El Fin: Jill´s Final Thoughts

To recap...spent a few days in Mendoza after Bariloche, did the wine tour and the hang out at a hostel with other travelers thing, and then made it to Buenos Aires on Sunday, did some shopping (oops), went to Uruguay for the day to have lunch (passport stamp whore, I know) and have packed and I´m ready to go! Ta da! I leave Argentina tonight! I´m a little nervous about saying bye to my last bout of freedom, and I´m a bit unhappy that once I return to the states, that´s it for my international travels for some time. But, it´s time...it´s really flippin time. So overall, I am happy to be returning. I have already begun the biding for a sublet in NY for June and July, and so life is commencing already. So, I have a 9 pm flight out tonight from Buenos Aires...and I only have to make 5 connections, hit 7 airports in 6 different countries, transfer my bags three times and fly on three different airlines to return to Seattle. WHAT?! Yeah, in the spirit of economy and keeping my original itinerary, which was quite manic and unplanned, I am flying from Buenos Aires via Santiago to Lima, with a cool 5 hour layover from 1 am to 6 am, then via Panama City to Mexico City, then on to LA and then to Seattle. So, while from Zambia it only took me 2 12 hour plane rides, from Argentina, I will take 6 planes and 30 hours. Eh. Maybe they´ll have some good movies. And then...that´s it...finally it. When the whole tumor episode happened last August, I was pretty pissed off, and many people, all with good intentions and warm thoughts, told me that maybe this happened for a reason, and that they were sure something good will come out of it. Well, several good things came out it, I got to experience things and places that I would never have been able to experience, or at least not for many years. But if I had to do it over, I would rather have had no tumor, and I would rather have started medical school. I don´t think it happened for a reason, or so that something else could happen during this year. Life is a bunch of silly coincidences. And this year has only confirmed for me the school of thought that shit happens, and it happens for no reason at all usually. Its not the ¨why¨that is important, but rather how you deal with it that is. (write that down, that´s profound.) This year has only confirmed for me that I desire to be a doctor, I love traveling the world, but also that I crave a permanent address. It has taught me what kind of traveling I´m cut out to do, and what kind I am not. I have had no earth shattering revelations. I´ve learned that very, very little shocks me anymore. I´ve learned that my health, and my passport, are my two most valuable possesions at the moment. I often think back to Zambia (as this year has also made me miss Africa a lot) and sometimes I am shocked that I did not become critically ill with pheo symptoms or a hypertensive crisis. I didn´t tell the folks just how many times I was sick, with what I deemed minor stuff related to the food or the climate. But now that I am actually healthy, and I can see what a difference it is to last year, it´s truly amazing. Traveling healthy sure beats traveling with a pheo. So, this extra year is almost over. And actually it has passed very very quickly. And it was, all in all, fantastic. But, to understate it all, I am ready for medical school. Vamos! As always, thanks to my faithful readers for following along. And if this is the first post you are reading...well, you´re a little late. Much love everyone!

Buenisimo!

That´s Argentine for wonderful! Or some exaggerated variation of the word `good.´ Am currently in Bariloche, the heart of what is known as the lake district. Turns out in addition to some beautiful mountains and forrests, there are a bunch of lakes! Go figure. I am heading out tonight on an overnight bus to Mendoza, the wine region of Argentina. With the large exception of the discovery of a parasitic larva hitching a ride in my shoulder for the past month since Peru (long and disgusting story, but all is ok now), the past few days have been relaxing and very nice. I had a fantastic hike yesterday, bonded with my hiking boots a bit more, up to a lodge a few hours up a mountain that was supposed to be open but wasn´t, which was just fine with me, because I was the only human soul on the mountain all day. The last bit of hiking was in several inches of snow. It was so nice! And the views were amazing. The area is made all the more beautiful at the moment because the fall colors are changing and vibrant, as you can see from the photo. The weather could not have been clearer, only slightly chilly but beautiful after the rains and snows of southern Chile and Argentina. The day before I did a short hike with an extremely talkative Israeli girl to a lookout which provided similar breathtaking views of mountains and lakes. Bariloche borders the Andes and Chile, and has very dramatic scenary all around. Ski season here starts up in July, but right now is the perfect time as there are no crowds and it is still sunny and clear, although cold. Anyway, not much more to report. T minus one week. Much love.

Best Sight from an airplane

Well, today I flew over the Perito Moreno Glacier that I had seen about two weeks ago. It was spectacular, and has beat out my other two spectacular sights from an airplane (Victoria Falls and Greenland) as number one best sight as seen from an airplane. Sorry that you have to turn your head to the side to see one of them but I couldn´t rotate it. Am currently killing time til my bus to Bariloche tonight, and I am happy to report that it isn´t snowing and is considerably warmer in Comodoro Rivadavia. Enjoy the photos!

just a taste...

