May 21

I am posting this from the Lima airport where have to spend 11 hours between my flight from Buenos Aires and my flight back to the States, so bear with me if I seem to be somewhat out of it. I only slept two and a half hours last night and my mind is not exactly running at full speed at this point. So, I just spent the last eight and a half days back in Buenos Aires and, once again, I had an absolutely amazing time. As many of you know, my Mom actually met me there my first day back and then spent six days touring the city, enjoying all the sights, learning about Argentine culture, and eating some of the best food in the world. We had a great time and I can not remember a span of six in which I have ever had better food in my entire life. It was great to see a familiar face and it actually made me start to think about coming home and being back with my family.
It was really hard to leave Argentina, I love the country and there is still so much I want to see and experience in South America. It is truly hard to believe that I am just a day away from being back home with nowhere next on my travel itinerary. Overall, as I am sure most of you expected, my entire trip was unbelievable. There are so many highlights that it would be impossible to pick just a few moments that stood out. I feel like a i really developed a relationship with all of the countires and cities that we visited, and I hope that I have the opportunity to visit them again and explore them further in the future.
I hope that you all have enjoyed reading about my adventures and that this blog was able to provide you with some idea of what I have been up to for the past couple months. See you back in the states.

Harry

May 12

Hello all, I am back from the Inca Trail and I have lots of news to share with you. I know that I said that I was going to try and post before we left for our trek, but things did not go according to plan and there were some serious complications. Two days before leaving for the trail we decided to go rafting on the Urbamba river which runs through Cusco and goes all the way past Machu Picchu and through a good part of Peru. The night we got back from rafting Ben started feeling sick and the next morning we called a doctor to come and see him to figure out what the problem was. Ben had to be checked into a medical clinic and it turns out that he had salmonella, two parasites, and an amoeba. Since me and my friend Jill, who has been with us since Colombia, has been eating all the same food and doing all the same activities we decided to get ourselves checked out and it turns out that we had parasites as well. Needless to say Ben was pretty sick, and out travel plans suddenly became more complicated.
We all got meds but Ben´s situation was way mroe serious and unfortunately he was not able to get better before our Inca Trail trek began. Jill and I had to go on without him while he satyed back in Cusco and got better.
We just got back yesterday from Macchu Picchu last night and the four days that we spent hiking were absolutely incredible. The trail far exceeded my expectations and I had an amazing time. It was physically challenging but totally worth the time and effort. Our group was fun, our guide was great, the scenery was unlike anything I have ever seen, and all of the ruins were spectacular. I am so glad that I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do the trek and it is something that I will remember for the rest of my life. I took tons of photos and I look forward to sharing them with all of you.
Ben and I left Cusco first thing this morning and right now we are in Lima waiting for our flight tonight to Buenos Aries where I am meeting my mom for a few days. Argentina is my final stop on my voyage, and it is amazing to think that I will be back in the U.S. in just a week and a half.
Hope everyone is doing well and enjoyed Mother´s Day.

May 2

I know it has been a while but we just finished staying with Bens friend from abroad, Martin, in Medellin for a week. Martins house had an incredible view and more than enough space to accommodate us, but it did not have internet so it was hard to update the blog. Colombia was an absolute blast and I cannot say enough about how beautiful the entire country is. Medellin was unlike anything I could have expected and I loved every second that we spent in the city. We basically spent a week with Martin on a mission to see everything we could and taste every food possible, and Between all of the amazing meals and the incredible views I would say that we did a pretty good job. I have some amazing pictures to share but, once again, I am in a place where I do not think that I will be able to upload them.
We are now in Lima where we are staying for only a night, then heading to Cuzco where we begin our Inca Trail adventure. If out hostel in Cuzco has internet I will try and fill everyone in on all the details of the rest of our Colombia adventure.


harry

Pics are not working for some reason, but I will try and get them up ASAP-

April 23

Sorry it has been a few days, I know I said that I would post a few days ago but the hostel I am staying in had an issue with the internet and all the computers were down for a few days. I have alot to share so I will be brief so that I can try and cover everything. As you all know I am now in Colombia in a small fishing town called Taganga on the Carribean coast just a few hours from Cartagena, but before I tell you about my time here I have a few things to cover from Brazil and the first leg of my journey in Colombia.

