Lulo Arepa Mora

July 22, 2010

Our last stop in Colombia was Santa Marta, a city 4 hours east of Cartagena along the Caribbean coast. Santa Marta itself wasn’t very special, although we did manage to find a restaurant that served probably the cheapest and tastiest juices in all of South America! Every day we would have at least a few of our favourites: mora (blackberry), maracuya (passionfruit), mango, lulo (a local fruit that is unlike anything I have ever tasted before), and pineapple. This is one of the things that I am really going to miss about South America.

From Santa Marta we embarked on a five day journey to the Ciudad Perdida—the lost city of the Tayronan people; indigenous people of the area who have been there since pre-colonial times. The trek was an adventure and an absolute test! To reach the lost city, we spent three days hiking through jungle, wading through rivers, slipping up and down muddy banks, and climbing stairs. After reaching the city, we had to turn around and spent two more days doing it all over again! It was both mentally and physically challenging, but that just added to the experience.

The adventure started within minutes of the trek’s beginning. In the jungle near Santa Marta it rains like clockwork nearly every day at 2pm. For most days of the trek, we started hiking early in the morning so that we could finish before the torrential afternoon rains came. However, on day one we started the hike in the afternoon and got caught in the middle of one of the most intense rain showers of my life. They call it rainforest for a reason. The downpour lasted at least an hour and didn’t let up once during that time. Our bags were inside garbage bags but the rain managed to find a way in and they got completely soaked. Within ten minutes we were all soaked from head to toe. I felt wetter than I do when I take a shower! We came to a river about 20 minutes in and crossed it in our shoes. This was the moment when we abandoned any sort of hope of staying dry and stopped caring about the fact that we were wet. We crossed a few more small rivers and then came to a big river that was flowing fast due to all of the runoff. Part of our group crossed, but the water levels were increasing incredibly fast, making it more dangerous for each successive person. Our excellent guides, Walter and Gabriel, took Minju’s hands and attempted to guide her across the stream. I could see the river take her body almost immediately and it was clear that she had no control. Up to this point I had been calm about the whole situation, but at this point I had the epiphany that what we were doing was potentially life-threatening. The guides decided it was too dangerous to cross and we decided to wait it out. We had to wait for the rain to stop, for the water levels to stop rising and then for it to drop down again. It was amazing how quickly the water level changed. Within about an hour the height of the river fluctuated by about 4 feet. Once the rain stopped and the water dropped we resumed the crossing, this time with the help of a rope. The guys walked across using the rope and the girls went on Gabriel’s back, essentially hanging on for dear life. The current was intense and I was shocked at how tough it was to move in the river. The guides definitely make it look easy. There were some tense moments, but the whole group made it across fine. We spent the rest of the day attempting to stay upright as we slipped our way along the muddy paths. It was a relief to see the camp after that first day.

After the first day, anything seemed easy and the next few days were easier and much drier. Unfortunately, after day one most of our clothes would be permanently wet for the rest of the trek. The trek went through Colombia’s Sierra Nevada mountain range, which made for some beautiful views over lush jungle valleys and the mountains that surrounded them. We started at about 400m elevation and finished at 1300m. Our days would usually finish with a swim in the river (shoes on) which was the perfect finish to a hot, sweaty hike. To add to the trekking difficulties, the mosquitoes were horrible and our group (especially the girls) got eaten alive. We tried three different types of mosquito repellent, but nothing kept them away.

On the morning of day 4 we climbed up 1600 narrow steps to finally reach the Lost City. Little of the former city remains, except for a beautiful series of circular and oval terraces, which used to be the location of the homes in the Lost City. One of the biggest terraces was the site of the chief’s home and another was where they engaged in festivals. From the Lost City there is a nearly panoramic view to the surrounding mountains of the Sierra Nevada. The Lost City was re-discovered in 1973, when a man stumbled across it while he was deep in the jungle. After plundering the city’s gold he let his secret slip to a friend, and ever since people have been making the voyage to the spectacular sight.


On day 4 alone, we had 14 river crossings; however none were as challenging as the crossing on day one. The last two days of hiking were pretty intense, although luckily we were able to avoid the rain. When we came back to river from day one, I was shocked to see that it was little more than a stream that we could wade across easily. It was a great feeling to finish the trek and was fun to reminisce and laugh about the journey afterwards. Unfortunately, we don't have too many photos from the Lost City trek our cameras don't like water!

After our trek to the Lost City, we went to Tayrona National Park for some much needed beach time and relaxation. We stayed at aptly named campsite: El Paraiso. This place literally was paradise. We had a tent in a grass field, which looked out over palm trees, beach, and blue ocean. Our mouths were hanging open when we first arrived there. The park is full of white sand beaches which look out over the Atlantic ocean and are backed by green muddy jungle. We were on the beach at sunrise every day and stayed there for almost every waking moment of sunlight.



