Monday, December 24, 2007

Technology to the rescue!

I wish I were as good as my friend Amy at capturing the sweet moments of life on camera. I try. With the purchase of a digital camera, I can say I have taken a ridiculous amount of pictures, knowing I can delete and repeat over and over. I got to see Amy and Pat, Maddie, Mia, and Monica today. Whenever I am around these girls, I can't help but want to capture every moment for savoring later, like when I am a thousand miles away. I lucked out again and got to bath time. This is a special treat because Mia and Monica follow Maddie's cue to be comfortable around me. They are so at ease in the warm, bubbly water. I even got to wash their hair! We told stories and listened attentively.

So sweet! I dressed them up for Christmas - a couple hours before the family mass, but Amy assured me they wouldn't get them so mussed. We had so much fun, and they were so beautiful. Reading and playing and showing off! Then I got the invitation to come back and stay at the house while Monica napped. Happily, I raced back to the house, so they could get going. There was a little too much excitement in the house, and I heard Monica wake before they left. I waited a bit to see if she would just cry herself to sleep, but I think we all know when the crying gets to distress. She was not happy to see me. She was enraged that I was the only other person in the house - how dare her mother leave her in such incapable hands as this stranger's. She didn't want out of my arms, but she didn't want them either. A tough decision for a 17 month old!

I don't claim brilliance, but resourcefulness. With my laptop open to my pictures of South America, I quickly switched the screen to the pictures I had taken earlier of Monica and her sisters. I even had a little video footage. She recognized the faces, and we just let that slideshow run and run. Later I changed the pictures to an album my uncles put together of my grandpa. Despite this great save, she managed to cry herself into the coughing gagging thing and ralphed on Ducky, her blankie. She was not amused to have to give it up to the washing machine. What a relief when Grammy came for her that she was not still a wreck!

I got home and did what I could to pitch in with dinner, help get ready for the after-mass party of hot buttered rum and Auggie's bourbon brie. I dressed up in a combination of clothes from my sister's closet and the top of my bins still in the basement of the Columbine house. Gratefully I found my big heels, the ones essential to "fitting in" with my six-foot family, but ended up sitting next to Grandma and dwarfing her. Ooops! The party was fun. I was glad my older goddaughters could make it, though we kept them off of the sauce. A late night...wasn't going to get my beauty rest for Santa...and family breakfast.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Happy St. Victoria Day!

An obscure saint, but a very real tradition: my mom, Grandma, and I celebrate the feast of St. Victoria on December 23rd every year. We usually take in lunch somewhere, and recently Miki has started joining us. Last night Erik prepared dinner for me, and we celebrated Christmas a little early. He took me to the airport early this morning so I could fight the hordes of travelers before Christmas. I prefer Alaska Airlines, since they do not have many flights out, thus having a shorter check-in line. After last year's blizzards and stranded travelers, this year was like a walk in the park. The lines for check-in and security moved so quickly, I had a ridiculous amount of time to hang around. It was busier in July when I flew home for my birthday! I certainly was not going to complain, though I was a bit grumbly that our flight was late leaving Denver...I didn't want to keep my mom, Grandma, and sister waiting in Portland. They would be hungry, too! My bags weren't the last, and my sister helped me carry them. I was glad to have her, since my mom got a new car in my absence, and I had no clue what to look for. Renaults, pick-ups, and anything old and rusting were the typical fare where I was in Argentina, so the SUVs and flashy new cars were a bit foreign. Lunch was delicious - vegetarian Thai food. We laughed much and caught up with each other. I feel like my stories are old news having been sending them out into the world via blog. But I know nothing of what is going on with everyone else. Quick to catch me up, my family had lots to share. We snuck in movie, The Kite Runner, as quickly as I set my bags down. Walking out to the bathroom from the theatre, I heard my name, whipped around, and found my older brother waiting for his girlfriend against the wall. What a treat to get to meet her before she headed to Eugene for Christmas! A very pleasant surprise! It's good to be in Portland with my family again!

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Back on track?

After my nightmare of a night, I spent the day on the phone...talking to the insurance company...talking to my lawyer...talking to my rolfer...talking to my mom...talking to auto mechanics...talking to Kaiser. All I wanted was to have a restful week of getting together with friends before heading to Portland for three weeks, maybe ski. I actually had an invitation to ski today, but turned it down before fate could change my plans. This was not how I hoped to spend the day. Cathy got me in for more body work, the best thing to try to put the accident behind me physically, though I had an appointment for Wednesday to see a doctor at Kaiser. Nothing to do but steady myself.

