The Last Post

Two more nights. That’s it. After 11 months of sleeping in new cities, eating exotic foods, meeting interesting travelers, touring ancient ruins, bringing toilet paper with us wherever we go, and carrying all our shit on our backs, the trip is over. And to use the word “trip” to describe this year seems to fit perfectly.

Showing off her vertical leap in the Uyuni Salt Flats. I have a picture of me doing the same thing but I barely got my feet off the ground. Pretty pathetic.

Two hours after getting hit in the face with a stick while playing stick ball with some friends in Thailand. Definitely the scariest moment of the trip. Luckily I was drunk so I didnt feel the pain.

Sometimes difficult but most of the time exhilarating, this trip has been the best year of our lives. Upon return this Friday we might not look all that different to our friends and family, but we certainly feel different. We are forever changed by this experience and will carry the memories and lessons we learned with us wherever we go.

Besides being bit by bugs all over the world, Andy and I were also snipped by the Travel Bug. I did very little exploring before this year and now, as I sit in my overpriced hostel in Lima, Peru, awaiting my flight home Thursday night, I can’t help but think of all the places I haven’t been and where I want to go next. I’m not talking about taking another year off, but I do want to see more, risk more, DO more. Andy, when thinking about her year and what she learned, talked about her love of reading. She also mentioned how she is inspired, upon returning, to take time for herself to be creative with either a painting class, dance class or French horn lessons. Back in the Bay, some ideas we’ve had to change up the routine is to limit the amount of TV we watch, cook more, create a book exchange and book club amongst friends, and play more board games.

Yeaay! We dont have to carry our shit everywhere starting Friday!!

When going over this last blog post, Andy said she wanted to include some things we learned about the world, as well as how to be a better traveler. So we sat together and came up with these two lists.

Top ten things we learned about the world:

1. We learned how terribly poor the air quality is around the world and that littering is commonplace.
2. We learned how small the world actually is. We ran into someone Andy grew up next to in Connecticut and someone who was college roommates with my friend from NJ.
3. We learned that everyone knows Arnold Schwarzenegger is the governer of California.
4. We learned that the world is filled with cigarette smokers and that smoking in public is accepted.
5. We learned that everyone we talked to hates Bush and the American policies. People weren’t anti-American, they were just upset with the war.
6. We learned that there are many people taking a year off to travel and that Americans receive little vacation time compared to the rest of the world.
7. We learned that landscapes and fauna repeat themselves.
8. We learned that the pace of American society is faster than most places we visited. You’d be surprised how many people sit in parks all day, every day.
9. We learned that, despite the lack of security around the world, we felt safe pretty much everywhere we went.
10. Overall, we learned that the world is filled with friendly, good-hearted people willing to lend a hand to someone in need.

Top ten traveler tips:

1 - Always ask for a discount, even if the price seems non-negotiable.
2 - Things to always keep on you: toilet paper, snacks, camera and a few layers.
3 - When purchasing any kind of transportation/tour/travel activity, ask lots of questions to be sure you know what you’re getting. And don’t get upset when what you receive differs from what they told you.
4 - Always check your bed/sheets/room/shower before agreeing to stay in a hostel.
5 - When buying bus tickets, check other companies for different prices, reserve seats on the opposite side of the sun and away from the bathroom, and watch your luggage get loaded and during stops.
6 - In the third world, if a restaurant’s ambiance is pleasing then the food is probably not that good and normally more expensive. Flourescent lighting, plastic chairs and locals normally means quality food.
7 - When a taxi driver tells you a price, always half it and work up from there.
8 - Skype is an inexpensive, easy way to call home from anywhere in the world using the Internet.
9 - Some random useful items: can opener, wine opener, bungee chords, eye patch, earplugs, headlamps, a spork.
10 - Did we mention to always ask for a discount? With a smile of course!

Happy as a clam during a stop at an icecream parlor during a hike through the woods of Coroico. Seriously, this homemade helado store popped up out of nowhere. If you think my smile is big, you should have seen Andy.

A few days ago, Andy and I sent an email to all the people we met while traveling: Germans, Kiwis, Swiss, Windy City citizens, New Yorkers. We had over 50 people’s email addresses! As we went through the list of people we were sending our thanks to for making this trip so wonderful, we began telling stories to each other. “Remember when this…” or “Remember when that…” We have so many stories that only the two of us will know. We experienced this year together and we’ve watched each other grow and change and flourish.

Andy and I spent more time together this year than we ever have and it reiterated to me why we chose to spend our lives together. She looked at me the other day and said smiling, “I can’t believe I’m not sick of you yet.” I looked right back and said, “Ditto.” It’s funny to think about my fears before we left on the trip. I was worried that Andy and I wouldn’t get along and we’d drive each other nuts. Presently, me feelings couldn’t be more different. I love her more now than I ever have. This year has opened my eyes to how funny, smart, energetic, friendly, compassionate, interested in learning, and magically amazing she is.

Andy all suited up for her trip into the Potosi Mines in Bolivia.

Eric all suited up for going on a boat to see dolphins in Argentina.

And our next adventure awaits us back home. Andy is teaching again at Prospect Sierra starting in September and I am looking for a job that inspires me. I will settle for nothing less. I already have one option on the table that looks to fit that one requirement, so things are rosy. Also, upon returning home, I plan on continuing my writing ways. M.L. Spinrad and James Austin – two writers and friends from the Bay Area – have been offering me support all year via email and the three of us have agreed to continue working together. I couldn’t be more excited for the possibilities. (If you know anyone in Hollywood who wants to read screenplays written by a loveable guy, let me know!)

