Chao Sudamerica!

Since my last entry I left La Paz and covered the most mileage out of my entire trip in just one month. I headed out of La Paz, ready to take on the rest of South America. I had finished up working at the hostel bar, glad to be done with a job that really didn't pay anything and gave its workers only room and beer in return. I met up with my friends Will and Cerise in Tarija, Bolivia. We went and rescued our friend Andy who had been working on a vineyard for a week or so and from there the gang stormed on to Salta, Argentina. Upon crossing the border it was immediately apparent that we were stepping into a different culture. The people looked more european. The border guards were actually nice and HELPFUL! We passed a few days in Salta getting used to our new surroundings and culture. My diet immediately changed from being very full of vegetables and grains to meat, bread and wine. Not complaining but it was quite a change. I think I packed on a couple of pounds just from eating sandwiches 2-3 times a day. However, the food in Argentina is INCREDIBLE! Some highlights include- empanadas, pizza, steak, wine, cheese, jamon crudo, olives, chorizo, morcillas, chimichurry, and of course, ice cream! Argentina really seemed like the promised land after Bolivia. I spent the majority of my time in La Paz simply frustrated with the pollution, lack of respect for travelers and inefficiency of transit, business, etc. This doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy my time there. However, everything in Argentina seems to run just a little more smoothly. People will go just a little bit further to be helpful to dumb gringos even if it is not part of their job description. The police keep to themselves and the taxi drivers can't rip you off because they are all licensed and have meters in their cabs.

Anyway, we rambled on to Mendoza eager to sample the wine. Our hostel had a barbecue grill and free wine for guests 24/7 so you can guess how we spent most of our evenings. We explored all that Argentina has to offer in the meat department. Top sirloin and NY strip steaks cost only about $2 per person. This country knows how to produce quality meat for cheap! Other highlights of Mendoza include a tram ride to the top of a local mountain to catch sunset, a massive colonial park complete with palm trees lakes and fountains, winery tours on bikes and more ice cream.

After Mendoza Andy and I left Will and Cerise behind and decided to end our Argentina excursion in Buenos Aires. I met up with Brian Funk, and old friend from elementary and high school. Aside from throwing a wicked bbq for us on his rooftop terrace, he showed us some of the best spots in Buenos Aires including Restaurante Des Nivel and San Telmo sunday market. Thanks to Brian, my time in Argentina was a complete success. Sadly, Andy and I had to part ways as he went to go work on a local farm for a week or so before he heads back to the states. Traveling with Andy for about 3 weeks was a blast, as he is a really enlightened cat who is always down for having spontaneous adventures, and a hell of a good whistler too!

Instead of flying back to Lima to catch my return flight home, I opted to save a few pesos and take the bus back. BAD IDEA! This was the three day bus journey from hell. I will spare details but it inluded non-fully reclining chairs, loud cumbia music and a chain smoking bus driver. In the end, it was 75 hours from BA, through Chile and all the way back to Lima. I made it back alive, safe and sound without being robbed by any crooked border guards.

I must say that I am a little sad to be leaving such a wonderful continent behind. I feel very proud of myself for having completed my journey and more importantly, having met so many wonderful people along the way. Francis and Ursula graciously hosted me in their home in Lima. Jack Sparks, the Texan brewmaster at Saya Beer in La Paz showed me a few tricks of his trade and bought me more drinks than I can remember. Owain and Hannah, an Aussie couple I met in La Paz who are doing a continental tour of South America by motorcycle, filled my head with the wisdom that only comes from old souls. All the other awesome backpackers in La Paz- Beau and Boy, Cha Cha Spinrad, Andrea, and Nicolas were friends that I will always remember. I also met some great folks working at hostels in Argentina. Luis and Matias of Sol Huasi in Salta and Oliver, Fabio and Jessica at Kaixo hostel in Buenos Aires. Finally, my close travelling companions Will Lockhart, Cerise Omdahl and Andy Gannagine Hammerstein were so much fun. Thanks to all these people and more who made my trip to South America a total blast!