Monday, December 17, 2007

A bad ending to my first full day back in the USA

I'm not big on unpacking or putting things away, so my backpacks of gear and dirty clothes and gifts made it to the futon in my room and not much further. Last night I moved my bed closer to the door, further away from the cold windows. Erik helped me swap the futon and bed around and shove my bags even further from my sight. I did have to pull a few things out today, but I was excited to have other things to do, like a rolfing appointment with Cathy in the evening. It took me twenty minutes to get on Hwy 6 from the house! Alarming! Granted, I haven't driven in months, and the driving in South America is more of a weave, less linear. Though I didn't drive down there, it affected me as I tried to get to Golden in forty minutes, generally plenty of time. I did make it and had a great reunion, as well as some great work on the kinks of my body. Happy to see Cathy, I was just as happy to go because I had a dinner date with Nikki at her house. We gabbed for hours, could have gone much longer, but a Monday night for her meant an early rise in the morning, so I mosied on home. Mary called wondering if she should worry that I wasn't home. Nah! I was on my way and promised to come say good night when I got home. That thirty minute drive took an hour and a half. Waiting at the red light before Colfax on Park Avenue West, a car smashed into me from behind. I was stunned, I was rolling forward, I couldn't see anything, I was screaming, and then I realized the sound, the movement, the darkness...I'd been rear-ended. I didn't see him coming. The rear-view mirror was askew and failing to reflect light. My foot slipped off the break; the car absorbing the impact and rolling forward. I braked, adjusted the mirror, and recognized that I was okay. The other vehicle was no longer behind me. As he passed me on the right, I started calling out his license plate number over and over, committing it to memory until I could tell someone. The car headed into an alley. I didn't know what to do. My phone had flown into the back of the car, and I needed to call the police. And I needed to call Mary to say not to worry, I wouldn't be home yet. A mile from home...I was so close. I rounded onto Colfax to see if I could catch the vehicle exiting the alley, but there was no one there. I called the police, passed on information, calmed myself down. I filed a claim with my insurance. My low back stung, my head was swirling. I managed to get out of the car, relieved that all my muscles knew what to do. The damage didn't look crippling, and the car was still drivable. I went home, slid in next to our landlord's house in the alley, and made my way for some ibuprofen. First full day here. Ending the day in a daze.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

A pensive return

I am sitting in "my room". I am "home". These words are confusing to me as I transition into a former life. As the plane closed in on the airport in Denver, I was intrigued by the fields of snow. All around were patches of white cut into bits by dark lines of pavement. These lines of life are always visible, but the other lines, the lines of shadows from walking through the snow, were more interesting. In a field of white, another shade of white wandered and meandered and crossed over itself. Having been in the mountains where goats and llama wander, I recognized these erratic patterns, and I wondered if there is another level of cosmos where someone else is looking down to see the errant path I have wandered in the last months. First my job, and then Portland, a return to Denver, and many beautiful places on the other side of the equator! Pensive, indeed! My Sunday, my typical day of rest, began in the Lima airport, boarding around midnight. I slept my way to Houston, not even staying awake for the movie! Travelocity was not generous enough in layover time, and after waiting too long for my luggage and secondary screening at customs, I missed my connection to Denver. I hopped the next flight, though I stewed for over an hour over the stupid rules that prohibit carrying beverages on airplanes because vendors mark up the prices so dramatically. I slept all the way from Houston to the snowfields around the airport. I had sent a page to Erik to let him know where to find me, so I figured we would meet by my baggage carousel. It was a slow and long walk over the skyway, as I realized that once I "touchdown" in Denver, I am back. I am once again a part of the fray. I am no longer anonymous. I am no longer a tourist. After a pleasant surprise by Erik's parents at the airport, they dropped me off to an empty and cold home on Columbine Street. That first step into the house was so quiet. My room is empty. My bed naked, my drawers hollow, my footsteps echoing for nobody. It is strange to be a part of a home and not feel it. I think the culture shock of my return will be felt for another month until I can settle into life again. It feels so weird to be here. So I need to find towels and clothes to clean up for my first Christmas party before dinner with Erik's family. Christmas feels so foreign, as the commercialism has not infected the places I visited. I heard my first Christmas song in Spanish yesterday. The Christmas lights and decor are relaly for the tourists and quite comical. Now that I have a good signal, I will try to backdate some of my posts from the last week! Feliz navidad! tori

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Coming home!

