Travel Update

So I last left you in Montevideo, Uruguay, a cool little city that I spent a couple days in. Photos of the place can be viewed by clicking here.

I then headed over to Colonia del Sacramento. It is an old colonial town that was fought over by the Spanish and Portuguese for a time because of its key location on the River. The place is pretty well preserved, but also a little done up in the tourist atmosphere. I have noticed there are some places that are tourist attractions because of their natural draw, interesting simply because they are interesting. Then there are the other places that usually started out this way, but due to early success, have now tried to make themselves all the more attractive by catering specifically to tourists. I personally don't like it, because rather than seeing the place for what it is, you get caught up in this whole other fabricated atmosphere that wouldn't have otherwise occurred if the tourists hadn't started showing up. Not to put this place down too much, it is a pretty cool place to pass through, but in a day you have seen all that is offered. lick to view pictures of Colonia de Sacramento.

It was then on to Buenos Aires via a ferry boat, which was pretty fun since it was windy and we did some of that stomach churning up down action on the waves when first starting out. BA has tons to offer and has many unique and interesting sections. Mostly all I did was walk around the most frequented areas, which is really only a slice of what BA has to offer. But since I am trying to save some money, and spending way too much just walking around everywhere, I limited myself to this type of experience.

Downtown (click for pictures)

Tons to do here, and lots of attractions, from great big plazas, government and historical buildings, and busy avenues full of shops, street shows, and people.

The Recoleta (pictures)

Famous for the cemetery with lots of above ground graves (more like small, very expensive looking houses). The surrounding neighborhood is upscale and has some cool buildings, as well as an art museum and plazas.

La Boca (pictues)

A little touristy for my taste, but colorful buildings and tango dancers line the main part, and the stadium for the Boca Junior soccerteam is nearby. It is a little rough around the edges though, and kind of sketchy to walk to and from. I spent the day here with some Brazilians I met where I am staying, so it was a great day. Brazilians in general are very animated, fun loving people. I love the fact that they are unafraid to be themselves no matter what or where, and they are just fun to be around. It was also cool to brush up on some portuguese, and while I started to get back my listening skills, I spoke a lot more portañol than I did portuguese.

Puerto Madero (pictures)

Ritzy new part of town being built on the old port. Beautiful buildings, parks, and attractions, as well as a river-like port and boats you can explore.

San Telmo (pictures)

The old city and where I am staying. the streets are closer, and the atmosphere is pretty cool. Sunday there is a big antiques fair, and antique shops are all over the place throughout the neighborhood.

All in all Buenos Aires is a pretty cool city with a lot going on. I am pretty sure anyone could find something they would want to do or to see without much problem. There are also lots of travelers here, and as a result, some cool people to meet. I spent most of my time with my brazilian friends or with an Australian traveler I met, swapping stories and sharing in adventure. I am glad I came to see the place, but at the same time, I have been in and out of the cities for a little more than a month, all the plazas and statues and museums and streets are starting to blend together. The pollution here is also getting to me, and I have trouble breathing from time to time. I leave tomorrow for Patagonia, and welcome the break to city life. I do however have a 36 hour direct bus ride to one city, where I will have to find a connection to a city another 6 hours away. Prayer for safety and sanity would be much appreciated. I hope all are doing well and have a very happy Thanksgiving. Eat lots of turkey for me.

Skipping Rocks

There is this rock I have with me right now that would be perfect for skipping on some glassy water. It is one of those cirular, rounded, and flat rocks that seems to fit perfectly into your hand. I have always loved skipping rocks. I can become completely lost in that moment, trying to get the perfect spin, ark, and placement to achieve to most hops possible. I have lots of good memories of skipping rocks. Usually they are just of me and some friends, passing the time, hanging out and tossing some stones. Sometimes it is just me as I ponder the important questions in life, like meaning, purpose, God, love, and what is for lunch. My earliest memory of skipping rocks is with one of my best and oldest friends, Evan, giving me the break down on rock-skipping basics. It was somewhere in Tahoe, the lake or a pond or stream, I don't remember. The location isn't really important. It is more about the company and state of mind.