After Tayrona, we flew back to Bogota and realized that our Colombia adventures were coming to a close. As always it was a bittersweet feeling. Now, I am back in Winnipeg and it is interesting reflecting on what this year of travel has meant to me. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved in my year off. Thinking back to how much I have seen and experienced, I feel very lucky. Things weren’t always easy or comfortable, and the trip required stamina, brains, fitness and fortitude. I feel like I have carved out my own backpacker identity and defined the way that I like to travel and experience things. I fell in love with travelling early in my journey and that love has only grown with every positive experience. My experiences have helped me to grow as a human being, and I feel more politically aware, more culturally diverse, and more empathetic. I have found that I am much more likely to share common ground with a random person that I meet now. There are so many more places I want to visit. It is going to take a lifetime to explore them all, but I hope to chip away at the list bit-by-bit.

Thanks to everyone who read my blog throughout my travels. Your comments and compliments inspired me to do more than I ever imagined I could. It has been the experience of a lifetime!

The final stats:

Countries visited: 21

Cities, towns, and villages visited: 93

Languages heard: 17

Overnight bus, train, and boat rides: 28

Police fines: 1

New Exotic Animals: 29 (macaque, orang-utan, asian elephant, wild boar, crocodile, yak, mountain goats, sunfish, toucan, macaw, alligator, pink dolphins, tarantula, alligator, black caiman, sloth, jabaroo stork, kingfisher, piranha, llama, alpaca, vicuna, anteater, anaconda, parrot snake, ocelot, coatis, capybara, armadillo)

Biggest loss due to theft: $75

Borders crossed on foot: 5

Legitimate fear experienced: 6 times

Amazon swimming locations: 4

Lost cities found: 2

Mosquito bites: too many to count

Unwanted alligator encounters: 1

Next up: New York City!

Buzzed on Colombia

July 12, 2010

Hola amigos! Minju and I have spent the last 12 days exploring Colombia and we have loved it so far! At home, Colombia has a reputation for drugs, violence, and guerilla activity, but based on what we have seen and heard thus far, I would say that the reputation is largely undeserved. This stigma comes from a scary past, but the country has changed significantly in the past 5 years and tourism is becoming an established industry here. Guerilla activity is a thing of the past in most parts of the country. Also, the people are possibly the warmest yet in South America. Whenever we ask a question here, the locals go out of their way to help us out. They have welcomed us with open arms, which has made me feel safe and comfortable everywhere we’ve been.

We started off in Bogota, Colombia’s sprawling capital of 7.5 million people, and a place where, even in July, you need to wear jeans. My favourite part of Bogota was the Candelaria, which is an old part of the city with artistic and bohemian influences. Bogota is at an elevation of 2600m, so often you would find yourself out of breath while walking on the hilly cobblestoned roads of the Candelaria. We also visited the Museo Botero and looked at fat everything: fat people, fat hands, fat mona lisa, fat birds, fat horses, fat fruits, fat guitars, fat buildings. Botero’s artistic niche is taking regular objects and making them big-boned. He had some funny stuff.

A local culinary specialty in Bogota is the “chocolate completo”, which is hot chocolate that is served with a block of cheese. You put the cheese straight in the chocolate and eat it with a spoon. It sounds weird, but it works.

After Bogota, we headed to the Zona Cafetera, which is Colombia’s mountainous coffee growing region. We stayed in the small town of Salento, which I loved for its relaxed feel and mountain views. Also, we were there on a holiday weekend, so the streets were constantly packed with excessively festive locals! In Salento, we got to visit a finca, a small private coffee farm. The tour was great and we learned everything that we ever had hoped to know about farming coffee in Colombia. We saw the entire process in action, starting from the “coffee cherry” right up to the roasted bean. Coffee is grown on chaotic looking hillsides that contain plantains, trees, bamboo, pineapples, and other plants, as well as rows and rows of coffee plants. The farm looked very natural and was much less structured than I envisioned. Coffee exists in two main varieties: Arabica and Robusta. Colombia produces exclusively Arabica coffee, which is supposed to be the richer and more flavourful type. There are 10 different types of Arabica coffee and generally the beans are all mixed together during the roasting process. The finca owner has an interesting approach: he is roasting pure versions of the different varieties of Arabica coffee, something that is extremely difficult to find. I bought some of the “bourbon” variety beans. If you want to experience the pure Arabica flavour, stop by my house for a cup when I get home!