Erik is till packing his bags, but we are nearly ready to check out of the hostel.  I hope we can visit briefly with Gloria and Freddie before we head to the airport.  I will be stateside in 24 hours!  Oh my goodness...time has flown.  See you all sooner than later, I hope!  peace, tori


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Friday, December 14, 2007

WE MADE IT!!!

Along with 12 new friends, 2 guides, and our porters, Erik and I made it to Machu Picchu on foot yesterday.  We just arrived in Cuzco, and I don´t think we even have twenty-four hours left here.  So we´re off for some Christmas shopping...I will right more.  And I have a ton more pictures!  loveyoumeanit...feliz navidad...tori


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Sunday, December 9, 2007

Delinquent writer reports in...

It has been too long since I posted last, but for my brother´s birthday, I will write.  I don´t think it is what he wants for his birthday, but he´ll have to wait.  I have posts when I have wifi, but the quick version is that I survived 24 hours on the bus.  I watched four movies on Thursday!  A record, maybe.  I didn´t miss my flight, and the hour between the announcement of Erik´s landing in Lima and the first sight of him after customs was demasiado mucho largo!!!  I kept hopping up to see over the mass of people waiting for other arrivals.  One couple must have had twenty people come out to greet them.  Talk about an entourage - I´ve never been so lucky.  (Actually, I think it is a little much.)
 
Erik and I had a great reunion yesterday and tried to take it easy.  We made it to the office to confirm our reservation for the trek.  We also enjoyed wandering through the market at San Pedro and purchased garlic, onion, eggs, potatoes, and bread.  Such a lucky girl, I got to have Erik´s breakfast for dinner last night!  I was so content.
 
Today we traveled by bus and taxi to Chinchero to go to the market.  It was fun.  We made it back to town in time to meet Willaru for a chat about life - politics, spirituality, and the like.  What an amazing man!  There may be a possibility to see him in Denver this Spring.  That would be awesome!  Erik and I also headed to Sacsayhuaman for some sightseeing and chill time before getting down to business of getting ready for the trail.  Our backpacks are packed, and mine doesn´t feel to heavy.  Tomorrow the company picks us up at 5:20 am.  So it is off to sleep for me!  Say an extra prayer or two for us, and we´ll be back in Cuzco next Friday afternoon!  loveyoumeanit...tori


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Friday, December 7, 2007

Part II

I woke up this morning, and I remembered my dreams. Grandma was picking something off my face like a monkey, but with tweezers, and then I had a vision of myself with these gnarly eyebrows that needed plucking. Not so warm and fuzzy. My feet were really quite swollen from sitting so long, so I made a point to make more trips to the bathroom and walk around. The snack pack got passed around again, and I passed. My apple and oatmeal cookies seemed healthier. There were music videos and an Argentine movie today, so I was less entertained. This was a good thing, I hope, because I studied some Spanish instead. I made faces at the little girl some more and slept a little, too. Gratefully, the morning seemed to fly by a little faster. It took me forever, once in Cordoba, to find where I could check my backpack. Once liberated from its weight, I walked towards the center to do some shopping and walking. I contemplated seeing a movie, since I knew where the cineplex is, but I guessed I might get some on my next flights. No helado. A first. I had a lovely conversation with the taxi driver on the way to the airport. He thought I was from Alemania, but no. I didn’t think we would ever get to the airport, convinced he was taking the extra long route for the big fare, but we made it, and I had enough time to rearrange my bags – can’t carry my knife on the plane or the beer! I cleaned up a little in the bathroom. I have been homeless for a while – in total two days and nights. The Andes looked a whole lot different on my way to Santiago (layover). I kept waiting for the massive mountains of snow, but there isn’t so much snow six weeks later. Hard to believe so much could melt in six weeks! Wow!! Once again, they didn't have a veggie meal for me, which upset me because I was hungry. Instead I had a couple glasses of wine. I watched "No Reservations" and "Gracie" (great soccer movie that made me think of Claire!) along with a little sleep. I couldn't really sleep because I was excited to be seeing Erik soon. Once in Lima I was familiar with the cusotms routine and re-checked my bags. I debated about making a trip to the bathroom or the snack line. I made neither before I heard that Erik's flight landed. It may have been the longest hour I can remember. Waiting and waiting...the people ahead of me got upset with the other people who kept standing in front of them and the cord behind which we were supposed to wait for arrivals. Typically in foreign airports, people cannot come into the baggage area and have to wait in the front hall. Everyone in Lima was there Friday night. One woman, who seemed to be newly engaged, had at least twenty people come out to greet her. After we got Erik checked in to his morning flight, we made our way to the waiting area. He had goodies for me: a song to listen to, apples, sesame sticks, wasabi peas, and trail mix! What a delight! Plus he found a great travel cribbage set, which we didn't actually pull out. It was tough to sleep in those chairs, but I was tired and happy. On to Cuzco...tori

