Cat LIsOmi Adventures

We're going on the four-day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu tomorrow, so we'll be out of touch. We'll return to Cusco on Wednesday evening, spend a rest day in Cusco, and then fly to Puerto Maldonado (Peruvian Amazon) for four days.

Health Feeling 90% better today; just a slight head ache. Museum We leisurely wandered around town in search for the "boleto turistico" which is required to enter a number of museums and ruins. With our boleto in hand, we visited the popular art museum. One room showcased local winners of a nativity scene competition. Maybe a kids competition? The other room displayed local paintings which I enjoyed much more than the sloppy clay work. Haircut We shopped around for a haircut for Li. The cheapest we found was 15 soles (5 USD). We're still on the prowl. Food We stopped at a market to buy food for our apartment. We stocked on pasta, olive oil, cheese, pepper, tomatoes for dinner and we also purchased cereal, milk, eggs, coke zero, bananas, apples, bread, lunch meat, canned peaches and a few other odds and ends. Picture of boiling eggs & a kettle Research During our walk, we discovered a few free traditional music and dance shows each evening. We'll go...

Arrival Dora & Anita kindly arranged for their family to take care of Li and I while we visited Lima. What a treat! Henry and Jennifer kindly picked us up from the airport and took us to Mamita's house in Surco (near Miraflores). Then, we went with Mamita and Bertha to breakfast before taking a long nap. Driving in Lima That Friday afternoon/evening, Li volunteered to drive us (me, Mamita and Bertha) to the center of Lima. Wow, what an experience. Lane lines, stop signs, traffic lights: they are all suggestions. You have to be careful about cars ramming into you from all directions. Imagine every street in San Francisco being full of gridlock. Every street was jammed with cars that barely moved. The good news is that we saw fireworks from our car (while stuck in traffic) because it was Lima week. Also, on the way back, we took a less packed express way. Whew! Li gets a platinum star for driving in Lima. Buffet The next day, we went with Mamita and Bertha to a buffet with tradi...

Getting There We took a buquebus ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento, the oldest city in Uruguay and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Upon arrival, we rented a scooter & scooted around town and the countryside. Since I forgot my license, I rode on the same scooter as Li; our top speed was a whopping 15 mph. Road to Nowhere We drove out of town on a lonely country road that disappeared at the horizon- cumulus clouds spotted the blue sky. Tons of multi-colored wildflowers flourished on each side of the road: great for the eyes and nose. Relaxed Town We returned to town for lunch & sightseeing. We climbed to the top of the lighthouse to enjoy a beautiful, panoramic view of the water & fairly empty town. Then, we walked along the ancient city wall to a few benches overlooking the water. We read our kindles for a bit. Books Speaking of books, I finished the "Short History of Nearly Everything". Loved it. Wonderful analogies & context for scie...

As we acclimate in Cusco to the high altitude, we'll catch-up on our blog post backlog: Colonia & Lima. Right now, I'm typing from the bathroom floor. I've been hugging a toilet bowl for a few hours now because I have altitude sickness. I'm drinking water and tea (and it doesn't want to stay down). Recovery should happen in 1-2 days.

On the afternoon before Argentina's daylight saving switchover (Sat), the government decided NOT to switch over the time. This has caused chaos in the airline and other industries. For instance, airlines are changing their departure times 1 hour earlier without notifying passengers so that connecting flights will still be made. We have a flight to Lima on Friday and we're still not sure if the flight leaves at 7:55am or 6:55am.  We'll arrive at the airport at 5:30 to make sure.

We learned a cheap lesson yesterday at the church. Keep your bags in front of you (not off to the side) when you're sitting down. I sat down to rest at a pew and to admire the ornate altar & stain glass windows at the front of the church. Li came around and dropped off his bag too in order to roam around freely. At the time, I didn't think to move his bag into my line of vision. Instead, it was off to my side. After about 15 minutes, I noticed a hand rummaging through the side pocket of his bag and I immediate turned around and gave a "WTF" glare to a man. He tried explaining himself (or begging) in Spanish before taking off. I checked for all our important stuff in the bag and it was all there. We'll make sure that our bags are in front, not off the side. Also, we'll use our bag locks more.

Yesterday: Walking After arriving at the airport, we walked Plaza de Mayo to view the neo-classic architecture along the blvd. We marveled at the pink house, bank, cathedral, embassies and just plain-old-buildings. We also saw a quaint Tango Museum before walking back to our place (1+ hour stroll). We dropped off our laundry around the corner. Did you know that there are no coin operated laundries around here? We hit the grocery store to get pasta, sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, sandwich stuff, etc. It was fun cooking last night in our place. Today: Resting Since I'm a little under the weather and there's heavy rain today, I decided to sleep, drink my instant soup, and read. Later today, Li and I will venture out to get boat tickets to get to Colonia tomorrow. It's a 50 minute trip across the river to historic Uruguay. It should be sunny tomorrow and we plan to rent scooters to visit the countryside (in addition to walking the cobblestone streets & visiting an old li...