So my second to last day in Brazil Ben, Nigel (our budddy from DC who we stayed with) and I all decided to go hangliding. We had a great time and as we glided back down to land we had some views of the beach and city that were unreal. The sensation of catching the air currents while effortlessly flying and feeling completely free better than anything that I expected. The ride lasted about 10-12 minutes and it was something that I would absolutely try again if I had the chance.

When Ben and I arrived in Bogota two days later we were met by Antonio (Adelas sisters son) at the airport. Antonio and his family basically acted as tour guides for four days and really helped us to get a feel for and understand the city. We had a good time exploring a bunch of different museums and and endless number of churches all throughout Bogota. We actually walked around for most of the day on Easter which was really interesting and stopped in to hear bits and pieces of different services in some amazing churches. The Museo de Oro (museum of gold) was by far the highlight of sight seeing. The museum was just renovated a few years ago and it looks spectacular. In addition, all of the exhibits are in English, as well and in Spanish, which really madea big difference and allowed me to gain a much better understanding of what it was that I was looking at. The collection of gold pieces was far beyond what I expected to see and eventhough Ben and I spent just over two hours there the time just flew by.

A few friends from home actually flew into Bogota while we were there and we all traveled togther to Cartagena where we spent a day checking out the city and walking all around the old city. We decided that we should check out Tayrona (which was suggested to us by a number of other travelers) so we hopped a bus the next day and headed to the jungle/beach for a few days to see more of the coast and just enjoy nature. We found a great little "hostel" right on the beach that consited of no more than a few hammocks and a kitchen area with some tables. It was really laid back and it everyone had a great time just relaxing, swimming, walking, and enjoying the natrual surroundings. It was really great to see some friends from home, but unfortunately they had to head back to the states for work and other responsibilities that the rest of us are avoiding for as long as possible.

After Tayrona we headed to Taganga and decided that we whould give scuba diving a shot. So, for the past four days my friend Jill (who we met up with in Bogota and who will be traveling with Ben and I to Peru) and I have been learning all the neccessary skills and doing a couple dives each day, while Ben has been trying to get his advanced scuba certification through the same company. Jill and I actually took our written test last night and now we are officially licensed scuba divers. Although Tayrona is a pretty small fishing town we have been having a great time and I think we have truly enjoyed all of the different people and experiences that we have had here. We are probably going to stay for a few more days, then head to a different beach before we fly off the Medellin. I hope everyone is doing well and I am going to try and post a few pics as soon as this blog goes up.


harrison

April 18

Sorry that it has been such a long time since my last post but I have not been able to get acces to the internet for quite some time. I just want to check in really quickly right now and fill you all in with more details tomorrow. We left Brazil on the 11th, spent four days in Bogota, flew to Cartagena for a day and a half, and then drove to Tayrona for two days. I am currently still on the Colombian coast about an hour from Tayrona in a great hostel where we are probably going to hang out for a few days. I have tons to share and I am sure you guys will enjoy reading about the many adventures that we have expriecned over the past week and a half. I have to go shower and get ready for dinner but expect a much longer and more detailed post very soon.