Presently, as we drink our instant coffee, eat our stale bread and wait to leave smoggy Lima, what we feel most is happiness – just an overwhelming sense of gratitude for everything. For our life back home, for each other, our lasting memories and overall experience. It’s the wildest trip we’ve ever been on and believe us when we say we’ve been on a bunch of crazy trips in our lives. Our only hope is that the fun doesn’t stop here.

For those looking to continue reading about my life, I have started a new blog discussing my life back home, people I encounter, things that rile me up.

http://talkinboutmyview.blogspot.com/

Thank you all for reading. This blog has been one of the best writing experiences I’ve ever had and I appreciate your feedback and comments more than you could imagine. Without you, the blog would have been just an online diary.Hope you enjoyed the pics of Andy and me doin’ our thang! So, I guess this is goodbye. Goodbye!

"Goodbye," says Andy.

"Goodbye," says Eric.

And the award goes to....

Andy and I just watched another spectacular sunset here in Los Organos and we started talking about the best sunsets we’ve seen this year. Then, because of a bug that recently crawled into Andy’s stomach, we started talking about the best and worst bathrooms of the year. This, of course, led to many giggles. So, as our trip winds down, we decided to compile a “Best” and “Worst” list of our adventures. Hope you enjoy our trip down memory lane. We sure did!

BEST STREET FOOD

ANDY: Hands down, the veggie pad thai in Bangkok. Right before we left for the airport, on our way back to San Francisco in January, I had to have one last taste of the perfect dish. Some were better than others, but it never disappointed. (Cost: around $1).
Runner up: Fresh juice in Bolivia ($0.25).

ERIC: Empanadas in Argentina were my favorite. So many different types to try. Roquefort y ham baked gently in a super fine crusty pie was the best. (Cost: $0.30).
Runner up: Fried chicken on Ko Yao Noi, Thailand (4 pieces for $0.50).

BEST MEAL

ANDY: Social Paraiso, an upscale, refined eatery in Buenos Aires, did everything right and still stands out as the best meal, from appetizer to dessert. We had medallions of meat, glazed mushrooms and the chocolate sampler to finish it off. (Cost: Eric’s parents paid).
Runner up: Eggplant Mousaka, greek salad, pita, tsastiki in Agios Giordos, Greece ($7)

ERIC: It’s a no brainer. Social Paraiso was the best. We oohd and ahhd through the whole night.
Runner up: Special Chicken Curry with vegetables served in a hollowed out coconut in Pai, Thailand ($1.60)

This is a picture of us trying to pick which amazing dessert to eat first. So many tough decisions we had to make this year.

WORST MEAL

ERIC: The anorexic duck I ordered in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. There were about two bites of meat on the whole thing and it was served with boiled potatoes and two pieces of lettuce. (Cost: $8)
Runner up: Every other meal we ate in Czech Republic.

ANDY: We ate at a fancy restaurant our first night in Prague and we got the beef goulash. There were three small pieces of meat and one small potato. (Cost: $10).
Runner up: The taco I ate four days ago that I am reminded of every 20 minutes. (Cost: $3.30)

BEST NIGHT OUT ON THE TOWN

ANDY: New Year’s Eve on Hot Ton Sai, Thailand. We partied with old friends and new ones and rang in the new year together. We hired a long-tail boat to take us to the road-free beach and walked on mud flats at the end of the night. We bar hopped, watched fire dancing and sat underneath the fireworks. Good times. (Cost: Can’t remember).
Runner up: My night out with Serena in Salvador, Brazil.

ERIC: The Pink Palace, baby! I have never drank so much in my life and yet, I was the last man standing. A crazy good time with Brad, Sam, Katie and Lloyd of London. Stay away from the pink ouzo! (Cost: Not sure, but worth every penny).
Runner up: San Francisco with my peeps!

BEST SPLURGE

ANDY: Flight from Chiang Mai to Luang Probang, Laos. Our other option would have been a three-day odyssey down the Mekong River that we had only heard bad things about. The tourist companies called it “The Slow Boat.” (Cost: $90).
Runner up: Ko Yao Noi Island Resort massage in Thailand. (Cost: $45)

ERIC: The flight from Arequipa to Mancora. What would have taken us 30 hours on a loud, bumpy overnight bus, only took us 6 by plane. We needed a break from all the Bolivian rough housing we endured. (Cost: $180 each).
Runner up: Flight from Chiang Mai to Luang Probang. (Cost: $90 each)

BIGGEST WASTE OF MONEY

ERIC: The hotel in Den Helder, Holland. It was a stinky room above a smokey bar in a cloud-covered fishing town with nothing to do but walk around the stinky town. (Cost: $75)
Runner up: All the winter hats I bought and then subsequently lost while traveling in Argentina. (Cost: $15)

ANDY: The first class seats on the train from Villazon, Bolivia to uyuni, Bolivia. There were no pictures of what we were getting but we had heard about bench seats as apposed to recliners. When we got in the train, the only thing different from second class was that we got a crappy meal added on to our 8-hour trip served hastily by the dining car. We paid 4 times more for that filet of llama meat and rice! (Cost: $20).
Runner up: Every meal in the Czech Republic. (Cost: It makes me hurt thinking about how much it cost)

Absolute blandness at its best. Can you believe how much we paid for this dump?

BEST HIKE

ANDY: Fitz Roy in Argentina was the most exhilarating, memorable and challenging hike of the year. 9 hours of majesty.
Runner up: Mountainside hike in Coroico, Bolivia.

ERIC: Fitz Roy was my favorite as well. I pushed myself beyond what I thought I was capable of and I came out on top. Literally, I was on top of the mountain. What an amazing feeling.
Runner up: Isla del Sol in Copacabana, Bolivia.