I have 45 seconds left of the computer, so this is all you get for now...but isn´t it beautiful!!

Hello from the bottom of the world!

Yup, I made it. I don´t know why but I have a small obsession with reaching the far ends of continents, so here I am in Ushuaia, Argentina (although, officially, there is a tiny town across the Beagle Channel in Chile that is slightly further south called Puerto Williams, but you wouldn´t have known that had I not told you). Anyway, apparently, when I arrived late on monday night, so did winter. The first significant snow of the year followed my buses from Puerto Natales, Chile all the way to Ushuaia, making a 12 hour journey about 15 hours. About half of the whole journey was through blizzard conditions, with compact ice and snow on the roadways (as the WSDOT would say) and the last bit down to Ushuaia was the worst bit of winter driving I have experienced possibly ever (definitely rivals the trip from Spokane to Seattle after Thanksgiving last year). We were sliding all over the place. But we made it. So, Ushuaia is bordered by the mountains that represent the end of the Andes to the north and the Beagle channel to the south. The mountains are covered with snow, and the town was as well until yesterday when some rains and warmish weather washed it away. So it´s cold and beautiful. My next move is heading up north, as I can really not go any further south (btw, Antarctica is only 1000 km south of here, but the overpriced cruises have stopped running for the season). I decided that with incoming snow and storms, I didn´t really want to spend 40+ hours again on buses, so I have a flight to Comodoro, then a bus to Bariloche, my next stop. That´s saturday, so I have a few days to kill enjoying the mountains here in Ushuaia. Today I went on a boat tour through the Beagle channel to ooh and aah at the seals, sea lions, and mountains. Tomorrow hopefully going to do some hiking in the Tierra Del Fuego National Park (hopefully I say because it will depend upon how much snow is covering the trails...again, a little underprepared for hiking in snow, but whatever). I have one pair of long underwear, and it is my best friend at the moment. But as long as there are mountains with snow I am usually happy. And that´s that! Maybe some pictures mas tarde.

snow pictures

Just a few photos to make you wish you were here, even though it is as cold as it looks.

Chilly in Chile

Sorry, couldn´t resist the ridiculously obvious pun of a title. However this post could have the alternate titles of "I heart snow capped mountains" or "Misadventures of backpacking with random travelers with British accents." Have had a full and exciting, if cold, several days. Stuck now in Puerto Natales, Chile for 2 days until the next bus out to Ushuaia, the southern most city in the world, the true bottom of the world. Lets recap the week, shall we: I last left you in Argentina, at El Calafate, before doing a day at the Perrito Moreno Glacier. Well, the day was spectacular, the glacier was pretty darn big and beautiful and it was very cool to sit and watch and wait for huge chunks to fall off, sounding like thunder and making tiny tidal waves. It was a very cool glacier. The next day I caught a bus to Puerto Natales, Chile (current location). After happening upon a hostal, a british guy (who´s name turned out to be Jack...ha!) also turned up and was looking for someone to backpack the 4.5 day W circuit in the Torres Del Paine national park nearby, which is really the only thing to do in this area and is quite spectacular. So after debating (I had been wanting to do some hiking and/backpacking but am quite ill prepared for such things in freezing temperatures at the moment) I decided well why not, we rented the equipment, bought a whole load of pasta, and set off in the morning. We hit the trail with a couple of Kiwi guys, who were quite loud and crazy but very fun, and did the first walk to the camp at the base of the Torres, these large rock towers for which the park is famous for. We were fortunate to see them on really what was the last clear day, and even then there was some misty clouds covering the tops. And it did snow while I was up there as well, and the wind nearly bowled me over while I was trying to take my pictures. The weather was cold, at night frigid (the season for such things ended about 2 weeks ago and with good reason...) but I had rented a stellar sleeping bag so I was alright. The next day brought buckets and buckets of rain, which didn´t let up, so after one more night, we actually all called it quits and came back to town on the third day. All the other vistas (the french valley, the grey glacier) were covered by clouds and not visible. And I guess we were wimps. Whatever. It was fun while it lasted and definitely something I want to come back to do in nicer weather. So we all came back to the hostal last night, along with two british girls who I had met and a guy from Holland, and had a grand old night being loud and obnoxious last night. whoops. Met tons and tons of travelers and backpackers, most with british accents. I seem to have stumbled onto the beaten backpacker track in patagonia, which is ok but in high season would be too crowded for my tastes (you either get too many people or bad weather, these are the choices we make). The vistas and the mountains, when clear, in the park were spectacular, and made me smile, like mountains do. And it was very nice to have a group of people to shoot the shit with. Most are doing the whole continent in anywhere from 3 to 12 months. But Chile likes to screw tourists and backpackers over by charging ridiculously high rates for pretty much everything....it´s very very expensive here. But they didn´t charge me the $100 penalty for being an American at the border, so I gotta hand them that. In other news (I say that a lot, huh) and as most of you know...while I am having a fabulous "time of you life" time doing the whole "experiencing the world" thing, I am growing weary and tired of moving around and of buses and it all just goes back to everything...so with 2 weeks left on this proverbial road, I am excited to come home, which makes me a little bit mad to admit, but sometimes it´s just time I guess. As for pictures, maybe later, but I am having problems with my ipod as a storage device so I am anxious to sort that out first. Anyway, that´s all folks.