Thursday, December 6, 2007

The first half of my 24 hour ride

What a near waste of a day! If it wasn’t for four movies, I would not have much to show for my day. I got up at a decent hour and packed up what I didn’t yesterday. I had my last breakfast with the crew and said my goodbyes. I bought alfajores to share with Erik, but they are really soft and goopy. They may not make it to Lima. (Alfajores are a specialty of the area. They are typically two delicious cookies with dulce de leche in the middle – a local version of an oreo. The cookies can range from biscuity goodness to a crispier cookie. The creamy goodness is sometimes flavored with other stuff, and generally not as delicious.) I shared a taxi in to town with my friend Alana from Australia and checked mi mochilla grande at the bus stop. The feria was pretty well set up, so I wandered through a couple times for souvenirs and un litre de cerveza for Erik and I to share. I love the beer and wine in Argentina, all the products of the land really, and Peru just doesn’t hold a candle to it. I got my last helado, this time from Mony, because the guy I talked with yesterday told me it is less famous, but much older than Jauja: manzana con canela y roseta musquetta (apple with cinnamon and wild rose hip). Delicious! And it wasn’t the ice cream’s fault at all, but there were a million and one people in the baggage office. Gratefully, the guy who complimented me on my Spanish yesterday came and pulled me aside and got my bag for me. I did not want to miss that bus!!! The first twelve hours on the bus: so I am always grateful for packing snacks because the snack tray was pretty lousy, and the full meal didn’t come for ten hours. I saw four movies: The Contract, Disturbia, Four Brothers, and The Shooter. The Shooter played on my way to El Bolson, but it was in Spanish without subtitles, so I didn’t pay attention. This time I did pay attention because it was in English with Spanish subtitiles, but there still wasn’t volume. Bummer! I didn’t really read and write a ton like I hoped, but I did finish a bunch of sudoku. It was mostly uneventful. In Bariloche we had to disembark for twenty minutes. I went to call Erik to make sure all was in order for our rendezvous, and when I came back, the bus was gone! There were more than a few things going through my head, but I kept cool and went to the ticket office to ask which platform to wait at. They sent me to another counter where a line had formed. I waited, looked out the window, waited, and looked. I have no concept of twenty minutes. I thought it had only been ten, but the crowd had dispersed from my bus, and I couldn’t see the guy who sat next to me. The woman at the counter looked really confused, which didn’t settle my nerves, but then she reassured me it would come back in 10 minutes. I waited long enough that it did arrive, and I didn’t lose my seat. Phew! My neighbors changed in Neuquen, and a mother and baby sat down in front of me. I wasn’t especially pleased at first because the baby was really fussy. The mom kept pouring 7-up into her bottle, and when it emptied, the crying and refilling began. I started to think about how judgmental I was being. I was thinking if it were a mom I know, a baby I know, I would be more understanding that sometimes it is tough to quiet a child who cannot speak and reason with you. I was still a bit edgy about this noisy girl. In the end we made faces and shook hands a lot. She was really quite sweet and probably thoroughly upset that her mom was taking her on the bus for 14 hours. In Cippoletti we switched buses, which meant a bit of time waiting in between, but this time I didn’t leave sight of the bus. Dinner was tasty: a cucumber and tomato salad, amended with the rest of the red pepper I had, flan, and for hot dinner, a potato and cream stuffed squash. It is the shape of a pumpkin, green in color, and about four inches across. It was really tasty. Sadly no wine this time, but I passed on the coffee. No caffeine at night necessary! Twelve more hours to go...tori