April 8

The past couple days in Rio have been great. Ben and I are staying with a friend from D.C. who has an apartment in Copacabana, so it has been a nice break from the hostel scene. We have explored Ipanema and Copacabana quite a bit just walking around and checking out the beaches and a few restaurants. The weather has been pretty incredible, with the exception of a few showers here and there, but we I can't really complain. Yesterday we went to see the Corcovado (the giant statue of Christ that looks over the city) with our friend Adam and his girlfriend. The drive up to the statue was gorgeous and we stopped at one lookout point to check out a spectacular view of all of Rio. There were very few tourists and the weather was great so we were actually really lucky. Unfortunately, our luck seemed to change when we arrived at the actual statue. As we drove up the hill that it sits on top of, we started to encouter fog that seemed to get thicker and thicker as we ascended. By the time we made it to the actual base of the statue we could barely see anything. The 125 foot Corcovado was barely visible from more than 50 feet away. Things cleared for a few seconds and we did get to see it for a few brief moments, but our expereince was less than ideal. We will be in Rio for a few more days, then on Saturday we are heading to Colombia. Hopefully I'll check back in before the next leg of our trip.

Brazil game pics

April 3

I just got into Rio last night after spending two days in Porto Alegre. The soccer game was a blast and it was great to see such an amazing team and some of the most devoted fans in the world. There was not much to do in Porto but it was worth it to see the match. We spent the entire day yesterday making our way to Rio, which was actually quite a hassle. We bought some really cheap plane tickets at the last minute and things did not work out exactly how we wanted them to. We got off our plane when we were not supposed in some random city (we somehow realized our mistake and got back on before it took off), we had a pretty long layover in Sao Paulo, and I accidentally left my leatherman with a huge knife on it in m backpack which I attempted to send through security. It was all a bit of an adventure but we made it to our destination eventually.
I am really excited to start checking out the city and see what Rio has to offer. A friend of mine from D.C. is actuall living here right now and teaching English so I think it will help a great deal to have someone who knows the city. Check back in the next few days for more updates.

Harry

March 31

Not much has happened in the past few days, we basically just enjoyed the beach and explored the different areas of Florianapolis. It was absolutley gorgeous and we had a great time. We had only planned to stay for three days but the hostel was so perfect and we met some good people so we decided to stay for five instead. We are now in Porto Alegre (just arrived about an hour ago) and we are only going to be here for two nights. We were not actually planning on making it here, but somehow we scored tickets to the Brazil vs. Peru World Cup qualifying match for tomorrow night so we could not pass up that opportunity. I am extremely excited and everyone we have spoken to has told us that it is going to be an amazing experience. I can´t wait and I will blog about it as soon as possible.

Iguazu Pics!

3/26

Just got into Florianapolis a few minutes ago. The 14 hour bus ride from Iguazu was way more rough than the 18 hour ride from Buenos Aires to Iguazu. I felt like Clark Griswald traveling in South America, everything that could have possibly gone wrong with the bus did, but I tried to maintain a positive outlook. There was a crying baby next to us, the guy in the seat behind the baby was snoring the entire time, the girl in the seat in front of me kept banging into my knees, they did not play any movies, and the seats were clearly not meant for people over six feet. I tried to focus on the goal of reaching our final destination of Florianapolis (instead of Wally World) and we everntually made it. We are waiting to check into our hostel here and the computers have a good internet connection so as soon as I settle in and have my luggage I will try and post my pics from Iguazu. I am excited to enjoy the beach, hopefully do some surfing, and just chill out for a few days.

March 24

I am in Brazil! Puerto Iguazu was great and the falls we absoultely spectacular. We spent the whole day yesterday on the Argentine side walking around the entire national park arround Iguazu. We walked both of the major circuits and stopped at all of the different lookout points that we encoutered. I knew that it was going to be unlikie anything I have seen before but the views still completely blew me away. The sheer size of the falls and the entire park surrounding them were both breathtaking. Ben and I even took a boat ride that took us directly under a few of the falls. It was a blast, and although we got completely soaked it was completely worth it. The tour did not go anywhere near the biggest of the falls (the devils throat) but it gave us a serious appreciation for the strength of the water. Our boat could barely approach one of the smaller falls wiothout being immediately spit out by the waves and falling water. Overall, yesterday was truly fantastic.
This morning we woke up early and caught a bus over to Brazil which was suprisingly easy. All in all it only took us about an hour and a half to make it across and get to our hostel. Along the way we met a British couple who were also on their way to the Brazilian side of the falls and we all met up on the bus over to the park and spent the day together. We actually got really lucky because just as we were arriving at the park is started to drizzle and everyone left, but it only rained for a matter of minutes and we were left with the park almost completely empty. We were able to walk around the major route with the best views without having to deal with massive crowds and annoying tourists. It was so easy and deserted that I could not believe it. All in all, I think the Brazilian side actually offered much better panoramic views and allowed us to get much views of certain parts if the falls. The entrance fee for the park really only allowed us to walk down one path, but that path was great and although we did not get as close to the devils throat, we still got a tremendous view of it. I have some unreal pictures that I am sure will help to describe what the exprience was like, although you can never truly comprehend the falls without seeing them firsthand. I am going to uplaod them as soon as I can (I wanted to upload them now but the internet at our hostel is slower than you can imagine).
Tomorrow night we are catching a bus to Florianapolis so I will check back in from there. Adios!