Being a lone traveler on the road, I have a lot of time to think, and being so far from home, my thoughts usually find there way back there. When I left Asunción, there wasn't going to be anybody else waiting for me on the other end, no friendy faces to take the edge off the new surroundings. Travelling alone in Paraguay is truly traveling alone; alone in language, alone culture, even alone in just being a traveler. There weren't any wandering travelers to talk to on the bus or at the hotel. That leaves a lot of time to think. I think when you are lonely and lost in thoughts, the people and places and memories that come up most are the ones that mean the most to you.

The rock I have with me now I picked up on the central coast in Montaña de Oro on a walk with my dad this last spring. We spent the morning just walking along the coast, and that stretch is beautiful for those who don't know it. It was sometime in the middle of my last quarter of college, with finals and senior project and graduation looming in the distance, but that day it had all faded to the background. That was a good day. The rock is a good reminder of all that I have waiting for me when I get back. Even though I am traveling all around the world, having once in a lifetime adventures, experiencing other cultures, and seeing all the wonders this world has to offer, I still find myself longing to be home from time to time, with the friends and family I love. I am having the time of my life right now, but I look forward to the day when I cross the border back into the States and will be able to see some old friends and dear family. We can catch up on old times, talk about some South American adventures, and maybe, if we are lucky, we can even skip some rocks.

Photo Updates

Hey everyone. I finally got my photos uploaded onto facebook, and you should be able to view them, even if you do not have an account with them. Bellow are the links with the location they reference. Click here, and then on the picture that shows up on the next page. Then you can view all the photos. God bless!

Asuncion, Paraguay

Around Asuncion

Parque Ybycui, Paraguay

Trinidad, Paraguay

Encarnacion, PR and Posadas, AR

Travels Update

So I guess my parents, and possibly friends, have been busy giving out the blog address, so welcome to all the new readers. Hopefully I can keep you relatively entertained with my entries. Just wanted to give you all a quick update on what I have been up to lately. And due to some recent confusion my parents recently experienced (well, they experienced the other persons confusion...they werent confused) when they received a package from me and the subject matter of this post, I just want to inform everyone that there is a country called Paraguay, it is not imaginary, and you can find it on a map if you look in the middle of South America. It is not Portugal. Never was. Never will be. All good? Good. =)

Asunción to Ybybuí - Pretty uneventful bus ride spent looking out the window at some pretty green and beautiful scenery. I arrived at the "terminal" in Ybycuí at about 10, which is really just a covered area with some benches, a hole in the wall (and I almost mean that literally) for an office for a bus company, and couple other holes where you can sit and wait for a bus and buy phone cards. I could rave on and on about Paraguayan hospitality, so I found it ironic that the most serious, unfriendly man of very few words that I have ever met in the world, also happened to run the bus terminal, and was my source of information for incoming and outgoing busses. Awesome.

Ybycuí - There is a city, and then about 12 miles away, a national park. When I arrived I had missed the bus to the park I was planning on taking, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. There is only one bus to the park per day, and the lonesome road to the park has about 3 people that travel on it per day, so getting back would have been a problem. I ended up hiring a taxi to get me there and back. Also, no one was really there when I finally ended up getting there, so it would have been a long, lonely night camping. I ended up checking into an hospedaje, paying $5 per night for a room, and then since it was all of 10:30 in the morning, went to look for something to do. I took a walk through "downtown" where locals sat out in front of their shops or houses drinking terere in groups (typical Paraguayan style) in the 100 degree heat. I came for the park attraction a few miles away, but that day, I was the attraction. Ever want to feel uncomfortable? Take a walk in rural Paraguay and see how many conversations stop and heads turn. The rest of the day passed slowly as I read my guidebook, but at the end I got to talk to a Mexican traveler and also share some terere with some traveling business men, so the day ended pretty good.

The park itself was pretty. All it really had was the ruins of an iron making factory destroyed in Paraguays war with the triple alliance and a couple of small waterfalls. The place was very peaceful, especially since no one else was there, and it was nice to stroll around the area and take a short hike to one of the falls. Good little get away from the chaos in Asuncion.

