La Paz

I wont write much for this post, just saying that I added the rest of my Argentina photos, and started a few Bolivia photos. They had to be brief because it takes forever to upload, but I think I covered a little bit of everything. Im still in La Paz, Bolivia, just rode 58KM down the worlds most dangerous road on a mountain bike. It was an amazing experience, and luckily no one I went with got injured. There was a guy who broke his leg, and a girl who broke her collar bone, but I wasn´t with that group! Tomorrow I am golfing at the worlds highest golf course, hopefully the thinner air makes my shot go further, I could use any help. Cant believe the trips already half over, see you sooner than later.

Greg

Bolivia so far

Well this is the first time Ive had internet connection since Monday, It´s also the first time I´ve posted anything since leaving Argentina and arriving in Bolivia. I spent the last night in Argentina listening to a Pena, which is live Argentinian music. Bands play with a series of pan flutes, drums, and other native wind instruments. I enjoyed a fine cut of llama meat, with a glass of Fernet and coke, my new favourite liqour at the moment. The departure from Argentina was awesome, left beautiful Tilcara for greener pastures in Bolivia. The only problem was that the pastures were a desert and they didn´t necessarily greet me with open arms. I took a night train to the border, hopeing to arrive around 6am when the border opens, since I heard the line can take up to 3 hours if you don´t arrive early. The bus I got on arrived at 5, pitch black, and having to walk to the border only knowing that its about 20 blocks away, without a direction. No one else was white, or a traveller, or spoke english. I asked in my best spanish which direction to walk and finally found someone who just pointed down a road. I started following someone, hoping they too were going to the border, and I ended up walking into Bolivia without anyone so much as asking me a question or making eye contact. I realized I should turn around, and sat at the immigration desk for 2 hours by myself until other travellers arrived around 7. I guess it didn´t open until 7:30am so I had a long wait. Once across, I took a bus to Uyuni, to do a 3 day trek of the salt flats, which was amazing! A group of us, mostly 23 year olds from Ireland, England and Argentina hired a jeep and took off. The salt flats are these huge desert like lands made of entirely salt. There was a bit of water on top so it reflected really well, and was something I´ve never seen before. We rode on top of the jeep, did some minor rock climbing that was probably unsafe because none of us are rock climbers, but it was a small climb. We saw an active volcano, some geysers during the sunrise, and visited a train grave yard. The circut went around Southern Bolivia to the North East of Chile, we arrived back in Uyuni on day 3. The group said there good byes, and it was off to Potosi for me, an old mining town that boomed in the early nineties when they hit huge silver deposits. I did a tour of the mines, which was pretty eye opening too the lifestlyes of the town folk. Kids as young as 15 are working in the mines, the air has tons of toxins, asbestos, and accidents are common. We crawled through small holes, slid down narrow openings, and gave gifts of coca leaves to the miners. Because of the poor condition the average life span of a minor is dramatically shorter, many getting lung diseases after 10 years of work. We also bought dynamite, which you can by from the corner store, for the miners to use, it was pretty surreal holding sticks of dynamite in your hand that cost about $3 Canadian. Now I´m writing from Potosi, and taking a night bus to La Paz. The elevation here is around 4000 meters above sea level (13123 ft), making many things the highest in the world (Im hoping to play golf on the highest golf course in La Paz). A couple people have had bad altitude sickness, including headaches, light headedness, and shortness of breath. So far I´ve only noticed shortness of breath when doing minor things, like walking up stairs....or maybe it´s all the cheap junk food I´ve been eating. Anyways, I´ll post pictures when I get a chance, the internet is so slow it takes about 25 minutes to load one photo. Chow

Greg

Gaucho, Bang Bang

I'm lying here In a hammock over looking the Quebrada de Humahuaca. Which means mountains, cactus, and desert land. I'm in a small town called Tilcara, which has many Gauchos. Gauchos are the Argentinian cowboys, with big hats and pauncos. I trekked around the area, visited a cool gorge with a famous rock because it has seven colours of rock in it. I've spent the past few days with a couple from Chicago and a Brit who have taught me a lot of Spanish. I just hope I can retain I all! I came from Salta, which was a cool colonial town but didn't have to much to do or explore. A few cool things I've noticed about Argentina are that they love dogs, there's even professional dog walkers who have up to a dozen dogs on separate leashes holding onto them all for dear life. Argentina is the number 5 country for Ice Cream, and have cool and cheap options. Driving through the Country side you can see a lot of poor towns. Many of the children are playing soccer, but the field is run down and wild horses, donkeys, or cows are sharing the field with them. Anyways, the suns setting and it's getting cold, I'll write again from Bolivia. Long live the gaucho.