12 hours by train, 34 hours by bus later...

and I have landed in El Calafate, the town that acts as a base for exploring the Moreno Glacier, which I am going to do manana, for a nice tourist price. The town is cute, like a budding Colorado ski resort town without snow. To get here was a freakin mission, and outside of town you can´t believe you will end up in a place with heaters and Pepsi, but the world never ceases to amaze. Speaking of getting here, I want to applaud the Argentine bus system; the buses are comfy and when they say 5 minutes, they actually mean it. No livestock on these buses. Two thumbs up. So, officially I am in Patagonia...which is sort of a little travel dream of mine realized. Of course, most of Patagonia is flat, bleak, colorless, and boring, and hopefully the past 2 days have covered most of this part. There are some mountains here, with snow, and heading south and west promises more snow capped mountains. So my anticipation rises. Other than that, I have been on a bus/train for the entire weekend so I actually have very little to report. Much love from the almost bottom of the world...

Next year in......Buenos Aires?

Well, its Passover again. I know, that´s exactly what you were thinking. Last year I found myself at a seder table in Cape Town, and last night I found myself at a seder table in Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires...so far it appears to be a land where potable, hot water flows from the taps and espresso machines abound. I showed up early to a Chabad house last night to try to smile my way with broken Spanish into the seder without a ticket...the ortho rabbis just had to look my direction to make me feel guilty, but a nice family with three teenage girls invited me to their table, and the oldest daughter practiced her english with me, and tried to convince me to visit the biggest disco here in BA. I didn´t tell her that I forgot my heels (read: I dont own heels) so maybe next time. Anyway, it was a huge seder, mostly because there was a group of some 60+ young Israelis who appear to just be traveling for some months, so it was a boisterous, multi-lingual evening. Also met some fellow American travelers who just showed up for the seder too. It was lovely. As for BA, it´s a big, very European city, so European in fact that it's a bit pretentious, but that also has to do with the Argentinian stereotype I think. But there is nothing nicer than a hot shower. Well, maybe chocolate. And then another hot shower. How indulgent. Yesterday I walked around after not sleeping hardly at all on my 3:30 am flight from Lima to here, and ended up in the very fancy shopping mall. I didn´t go into any of the stores for fear that I would have one of those "which way does this go, is this a shirt or a skirt, I think the price tag has too many zeros..." moments. If Peru is the $12 fake Lacoste shirt (which Peruans seem to really like), then Argentina appears to be the $80 real thing. And now, in my fanciest outfit (black t shirt and less baggy jeans) I am going to hit the streets of Buenos Aires until I hang out with a friend here tonight, a guy from my spanish classes in Mexico. I think that all was an overshare of very little information. But whatever.

spot the llama!

I don´t know why I didn´t think of wasting my time in Tarapoto usefully and finishing off my Soles at the internet cafe waiting for pictures to upload earlier, but here I am now, hopefully uploading some pics for you to enjoy! and yes, there is a llama finger puppet in the majority of the photos...it was one of my themes for the week, and a 2 Sole impulse purchase after a bottle of wine from a rather cute kid on the street in Cuzco...those darn kids get me every time. The llama rather enjoyed being photographed in the grand vistas, as you can see. In other update news, I am happy to report that I am still alive after a helluva transport ride from Yurimaguas to Tarapoto, over jungle mountains at night on a road that is under construction (hence only travel at night was possible) . And by under construction I think they meant being constructed. It was an exciting, crowded journey of 3.5 hours, complete with a setting sun over banana trees, a rockin´80s mix tape, a driver with a death wish passing every vehichle he could find, cocaine check points, hairpin turns causing me to clutch the "oh shit" bar often, and mini waterfalls that flowed over the dirt road. One would think this would make the road prone to wash out...yes, one would think. Anyway, it made me long for Zambian transport and made me smile too, because its nice to know that crazy drivers and dangerous roads are a travel constant. Although it was good I had elected to eat dinner after said trip. Apparently the internet has decided that those are enough pictures for you, so it will have to suffice. Much love