From Salento, we also took a great hike in the beautiful Cocora Valley. We rented rubber boots and spent the day trudging through mud and admiring the views. The valley is famous for the spectacular wax palms, which stand out in an extreme way from the rest of the forest. Most of the growth is quite low and dense, except for the wax palms, which are tall and thin and tower at up to 60m. The palms used to exist at an altitude close to sea level but were pushed up when the Andes were formed. They are still in the mode of "jungle competition" and thus have not adapated their height to their new much smaller competitors. The first part of the hike was through the valley surrounded by mountains and wax palms on both sides. Later, we entered a jungle potion, with thick vegetation and a river running along the trail. There were some points when the trail ended and we had to cross the river on bridges made of 3 logs tied together with wire. Some of the crossings were a little nerve wracking, but they were a lot of fun. We climbed up to a mountain lookout and finished by descending into the valley in the rain. With the mist, the jungle, and the palms, it felt a bit like a set for Jurassic Park. We saw some wild horses running through the misty wax palm forest. It was spectacular.


After getting our caffeine fix, we followed the heat up to Colombia’s north coast and the city of Cartagena. Cartagena had been billed to me as one of South America’s most beautiful cities. It fit the bill. It feels European in terms of architecture and layout but has a distinct island feel. The air is warm and the vibe is relaxed. We strolled around the streets taking in the colourful buildings, balconies with hanging flowers and the cobblestones. I also developed an insatiable addiction to the fresh limeade that they sell on street corners for 50 cents.

From Cartagena we took a trip to visit the Volcan del Tutomo—the mud volcano. I always thought that volcanoes were filled with hot magma: not this one! It’s full of warm grayish-black mud and people pay for the privilege to hop into the crater and take a bath in it. We were obviously game. We climbed up the 15m volcano staircase and jumped into the chaos that is a volcano mud bath. The mud felt like quicksand! It was thick and heavy, and it felt almost impossible to move in it. I had to get pulled across the tub by a guy to get into the right position. The mud was very buoyant (it was mid chest when I was floating in it) and our bodies tended to drift in directions that were completely unintended. We covered each other from head to toe and by the end resembled something utterly inhuman. It was tons of fun!


We also took a trip to visit the white sand paradise that is Playa Blanca (the term paradise applies outside the hours of 1pm-5pm, when the tourist boats crowd the beach). We slept in tents literally on the beach front and had the beach all to ourselves in the morning and at night. The calm clear blue morning water was a beautiful sight. It was the perfect spot to swim, read, and eat mangoes.

Next, we are continuing along the coast to Santa Marta. See you at the Lost City!

-M

I've Got a Feeling

July 3, 2010

Hi from Colombia! My last two weeks were spent off the beaten track exploring and surviving the Amazon Rainforest. I started off in Manaus—a city that defies logic. It is a port city of 1.5 million people that is located over 1000km from either ocean. Manaus boomed in the rubber days of the 19th century, as it was conveniently close to a huge number of rubber trees. Rubber trees contain milk that bleeds from them when their bark is cut. When the milk hardens it becomes rubber. I always assumed that rubber had to be processed, but this was basically a rubber band coming out of the tree! The highlight of Manaus is the beautiful Teatro Amazonas, a big Opera house that was built in 1896 with a colourful tiled dome. Opera and Amazon are two words I never expected to hear in the same sentence.

I took two trips into the jungle: one near Manaus and one near Leticia on the Brazil-Colombia-Peru tri-border. Both were excellent. The jungle has always been a place that has intrigued and fascinated me—probably because we have nothing even similar to it at home.

The Manaus trip started on a very strange note. We arrived at the jungle lodge to find out that it had been the scene of a boat-by shooting just two nights earlier. Apparently two disgruntled men came by and fired shots at a guide who was sitting on a bench on the front deck. Sure enough, when we went to look we could see holes from the shots in the bench and the cabin wall behind. Not exactly the note that we had hoped to start the trip on. I might have expected something like that in Rio, but not in the Amazon. Besides the bad start, the trip was great. We saw the beautiful giant Amazonian water lilies, played Tarzan on jungle vines, spotted wildlife like sloths, alligators, squirrel monkeys, parrot snakes, and tarantulas and were constantly in awe of the beautiful jungle vegetation. I was amazed by the number of different shades of green that I saw. The lodge was located on the glassy jet black Rio Negro, a main tributary of the Amazon River that comes from Colombia. Swimming in the warm river was one of the best parts of the trip. The weather was consistently hot and humid and I was in the water every chance that I got. The water was quite high when we visited, about 6-7 meters above low season levels, which made for great canoeing. We could literally canoe through the forest, dodging trees, vines and bushes constantly. At one point we even had to take out the machete to help get us through a particularly dense section. It also made for great wildlife watching because we could get up close without making too much noise. The reflection of the trees on the calm black water was a beautiful sight.