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

My last day in El Bolson

I am so forgetful when I sit in front of the computer.  I tell myself throughout the day all the things I want to share, and then after I post, I remember all the things I forgot.  For example, I really wanted to share that yesterday I received a very nice compliment from the man at the bus station.  He said, and is the first Argentinean to say, I speak Spanish very well.  I have had foreigners laugh at my Spanish, and Luis and the man from the kiosko both said described me as the girl who doesn´t speak well.  So this was really nice.  And Barry witnessed it and made a big deal of it.  I was quite flattered.  In reality the other travellers who speak less than I think my Spanish is fabulous.  And I have picked up four rides hitchhiking now and had no problem speaking with the driver.  (I really love hitchhiking...two times a day for the last three days.)  Anyhow, this I forgot to mention yesterday, that I have been complimented.
 
Today Barry took off for El Bolson, and the last of the Irish, too.  The place was clearing out until at least half a dozen arrived today, too.  I was looking forward to a laid back day, especially hoping to visit the lake.  I am really quite keen on the lake, so I thought I Would go again.  I also wanted to see the hidden waterfalls on this end of town.  The trail was pretty close to the hostel, so I thought I could start with it and catch a bus to the lake after.  Things change, such is life.  The cascada escondido were amazing!!  The trail to them has officially initiated me into rock climbing, and a few times I thought I might just fall off the edge.  Barry would have hated it because he doesn´t do heights.  I bet Angela would have loved it.  Anyway, I went by myself and took lots of pictures.  A couple German girls caught up to me, and we hiked together for a while.  They had a map, but went the wrong way anyway.  I followed them and felt very useful getting them back on the right track.  My toe, darn it, split open yesterday after a kid stepped on my foot on the bus back from the lake (just my luck that a day of hiking would be safe and the bus would not be).  It was a bit tender for the trail, but I wore my boots to keep it clean.  I had a delicious avacado and cheese sandwich and watched the waterfall.  I read a little, and not too long after Alana, another chica from the hostel, arrived from a different trail.  We had a great conversation about Australia and life and work and plants on the hike back down together.  We took the road in hopes of a ride.  The third time was the charm, and I felt elated to hitchhike again.  I sat next to an old man in the back seat, his son was driving, and he asked me all sorts of questions and wanted a picture with us.  He was so cute.  They stopped to pick lupines when they picked us up, so we talked about the flowers and the city and all the mountains.  Sweet!  They dropped us off in the center, so we could get ice cream and groceries before returning to the hostel.  I had lemon pie and mascarpone with raspberries.  Delicious!  Tomorrow will be my last one.  Alana and I split ways, and I ended up having a half hour conversation with an Argentinean man.  We talked about the mountains and small town life and how beautiful El Bolson is.  I am so content here, and if there was nothing to return for, I could see myself settling down.  As it stands, I am returning because I do have much to return for.  Marcel and I talked about how he looked a long time for a place to be, and he fell in love with El Bolson.  He has been running the hostel for three years, and his friend Julian joined him a year ago.  The owner retired, so they rent it from her and run it with other friends.  It makes me so happy, and I think I want to do the same thing somewhere like this.  Just the idea of the day.  Carbondale, anyone?  Any friends that want to open a hostel with me? 
 
I need to go pack up my bags.  I didn´t really unpack, except for my dirty clothes.  Tomorrow I catch a bus at 11:45 am from El Bolson and arrive in Cordoba on Friday at 12:15 pm.  Wish me luck!  That´s a long day and night on a bus.  Hope for me that I get good movies!  And good food!  It won´t be long...tori


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Tuesday, December 4, 2007

An even better Tuesday?

Angela left this morning, which was sad.  But I also did laundry for the first time since October!  (I washed underwear by hand on the farm, but my other clothes were starting to smell.)  Laundry is exciting, but it left me with a skirt and short sleeve shirt today.  Un poco frio!!  I planned to meet Peggy and Tatiana, but I didn´t know if it was only to say goodbye or to do something.  In the end I went off with Barry, a new friend from Ireland.  He is also traveling alone, and as he only had one day in El Bolson, which I learned is names because the mountains in every direction make the town like a bag - un bolsa, we went off together to walk to the cabeza del indio y mirador del rio azul.  This was quite fun.  I already had my ice cream in the morning - Andean chocolate with peanut butter.  We hitched a ride down to catch a bus to the lake, lago puelo.  The views were amazing.  We also hitched a ride into the park.  The mirador was amazing, and luckily we happened upon a shortcut, better luck than hiking with Angela at cerro amigo.  We had lunch together and enjoyed much conversation.  Barry arrived from  the south today and affirmed for me that I made the right decision to stay here instead of traveling to Puerta Madryn to see penguins and whales.  I am lucky to be in such a beautiful place.  We caught the next bus, and on our way back to the hostel, I cought my ticket for Cordoba.  I leave on Thursday - 24 hours on a bus!!!  We´ll see if I can hack it.  There won´t really be much choice in the matter, but we´ll see all the same.  I splurged the extra ten bucks for a bigger seat, una cama.
 