Harry

3/22

Hey, just got into Puerto Iguazu so I thought I would give you all a quick update on what has happened the past few days and what our plans are for those to come. We had a great time wrapping up our stay in Buenos Aires, it was hard to say goodbye to the city after spending three weeks getting to know and love it. We had a huge last dinner with a bunch of friends at a famous parilla in an area called Palermo. It was absolutely delicious and we could barely move after we had finished. We spent the next day finalzing our plans for the rest of our trip, cleaning our apartment, and saying goodbye to some friends. In the late afternoon we headed to the bus station, where we realized that the woman at the travel office gave us the wrong information, then waited for two hours until our bus was ready to depart. The ride to Puerto Iguazu took about 18 hours, and it was not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. The food was worse than airplane food (I did not know that was possible) but the seats reclined all the way back, they played movies on flat screens that were decent, and I was able to sleep almost the entire night through. I have to say that my first overnight bus expereince was not bad at all. We arrived this mornnig and headed straight to our hostel which is where I am writing this from. We already planned our visit to the falls tomorrow and figured out where we are going to stay in Brazil when we cross the border in two days, so things are going well. Other than the heat/humidity everything is perfect and I am really looking forward to everything that is soon to come. Check back soon for pics and info on the falls.

3/18

Hey, just checking in real quick. I am still in Buenos Aires and the past few days have been great. A few friends from home and Michigan have been in town so things have been busy but its been really fun. It's great to see some familiar faces and share the South American experience with friends from the states. Ben and I bought our tickets to Iguazu the other day so we are officially leaving the city late Saturday and arriving at the falls later in the day on Sunday. We have a 18 hour bus ride ahead of us which should be pretty interesting. I am not really sure what I am going to do in order to entertain myself for that long, but hopefully my ipod will last a while and I won't get sick from reading.
Yesterday, St Patty's Day, was actually a pretty big deal here. A few of the streets down by Plaza San Martin were shut off and there were people everywhere dancing and partying. It was a bit overwhelming and we decided that we only needed to see it for a few minutes. All of the expats in BA were easy to notice, they were the only ones in the city wearing green for the most part.
Tomorrow I am hoping to be able to watch the Michigan game (Go Blue) at a restaurant/pub here that is supposed to be showing March Madness. A few of us are trying to get tickets to the River Plate game which should not pose a schedule conflict, but you never know how long things are actually going to take in South America. Hopefully I'll be able to catch the game, I would hate to miss the first Michigan appearance in the tournament in over a decade.
I'll try and update from Iguazu with some pictures when I am there, I am sure that I will have a ton to share. I hope everyone is doing well and I'll try to check back in before leaving BA.