My highlight of the trip was sleeping one night in the jungle and doing a trek the following day. We came to a spot where we were surrounded by dense jungle and decided that this would be the spot for our camp. It was amazing watching our guides turn the jungle into a campsite. It went from raw jungle to mini lodge in just over an hour, using nothing except for two machetes; all the materials came from the jungle. They built a structure for the group to hang hammocks from and put a tarp over top for rain protection. We had a delicious meal of fire roasted chicken and rice, which we ate out of bowls made of leaves and spoons that were carved from wood. It certainly wasn’t a quiet night—the jungle insects all come out after dark. I didn’t find the mosquitoes bad at all…Winnipeg in early July is much worse. We did a great jungle trek as well. There is a certain vine that contains water that is potable, which came in very useful when our water bottles were running low!

We also swam with Pink Dolphins in the river, which was an incredible experience! While the dolphins were feeding they were close enough to touch. Their skin is extremely soft and smooth and they have a very friendly personality. It was always a shock when a dolphin fin or tail would hit my leg.


When I wasn’t in the jungle, I was making the epic 5 and ½ day boat journey from Manaus to Tabitinga-Leticia (the Brazil-Colombia border town). The trip was about 1100km and I made it in a typical Amazonian “slow boat.” Slow boats work in the following way: you buy a hammock, board the boat well before departure time, carve out a small piece of real estate for yourself, and tie up your hammock. This hammock serves as your home for the next 6 days. On the boat the concept of the “personal bubble” simply doesn’t exist. I had people right below me on either side. While this may sound like a painful experience, I really enjoyed it. I swayed down the Amazon in my hammock and watched the world go by, and had lots of time to read and think. Also, I met some nice locals and had conversations in broken Portuguese and also met a few English speaking backpackers, which was fortunate. The boat had TV’s that played all of the world cup games as well, which helped to keep me entertained. Also, the top deck had a nice lounge area, meaning you could get some breathing room during the day. It was a cruise by day, refugee ship by night.

The forest I saw near Leticia was even more impressive than the jungle near Manaus. The trees were massive and varied and the vegetation was dense. We saw many different species of spider, some monkeys, the fastidious leaf-cutter ants, macaws, and other birds. More amazing than the wildlife was the beauty of the jungle itself. We also saw a young ocelot, which is a smaller cousin of the jaguar. It was separated from its parents at birth and a local lady has been raising it for the last 9 months and plans to release it to the wild soon. The ocelot is an incredibly agile, powerful, and graceful animal. I visited the jungle in Leticia with my friend Mike from the boat ride and we decided that sleeping in the jungle in hammocks sounded like a good idea. While this may sound romantic, it was a painful experience. We were plagued by bad mosquito nets and we were absolutely eaten alive. This night was definitely the worst mosquito experience of my life.




On my last day in Leticia, I woke up in Peru (the jungle we visited was technically in Peru), went to Brazil during the day to get my passport stamped, and finished the day off in Bogota, Colombia! I met up with Minju in Bogota and we have 3 weeks together to explore Colombia!

-MB

A Nation's Heartbeat

June 18, 2010

Bom dia! My time in Brasil has been one of the highlights of my entire trip. I love this country! The people are incredibly warm, the weather is beautiful, the natural beauty is astounding, and the vibrancy is unmatched.

I left off in Bonito. From there I headed to Iguacu falls, which are a beautiful set of waterfalls located on the Brazil-Argentina-Paraguay tri-border. I visited the falls with Joep and Tayma, two Dutch friends that I met in Bonito, and we had a great time during our two days. We visited the Brazilian side of the falls on the first day and followed up with the Argentinean side the next. Iguacu is a very different experience than Niagara in the sense that it is a collection of 275 waterfalls, all fed by the same river, instead of two primary falls. It is hard to compare the two. Iguacu is basically a waterfall park! All in all, the falls span 2.7km and are an absolutely spectacular site. I am really glad that we had the chance to visit both sides, because they were great complements to one another. The Brazilian side provides a grand overview of the falls, letting you appreciate their vastness and serenity, whereas the Argentinean side gets you much closer to falls and allows you to feel their immense power. Both days were unforgettable.

There is so much mist in the air when you are at the falls that you are almost guaranteed to see a rainbow at all times (at least we did for our two days), which adds to their mystique. We also had three chances to get close to the falls and get showered in Iguacu mist (after the overnight bus, this wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened). Staring at the turbulent white water and yelling over the roar was an incredible feeling. The most intense part of the falls is called the Devil’s Throat, and we had a chance to stand right on the edge and get soaked. On both days the only cloud in the sky was the cloud formed from the Devil’s Throat mist. Another perk of visiting the Argentinean side was having the opportunity to indulge in an evening of Argentinean steak and vino!