Barry leaves tomorrow for Bariloche, so tonight we went to the Cerveceria El Bolson and tried many flavors of beer- con trigo, chocolate, aji, frambuesa, cassis, miel, y una negra doble y una negra ahumada.  Everything was delicious.  It was a lot of fun, but now I need to shower and go to bed.  Tomorrow will be a laid back day.  Maybe I will go back to the lake by myself and chill out.  Suerte!  tori


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Monday, December 3, 2007

My best Monday!

Holy cow!  Just wait till I can post pictures.  I took over 180 today.  Yesterday I don´t remember what I posted, but I am sure I mentioned running into Tatiana and Peggy at the Jazz Festival.  I probably didn´t mention all the Argentinean haircuts that make me want to laugh and take pictures.  The best was a fauxhawk-mullet.  I did get a picture of that one, and gratefully I can say it isn´t hereditary.  His son was quite cute.  I also saw a String Cheese Incident t-shirt which made me happy.  Jonny was they guy´s name, a kid from BC who is a big fan and lived in Colorado for 9 months.  And I hope I mentioned the delicious cinnamon ice cream. 
 
Anyway, today I got up later than I wanted, but I still made it out of the house at a reasonable time to meet Peggy and Tatiana from the farm.  We planned to hike Cerro Piltriquiltron.  It is a mouthful to say once or three times fast.  It is only 2200 meters or so, but coming from about 500 to 800 meters, it is a pretty good climb.  I took a taxi to meet the girls, and then after talking about hitchhiking, I said we needed a truck.  And the next car was a truck and picked us up.  This was great because it is about a three hour climb to the refugio, but it is mostly dirt road.  So we got the lift up, and after hiking for about 40 minutes, we came to the bosque tallado, a forest of totems.  Mostly just carved tree trunks, but all quite fascinating.  I took many pictures of these.  Then another twenty minutes to the refugio, a small little cabin where someone lives year round to provide shelter for hikers, as well as delicious homebrew and pizza.  We signed in to hike a la cumbre - to the top, though the clouds were so dense Peggy thought we would only climb to the mirador, a twenty-five minute climb.  We did that, and afterwards it was hard to choose not to keep hiking.  The vistas were amazing!!  It was my first time in boots in over a week, and my toe was mas o menos.  I was convinced it was bleeding in my boot, but I didn´t need to take it off.  We hiked through a lot of wind and a lot of snow.  As we got closer to the top, there was a lot of loose rock and steep grades.  I had a little fear of being blown off, but we all persevered together.  It took about two and a half hours to summit, and I was freezing.  There was bits of snow and ice coming out of the clouds at us periodically.  More photos...a video...a few bites of banana and apple, and then we were out of there!  The trek down made me nervous because it was so steep, but I found a rhythm and made each step last two feet or so.  It made the descent easier on my knees, sliding out each step in the loose rocks.  And on the snow it was a fake skiing, similar to cross country.  It was a lot of fun, and the descent was no more than an hour and a half.  I was grateful for the flat spot, though it was super windy in the valley, but it was easier on my right knee.  Lots of photos!  Stunning to see into Chile!  Stunning mountains in every single direction!  If I was more stable on the top, I would have taken a three-sixty of photos, but safety first! 
 
