Northern Argentina

After a brief stay in Arica, Chile, I took what would turn out to be one of my worst bus rides to Salta, Argentina. On top of being 24 hours long, I had the pleasure of sitting across the aisle from a guy who vomitted into a plastic bag for the last third of the bus ride. Not only did it sound great, it smelled great.

Anyways, it certainly was a relief to get to Salta. As per my usual, a lot of my time in Salta was spent wandering around. What really struck me about Salta was the amount of green space it has, lots of public parks (or rather one incredibly large one) and also its very beautiful main square. Lots of nice restaurants with streetside seating, perfect for watching the world go by. Salta also has a teleferico which takes people up to the top of a mountain for views over the city. To be perfectly honest, Salta is not a very beautiful city from above (compared to other South American cities I have seen from mountain tops), but still a nice relaxing early morning activity.


Salta was also my first experience with Argentine steak. On the bus ride from hell mentioned above, I was seated next to an Australian girl who invited me to a late night (by American standards-perfectly normal by Argentine standards) Argentine steak and wine feast. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so don´t have any pictures, but let me assure you, I have never seen a bigger piece of meat in my life, at least not one served to a person on a plate. The plate, which had nothing on it but the meat, was well over 12 inches long and six inches wide and the meat was spilling over the sides and dripping juice onto the table. Not only was it huge, but it tasted absolutely delicious. My Aussie counterpart couldn´t stop giggling over my amazement with the piece of meat that was in front of me. Anyways, we topped our steak off with a nice bottle of Malbec, a type of red wine that is very popular in Argentina. Absolutely delicious and a very good complement to the steak. Despite stuffing myself to the point of feeling sick, I can´t wait for more Argentine steak and wine nights.


After a couple days hanging out in Salta, I went a few hours south to Tucumán, Argentina. Normally, I probably would have skipped Tucumán in favor of spending more time in other locations. I decided to include Tucumán in my itinerary because I spent a good part of a week hanging out with an Argentine from Tucumán (Martín) while in Lima and he insisted that I stop and visit when I eventually made my way through Argentina. Although not too strong on tourist sites, it I am definitely glad I stopped here. In fact it was kind of nice to not have any need to go see the requisite sites. Tucumán is full of lots of neat cafes, restaurants and bars, as well as all kinds of high end stores.


The two highlights of my time with Martín in Tucumán were eating at his parents house (home cooked meals made by others are so amazing after a long time on the road) and a visit to the local soccer match. I got to see San Martín de Tucumán play K.A.I. Both teams are in the second tier level of soccer, but still put on a great show. As expected, the crowd was really into the game, especially because a victory would put them in first place in the league. After a rather boring first half, San Martín put on a show in the second half and won 4-0. With that win, it means that the home team has won every single soccer game I have ever been to. Who wants me to come to their game next?


After a couple days in Tucumán it was time to head further south to Córdoba to visit a family friend. A few years back, my mother won a Fulbright grant from the U.S. government to participate in a educator exchange program. My mother went to Argentina and stayed with an elementary school principal in Córdoba and then that same woman came to stay with my mother in Michigan for a few weeks. Anyways, upon hearing that I was coming to Argentina, Miriam invited me to her home to visit for a few days. Once again, the home cooked meals and hospitality were one of the primary highlights, but I was also able to get out and explore Córdoba a bit. Much larger than any other Argentine city I had visited up to that point, Córdoba had a ton going on. There are lots of universities there and the population seems to be rather young (probably because I was hanging out in the center near several large universities).


One day I decided to take a day trip out of Córdoba to visit a couple of small towns. The first town visited was Villa General Belgrano, a German settlement famous for its annual Oktoberfest situation. While I missed the Oktoberfest, it was still an interesting city, although much too touristy for me. Probably the highlight of the city was eating goulash at a German restaurant and having a proper dark beer that was made on-site (oh how I miss microbrews). Besides that, Villa General Belgrano didn´t quite do it for me so it was on to Alta Gracia, the city where Ernesto ¨Che¨Guevara lived for much of his youth. Basically it is just his old home with lots of photos of him throughout his life and a few things that he owned. There was also a room dedicated to the 2006 visit of the museum by Cuban President Fidel Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Some former colleagues of mine used to joke that I was coming to South America to work for Hugo Chavez, but this was probably the closest I ever got to that. Although I am left leaning, I don´t quite lean that far left.

A nice museum, but a little small and lacking in true museum pieces, but certainly glad I went and glad I could escape the big city for a day.


Next stop Tupungato, Argentina.

Arica, Chile

Due to funky bus schedules I had to spend a day in Arica, Chile, right on the border with Peru. After the hustle and bustle of Peru, it was nice to have a day just relaxing in a resort town. Next stop Argentina...