After Iguacu, I took the 22 hour bus to Rio de Janeiro! This gave me plenty of time to get excited for a city that I have always dreamed of visiting. I had an awesome time in Rio. The city has lots of natural beauty, with the beaches, rolling green mountains and ocean, and also has the buzz, night life, and culture of a big city. It’s hard not to have fun there. I had planned to take a trip to some islands near Rio, but once I got into the city, I simply couldn’t get out!

One of the best parts of Rio is its two famous beaches, Copacabana and Ipanema. After being landlocked for the past two months, I was pumped for some beach time! I met up with some friends from Norway (who I visited Lake Titicaca with in Peru) and we soaked up the sun. The beaches in Rio are the cleanest and nicest beaches I have ever seen in a big city. An interesting phenomenon is how the beaches tend to be full of Brazilian at all times of day. When I asked a local about this he was quick to respond: “we do work…when it rains!”

Another definite highlight of the trip was going up Corcovado Mountain to see the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. The statue blew me away. It is absolutely massive and is made of beautiful white soapstone. I guess I should have expected it to be huge, since it is visible from nearly everywhere in the city, but it still shocked me. The views from the Corcovado were beautiful as well. You can see Sugarloaf Mountain, the Maracana soccer stadium, Ipanema, the downtown, the mountains that surround the city, and the Atlantic as far as the eye can see. It is a beautiful sight seeing the mountains that seems to grow out of the concrete jungle of the downtown. I also went up Sugarloaf Mountain, which has great views over Ipanema, Copacabana and Botafogo beaches, as well as the city center.


I have already picked out my future residence if I ever move to Rio. It’s in Santa Teresa, which is a great part of the city. Santa Teresa feels a lot like Lisbon and is quieter than other parts of Rio. It is built up on a hill overlooking the city and you have to take an old tram to get there. The streets are winding and cobblestoned and are lined with colourful homes. I also experienced the famous weekend street party in Lapa with some friends from my hostel, which was a great time. We made our way to a Samba club with a live band, where some Brazilian girls attempted to teach me and my friend Adam how to Samba. The locals made it look simple but we were both more or less hopeless. Instead of dancing, we formulated a genetic theory of dancing deficiency, which I feel is clearly supported by the following video. I swear that Brazilians are dancing Samba in the womb.

A more sobering part of my stay in Rio was a visit to the favelas, which are the poverty-stricken and crime-laden shantytowns that over 1 million of Rio’s residents live in. The favela is a crazy world. It is nearly autonomous in terms of economy and sociology, and the drug lords serve as the de facto government. The economy is primarily supported by drug trade, which is a huge business here. The top boss makes an estimated 1.5 million reals ($750,000) per week. The violence is disgusting. There are frequent police raids, which nearly always result in ugly shootouts that leave many innocent dead, as well as many police officers and drug dealers. The children here start crying whenever they hear the sound of a helicopter. Death is simply a way of life here. Favelas are built in a very haphazard way, where every square inch is valued and the largest streets are only 3 feet wide. After the land is completely filled, the favela begins to expand skywards, as they build new floors on the roofs of existing homes. Educational opportunities are minimal, as is the availability of health care. It is sad to think about how tough it is for kids to be born into this life. So much for the self-made man.

After Rio, I headed north to Salvador, which is the home of Afro-Brazilian culture. In Salvador I got engulfed in World Cup fever. I couldn’t ask to be in a better place for the tournament. The World Cup actually started when I was in Rio, but I saw Brazil’s first game in Salvador. In Rio they had a big public screen set up on Copacabana, where I watched the England-US game with a bunch of distraught English fans from my hostel. They had a big public screen in Salvador as well and the atmosphere before the game was absolutely electric. The world stops here for the world cup. All stores were shut down, most buses stopped running; even the priest at a local church changed the time of mass from noon to 8am just because he said that everyone would be too nervous to focus at noon (the game was at 3:30pm!). The streets were packed with loud gold and green fans, who were crammed in around the screens. I bought a Brazil jersey before and joined the sea of yellow with my friends Leila and Juliana. This outfit instantly doubled my popularity with the locals. The crowd was incredibly energetic and would go wild with every chance or rush that Brazil had. The Koreans came to play and at halftime it was a shocking 0-0. Brazil broke the ice early in the second half and the crowd went berserk: beer was flying everywhere! Brazil ended up winning 2-1, which was much closer than everyone anticipated. The atmosphere felt similar to the support for the Canadian hockey team in Vancouver. Literally everybody has a personal investment. The party started immediately after the game with a big free concert that everybody was dancing and singing to. People in Salvador never turn down a good excuse to party. I’m looking forward to the next game!