Ybycuí to Encarnación - From Ybycuí I ventured down south to Encarnación, transferring at the bus "terminal" in Carapegua. Apparently in Paraguay terminal can mean just about anything, and here it meant some bus stops whose signs were lost amongst the clutter and signage of local businesses and shops, and where the three major highways meet. Once on the crowded bus, I stood for half an hour, until finally getting a seat the rest of the way. All in all, it was 6 long hours on a bus without air and full of people. Sweet. But the countryside of Paraguay is pretty, almost always green except for the rare farm field that is a golden brown, which might be wheat. But I am not a farmer, so I cant be sure.

Encarnación and Trinidad - Checked into a little hotel run out of the house of the owner. His living room is one of the common rooms of the hotel, so it has a little homy feel I guess. Encarcion doesnt have a lot for the traveler, and I was there mainly to see the Jesuit ruins in nearby Trinidad. The ruins were pretty cool. There wasnt a lot of information posted and I didnt want a guide. But I walked around awhile under the sweltering sun (I dont think it ever gets below 85 here...ever) looking at the architecture and taking some pictures. I can now say I have visited the least visited UNESCO sight in the world. Check.

Encarnación to Montevideo - Oh boy, this was fun. Want to know how to make a 16 hour bus ride even more exciting? First, buy the bus ticket for an intermediate pick up point, not the point of origin. That way, you do not really know when the bus will arrive, but have more of a window...and in Latin America, windows involving time can be big. Furthermore, the bus only runs once a week...so if you miss it...well, just do not miss it. Next, misunderstand that the bus will be arriving at your location at 12:30. Really, it is leaving Asuncion at this time, and will be arriving 5 hours later where you are, which is the border crossing between Paraguay and Argentina. Having to check out of your hotel at 10:00 also helps. That way, you can arrive early at the border control in plenty of time to catch your 12:30 bus (which, as we all know now, arrives at 4:30). Finally, make sure it is raining, meaning there will be road delays, and now the window just got bigger. Yay for big windows.

So what does this break down to? I got to the border at 10:15 in the morning thinking my bus would be there around 12:30, but it really got there at 5:30. That is about 7 hours of sitting at a border control office without seats. More fun happens getting into Argentina, where there is about an hour long line. Then, finally, when you have got through all that, then, and only then, do you have the privelege of taking your 16 hour bus ride.

Montevideo, Uruguay - Ahhhhhhh, order. The chaos of Paraguay could not contrast more with this city. I loved Paraguay, but also love it here for completely different reasons. There are beatiful, wide-open plazas, great architectural buildings of modern and historical eras, and just an all around cool atmosphere. Plus, I have to wear a sweatshirt here. I dont know if you can understand how happy I am to do this. It is refreshinly chilly here. I have been spending my time with some friends I made on the bus ride here, all south americans, so they are pleasant and friendly, plus I get to practice some Spanish.

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So that is the quick (sort of) and dirty version of what I have been up to. I hope to write more later, but it has been hard to find time to use a computer. Hope all of you are doing great, and feel free to drop me an email anytime. Much love.

Last Words

So I am dying. Of what? I am slowly melting to death. No seriously. I am. I can feel it. My skin molecules are being slowly broken down, leaving a sticky feeling all over my body. Water comes out from inside my body and soaks my skin...I think maybe I am boiling inside. I drink about a gallon of ice cold water everyday to counter act the process, but it is no use. It is an uphill battle. It is just too hot. I am throwing in the towel. I don't know how much longer I will last. All I know is that I really, really want a snow cone.

A liitle more about Paraguay

My feet hate me. Absolutely hate me. They wouldn't even let me sleep last night. I kept waking up thinking my foot was on fire. Why? I spent the afternoon chilling Paraguyan style; ie, five hours of soccer with loud music, friends, and budweiser beer (most expensive in the country...go figure). I hadn't played in a serious game in about 3 months, and was using some cleats that were too small for my feet. I knew after an hour my feet wouldn't be nice to me the next day. But sitting there talking with the guys during a break under the pink clouds of an October sunset, with the techno remix of San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair...no seriously...be prepared) bumping in the background, I couldn't help but think that was the perfect day. I won't dwell on it further...I know the soccer posts are becoming redundant, but hey, I'm in South America! =)