BEST BOOK

ERIC and ANDY: We both agree that the best of the best was The Kiterunner. We cried our eyes out when we finished. A masterpiece!
Andy’s runner up: East of Eden.
Eric’s runner up: Three-way tie with the The Artist’s Way, The Traveler and American Pastoral

BEST BATHROOM

ANDY: Ko Yao Island Resort in Thailand. Great, hot shower, beautiful tile work, a flush toilet. What more can you ask for?
Runner up: Los Organos beach house.

ERIC: The outside huts that housed our toilet and shower in Coroico, Bolivia. You just can’t beat having a view of mountains and lush valleys while doing your business.
Runner up: Los Organos beach house.

This picture does not do this ¨john¨ justice. The view was friggen spectacular.

WORST BATHROOM

ANDY: I had to pee on our trip from Coroico to La Paz. The driver stopped at a rest area. The door was locked to the public bathroom so I went around back and squated. Next to me was more trash than I could have imagined. As I was doing my duty, trying my hardest to avoid the stench that surrounded me, I shared the space with three pigs rooting in the shit that accumulated 3 feet from me. Ah Bolivia!
Runner up: A tie for second between all the toilets in Asia that I have conveniently blocked out of my memory.

ERIC: The bathroom at the second night of the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. It was flooded with excrement and the stench could knock out a horse. Truly despicable.
Runner up: Squat toilet in Vang Vieng, Laos at my favorite hangout bar on the river.

BEST ACCOMODATIONS

We created a ranking system for all our temporary homes throughout the year and we finally tallied the scores. Dorky, yes. But we had a lot of time on our hands. Below is our list of top five places and bottom five places. (Don’t worry, Dad, you guys cracked the top five – chocolates on our pillows was a nice touch!)

BEST
1. Las Casitas in Los Organos, Peru
2. Ko Yao Island Resort in Ko Yao Noi, Thailand
3. Hotel All Suites in Buenos Aires, Argentina
4. Mark and Andy Rubin in Las Vegas, Nevada
5. (TIE) Hotel La Bluette in La Barra, Uruguay
5. (TIE) Cordoba Apartment in Cordoba, Argentina

WORST
74. Hotel Avenida in Uyuni, Bolivia
75. Overnight train to Berlin
76. Alojamiento Aroma in Copacabana, Bolivia
77. Uyuni Trek Night 1 in Uyuni, Bolivia
78. Uyuni Trek Night 2 in Uyuni, Bolivia

MOST ADVENTUROUS MOMENT

ERIC: Taking the world’s most dangerous road from La Paz to Coroico. Thankfully the clouds and rain kept me from seeing how bad the road really was. I had psyched myself up for this trip for a week before and I knew there was no avoiding it. (Cost: $25 each)
Runner up: Jumping from a tree into a lagoon in Vang Vieng, Laos.

ANDY: Walking on the glacier with crampons in Argentina. It felt like we were going to slip and fall in a crevace at any moment. It was a great day! (Cost: $80 each)
Runner up: Scuba diving with Abby in Thailand.

MOST MEMORABLE CULTURAL EXCHANGE

ANDY: Rat’s birthday party on Ko Yao Noi, Thailand. We were invited to celebrate with him and his friends. We ate yummy seafood and sang songs with him and his friends around a bonfire.
Runner up: A five-hour conversation with a Cambodian man while riding on a bus through his country.

ERIC: Spending an evening with my Spanish teacher, Javier, in Cordoba. We ate empanadas and talked about music, tv, and the Argentinian way of life.
Runner up: Getting to know the bartender and his family at my favorite river hangout in vang Vieng, Laos.

BEST PURCHASE

ANDY: That’s a hard one. We splurged on a tapestry hand woven in Bolivia. It took one woman three months to make. We can’t wait to hang it.
Runner up: Customed tailored leather coat in Buenos Aires.

ERIC: My white cloth button down beach shirt that I scored from a street vendor in Corfu, Greece. It’s so light and breezy and perfect for a chilly nightime beach sunset.
Runner up: The hippie necklace I bought in Salta, Argentina.

Ahhhh cow hide!

MOST IMPRESSIVE WONDER OF THE WORLD

ANDY: Ankor Wat. It was just unbelievable. The temples were scattered over fifty miles and it left me in complete awe.
Runner up: The salt flats of Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia

ERIC: Walking on the glacier was about as surreal and spectacular as life can get. I felt like Superman returning to his ice cave. I had cool, sharp metal spikes attached ot my shoes and I trekked up and down ice for two hours.
Runner up: The penguins in Puerto Madryn, Argentina

THING WE MISSED MOST ABOUT HOME

ANDY AND ERIC: Our communtiy, both family and friends, serve such an immense role in our lives and you have all been missed dearly during this year. We thank you for reading this blog and staying connected with us while we stomped around the globe.
Andy’s runner up: Fluffy
Eric’s runner up: Las Palmas Chicken burrito

We´re comin´home soon floofmeister!!

BONUS CATEGORY

MOST DEDICATED BLOG COMMENTOR

ERIC AND ANDY: Hands down, Jamey “the King” Austin. You were diligent, my friend, and we appreciated knowing that whenever we posted something to our blog, we could count on an insightful, funny response within a few days. We got you an award for your efforts that will be hand delivered in exactly two weeks!
Runner up: Mark “The Shark” Spinrad.

Highest Spot South of Havana

Copacabana, nestled on the tip of a peninsula jutting out into Lago Titicaca, was the perfect stop to finish off our time in Bolivia. The town’s focus is tourism and there are daily tours to the surrounding areas that afford some of the most majestic landscapes on this planet.

Sunset on Copacabana. One of the most tranquil
places we have been all year.