Another highlight of Salvador was checking out the Pelourinho, which is the historic center of town. We visited the San Francisco church which has the most gold by surface area in the world. I expected it to be ridiculously gaudy, but it actually looked quite beautiful inside. In total they used 800kg of gold to construct it. They have a big party in Pelourinho every Tuesday night and the locals (and the odd tourist) dance in the streets to live music. Salvador also has some beautiful beaches with the biggest waves I have ever encountered. I did some extreme body surfing on the waves with some Finnish friends.
I took a day trip to the spectacular Praia do Forte, which has a beautiful beach that stretches as far as the eye can see. I took a run and got to a spot where I didn’t see another person for miles. It was just me, the white sand, the palm trees, and the warm Atlantic. It was perfect!

See you in the Amazon!

-M

A Walk on the Wild Side

June 7, 2010

Greetings from Brazil! My latest stops have been all about appreciating the richness and diversity of South American wildlife. They have been nothing short of amazing.

I started off in the Bolivian pampas, which is an area in Northwest Bolivia quite close to the Amazon Forest. The pampas is a flat, lush wetland that is absolutely teeming with life. I expected that we would have to search for wildlife, with the occasional sighting—I couldn’t have been more wrong. I felt like I was in a planet earth episode. On our first day, we took a boat ride down the river and saw an alligator literally every 20 or 30 feet. The alligators ranged from very small ones to others that were over 2 meters long. We saw a ton of other animals, including blue, brown, and white herons (they are beautiful birds, especially when in flight), black caimans (they are much more dangerous than the alligators—they are known to attack almost anything), vultures, kingfishers (the most graceful bird I saw, with beautiful blue-green feathers), the jabaroo stork (the biggest bird in the pampas), birds of paradise (not very graceful, but with some flashy head feathers for attracting females), capybaras (they were so cool! They are the world’s biggest rodent and don’t seem like the kind of animal that would be suited to the jungle climate at all. They sort of look like a giant prairie dog), turtles (always hanging out in long trains along the river logs, with each one standing on the back of the one in front of it), squirrel monkeys, cappuccino monkeys, howler monkeys, cormorants (the best fisher of the pampas birds), one pink flamingo, the condor de las pampas (another big and not-so-graceful bird), and cows! I felt like I was in a zoo.



I had an interesting encounter with some of the squirrel monkeys along the river. Our guide, Negro, decided to feed them a banana, which he held directly above my head. For the monkeys my head wasn’t an obstacle—it was a stepladder.

We spent one afternoon fishing for piranhas, which were incredibly abundant in the river. I would toss my line in and within one second would be getting bites. I managed to catch two of them, but, at 4 inches, I can’t say that they were master anglers. During our fishing trip we spotted a sloth high up in a tree. Staying true to its name, it had moved about 10 feet when we saw it in the same tree the next day. We also went searching for anacondas in the high grasses of the marsh, and managed to spot one that was about 1.7 meters long. They can reach up to 10m in length, which is an encounter that I would rather avoid. Seeing a relatively small one was really cool.
One of the best parts of the trip was getting to see the beautiful pink river dolphin up close. We found a group of about 3 or 4 and followed them down the river. It was incredible! The dolphins are about 8-10 feet long, with grey backs and pink flippers and tails. We hit a wide part of the river we jumped in to swim with them. Considering the number of alligators we had been seeing, the swim was a nerve-wracking proposition but our guide assured us that it was safe. To say we swam “with” the dolphins is a bit generous, but we definitely swam close to them—that is, until an alligator swam across the river about 50 feet in front of us, promptly ending the swimming excursion.
After quick stops in the towns of Trinidad and Samaipata, and the city of Santa Cruz, I was on the train to Brazil! Brazil has been a country that I have always dreamed about visiting, and it feels almost surreal to finally be here. My first stop in Brazil was the Pantanal, which is the Brazilian savannah located in the southwest part of the country. The Pantanal is famous for wildlife watching, and I knew that I couldn’t miss out on it.

The Pantanal was very good, although I think I was slightly jaded by my incredible experiences in Bolivia. We saw many different animal species, but compared to the Pampas, the Pantanal seemed almost sparse. In the Pampas we saw tens or hundreds of nearly every species, while in the Pantanal we would tend to see just a few of each. It didn’t feel quite as alive. My favourite part of the Pantanal tour was seeing macaws and toucans in the wild. I was struck by the incredible volume of a macaw’s voice—their calls to their mates reverberate through the entire forest. Also, their vibrant red, green, and blue feathers are much more impressive in person than in any photo I have seen. The toucan is surprisingly fast and graceful in the air and is always easy to spot with its bright orange beak.