Getting there The Brazilian border is cracking down on folks visiting their side of the Falls without visas. When I was last here with Suzzy, we easily slipped by without one. This time, we were stopped at a few visa checkpoints with large lines. We were so grateful for our rush visas from town. Foggy falls When we arrived, we couldn't see much of the Argentine side because it was enshrouded in fog. Eventually, the fog lifted just enough for a spectacular view of the other side - beautiful, violent waterfalls as far as the eye can see. The platform in the bottom-middle of the falls was actually open for a drenching experience. The Wire After a good, early dinner at the bus terminal, we watched a few episodes of season 1 of the Wire. It was exciting: we enjoy the writing & characters. Photos We'll upload our photos when we arrive to BA.

We took a bus from town to Iguazu Falls yesterday. Since it was packed to the brim, I stood on one leg, squeezed between two back-to-back seats. When we got off the bus, Li raced to the front of the ticket booth and beat a very long line. :) The falls and rivers were bursting their banks. So much so that they closed the Devil's Throat, St Martin's Island, and a few platforms at the bottom of raging waterfalls. Li and I were still able to creep to the cordoned off area with our rain coats and experience the power of the waterfalls. The mist and wind from the waterfalls drenched us and made it hard to breathe--it was that strong! We walked around for the remainder of the day with soggy clothes. Today, we visited the Brazilian Consulate in the town of Iguazu to get rush 30-day visas (which take two weeks in the States). We'll get them back this afternoon so we plan to cruise quickly to the Brazilian side of the falls. I bet their viewing platform at the bottom of the falls...

We're eating in a cafe right now on a corner in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires. People eat so late here. We sat down at 12:07 and they wouldn't serve us lunch! We had to order a breakfast like everyone else until 12:30, when we ordered a salad and quiche. As a waiter brought out new silverware and table covers, I asked, "For lunch?" He said, "Yes. Otherwise, people would be eating breakfast until five in the afternoon."

The Buenos Aires Museum of Fine Arts has some great paintings and a good English audio guide, and admission is free. We spent a couple hours there yesterday, on our stopover in Buenos Aires on the way from El Calafate to Iguazu. I was most interested in the paintings and sculptures by the artists I'd heard of, like Renoir, Manet, Rodin, and Van Gogh. The museum has a floor dedicated to Argentine art, so we got some history of the country.

Few of you might be interested in our pack lunches for these trips. Since it's hard to find a grocery store (in some cases there aren't any around) in remote places, the hostel will pack up a lunch for you. It contains a french roll with 2 slices of ham and cheese. There are packets of mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise. Wish they packed picante sauce too because hot sauce makes anything taste awesome. Aside from the sandwich (x2), they pack an apple and a mini-moon pie. Remember those? PS.....we finally had a juicey steak in Argentina!

Full Album from El Chalten: http://picasaweb.google.com/crondeau/Chalten#5393279218718765090 Highlights: Reading in front of Fitz Roy (big rock climbing mtn) Ice climbing ( upclose , perspective ) Hiking to the glacier on beautiful rock

Catherine and I went ice-climbing on the glacier Viedma today. With crampons on our feet and an ice-axe in each hand, we scaled a 30-foot ice wall as the guides belayed us. The guides made it look easy, so I was surprised at the effort I had to exert. It got easier the second and third times I scaled the wall. We ice-climbed in the morning, had lunch, and walked on the glacier in the afternoon. I enjoyed the Perito Moreno glacier walk last week more than this Viedma glacier walk. On Perito Moreno, we got much deeper into the glacier, so I felt like I was in another world. This hike was close to land (because we had less time) and rocks were strewn everywhere. Still a good way to spend an afternoon.

After hiking the Fitz Roy trail, we watched the Argentina Uruguay football game with the rest of the Hotel Rancho Grande. The winning goal didn't come until the last five minutes or so of the game: Argentina scored off a free kick. The game was being projected on a wall and the eating area was packed. Everyone went crazy when Argentina scored--even the big Saint Bernard dog. It was an important game for both countries: the winner (Argentina) goes to the World Cup and the loser is out. The game was in Uruguay, which made it even tougher for Argentina.

Catherine and I had a perfectly blue day yesterday as we hiked the Fitz Roy path in El Chalten, Patagonia, Argentina. It was t-shirt and shorts weather. We got great views of the granite peak Fitz Roy and glaciers and streams. We saw more wildlife in the Chilean Patagonia (puma, armadillo, condors). Here in Argentine Patagonia we've seen birds: woodpeckers and condors. We hiked about 10 miles round-trip and stopped to read our Kindles in two particularly scenic spots: in front of Fitz Roy and in a shady forest. I'm reading the Economist and Catherine is reading "A Short History of Nearly Everything".