After a 6-hour bus ride from Coroico, we plopped ourselves down at a cheap, dumpy hostel. In fact, it was our cheapest room of the year – only $1.20 per person! Unfortunately, you get what you pay for. Our bed made creaky door noises at the tiniest movement, the high-altitude, nighttime air rushed in and froze our bones, and the five flights of stairs winded us every time. We decided after a sleepless night to move to another hostel. For only $3 a person, we scored a clean, new room wth perfect views of Lake Titicaca and the evening sunsets.

Finally, after a good night’s sleep, we woke up early to catch a boat shuttle to Isla del Sol. We were told the boat was slow, but we weren’t expecting it to feel like slow motion. The ride, which should have taken about 30 minutes, slogged on for a little over 2 hours thanks to the fishing-boat engine attached to a vessel that seats 100 people. The scenery was beautiful but the wooden benches took their toll on my tushy after a while.

A view from Incan ruins on Isla del Sol.
Nice framework, Andy!

We arrived on the dreamy island around 10 a.m. and began our four-hour hike from the port in the north. We walked amongst small fishing villages, Inca ruins and peaceful, hillside farms. It was a gloriously sunny day and and the air was crisp. This mini-trek from north to south ranked high on our favorite hikes of the year, slightly behind Fitz Roy and narrowly eclipsing Coroico. Despite the throng of tourists we shared the boatride with, our time on Isla del Sol felt like an escape. Nature engulfed us and the serenity of the peaceful place was overwhelming. We walked along, up and down the rolling hills. It was a garuantee that every five minutes either Andy or I would stop and say, “This is fuckin incredible!” or “Can you believe this?” or “What a great day!”

Walking amongst farmland at almost 15,000 feet!

We arrived back on Copacabana around 6 p.m., exhausted and smiling. The boat ride home was just as slow but it didn’t seem to bother us as much this time. We embarked during sunset and walked to the nicest restaurant in town. It had been recommended to us by a couple of Brits we kept bumping into. We took their advice and plopped down in the dimly lit restaurant for some nachos, fajitas, chili con carne and beer. Coming from the land of Mexican food and missing it dearly, this meal was divine. Granted, the Bolivian flare changed the familiar tastes at times, but the chef’s heart ws in the right place and we devoured what was brought to us – and it only cost us $8!

We made it to Peru - the last country on our yearlong odyssey!

We left Copacabana on a bus the next afternoon and our destiination was Arequipa, Peru. After a month in Bolivia, we were ready to leave. It was an amazing country and the people were friendly and relaxed and cared very little for the fears that run rampant in many parts of the developed world. The cities were unique to anything we saw this year and the natural wonders that dot this grand land were breathtakingly beautiful. I truly hope to one day return.

Arequipa´s mountainous surroundings
make you stop and stare at every corner.

After an ardous, 11 –hour bus ride from Copacabana to Arequipa, we settled for the next three nights in the heart of Peru’s “White City.” It is a sophisticated, rich city surrounded by towering, dormant volcanoes. It sits at 2,600 meters and it was a nice break from the thin air of Bolivia. We walked around the downtown area the next afternoon and were bombarded by tourist restaurants that charge three times more than they should. We were throwing out “No Gracias” faster than we ever thought possible. They would follow you down the block, not giving up. We realized you just have to ignore them and they go away. I hate ignoring people, but I learned that is the only way to get them to stop buzzing around your wallet. This never happened in Bolivia.

My birthday was coming up and Andy suggested that we go shopping. I had a pair of jeans I’ve been traveling with for the entire year and thanks to some stains and weight loss, the pants were shot. They sagged mightily and were frayed on the bottoms from constant wear. Buying jeans has always been an issue for me. The right size is always hard to find and I hate pushy saleswomen who keep handing me ugly jeans to try on. We went into a department store and after 2 hours in a cramped dressing room, I came out with two pairs that I loved. And what was even better was that I have gone down two sizes since leaving the states last July. It was an amazing feeling that I am convinced is the driving force behind miraculous weightloss ambitions. Because of the low prices, we decided to splurge and get me new shoes too. I got a pair of army green Adidas and I felt like a new man. I haven’t had new clothes in a year and it suprisingly made me happier than I could have thought possible.

My ´Magic´ year. 32 baby!

Arequipa was a great city and we enjoyed our quick stop there. We got some yummy food, shopped a little, went to the best local market we’ve seen all year, and saw some live jazz music. Our eyes, though, were on the prize that lay ahead. We were basically done traveling and wanted our final three weeks to feel like a vacation. We picked a small town called Los Organos in northern Peru, near the Ecuadorian border. It sits on the unspoiled beaches with the Pacific Ocean slapping up against it. The weather and water are supposed to be warm all year and, because it is low season, the prices are just perfect for a couple coming off a year of spending.

We found a mansion fit for 20 to spend our final three weeks. We offered our editorial services to the owner in exchange for a lower rate and he obliged. We were charged with taking new pictures of his rental property to be used for his web site and in exchange we get the use of the house and swimming pool. We’ve been here only one day so far and we are in heaven. The house turned out to be nicer than we could have imagined. We are completely isolated from the other backpackers trekking around this world and there are no tour companies or taxi drivers yelling at us to spend our money with them. In fact, the closest town is an hour and a half walk away. There is a private beach only 40 yards from our house and we can hear the waves as we sleep at night.

The view from our porch. Ahh, serenity now!

So far, I’ve been doing a lot of bird watching and contemplative staring. I woke up early this morning while Andy dreams in the bedroom. I’m watching the local fisherman float by on their driftwood rafts and makeshift oars as the large sea birds wait for scraps nearby. This could be the best place on earth.