One day we also saw a big black Tapir (anteater), which was really cool. It was about 6 feet long and had a big black tail. Another highlight was seeing the Jabaroo stork—the symbol of the Pantanal. We managed to get up quite close while it was in its nest and marveled at its size. It was about 1.5m tall with a 2m wingspan, and had white wings and a black head and neck. I also saw my first wild armadillo that day! Another new animal was the coatis, which is kind of like a cross between a raccoon and a possum. Other animals we saw included a giant river otter, bush deer, black caimans, kingfishers, hawks, the tiger herons, bare faced ipes (a black bird with an orange beak that cover trees by the hundred near dusk), cormorants, a cobra, capybaras, and monkeys. Most of the wildlife we saw seemed more or less disinterested in us, which I think is a good sign that the tours are eco-friendly. Besides the wildlife, the Pantanal itself is a beautiful region, with calm serene rivers, wide-open grasslands, and lush treed areas.

After the Pantanal, I headed to the town of Bonito (meaning beautiful in Portuguese). It was bonito! In Bonito, I visited the largest sinkhole in South America, which was 126m deep and 500m around. It is quite a sight—red rock grown in with rich green vegetation and a lake at the bottom of the hole. Moreover, the hole is a favourite nesting ground for macaws and we saw about 10 while we were there.

The main attraction in Bonito is snorkeling in the clear rivers that surround the town. I did a day trip to snorkel in the Rio Prata and it was an amazing experience. There are a number of conservation measures in place to protect the river. We were forbidden from kicking our feet, diving down, or touching any of the rocks or vegetation in the river. We also had to walk 40 minutes through the forest just to reach the start of the river. The protection efforts are well deserved: the river is a wonder. Its water is crystal clear—the visibility underwater is 120 feet—and is full of fish. The snorkeling was great. We snorkeled for 2.5 km down the river and saw all types of fish and underwater plant life. Some of the fish were as big as 2.5 feet and there were tons of smaller fish. We essentially drifted down the river with the current and soaked in the amazing scenery below us. We also had an underwater camera, which let us capture the experience!



My next stop in Brazil is Iguacu Falls! Until next time, keep fit and have fun!

-M

The Most Human Colour

May 24, 2010

Hola amigos! Bolivia has taught me to be grateful for some of the things I take for granted in Canada like functional engines, bathrooms supplied with complimentary toilet paper, paved roads, and buses with heat. Despite the uncomfortable bus rides, the odd questionable meal, and the surprisingly cold weather, my time here has been great.

I started off in La Paz, Bolivia’s biggest city and the de facto capital. The first thing that struck me about La Paz is the fascinating way in which it is built. The city is in a valley and is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Despite being in a valley it is still at an elevation of 3660m! I attempted to take a jog one day and my burning lungs quickly let me know how little oxygen the air has. I have never seen a city built like La Paz. The development stretches up the sides of mountains on all sides, often in a fairly haphazard way. La Paz has the buzz and frenetic pace of an asian city, meaning that there is rarely a dull moment when you are walking around the streets. While I was there I witnessed the apparently common sight of a Bolivian political street protest. The people are protesting for a raise in the minimum wage for teachers, which President Evo Morales is opposing. The main street in the city was blocked with a huge number of shouting people who were firing off gunpowder and carrying effigies of the President that they later burned. I am impressed by how politically charged this country is.

My La Paz highlight was a bike trip down the infamous “death road”—the road connecting La Paz to the Bolivian Amazon. The name is well deserved: while the road was in use more people died on it that any other road in the world. They built a new road 15 years ago and now tourists can take mountain bike tours down the road. Of course, this sounded too cool to pass up!

When I first saw the road I was a little bit intimidated. It is a narrow (about 10 feet in some parts), downhill, gravel road that winds along the side of the mountain. The left side of the road is a sheer cliff for almost the entire ride and the drop is 500m at times. Biking down was scary, but I can’t even imagine how this road used to function with two way bus traffic. Kudos to Neil Townsend for braving the road many times on bus when he lived in Bolivia! After seeing the road, I quickly decided that today was a good day to put the ego away. The ride was spectacular. We started at 4700m surrounded by snowy mountains and finished in the jungle at 1100m. It was downhill nearly the entire way and we had great views over the lush green valley (but only quick glances, of course). The whole group managed to make it down without any close encounters with the cliff edge. I only told Mom and Dad about the bike ride down death road after I had made it back in one piece.


I met up with my friend Becky in La Paz (who I met on the Salkantay trek) and we traveled together through the southwest part of Bolivia. Our first stop was Uyuni, where we took a 3 day tour of the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat. The Salar was formed when a gigantic prehistoric salt lake dried up, leaving a vast plain of salt. The landscape is incredibly stark and blindingly white. I was in awe. The barren landscape felt like something out of a movie set or a different planet. In every direction all you can see is white salt until the horizon. The salar is so flat that its elevation only varies by a meter across the entire expanse. Also, because there are no depth cues you are able to take some pretty funny photos. Our prop of choice was a Pringles can.



