Tuesday, March 31, 2009
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.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
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.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
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
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
Sunday, March 22, 2009
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.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, March 13, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, March 6, 2009
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
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
March 3
I just got into Buenos Aires late last night from Ushuaia, which was absolutely fantastic. I have lots of stories to share and some great pics that I think all of you will enjoy. I only have access to the internet for a bit longer so I won't be able to fill you in until later (probably tomorrow afternoon). The weather up north is much much warmer and it feels weird to be back in a real city full of people, 20 million to be exact. Check back soon!
Harrycito
Harrycito
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