Lake Titicaca, Peru

After Cuzco, me and another Michigander traveled to Puno, a city right on the banks of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world (3812 meters above sea level). We spent one night in Puno and they too were celebrating Carnaval. Although the water and foam fights are a big part of the festivities in Puno, there are also lots of parades with dancing and marching bands. In fact, when I went to bed I could hear the marching bands parading through the streets (along with fireworks being set off). I woke up around 3 am and could still hear the music (and fireworks). I then woke up to start my day at 6 am and they were still at it. By 7 am, the parade was passing right in front of the hostel (and still playing the same song that could be heard at 10pm the night before). Good thing I was already awake.


After the band passed, I went to the docks to board a boat to take me onto the lake. The first stop was the Uros Floating Islands. Although very touristy and designed to suck the money right out of your wallet, it was a pretty interesting experience. The Uros people make floating islands out of reeds cut from the lake and then live on them. A little unsettling how squishy the islands are, but luckily they held up very well.


After departing the Uros Islands, we had a 2.5 hour ride to Taquile Island (an actual natural island). Here it was nice because we were allowed to actually explore the island a bit and get away from the other groups of people. Great views out to the lake, the surrounding mountains and to Bolivia. The one disappointing part of the day was the caravan of boats that take groups of tourists out to the islands on the lake, but I´m starting to get used to it. As much as I hate the large groups of people, I´m starting to have to accept it as a part of visiting all these amazing places.


More photos of Puno and Lake Titicaca in the Peru folder at: http://picasaweb.google.com/jmellgren

Ollantaytambo, Peru

On the way back from Machu Picchu I passed through the Sacred Valley. I saw more Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo. The ruins were a giant fortress that gave them a great view over the valley and allowed them to protect themselves rather effectively against the Spanish. In fact, this was one of the only sites where the Spanish were defeated by the Incas (although it was short lived-the Spanish just returned a little later with three times as many soldiers as their first assault and easily took the fortress).

Resident fortress dog.

It was no Machu Picchu, but still a great way to spend a sunny morning.

Cuzco, Peru

Cuzco just might be the most touristy city I visited in Peru. I guess that shouldn´t be too surprising considering everyone who goes to Machu Picchu passes through the city. As a result there are tons of people roaming the streets trying to sell crap and it is hard to go anywhere without being constantly asked to buy something or to give money.


I´ve been staying at a really nice hostel in Cuzco set up on a hill with great views of the entire city. It is in a 450 year old building and has a couple big courtyards in the middle, great for relaxing in the afternoon sun.


One really interesting part of my time in Cuzco was that I was there at the same time as Carnaval. Basically this means that the city erupts in a giant water fight. Mostly it is young people running around throwing water balloons at each other. Slowly as time went on, everyone became a target. I really wouldn´t have minded being in a water fight, but what bugged me was that the kids would launch stealth attacks. I would be walking down the street and would get hit from behind. By the time I would turn around the kids would be hidden in some doorway. Very frustrating. I felt really bad for one girl at the hostel who had all of her luggage with her and was about to get into a taxi to go to the airport for a flight to Lima. As she was getting in she got attacked by several kids with water balloons. As she stood there, they then sprayed her with some sort of foam in the face. Quite stunned, she just kinda stood there and another kid rubbed the foam all over her hair and then she got a big bucket of water thrown at her. Glad it wasn´t me.


One of the main tourist sites in Cuzco is the Inca ruins of Saqsayhuaman. They are set on a hill overlooking the city. One of the most impressive parts of this site is the stonework. Somehow the Inca´s turned giant boulders into walls and were able to fit all of the boulders together perfectly without any kind of cement. Unfortunately as I was checking out the site, I could see a giant storm coming up the valley so I opted to cut my visit a wee bit short. Oh well, still nice to see the ruins, almost a preview of what was to come later at Machu Picchu.


My stay in Cuzco was involuntarilly extended when I got stuck in a giant strike. Most everything in Cuzco shut down for a day, including taxis, buses, trains, stores and banks in protest of a measure being pushed by the Peruvian president to allow more foreign investment in the areas around some of Peru´s national treasures (including Machu Picchu). Local people fear that this is a step towards allowing the sale or lease of these of these sites to foreign companies. The strike was quite large and the city was eerily quiet, except for in the Plaza de Armas where a giant march was being held. The square was packed with people and at one point people started burning things. I was also told that people who were driving cars on this day had rocks thrown at their windows.

Cuzco is a really beautiful city, but I had a hard time getting over how touristy it was. It had some really charming areas but it was definitely not a truly authentic Peruvian experience.

Machu Picchu, Peru

I was thinking about what to write about Machu Picchu and I really don´t know what to say. It´s Machu Picchu, one of the 7 Wonders of the World, probably best to not really say much. That being said...