We managed to get a hike in on our first day in El Chalten: the Torre trail. We saw a pretty waterfall and a river running through a gorge that a glacier probably carved. At about the three-mile mark, I gave Catherine the backpack and ran ahead while Catherine walked back. I made it to a lagoon of glacier melt right below Mount Torre. I drank from the stream next to the trail a couple times. I've never been in a place where I can drink whatever water I see. I really like it. Running home, I came across a llama eating grass with no other llamas or owners in sight. I tiptoed around it (didn't know whether it would buck like a horse or spit on me) and continued running. Half a kilometer later, I came upon two men leading three llamas. "There's a llama back there," I said. "Oh my gosh!" responded one. "Is it far?" "Yeah, about half a kilometer," I said, laughing. I couldn't believe that the two men were in such an auto-pil...

We woke up to snow blanketing the town of El Calafate this morning. It was more snow than they'd had all winter--10 centimeters--but it melted by the end of the day. We dropped off our laundry at a laundromat and spent the day reading Kindles and researching our next destinations in various cafes, restaurants, travel agencies, and hotel lobbies around town. Tomorrow we'll take a three-hour bus trip to El Chalten, where we'll hike a couple days in the Argentine Patagonia (Fitz Roy) and maybe on a glacier.

We hiked the "W" path in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. DAY 1: Getting There 5 hour bus ride with a few transfers Lots of guanaco (like llamas) roaming around ( photo ) Handful of armadillos scampering away from us Lots of beautiful vistas ( photo ) DAY 1: EcoCamp Stayed at a "eco" friendly camp with special composting outhouses & tents that are well insulated ( photo ) Went on an 8 mile hike & saw a puma ( photo ) Eduardo, the guide, said that he chose to work at EcoCamp because of the great chef. The food was the best we'd had so far on the trip. Since it's the off season, there were only 4 people in our group (the guide, another guest, Li and me).  DAY 2: Hike to the French Valley Lots of red berry & yellow flower plants ( photo ) Pumas attack many guanacos. This one didn't make it. ( photo ) Beautiful, clear day, which isn't typical of Patagonia. It's usually rainy, windy, and really cold. ( photo ) Th...

A few days ago, we went on a "Big Ice" trip, which is 4 hours hiking with crampons on a glacier. Trip Highlights: Enjoyed beautiful blue ice fields and deep crevasses Celebrated the perfect, blue/sunny weather Listened to the creaking of the glacier as new cracks and icebergs form Sipped glacier water from running glacier streams Ate our pack lunches in the middle of the glacier, near a beautiful, blue pond Dared our guide to ice climb a steep crevasse. He did! Had only 8 people on our trip with 2 informative & hardworking guides. Photo Highlights: Li and Cat with crampons and "shared services" jackets on! Guide filling up water bottles with glacier water   Guide ice climbing in a crevasse   Ice field   Random insect found (hike > forest > glacier) Full album *Note: Since our connection is really slow, we'll insert photos into the actual blog later. And, we'll add captions to our photos too.

We just got home from the football game. Boca beat a higher-ranked local team called Velez. I was amazed at the passion of the fans. They sang pretty much non-stop for the whole game. Loving lyrics like "We will always follow you, Boca" and violent lyrics like "Your mother is a *!#$@# and you are a *@#$!" Boca won 3-2. They scored two amazing goals: one hit the top bar of the goal and the other was a header from almost midfield. After the game we got empanadas at a local restaurant, Cumana, and got ice cream at Freddo's. We spent the early part of the afternoon at Plaza Dorrego, where we saw street tango dancers, a traditional orchestra, and street vendors, and we ate on a balcony overlooking the square. http://picasaweb.google.com/crondeau/BuenosAiresDay2PlazaDorregoSoccer

Flight We arrived in BA yesterday after a long flight. SF to Dallas took 3.5 hours. Dallas to BA took 9.5 hours. We read, watched airplane movies, and started to watch the TV show the Wire because everyone is raving about it. We watch the Wire on our little netbook (EEE PC) which has a battery life of 10 hours! It lasted longer than we did. Apartment We rented an apartment through vrbo.com. It's a one bedroom Apt on Callao & La Hera (kinda near Recoleta). Since the economy isn't so hot, there were plenty of reasonable places available and it was easy to bargin...just have to look. Many of the places require 3 nights, so we negotiated 2 nights. We also wanted to come to the apt at 8am, not in the afternoon, etc. Anyhoo, Alfredo, the owner, was awesome. He was super flexible, took so much time to show us places on a map and gave us a great political science lecture (he was so passionate) when we arrived. Might post later about that topic...He also arranged tickets to a lo...

I'm typing this on "Smallie", the netbook that we're taking on the trip. It has a small screen but great battery life. We'll probably watch some movies on it on the flight. We'll fly from SFO to Dallas and then on to Buenos Aires. We'll only stay in Buenos Aires a couple nights (maybe see a "football" game) and then fly to El Calafate to hike in Patagonia.