3/13

Just wanted to check in from Buenos Aires and let everyone know that I am still alive. I have had a pretty busy week full of all different types of museums and events so I'll try and give you all a quick recap.
Last Saturday I went to the River Plate game, they are one of the two biggest club teams in Buenos Aires, with Ben and a friend of his from Argentina. The game was unreal and the fans were, by far, the craziest fans I have ever seen at any sporting event. We sat in the section directly next to the hooligans so we got the full expereince and witnessed all of the insanity that it South American soccer. Fortunately we got to see a victory (3-1) which is good because last year they killed two visitng fans after a home loss, so that was a bonus.
On Sunday we went to see Mano Chao, one of the biggest South American musicians, at an indoor sporting facility in the city. The crowd was almost as crazy as the one at the soccer game and the performance was incredibly high energy. Mano and his band played for almost three hours and performed a number of encores that were fantastic. The show was the finally of his tour so he went out with a bang and eventhough my wallet was stolen I still had a great time.
I spent most of Monday dealing with getting new credit cards and figuring out how to get money, but I did manage to catch a great public art display in the plaza across the street from the American Express office.
Tuesday I walked to the Museo de Bella Arte. The museum is huge and they have a pretty sizeable collection, overall I was impressed. The best part was this brand new photography show that opened up just a few days ago. I
Wednesday was nasty and it rained off and on pretty much the whole day, I basically just did laundry and hung out at a friends house.
Yesterday a friend of mine came in from DC and a few of us headed to the big American bar in BA to catch the Michigan/Iowa basketball game. It was weird to be in a place where everyone was speaking english and talking about American sports but it was alot of fun and it was a thrill to see Michigan pretty much lock down a apot in the tourney, go blue!
Ill will check back in early next week.

harry

Me Ben and Ted skipping rocks after lunch on our Jeep tour.

3/11

Hey everyone, sorry it has been a few days but I've been pretty busy here in Buenos Aires. I'll start off by giving you all a quick recap of Tierra Del Fuego.
Our first day after we landed in Ushuaia we met up with Ben's cousin and her boyfriend who arrived a day earlier. As soon as we all got together we walked around and found a tour company and booked a hiking and kayaking excursion. Ushuaia was actually really nice and we had a decent dinner and some drinks with some fellow backpackers from Brazil.
The next day we woke up really early and headed out on our tour. We started off by driving into the national park, which was about an hour from our hostel, and once we arrived at the trail and met our guide we enjoyed some spectacular views of the Beagle Canal (check it out on the map below).


We hiked for a few hours then stopped and enjoyed an incredible lunch prepared by one of the other guides from the company. After lunch we headed out on kayaks and paddled for about an hour. Although the kayak portion of the excursion was pretty short, it was fun and we saw some amazing birds along the shore of the Canal. After we finished paddling we wound up at the very end of the Pan-American highway where we hung out a bit with the other people in our group and our guides. We actually managed to see a motorist club that had driven their 1950's convertibles all the way down from Buenos Aires.

The nexy day was rainy and nasty so we decided to take it easy and hang out around town.

The next day we woke up first thing and set out on a Jeep tour. There were eight of us in the Jeep in total and the four of us were crammed into the "backseat," which was basically a converted trunk with tiny benches. It was pretty crazy and our guide made a point of making sure that we got the full 4x4 experience. We stopped at a vewipoint overlooking Escondido Lake and hung out for a bit. After that we drove down to the coast and actually drove along the shore, and even in the water for a bit (I posted a video earlier where you can see what I mean). After a while we stopped and did a short hike which ended at a cabin on the water which is where we ate lunch and rested for a while. Afterwards we headed back to our hostel and rested before dinner. For dinner we enjoyed a massive and delicious serving of stone crab which Tierra Del Fuego is
known for.

The next day we took a chairlift to the base of a glacier just outside fo town, then hiked for about an hour alongside the glacier. It was actually a very nice short hike that ended with a tremendous view of Ushuaia. That night we headed to the airport and caught out flight to Buenos Aires.

Video of 4X4 tour

check out the video above

More glacier

glacier pics

Pics from Patagonia

Perito Moreno Glacier



Scenery from the drive back to El Calafate



View from hike in El Chalten



More of El Chalten



The Lagoon in Chalten







View from our hike to the lagoon in El Chalten







El Calafate