south america

Argentina

pelzek — Thu, 27 Jan 2005 16:45:00 GMT

a new year.

after so long in peru, we breezed through bolivia, hiking the isla del
sol on lake titicaca, a new years under a moonlit sky and candle
lanterns all around. a quiet experience, wandering the hills and cliffs,
sun on my face, a cool breeze, reminiscent of the mediteranean, but with
a bolivian rough edge that made it all its own. the bolivians are
awkward, nervous, fidgety, frowning. they seemed in a world all their
own, the blacksheep of the south american family perhaps, landlocked,
also with an agitated history ...a bit misplaced so it seems.

our travels took us to the depths of potosi, a mine tour, crawling
through rocks and soot, lanterns lighting the way in the dark tunnels
underground, miners chugging by with their loads. surreal. a beautiful
drive through uyuni, a magical surreal landscape, walking on inches of
water atop a 12,000 sq mile salt desert, where the horizon never ends
and you feel like your driving off the edge of the earth, a reflection
is as clear as a calm lake, blue sky, blue water, in the middle of it
you become only a mirage yourself.

we are happy, though, after 5 months of campesinos, to be in argentina
now, were there is a semblance of civilization and huge steaks! we have
rented an apartment in buenos aires for the next month, we'll explore
tango and opera and soccer and architecture and vineyards...easing right
to the end. i will take a trip down to patagonia the last week to see
larger than life glaciers and migrating penguins.

the days our winding down here in south america...carrying big dreams
and a weathered smile. it has been unforgettable. truly.

Bolivia

pelzek — Thu, 6 Jan 2005 16:44:00 GMT

Peru

pelzek — Wed, 24 Nov 2004 16:14:00 GMT

where do i begin.

days and weeks have passed from steep dramatic mountainous jungle desert
place called peru. we have spent more than a month here now, first in
the north, wandering the cloud forests by foot and horse, through
delirous mud and rain, sleeping in a barn eating a candlelit meal with
warm soup, a corner fire, and long shadows. we cut through jungle to see
uncovered ruins and a mountaintop site called kuelap. our time in the
north was precious, chachapoyas and leymebamba, quiet and curious,people
peeping often, stealing a glance, smiling shyly. people are gracious
here and are eager to share with you, mostly simple things, but
beautiful, raw, and real.

though, said by george simply, if ecuador is like a well fed cow then
peru is like a hungry bull. rough around the edges. the landscape, the
people: rough, dramatic, extremes. also quickly learned the spanish
word for greed. as we crossed the ecuadorian border, not only was the
northern peruvian dialect indistinguishable as spanish, sounding more
like russian, people wasted no time digging deep into our pockets. the
amount of tourists has really effected peruvians this way. it is an
unfortunate reality of our trip.

we find ourselves now in the beautiful town of cusco, after an amazing
four day trek on the famous inca trail to machu picchu, up and down,
pouring rain, glistening sunshine, over mountains peaking at 15,000 feet
losing your breath but feeling exhilirated, camping in the hills with
cold feet but great company. we also spent a day seeing the sacred
valley, so many inca ruins by motorcyle (wow!), our favorite was
ollentaytambo. at each site, there were groups of peruvian school kids
who found taking pictures of us was a novelty, greater than the site
itself!

exploring peru has been a never ending journey, moving forward,
momentum, seeing the detail and the wide expanse, feeling a culture
through its history, traditions, language and people. i have only just
begun.

of course there is so much more, so much my eyes have seen. we are off
to bolivia soon. we are looking forward to a country that is less
explored and more provincial. perhaps a christmas under the stars.

Ecuador

pelzek — Sat, 9 Oct 2004 15:52:00 GMT

i find myself deep here in the mountains of ecuador

faces with dark skin stare back at me, lined with age of the sun
carrying loads of greens and babies on their backs. some smile some take
curious peeks, while others shy away. george and i are not anonymous
here

bus rides with blaring music (imagine 10 hours in a new york bodega)with
seats sized for children. shanty dusty towns, houses and people living
in bare feet and lining the bus aisle with tangerines and toasted
coconut treats for sale. a man carrying a chicken and another man with
small birds chirping in a cage.

breezy winds in the jungle beach towns, misty and rich with green lush
life. mosquitos, !hay mucho!

we are happy to be in the mountains in a small town called banos,
natural hot springs set amongst steep green mountains and situated right
next to an active volcano.

have seen so much already, off to peru in a couple weeks

Mexico

pelzek — Wed, 15 Sep 2004 16:50:00 GMT