Peace outside La Paz

We didn’t tell anyone about how we got to Coroico, only that we got there safely and that we loved it. The small mountain town sits in a fog-covered valley only 3 hours from the bustling Bolivian capital of La Paz. The only way to access Coroico is by a winding, downhill road that hugs the mountains that lay in the east. The road has a name too. Unfortunately for us it is called “The World’s Most Dangerous Road.” It plunges more than 3,000 meters in only 80 kilometers and sees the most fatalities annually of any road.

Heeding the advice of my cousin Harris, who urged us to take risks this year, we decided to give it a go. Skipping the cheap public buses that tend to falter on the rugged road, we opted for a private car. We paid a hefty price to secure our safe passage and in hindsight, we were glad we splurged. It was a rainy, cold, foggy day and our driver kicked ass down the death road. At times, he went a bit too fast for our taste, passing cars on blind turns, but overall it was a positive experience. The old car also tended to spew exhaust into the seating area and the noxious, blue fumes englufed us during the entire trip. Andy passed out for a bit. I, however, was alert and holding on for dear life the entire time. Luckily the fog obscured the depths to which we would have dropped if our driver made one slight miscalculation.

Our driver, Enrique, was quite the professional, despite the noxious
fumes circulated through his body.

We arrived in Coroico safely and we both breathed a sigh of relief when we saw where we were staying. We opted for a meditation retreat 20 minutes outside of the town center called Hostal Sol y Luna. There are only about 10 cabins here and they are all separated perfectly to give off the feeling of solitude. We were perched high up the mountain with a view of the town and the valley. Because of the fog, we didn’t realize what a spectacular vista we had until day three when the weather cleared. Condors soared by our bungalow and green valleys appeared like a magic trick.

It's all about the view, my friends!

On our first night, we ordered yummy quinoi soup and spaghetti bolognese from Maria, the chef at the hostel. As we were waiting for our food a young, married couple sauntered in. Their “hello” outed them as Americans and the conversation flowed easily. As we talked, Stephen mentioned that his friends Geoff and Brittany were both teachers in the Bay Area. My ears perked up at these names because I know two people back home who sport those professions and names. Turns out, as luck would have it, Stephen was college roommates with Geoff Hinman, a friend of mine from Westfield. We were stunned by the friend we had in common. It was bizarre to think that we had to come all the way off the beaten path to bump into each other. They, too, are traveling the world for a year and Geoff had informed them to keep an eye out for us. They had even read our blog a few months ago!

An epic meeting in a surreal place!

So we had our dinner together and talked through the night. The next day, we received a funny invitation posted to our bungalow door asking us to join them for dinner. Andy painted a watercolor of the view from our bungalow and on the back wrote that we accepted and would bring dessert. We arrived at their small cabin high up the hill with a bottle of crappy Bolivian wine, rum, pineapple slices and chocolates. Stephen was slaving over the burner, churning his homemade tomato sauce. They had already whipped up a nice batch of guacamole and the four of us began what was one of the most enjoyable evenings of our trip. We were having a dinner party in the middle of nowhere! How fun!

They were leaving for the salt flats of Bolivia and we were planning on staying a few extra nights in Coroico, so this was it for our foursome. Despite the short encounter, it was a perfect meeting. We laughed about our bizarre meeting, compared the junk we were traveling with, and discussed the joys of taking a break from the work world. The evening proved magical and we look forward to meeting up with them, either in their hometown of NYC or when they come to the Bay Area to visit Geoff.

Andy on a cliff during our hike through the coca fields.

The next day, Stephen and Melanie left and Andy and I decided to go on the classic waterfall hike that is touted in all the tour books. It was finally a nice, warm, sunny day and we hopped away on the four-hour hike around noon. We scampered up the hill from our bungalow for 20 minutes and wound up on a flat, trail that hugged the side of a mountain for the remainder of the hike, dipping in and out of the jungle. We passed through coca and coffee farms and watched as the workers picked the fruits of their labor. The fog burned off and we had spectacular views of the surrounding towns and the river that runs through them. We reached the waterfalls and nodded with its beatuy. The return trip followed the same path and we trekked along effortlessly, talking about returning home, home improvements, friends we miss, and the first place we are going to eat upon our return. It was a glorious day capped off by some more quinoi soup, a yummy Greek salad and a local stir fry made lovingly by Maria.

Andy' self portrait from the second floor of our delightful bungalow.

We have a few more days in Coroico to soak up the serene calmness and then we are off to Lake Titicaca, Copacabana and Isla del Sol. The area is considered the birthplace of the sun by locals, and modern-day ancestors of the indigenous people mystically accept these legends as their creation story. It is a traveler must see, according to the people we’ve met and tour books we’ve read. From there, we head to Mancora, a small beach town in northern Peru. We found an amazing beach house thanks to some slick negotiations on our part and plan on spending the final three weeks of our yearlong odyssey there, basking in the fleeting freedom of the road that we have become accustomed to.

Bolivian Snapshots

We decided to do less writing and show more pictures. Those of you who are sick of slogging through my 1,000 word posts are probably jumping for joy. Don't worry fearless readers, I have another post about our time in Coroico, Bolivia coming soon. But for now, enjoy the pics!

Rachine, Michael and me took a tour of the Potosi mines at “Cerro Rico”, rich in silver and tin. The infamous Potosi silver mines have a tragic history, where thousands of indigenous and African slaves were worked to the bone (and often death) in one of the cruelest and most dangerous working conditions in the world.

Potosi, which claims to be the highest city in the world, boasts some of the prettiest colonial architecture in Bolivia, a remnant of the more glamorous past of this once thriving mining town. “Cerro Rico”, the rich mountain, dominates the landscape at every turn.