Well anyway, I gotta go grab some lunch with my friend Frank and pack a few things before heading off to the USA. To South America- ha sido una privelegia y un placer, CHAO!
-james

This further proves my theory that nothing in Latin America is made for the tall gentleman!

Ten days ago I arrived in lovely La Paz, Bolivia after 27 hours on a bus. I boarded the double-decker beast in Lima well aware of the tourture that lie ahead. The bus, engineered by a Brazilian company was clearly made by short people, for short people. If I have learned anything from my travels in Latin America it is that the greedy owners of bus companies pack so many damn seats into their busses (city or coach) that dangerous would be an understatement. It is not uncommon that I will board a bus here and be forced into a tiny back seat with my knees pulled up to my jowels and my bag uncomfortably stuffed in my face. This particular bus voyage was not so bad.

The day after my departure and only 20 short hours into a fantastic bus ride, we arrived at the Peru/Bolivia border at a town named Desaguadero, a name I will always remember. After standing in line and getting an exit stamp from Peru, I proceed to cross over the river which divides the two nations. Before actually leaving Peru, a robotic police officer of average stature and and strict facial features waved me over to his office while making small talk. Upon entering the building he learned that I am indeed a gringo from the loved/hated United States of America. He then proceeded inform me about drug trafficking and its serious implications while showing me photos of international travelers handcuffed next to mountains of cocaine and statuesque, shotgun-toting police officers beaming proudly over their captured contraband. I politely told him that I understood that such an act is highly illegal and that I neither possessed the listed items, nor did I intend to. He then decided to search my backpack and interrogate me about its contents and implied several times that I may indeed be one of those unfortunate travelers who get caught with drugs on them at the border. He asked me to empy my pockets and STUPIDLY, I revealed all of my cash on his desk, along with my iPod and a few miscellaneous items. I had just enough money to purchase a Bolivian tourist visa and as I set it down on his desk, time stood still for a second and I remembered that not all police officers in this part of the world are honest. To make a long story short, he stole 20 bucks from me and sent me on my way saying thanks for visiting and come back soon, with a smile on his face. I exited the building, counted my cash and instantly realized that I had been DUPED! Needless to say, I did not have enough money to pay for my visa and the police officer´s Bolivian cousin on the other side of the border was not sympathetic to my situation even though I explained myself. Thank Dog that I speak the language!

So I entered Bolivia enraged and alone. Great start to a new country, eh? Anyway, La Paz is a quaint little city with a mountain/colonial/indigenous feel to it. I already looked into working a long-term job here as a mountain bike guide but Evo Morales wants 1000 bucks for a work visa so I told him to take that visa and shove it, cuz I am already dropping some coin on this country! For the time being, I am tending bar at my hostel for a bed to sleep in and some scraps (really delicious) food. I am having fun and look forward to spending a couple more lazy weeks here before I figure out where I want to go next. I am told that La Paz has a way of sucking the passing traveler in and not letting go. I see what they mean.

A solo trek to Marcahuasi

So I've been hanging around Lima for about four weeks not really knowing where or when to make my next move. I am enjoying myself and relaxing quite a bit but it has recently become apparent to me that my time in this part of the world is short and I need to get moving to cover more ground and see new places. So last week I set out for a quick solo backpacking trip to Marcahuasi, an ancient Incan observatory set at the top of a mountain not far from Lima. The mountain is topped with interesting rock formations resembling human heads, camels and even religious icons...if you use your imagination. Said to have been created by extraterrestrials, these rock formations definitely have unique shapes, unlike any I have ever seen. It is no wonder that the Incan people used this basin with its natural acoustics and magestic beauty to observe the celestial spheres dancing in the heavens.

My first (and only) night at Marcahuasi began with one of the most fantastic sunsets I have ever seen. I had spent most of the day in delerium, walking around camp in a daze searching for a shady place to rest after a sudden onset of altitude sickness. I had to drink more than half my water to ensure that I wouldn't drop dead at the top of the mountain and thus cut my trip down by a full 24 hours. However, once the afternoon sun melted into the horizon and shade settled over the rock basin, I became instantly energized and felt the urgent need to witness the puesta del sol, as sunsets are rare this time of year in Lima. I grabbed a jacket and my sunglasses and took a short walk out of the camp to go watch the show.