Bs Asp

Its been a while since I´ve been able to write anything since I've been busy exploring Buenos Aires, and there is only one working computer with a line up of people to use it! BA has been a really interesting city, the architecture is amazing, even in the slums, while each area has a unique feel to it. I visited a really cool cemetery in an artys part of town called Recoleta. It sounds creepy but the cemetery has extravagant tombs and burial plots. The really only creepy thing is the fact that there are hundreds of cats roaming around the plots (que the creepy music). Next door is a free art gallery that has a Picaso, Monet, but mostly Argentinian artists. A few of us spent the day relaxing in the nearby park, watching people slack line around a course of trees. I almost got pick pocketed on the subway during rush hour. You're packed in there like sardines and I was wearing gym shorts with loose pockets. Anyways right when I got on there were people scrambling and brushing by, I squeezed my body in to get a spot, when suddenly it happened. Next thing I know I can feel a hand in my pocket, so I squeeze down and make eye contact with the guy and he pulls away. He didn't get anything, besides a very awkward subway ride as we had a few stare offs. On a more positive note, I had the best steak and beef I've ever eaten, it was a buffet that was amazing. They had a sushi section where you pick what you want in your roll and a guy makes it right infront of you. I was told Argentina is known for their meats, and I definitely was not let down! Well It's off to a new city, hopefully I can upload photos there! I'm finally feeling 100% healthy again, and ready for Salta, Agentina.

Argentina!

Out with the old and in with the new! Meaning hello Argentina! Iguazu falls can be seen from both the Brazil side and Argentina side. The Brazil side gives you a great panoramic view of all the waterfalls, while the Argentina side gets you really close to the action. The hostel on the Argentina side was quite nice, a group of 10 of us were hanging out at the hostel, playing guitar, lying in hammocks, while one English guy named Scott offered to cook us all his famous meatballs on a budget. The next morning a few of us went to the falls, and ended it off doing a speed boat tour that drives you right underneath one of the waterfalls. It as absolutely incredible to experience. 3 of us jumped on a bus to Buenos Aires that night, which is a 19 hour bus ride. The bus had wide seats that recline to become almost flat. They have this amazing leg rest invention that's best described as a flutter board thing that attaches to the seat for your legs to rest on. They give you a pollow, blankets, a beef and potato dinner, your own bottle of wine (which I surprisingly enjoyed) and they play movies. It's the best bus ride I've ever been on by FAR! Makes greyhound look like torture... Anyways still discovering Buenos Aires, the vibe of the city is really cool!

Iguazu

I have made it to Iguazu! I quickly made friends with Chiago, a brazilian who studied in Austalia and speaks pretty good English. He took me out for dinner at an all-you-can-eat Pizza place. There were Wings, French Fries, Pizza, Spaghetti, and Ice Cream all for about $8 Canadian. The pizza was wild too, they served White cholcolate, Chocolate with strawberries, Bamboo fruit with pineapple and cheese, as well as the normals like pepperoni and pineapple. Anyways I´m heading to the waterfalls tomorrow morning, I´ll write again when I get a chance. In the meantime I´ve posted a few pictures, not too many because it takes a while and theres only one computer, and a poker addicted German is chomping at the bit to get back to poker stars. Hope you enjoy what I´ve posted so far.

Good Bye Rio. Hello Iguazu

The past few days in Rio have been wild, filled with dancing, drinking, and singing until the sun rises. In Rio it seems to be ´the norm´ to stay out until 6am. Monday night I had tickets to the Sambadrome, a huge stadium that hosts the annual parade. Samda schools have been practicing every weekend since September to compete for the best floats, costumes, and dance/show. The show starts at 10pm and goes until 6am, which means thousands among thousands of people are in the stands singing, dancing and cheering for there favourite schools. You´ll have to see the pictures to understand how much effort is put into this parade. It attracts celebrities from around the world, such as Madonna and Bono, but this year the only celebrity sighting was Pamela Anderson at the Beach. I was out until 8am, which was the norm for the night, meaning I woke up mid afternoon, and just went to Copacabana beach to relax and people watch. Fun fact about Carnival: 80% of there annual alcohol sales are from this weekend. Meaning everyone is out having a good time, but unfortunately crime does occur. A friend from my hostel had his cell phone pick-pocketed, and then the next night was robbed by a 12 year old with a hunting knife. Today it was time to leave Rio and head to Iguazu Falls. Iguazu is on the border of Brazil and Argentina, and hosts a park with over 250 waterfalls that supposedly puts Niagra Falls to shame. However the bus broke down after an hour and now I´m stuck writing this from the side of the road waiting for the new bus to pick us all up. Luckily we are surrounded by lush forest and mountains, it could be worse!

Rio!!!

BRAZIL!! It's alive with the Carnival spirit! Well it's day 3 now, and a lot has happened. I left Canada on Friday feeling really under the weather, the plane rides weren't pleasant as I would go through packages of kleenex and try to sleep, then to top it off my luggage didn't get transferred to my plane during my lay over in Houston. So I was without a change of clothes or toiletries for a few days. However I'm feeling much better, my bags arrived to my hostel, and suddenly the sun seems to be shining brighter! So far: I've seen Christ the Redeemer, the beaches, Monkeys, and some of the most ridiculous costumes you can imagine. It's a big celebration during Carnival, with locals and tourists dressing up in a giant Halloween-esqe celebration. There's fat supermans, men in drag, the entire star wars cast, and so much more. Anyways this is my first post from Rio, It's a cool city with a big contrast between rich and poor, yet everyone seems friendly enough and speaks a bit of English. Ill post pictures and write again soon.