We stayed at the Grand Hotel in Sucre and it was a nice splurge. The courtyard was lush and serene and afforded us an escape from the smoggy air that surrounds you when you walk the streets.

Dancers from the La Paz Folkloric Ballet Company performed in Sucre as part of International Dance Week celebrations.

Weaving is one of Bolivia’s dying art forms. Here, a traditional Tarambuco woman weaves a “lapiz” (tapestry) row by row. One lapiz of the size shown takes about 3 months to make. We splurged and bought one so you will be able to see it hanging in our living room when we get home.

We took an afternoon trip out of Sucre to see the largest collection of dinosaur tracks in the world. The museum also boasted lifesize replicas of the extinct animals that roamed the lands. Touristy, but fun nonetheless.

The sun gate at Tiwanaku, a pre-Incan temple outside of La Paz. When the solstice comes, twice a year, the sun is perfectly alligned with the statue in the background.

Our tour guide (left) and another local man, demonstrate that their faces resemble the face carved into the temple at Tiwanaku. The tour was interesting, but way too long for both of us! (9 hours)

La Paz was breathtaking from up above. The city was built in a canyon and the houses climb the rocky walls as far as the eye can see.

Police barrackades littered the streets of La Paz. It seemed there was a different demonstration every day we were there. Fireworks going off, people chanting, machine guns drawn. It was a surreal experience.

The indigenous people still wear their traditional clothes ands hats as they walk amongst the wealthy Bolivians.

Mr. Bookworm

During our three months in Argentina, I’ve continued my voracious appetite for books. Despite a stint in Cordoba where cable TV sidetracked me, books have fed my need for entertainment. It’s been a while since I recounted and reviewed the books I’ve read, so I thought I’d run down a quick list of those titles that I relied on to feed my imagination. Some of these books I read in Thailand. Sorry, I’m kind of behind on this book posting.

The Traveler’s Guide to Buddhism – I picked up this 100-page guide to the foreign religion in Pai and breezed through it. It was written by an American living abroad with help from a Buddhist monk. It was extremely intriguing and at times, made a lot of sense to me. I learned that to be a true Buddhist, one must not lie, kill anything, steal, take drugs and, wait, there’s one more principle. Shit, I can’t remember. I guess I’m not a Buddhist. Also, everytime I saw another traveler smash a mosquito that was munching on their ankle, I thought to myself, “Not a Buddhist, huh?” 4 stars

The Lives of Lazarus Long by Roberth Heinlein – Science fiction at its best, Heinlein is the master of mixing science with sex. It was a very interesting story of a man who is able to live over 4000 years through cell regeneration. It follows his family’s growth though a future where sex is not definied by marriage and monogamy. Anything related to sex was considered normal, including incest, bestiality, and pedophilia. The bizarre world that Heinlein created engulfed me and I, again, became enthralled with how smart sci-fi writers must be to be able to create something so vast out of just an idea. 4 stars

The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood – Atwood is one of my favorite authors and again, she did not disappoint. What a treat this book was! The story revolves around a sad, evil woman who seemingly wrecks one home after another. The women who have lost husbands because of her methods band together when they hear she has died. Supernaturally, she shows up back in their lives only to begin causing mayhem once again. Atwood is a mesmerizing writer and I recommend any of her books if you are interested in experiencing true genuis. 5 stars

The Beach by Alex Garland – Made popular by the movie starring Leonardo Dicaprio as a traveler who finds bliss on an undiscovered island in Thailand, this book was a quick, solid read. The author preys on those who have been to Thailand and he wonders, like many others, where the unspoiled nature of the magical place went. I had seen the movie a while ago and the book was much better as a whole. I enjoyed this as I sat on the beaches of Ko Yao Noi and the author’s style was inspirational. Simple, funny, true to life. Recommended to those who have traveled to Thailand. 3 stars

By the River Piedra I sat down and wept by Paulo Cahlo – Short, sweet and inspirational, Cahlo once again leaves me in tears. I loved this story of love and passion and was spurred on to follow my calling to be an artist/writer. I learned that no matter what you decide to do in life, success takes work and effort. The story centers on a woman who threw away her dreams in exchange for a normal, secure life. She goes on a journey searching for her childhood sweetheart and is confronted by the universal question: Is it better to have loved and lost than to not have loved at all? This book comes highly recommended to anyone who feels stuck in the daily grind. 5 stars

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami – Long, slow and mystical, this story traces the many histories swirling around urban Japan. It was intriguing for me to immerse myself in fiction from a different culture. Murakami’s style was nap inducing at times and enthralling at others. Quite famous in his homeland, Murakami wove an intricate tale of lost love and family secrets, while bringing in the history of the Japanese people, their wars and the land. If you are looking for a page turner, then steer clear of this one. 4 stars

Honky by Dalton Conley – This is a memoir based on the life of a white kid growing up in a mostly ethnic neighborhood of Alphabet City, Manhattan in the 70’s. Recommended to me by James “The King” Austin, I read it in a day and loved every page. I also truly got into the memoir style of his writing. It’s hard for anyone to remember life when they were 7 years old, but Dalton crafted an intriguing tale of race relations from the perspective of a caucasion boy surrounded by cultural and social injustice. This one comes highly recommended. 4 stars.

Companero by Jorge G. Castaneda – A sprawling history of the life of Che Guevara, this biography tackles the politics of Latin America using Argentina’s favorite son as the subject. I knew very little of the history surrounding the rise of Cuba and was mesmorized by this man’s struggle for freedom over imperialist nations. This was an unbaised account of the political history in the 50’s and 60’s, and while I’ve never really been a history buff, I was eating up all the info this book possessed. Again, this is not a page turner. 4 stars.

