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