As I was leaving Aguas Calientes to head up to the site, I ran into Alex, a German from the hostel in Arequipa. He was with 3 Chileans and I decided to tag along with their group. After getting some advice from good friends who had visited Machu Picchu a few years ago, I had planned on taking the bus up, but after joining up with this group decided to make the trek up the mountain. Basically a series of stairs and switchbacks for an hour and a half that completely wiped all of us out. But after getting to the top and seeing Machu Picchu spread out in front of us, we all forgot about our aching legs. I thought it might be a bit of a let down since I have seen many pictures of the site in the past, but it was still amazing. I could not believe that I was actually there.


About midway through the visit, the clouds rolled in and a deluge of rain soaked us all (Sierra Designs rain jackets do not hold up very well after being subjected to a downpour for over two hours, in case you were in the market for a rain jacket). Although irritating, it definitely gave us a different perspective on the site and added to its mysticism.


More Machu Picchu pictures in the Peru folder at: http://picasaweb.google.com/jmellgren

U2 in Arequipa

Colca Canyon, Peru

In the middle of my time in Arequipa, I took off for 3 days (2 nights) to check out the nearby Colca Canyon. This canyon was for a long time believed to be the worlds deepest canyon, however recently it was determined that the nearby Cotahuasi Canyon is actually just barely deeper. Anyways, the canyon is 100 km long and varies from 1000 meters to 3000 meters in depth (deepest point is 3191 meters).


I took a bus to Cabanaconde, a very small agricultural town still living a traditional Andean lifestyle that sits right on the edge of the canyon. I arrived after dark and was very excited for my trek into the canyon the next day. After getting up early I was crushed to discover that the canyon was filled with fog. Standing at a lookout point that is supposed to give views of the entire canyon, I could only see grey. I could be in my front yard in Michigan and get the same view.


Anyways, after reading for a bit in the main square, I decided to just start walking. I figured that either I would get underneath the clouds or they would dissipate sometime during the day. Luckily, both happened. Although different from what I think of as a canyon (specifically the image in my head of the Grand Canyon) it was still an amazing sight. Truly one of the best and most rewarding hikes that I´ve done in my life.


As I climbed back out of the canyon, I was treated to a 20 minute show by two Andean Condors. Just as I got to the top of the canyon where the trail becomes relatively flat until you reach Cabanaconde, the two condors glided above my head and then circled up gaining height until I couldn´t see them anymore. Andean Condors are the largest flying birds in the western hemisphere and have wingspans that grow to 9-10 ft. These guys weren´t that big, but were still amazing to watch as they soared over the canyon.


More pictures from the Colca Canyon can be found in the Peru folder at my Picasa site: http://picasaweb.google.com/jmellgren

Arequipa, Peru

I spent several days in Arequipa, despite not being thoroughly impressed with the city. Many other travelers that I met kept telling me about the wonders of Arequipa and how one could spend months there if they weren´t careful. Don´t get me wrong, Arequipa has some great architecture and certainly has its charming parts, but I just never got into it. Maybe it was frustration with the fact that it had a 5800 meter volcano looming over the city that could only be seen for a couple hours a day due to clouds and smog.


Having said that, I did enjoy my time in Arequipa, it just wasn´t all that I expected. One of my first days was spent exploring the area around the main plaza. There are many restaurants with balconies overlooking the plaza, a great place to relax and have a drink. Right near the main plaza is a museum that features ¨Juanita the Ice Princess.¨ About 500 years ago several young people were sacrificed in the area surrounding what is today Arequipa. About 15 years ago a frozen body was found on a volcano called Ampato. After further examination, it was discovered to be the body of one of those sacrificed and she became known as Juanita. Because she had been frozen, she is very well preserved preserved and still has lots of skin and hair. Her mummified body is usually on display, however she gets to take January through April off so I was a bit disappointed. Despite not being able to see Juanita, another frozen mummy is on display. Sarnita is not quite as well preserved as Juanita, however it was still pretty creepy (interesting) to see her.


The next day, me and some friends from the hostel decided to visit the Santa Catalina Monastery. The monastery was founded in the 1500´s and is absolutely massive, it is like a city within a city. Despite all the tourists that flock through every day, there is a group of nuns who still live in the monastery, although in an area that is not open to the public. Despite the beautiful contrasting colors in the monastery, it did get to be a bit boring after a while, although I think that was due mostly to its gargantuan size. Wandering around you see lots of bedrooms, lots of kitchens, lots of prayer rooms, lots of religious pictures and lots of paintings of nuns (all of them look unhappy in the paintings, not a single smiling nun in the entire 20,000 square foot monastery).


All in all, Arequipa was an enjoyable city and I met lots of great people, although I still don´t get the love affair that most travelers have with it. Maybe I missed something.