Holy Cow by Sarah MacFarland – Another memoir, this one follows an Aussie couple that move to India to live and work. It follows her search for the meaning of life and, after reading it, I subtly began to wish we had gone to India on this trip. The protagonist explores the country’s spirituality by going on mini-excursions to the corners of the vast land. I imagine this novel would resonate more with those who’ve been to India, but I found it intriguing nonetheless. 4 stars.

The Curious Indicident of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon – This was one of those masterpieces that I could not put down. It is written from the point of view of a 15-year-old boy with Ausberger’s Syndrome, a disability that makes it impossible for a person to read emotions and social cues. People diagnosed with Ausberger’s are normally very smart in concrete subjects like math and science, but lack the ability to understand or remember facial expressions. My sister works with special needs children and this book gave me a whole new perspective on the work she does. Kudos Stef - you are a star! 5 stars.

Running Dog by Don Delillo – I have seen books by Delillo everywhere and had never read anything he has written. I was out of books and I decided to splurge and buy myself this novel of intrigue and mystery. I found it utterly impossible to read. His style was lost on me and I found it muddled and confusing. Despite being one of the shortest books I’ve tackled this year, Running Dog took me forever to finish. The story revolves around a journalist trying to uncover the identity of the buyer of lost Nazi sex tapes. Good premise, I guess. Some of the characters were great and the scenes crafted were obviously genius at times, but the ending was a dud and I felt like he made the reader decipher what was going on too many times. 2 stars.

The Artist’s Way by Julie Cameron – This is a self-help book that Andy and I have been reading over the last three months. Its goal is to unleash the inner artist inside all of us. It involves journal work and “Artist Dates” that force you to confront blocks in how we see ourselves. I began to draw and paint and take photos and write screenplays and shorts stories using her encouragement. It has opened my eyes to my talent and I thank god every day that I decided to read this book. For anyone who feels stuck and uncreative, this is an amazing way to urge you to open up the journal, take out the paints, or put film in your camera. 5 stars.

The Lost City by Clive Cussler – This was another science fiction novel that I found very readable. It didn’t knock my socks off and I got a little annoyed with the funny one-liners he tried to encorporate into the dialogue. I mean, who talks in puns? But the story was interesting and it took twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. This is a great book to read on the beach, as it took me about two days to read 600 pages. Hey, long bus rides come in handy some time. 3 stars

The Gringo Trail by Mark Mann – A story of friends, drugs and traveling in South America. It was a very interesting book written by a British bloke who was trying to find himself. Lost and confused, he signed up for an adventure through Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru with his Party Animal friend Mark and his girlfriend. The geographical and cultural history included in the book was what I loved most. A great read, especially considering we are living the trail that he is describing. In fact, we stayed in one of the hostels he wrote about staying in. 4 stars

Flamingos, salt and tubbing

Andy and I made our way from Salta, Argentina, to the small town of Uyuni because we had read about a surreal 3-day driving experience through Bolivia’s salt flats and high altiplano that shouldn’t be missed. The town is the jumping off point for tourists who brave the slow train or bumpy bus rides to get to this remote area. It sits at 12,000 feet and the minute we got off the train I felt the cold, thin air rush through my body.

It's all about the Toyota 4-Runner. Our car was a beast and it had a cool lion decal on the side there. Ever since I was a kid, I've been a fan of decals.

After reading all the warnings about breakdowns and poor planning on the part of some of the tour operators, we dilligently researched different companies. We found Juan sitting behind a desk, more than willing to explain to us what his tour offers. His English was perfect and his smile and demeanor were infectious. Andy and I knew we had found our guy the minute he began to talk. We met Michael and Rachine, two friends from Ireland traveling together for a year, in the train station. They were in Uyuni for the same reason we were so we linked up with them when booking our tour with Juan.

We were warned that the trip involved a lot of driving, but I figured I could handle it. We hopped in our Toyota 4-runner with Juan, Abel the driver, our two Irish friends and Helmut and Martin, two older, German men who were traveling around South America for 6 weeks.

Amazingly, no one sold salt shakers at any of the tourist gift shops.
C'mon people!

Our first stop was the Salar de Uyuni, a 12,300 square kilometer salt flat an hour out of town. We stood in amazement at the vast landscape that was dotted with piles of salt dug up by workers who make around $5 a day. The sun was glaringly hot despite our altitude and we were all feeling relatively healthy at this point. We walked around the salt museum that was built originally as a hotel. Because of the harsh natural environments, they turned it into a tour stop. The entire building was made of salt bricks, even the beds. I accidentally leaned on one of the salt pillars holding up the snack shop counter and almost knocked down the entire operation. You’d think salt bricks would be sturdy, no? We snapped some photos and then headed to Fish Island, a small piece of land resting in the middle of the salt flat, where we ate lunch. We got a chance to hike to the top of the island and take in the view surrounded by cactus, cactus and more cactus. At almost 13,000 feet, Andy and I were winded after a 15-minute stroll to the peak of the island. This was when my head began to pound.

The view from the top of Fish Island. Out of all the flags we've encountered, I think I like the Bolivian one the most. It's like candy.

Andy and I posed on top of this enormous wine bottle. The flats afford picture takers great depth and opportunities.

After a yummy lunch of quinoi, llama meat and cucumbers, we said goodbye to the salt flats and hopped back in the jeep for a bumpy 2-hour drive to a small town where we would be sleeping. We passed red and yellow quinoi fields, dramatic mountain ranges and free roaming llamas. It was peaceful and quiet in our car, despite the 8 people that were crammed in. They gutted the trunk and added 3 more seats to maximize profits. I like when I come along a tourist activity and realize that someone was using brainpower.