Paraguay itself is a hectically balanced, peacefully chaotic conglomeration of both sides of the spectrum. In the countryside time stands so still you think the world might have stopped spinning, while in Ciudad del Este the street venders are busy trying to sell you the latest and greatest ripoff of some Chinese name brand. In Asunción beautiful colonial masterpieces and their million-dollar, modern counterparts are flanked by crumbling sidewalks and dirty, tired buildings. The city's wide open downtown plazas are matched by the cramped, overcrowed shanty towns that line the riverbanks. And it is incredibly hot. I have nothing to contrast that with. It is just freaking hot. Today when I left for school at just before 8:00 in the morning, it was 86 degrees. For my 20 block walk home at 12:00 it was 107, and the high for the day was 110. Like I said, it is just freaking hot. To counter the heat, Paraguayans have developed the highly addictive habit of sipping a cold tea called terere. You prepare it by placing the herb without a bag into a mug which has a filter at the bottom connected to a straw, and then continually poor ice cold water into the cup, using the same herb over and over, giving the water a mild taste that grows on you. Just about everyone walks around with a termo (thermus) and guampa (mug thing-a-ma-jig with a straw and filter thingy), and any time is terere time. It is even used in leu of water during soccer games. I think I might smuggle some back to the US. Unless of course I can mail it. Then I will just mail it.

I hope to get some pictures up soon. I am having some trouble uploading from this computer. Hope you all are doing great. Thanks for reading my blog!

Arriba Alvirroja

Boy did I set up this next post with the last one. This is called foreshadowing. I learned that in high school English (and that was about all I learned. And the word exacerbate...I'll try to use it in a sentence later). So anyway, speaking of soccer...the 17th of October was a great day in Paraguay; the national soccer team defeated their Uruguayan opponents 1-0 in a World Cup qualifying match at home in Asunción...and I was there! Man I love fútbol!!! (ie soccer, the real football, the football of the world, and yeah Evan, I said it. You might be bigger, stronger, tougher than me now, but I have the world backing me up. So step off! what!...alright dude, calm down, stop looking at the computer like that, your scaring me. I was only joking...*gulp*) And I didn't even know I would be going to this match when I wrote the last entry (so how well did I set up this post up with my last one? ehh? ehhhh?).

Ok, first some catching up, because I know I am bad at the whole informing you on what I do between stories. So I was at Foz for a while (they have waterfalls or something...I think I wrote a little something about it...) , then I went to a ranch (estancia) in Paraguay for a few days with some friends I had met in Foz. They are an awesome family (mucho amor para uds. mis amigos!), and I had an awesome time with them in Foz and on their ranch. After returning from the ranch to Foz for a couple days, I headed off to Asunción to study some of the español language. I am now staying with a family through the school, who live up to the Paraguayan stereotype of being super friendly and hospitable. It was through them that I got a ticket to the game. So there we go, all caught up.

So anyway, this was way cooler than my last soccer experience in South America. Last time I went to a pro-game in Brasil. This time I was at national soccer game in a country full of people who are crazy about soccer...especially when their team is trying to qualify for the World Cup. Once again however, I couldn't bring my oversized camera into the game without risking of being robbed, so I have zero pictures. They say pictures are worth a thousand words, I probably would have had at least five good ones, soooooooooo, I think four words (?) should do a good job of describing it? It was freakin' sweeeeeeeet!!!!

Outside the stadium the streets were flooded with colorful fans, not all of whom were going to the game. That is a big difference here. Everyone participates in the game, even if it is just wearing your jersey to the local market to share a beer with your buddies and cheer your team on while watching the TV out on the sidewalk. The streets are absolutely full of people wearing their national jerseys. This may greatly exacerbate the traffic situation (that one is for you Alicia ;-) ), but totally adds to the atmosphere in the city. Inside the stadium the fans were passionate, dressed up in their colors (red, white, and blue...easy to cheer for them), dancing, singing, jeering, and whistling (used to cheer, taunt, and boo). A latin beat rings out throughout the stadium from hidden drummers, and the singing does not stop the entire game. The whole country is in a pause to watch the Albirroja contend for their chance to compete for most coveted sports trophy in the world. The Albirroja is the affectionate nickname for their team, which is literally translated the "red stripes," and is pronounced with the super cool rolling r sound I can't seem to do for my life. That is ok...I can make the sound when the home team puts the ball in the back of the net...

GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!