself.

As for today, we had a killer day exploring Valparaiso. After a nap and some fun tonight, we'll be back with a full update on Buenos Aires, replete with a full photo gallery!

Here's a little taste of the city to whet your appetites.

I Love Doing Hood-rat Stuff With My Friends

Day 18 - We all woke up this morning itching for some adventure, so Hernaldo scored a Peruvian visa, Mike stole a pair of pants from Joey (not for adventure's sake...) and we then headed to the local gun shop (aka Museo de las Armas). Mike picked up a sweet Swiss-army gun with a convenient cork screw, while Hernaldo browsed some gatling guns - more of his caliber. I grabbed some grenades, Dan a bazooka and Joey an empanada and an orange fanta.



Once equipped, we headed to La Boca (a blue collar barrio of Buenos Aires where Spanish and Italian immigrants settled in mid 19th century - and home of the Boca Juniors, one of South America's best futbol clubs) for some hood-rat action. A lot of houses consist of colorful corrugated metal, which port dwellers painted using leftover paint from shipping barges.


After terrorizing much of the neighborhood (with our tango dancing skillz) along el Caminito (that's small path for those of you that don't habla español), a pedestrian path with shops/restaurants and La Boca's most famous street, we hopped on a bus and headed back to the 'hood - without paying, of course.


We continued on with our wild adventures by devouring some amazing pizzas (NO HAM!! [for Dan]) whilst watching the Celtics destroy the Lakers (we strongly believe the sighting of the leprechaun helped insure their victory) and downing some cervezas - no worries, we were sure to pour some beer on the restaurant floor for our cronies back in North America (that continent is so last year). And this here picture is to prove that we do smile after all...

Tons of all new photo galleries.

With good wireless in Buenos Aires and some down time from a cold, I've put up galleries for most of the other cities in Brazil that we've visited. With more time, I'll be able to caption and tag all of them, but for now, here they are in raw form.

Ouro Preto, Brazil

82 photographs of our day and night in the hilly little gold town can be found here.

Belo Horizonte, Brazil

40 photos from our day in BH with plenty of Oscar Niemeyer buildings and a guest appearance by a pair of capybara (which look kind of like dog-sized guinea pigs) can be found over here. Sadly, there is not one picture of the beautiful women who were crawling all over that town.

Sao Paulo, Brazil

113 shots from a few days spent in Brazil's largest city are here.

Curitiba, Brazil

Love it or hate it (and I'm probably the only one who didn't hate it) we spent a delightful day of public transport and closed attractions in Curitiba. The next day featured a train trip through the Serra Verde mountains to the small town of Morretes. 73 photos from Curitiba (and the fun train rides that leave from there) can be found right here.

Iguaçu Falls
Straddling the river border between Argentina and Brazil, Iguacu is one of the world's three great waterfalls. (Niagara and Victoria being the others) We saw the falls from up close, far-away and both sides of the river. Our trip also included a stop by the Itaipu dam, which is the world's largest or second largest, depending on which guidebook you're reading. Regardless of its rank it is quite large, and involved a technical (but no passport stamps) visit to Paraguay. 57 wet and wild pictures from three countries can be found aqui.