Juan, 2nd from the right, explains how the native's graves were robbed over and over again. Helmut is on the right and the Spanish speaking local who ran the tour is in green. Yours truly is on the far left. Did you notice I shaved my beard?

Our first night was spent at a basic hostel that featured a bed and well, that’s about it. To give it one star would be overhyping the establishment. After a quick rest, Juan took our group to a mummy graveyard that was a 20-minute walk out of town. We put on all our clothes because the sun was setting and the night air was crisp, to say the least. We paid our 5 Bolivianos (60 cents) and had a local man walk us around the 600-year-old cemetary. There were only 25 skeletal remains left in the more than 50 caves that dotted the hill. With the help of Juan’s transaltion, we learned the graves were robbed over and over again by Chileans, Incas and the Spanish. During the mini tour, the sun dropped in the sky behind our backs and afforded us one of the most spectacular sunsets of this year – equal to anything in Greece or Thailand.

These mummies freaked us out. We weren't expecting to actually see skeletal remains when we popped our head in the first cave.

The sunset to end all sunsets. Truly one of the best I've ever seen.

That night was a difficult one for me as I was suffering severe altitude sickness. I slept about two hours total and spent most of the night in bed with a headache to end all headaches. I couldn’t turn my head without feeling immense pressure at the back of my neck. I needed some Cranial Sacral Therapy bad. I woke Andy and she soothed me to sleep by rubbing gently on pressure points. She was a real trooper for staying up with me.

The next day started with a long, bumpy ride through the countryside to see the migrating flamingos that feed and rest in the lagoons dotting the area. The long-legged pink birds stood peacefully in the shallow waters, feeding on algae and small fish. Juan explained that the birds hopped from lagoon to lagoon throughout Chile, Argentina and southern Bolivia looking for warm weather and abundant food. We watched and listened in amazement as they interacted and squawked loudly to each other. Judging from the weather, I guessed it was time to leave Bolivia.

We had nice pictures of the pink flamingos, but this shot of one of the babies was my favorite. The ripples and reflection were perfect. Kudos Andy!

After stopping at some wind-swept rocks jutting out of the barren land and a couple more lagoons featuring red and green algae, we continued our drive south. Inactive volcanoes sat dormant outside the jeep’s windows as we drove past dried lava fields to our hostel. The conical mountains that erupted regularly 40,000 years ago now serve as reminders of a time when this land was growing. It was jaw dropping, awe-inspiring, and breathtaking.

If the first hostal we stayed at was barely 1 star, the second night got a negative 2 star. We were housed in a cement building, sleeping on cement blocks featuring 20-year-old, sunken mattresses. We were at 15,000 feet now and I could barely think straight. It was about 10 degrees outside and we had no heater in our room. All we had was each other’s body heat and a few Alpaca blankets. To add to things, we were waking up at 5 a.m. to go to the hot springs to watch the sunset. So I slept with my bathing suit on underneath my long johns and jeans.

Michael had an altitude watch and I was addicted to asking him how high we were.

I got a poor 2 hours of sleep that night and woke up ready to soak my bones in 100-degree water. It was pitch black outside and Abel must have finally hit the wrong rock as we suffered our first flat tire of the trip. According to Juan, most trips get between 3 and 6 flat tires. So we were doing well, I guess. He changed it in about 5 minutes and we were back on our way to the waters that we so desperately craved.

Pure, absolute joy abounded as we sunk into the hot waters. Rachine is in between Andy and me and Helmut is off to the right.

We were the first people there and Andy, Rachine, Helmut and I stripped down to our bathing suits as the sun began to rise. We plunged in and a wave of perfection soothed our frozen body parts. It was absolutely what we all needed. About a half hour later, Juan had to drag us out of the pool to eat our breakfast. More than ten different tour companies had arrived by then and the loud, young Israelis dominated the scene, so I was OK with getting out.

Andy and I pose in front of the vast red lagoon. Can you tell we were cold? I was wearing every piece of clothing I brought with me on the trip.

The rest of the final day was pretty much a blur. We drove to Green Lagoon to snap some more photos. Then we dropped our German friends off at the Chilean border and picked up two young French travelers who we were taking back to Uyuni. We had 8 hours of driving left to do and all we saw ahead of us was bumpy, mountainous road. I scored the front seat for the ride home and sat there staring out into absolute nothingness, thinking about the trip, my life, my future. It was a solitary time up there as the rest of the group yapped on. I could feel my headache subside as we descended back down to Uyuni. It was a welcome feeling.

There is a road, no simple highway...

So we arrived back in Uyuni and I spent a couple more sleepless nights in the town washing our clothes and figuring out where we were going next. I needed to get lower, while Andy seemed to feel no negative effects from the thin air. She had a vision of visiting the Silver Mines of Potosi, a once wealthy and bustling city for the Spanish in the 1500’s. It also claims to be the highest habitation in the world at almost 16,000 feet. Woof! I decided to leave Andy to explore that area with Michael and Rachine. I continued on 3 hours to Sucre, Bolivia’s most refined city. It sits at only 8,000 feet and I was in desperate need of a good night’s sleep. Andy should be arriving here in a few days.

I met two solo travelers from Switzerland and Poland on my way to Sucre and we decided to find a triple room together for the night to save money. Tom and Andrew, both my age exactly, were very friendly and we talked throughout the evening about the esoteric nature of Paulo Cahlo, World Cup Soccer, NBA player nicknames, the power of love, and Bush’s constant blunders. Despite going our separate ways this morning, I wound up bumping into both of them as I explored the city streets. We made plans to meet for drinks later and I look forward to continuing this chance encounter with two extremely interesting people.