I found a rocky pier which jutted out of the basin and over the side of the mountain, revealing a group of burnt black granite spires to the south. Standing at attention like a hundred Incan warriors, the spires had surely seen this spectacle every day for their million year existence. To the west I could see a deep valley slowly filling with clouds rolling off of the Pacific ocean. Following the valley out to the perfectly flat plane of the sea I found the sun. Delicately balanced on the point where water meets sky, the hot ball of light turned a brilliant orange and eventually into a deep reddish purple until nothing was left. The sky followed suit after the disappearence of the sun and quickly went from blue to pink to purple night. I had seen sunsets before but nothing quite like this. Just as the show ended I turned to head back to camp and was stopped in my tracks by the most brilliant white moon I have ever seen. It was like a shiny silver dollar rising in the eastern sky. Its rays of light seemed to pierce my heart and once again, I was left breathless. All I could do was laugh to myself, knowing that only a handful of people have ever seen this same spectacle.

So after eating some soup and unsuccessfully attempting to light a fire (dried llama dung and green twigs being my only fuel option) I watched the moon dominate the sky for another hour and headed to bed. The trip to Marcahuasi, although being difficult with it's 16,000 ft elevation and extremely dry air, was a complete success. I can't say I have ever enjoyed being by myself so much. The next day I packed out and began the long journey home filled with bumpy, dusty bus rides and angry taxi drivers. I so enjoyed my trip that I am very anxious to get out of Lima and even out of the country. I am not completely sure where I will end up next but Bolivia might be on my agenda very soon. Until then, the wayfaring anthropologist wishes you well and thanks for reading!

Leaving Babylon and arriving in...Babylon.

On the 9th of Sept I left Denver International Airport and after about 20 grueling hours of waiting and napping and plane transfers I arrived in Lima in the early morning hours of the following day. I was graciously greeted by Francis and Ursula, my former hosts from my last stay in Lima (fall 2007.) Finally after months of preparation and hard work, I found myself back in this massive city of 9 million people. The first few days were nothing but fun as I visited all my favorite places and met up with friends from semesters past. Then my stomach decided to rebel and I was forced into the confines of a 4ft by 6ft jail cell of a bathroom for 24 hours. I'll spare you the details but believe me, it was not fun. Less than 72 hours in the City of Kings and I was already sick!

My expat honeymoon ended as I writhed on the floor, my guts in pain. Remembering my Peruvian history I thought to myself, ''If you get Montezuma's revenge in Mexico, then surely this must be Tupac Amaru's revenge.'' The last Inca emporer may have pillaged my bowels for a couple of days but I emerged cleansed and renewed, ready to take on whatever gastronomic adventures Lima might throw at me.

Snapping back into reality from such an experience made me question my motives for traveling to a far off land such as Peru. Just as I do every time I travel, I asked myself, ''Why in the world did I leave behind everybody and everything that I love to come here and wander around for three months?'' This is a question I ask myself everyday as I observe Limeños on the streets walking to work like robots, bustling about in search of money and status. Why did I come here to observe a grey, polluted and noisy city when I was perfectly happy at home in Denver?

Actually, I was not perfectly happy in Denver. I realized some time ago that I am always either traveling or thinking about traveling. Shortly after I returned to Denver in December 2007 I began to plan my next South American adventure. Brazil? Argentina? Chile? Why not all of them? I decided to take the next three semesters to work and think about where I would make my next move. I would graduate and work the following summer to save enough for a grand excursion of epic proportions. Actually, I made these plans over a year and a half ago and I am pleased to say that so far, all is going to plan! So here I am. I even planned to encounter this strange feeling of ''why the hell am I doing this in the first place?'' I can't really come up with a good answer except that Latin America is a thing, a place that occupies much of my time. Whether I am researching the Zapatista rebel movement in Mexico, observing the fantastic art of Frida Kahlo, watching films by Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles or reading surrealist poetry of Pablo Neruda, I find myself surrounded by Latin culture every day. What was once a curiosity back in 9th grade Spanish class has blossomed into an obsession which drives my life. Where exactly is this obsession taking me? I don't really know. And that is what makes me ask ''what the hell am I doing here?''