We visited the Isle de Pescado, which is a strange rock island in the middle of the flats that is covered in cacti, some up to 5 meters tall. The cacti were the only life that we witnessed in the salt flats—it must be too dry for anything else. At the end of our first day we had the chance to watch the sunset from the middle of the salt flats. It was incredibly beautiful and the sky ranged from dark blues, to pinks, yellows, oranges, and reds. For about half an hour the sky was continually changing with new cloud formations and colours. We spent the night at a salt hotel, where everything (except probably the frame) was made out of salt. It was the local version of Montreal’s ice hotel. Kind of gimmicky, but very cool.

Our next two days were spent in the area around the Salar, which is full of volcanoes, sandy and rocky deserts, ice-covered lakes and volcanic rock formations. We drove through the desert in a Land Cruiser and watched the beautiful landscapes go past. We did our tour with two French couples: Hadrien and Catherine from Paris and Michel and Nicole from Quebec, who were a lot of fun. At one point, we came to a lake that was covered in ice, surrounded by mountains, and with flamingos in it! Apparently the only living creatures in this lake are the flamingos and plankton. The fact that anything can live in the environment around the salar is quite amazing. The water is extremely salty, the temperatures are freezing, especially at night, there is little food and vegetation, and the water has a high concentration of minerals like borax and lithium. I’m pretty sure an African flamingo would have a tough time lasting a week here.

Our last day started at 5am, while the temperature was still below zero. We saw some natural geysers, which were really cool. Steam was literally pouring out of the ground. We later visited some natural hot springs and they were amazing, especially given the popsiclized state I was in. I hopped in right away. The air temperature was about zero, but the water was 35 and felt great. The desert landscapes continued to amaze on the ride back to Uyuni. We also saw countless alpacas, llamas, and vicunuas along the way. I never thought that a barren landscape could be so beautiful.

After Uyuni we headed to Potosi, the world’s highest city (4060m), and home to one of the largest mining operations in history. Potosi has a large mountain that is rich in many minerals, most importantly silver. Its mining began in 1534 after the Spanish colonization and has continued to the modern day. Potosi definitely peaked early: in the 17th century it was one of the world’s richest cities and had a population larger than Paris or London. It produced an incredible amount of silver: half of the world’s supply between 1534 and the late 17th century. As part of our Potosi trip, we toured an active mine, which was an eye-opening and sobering experience.

On the way to the mine, we stopped at a refinery where a rough initial separation of the metals is done. They separate silver, zinc, and lead from the rest. Sadly, none of the smelting happens locally because they cannot afford the proper technology, so they sell their raw materials at a very low price and then some other country makes the money off smelting. Thus, Bolivia benefits very little from its mineral riches.

The conditions of the mine are appalling. Within the mine there are a number of different groups working different shafts, but there are no master maps of the mine showing where tunnels have been dug in the past. The only way for miners to know whether they are approaching another mine shaft is communication with other groups and a knowledge of the history of the mine. It is more or less a guess and hope strategy. Mining groups are supposed to keep a distance of 10m from any other mine shafts, but this is difficult to enforce without maps and when they are motivated by a lucrative seam of silver. Potosi mountain’s original height was 5200m, but today it is more like 4820m. Why has it fallen nearly 400m? It’s entirely due to mine cave-ins. Besides cave-ins, miners die from accidents with machinery and from the appalling daily concoction of chemicals that they are breathing in. The average lifespan of a miner is only 55, and the work looks hellish.

The miner’s have a history of worshipping Tio—the devil, who they believe controls the hot and dark mine. Every Friday, each mining group must make an offering to Tio (usually alcohol, beer, cigarettes, and coca leaves, and the occasional llama) or else they will not be blessed with a good crop of minerals. They worship the heavens, the pachamama (mother earth), and Tio. The miners are also infamous for their drinking habits—they drink 96% alcohol, which both looks and smells like rubbing alcohol. Gross.

The mine is a co-operative, but only 30% of the miners are part of the co-op—the other 70% are “free-lancers.” This means that for 70% of the workers, if an accident happens in the mine and they, say, break their legs, they are simply out of luck. A spot in the co-op is only awarded after 5 years of service, and it is highly coveted. Often, when a miner dies he is replaced by his son because the son is able to keep the spot in the co-operative.

Most miners work in the mine because they make (relatively) good salaries doing the mine work. They make between 400 and 600 bolivianos ($60-$85) per week, quite a bit more than the average Bolivian. Evo Morales has been quite popular as president, and has managed to raise the minimum wage from 420 to 630 bolivianos per month. Visiting the mine was very interesting but was also a large dose of the reality of the Bolivian proletariat.

I am currently on my way to Rurrenebaque to check out the wildlife in the Bolivian Pampas. I’ll try to get a pic of me wrestling an alligator for the next blog!

-M