Part of this is the feeling of being a recent college graduate with nothing to do, in an economy where even people with masters degrees are having trouble making ends meet. In part, I feel as if I am running away from the madness of the United States. It sounds romantic to go ''get lost in South America.'' Frank Sinatra even said ''come fly with me, we'll fly down to Peru. In llama land there's a one man band'' and blah, blah whatever. The reality of the situation is things are just as crazy here as they are back home. Limeños are talking about the bad economy and healthcare reform too.

I wake up every day to car alarms and loud busses outside my window. I cough up the diesel exhaust and second-hand cigarette smoke that accumulated in my lungs from the previous day. I then tell myself that even though I may not be living in a Frank Sinatra song, I am going to make every day an adventure. Whether it means walking 5 miles to go buy a guide book at a travelers club, trying to surf Lima's massive cold water waves or riding with Francis to browse black market items at a local market, I am determined to make an adventure out of this trip.

''Welcome to la Babylon.'' These are the words of Edu, a 5 foot Peruvian rastaman who denounces the creation of this illusion we know as ''modern civilization.'' Thus far, he is the wisest Peruvian I have met because he made me realize that I simply left one form of madness for another.

"Fortune Favors the Bold!"

...is my new mantra for my trip. Thanks to Marcus Trucco, I now have something to think about while backpacking through the desert and hopping busses as I head towards the Strait of Magellan. I now have about six days to the hour until I land in Lima. I am preparing by procrastinating my room cleaning and organization that NEEDS to happen. I'm just having way too much fun riding my bike to do much else. Ah yes, this is the life! And it's only going to get better. Until we meet again, ciao bella! 

- James

To trek or not to trek?

So my recent dilemma is this: do I eschew much of my clothing and luxury items in my pack for backpacking equipment such as a tent, sleeping bag and the like? or do I forget all that gear and cram as much useless and boring t-shirts and shoes into my pack as possible? I think I shall go with the former and take a new attitude with this trip. I will bring these supplies for one reason: to live the life of a nomad, carrying my home on my back as I visit the Atacama desert, the Callejon de Huaylas mountain range and hopefully even Patagonia! I am inspired by my good friend Marcus Trucco http://theredrider.blogspot.com/who is currently riding his bicycle from Portland, Oregon to Portland Maine. I have so enjoyed reading about his solo travels that I feel the need to do something similar but with my own style. I hope to travel by bus and live on the cheap so that I will both save money and live simply. I don't know what may come of these exploits but we shall see. I will be leaving this country in just 18 DAYS!!! More to come. Until then...I must go see some really good concerts at Red Rocks.
Chao- James

...and now I must prepare for my travels.

Summer has been in full swing for a while now. I have been pedicabbing like crazy to make enough money for my trip to South America. Finally I have more than enough money for the trip. Now I just have to acquire a few supplies for my travels. I dropped by REI yesterday and picked up a sweet Ortlieb waterproof messenger bag (this thing boasts over 1800 cubic inches of volume!) Now all I need is a copy of Adobe Photoshop to run on my Mac and a LaCie "rugged" 250 GB external hard drive to store all of my photography. Sadly, I didn't get the chance to purchase a new Nikon D90 camera with lenses before the trip so I suppose the old D100 will have to do the job for now.

Where is the Wayfaring Anthropologist going to travel you ask? Well the current plan is as follows: 1) fly into Lima on the 10th of September and stay with friends for a few weeks and begin surf lessons. 2) visit the town Huaraz in the Callejon de Huaylas region of northern Peru for a few days to a week. 3) return to Lima and hang out for a while and possibly purchase a cheap surf board. 4) hop busses heading southward through Peru stopping in the regions of Pisco, Ica/Huacachina and Nazca. 5) continue heading south into Chile and stopping in places such as Atacama, Valparaiso, Santiago, etc. I plan to keep moving to photograph and cover as much distance as possible. Time and money permitting, I might also make it to Uruguay and/or Argentina. That is uncertain at this point however.

I shall post again once my plans are finalized. I leave for Lima in 29 days.
peace-james