Back in the warm cabin, we ate snacks we brought and bought a beer.  It was a delight to rest for a bit in the warmth, though it got cold after a while.  We made friends with other people and headed off with a guy from Colombia.  Peggy and I snagged a ride from a truck, which actually took me all the way in to town after she got out.  I was grateful to be rescued from the hike downhill.  I went to Jauja for ice cream and a submarino, hot milk with a chocolate bar inside.  Stir it up for a version of hot chocolate!  They had been wuite built up for me, and it didn´t meet expectations, but it was still really good.  I grabbed a few groceries and walked back to the hostel.  I read along the non-main road, and I felt so at home.  It was nice.  I am staying till my flight.  No sense trying to rush away from a place that feels so comfortable.  Angela was here when I got back, so we made dinner, drank homebrew, and talked.  Her birthday is in a week, so it was a pre-birthday treat for her.  We talked with a couple guys that work here, and everything was so comfortable.  I really enjoy this space, so welcoming and cozy and comfortable.  I think it is better now that some of the rowdy people have left.  Tomorrow I MUST do laundry because I stink!!  I am off to take a shower and get ready for bed.  Tomorrow I will sleep in, do laundry, meet the girls in twon when I go in to send off Angela, and the rest will be abother adventure!  Suerte!  tori


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Sunday, December 2, 2007

What a day!!

I couldn´t help but get up this morning because there was a little girl screaming in the common area directly below my bed.  Not very nice.  I got up and had breakfast.  It is so tasty, even if it was a complete repeat.  Tim and I chatted a bit, and Angela, too.  Hans offered to share a cab in half an hour, so I busted a move.  Angela, Tim, and I were heading in for jazz, but Hans was catching a bus to Bariloche.  We all had a gerat chat in front of the tourist booth killing time before Hans´ bus.  So funny, these guys!  I wanted to stretch my legs a bit, and Angela joined me for a hike up to Cerro Amigo.  It was supposed to be half an hour up, though we took a little longer.  I think it was because we stopped for lots of pictures.  Then we summited and took more pictures.  A couple guys from the hostel were up there, and they shared their mate with us, quite nice.  Our walk down should have been shorter, but we chose a different path down and got lost.  We ended up heading in the wrong direction and missed the road back in to town.  As we tried to cut back, we crossed into someone´s property and had to break trail in some wild rose-y areas.  There was a little river to cross on a 2x6.  Gratefully, we both crossed without falling in.  It at least brought us in to town, instead of back to the road to hike down. 
 
The jazz today was fabulous.  The first group was really lovely, and the second was afroperuano beats, which I couldn´t sit still to listen.  Ice cream was particularly tasty today - calafate (a local berry) and crema de canela.  I will go back for that tomorrow.  We made sandwiches with avocado, cheese, and tomatoes - so delicious!  The flavors are so rich.  The third and fourth bands were okay, though I was less interested.  I did have to laugh when the fourth, a brass band, played "friend in Jesus".  It was during this band that I ran in to Peggy and Tatiana from the farm.  We chatted and agreed to get beers after the show.  Two Canadians from Montreal made it back from a trek and joined us for jazz and beers, too.  They are really quite funny, and better yet they shared beers during jazz.  Tomorrow I will hike with Tatiana and Peggy.  It should be a treat.  Now I am just so tired, I need to shower and go to bed.  It is a Monday tomorrow, and while I do not have work, I kind of need to get up and get going!  love you....tori


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Saturday, December 1, 2007

Tired girl...

I made a new friend last night. Angela is from Tasmania. She is a vegetarian, too, and traveling without her boyfriend. We hung out today. Breakfast was really nice. I had cereal with milk, a first in two months. I also had a roll with dulce de leche and raspberry jam. Delicious! Just what I needed before going into town for the big market. It is similar to Saturday market, but smaller. I enjoyed looking at all the neat-o crafts, and better yet, enjoyed drinking some of the artesanal beers. The porter was my favorite and what I ordered. The cerveceria has too many choiceƑ double dark, porter, honey, strawberry, cassis, cherry, raspberry, aji (red chile), for celiacs, with trigo, chocolate, and so many more. Really going to spend a lot of time there, and it is good it is so close to the hostal. Not much else is. I also bought a bag of strawberries, which were so flavorful. Angela and I walked down to a bar patio for the first of the free music for the jazz festival. Afterwards we walked back and sat in the park with the last of the berries and a bag of peanuts for some good conversation before the second band started. The wind picked up, so we decided to call it a day. Of course we got ice cream first - super samboyan and cardamomo. I think better than my choices yesterday. Tonight is an asado at the house, but Angela and I are making a tortilla con espinache, cebollas, ajo, y queso. It should be tasty. Tomorrow there is more music, and I think more beer. I can´t decide what to do.I would like to see more than El Bolson, but I also love El Bolson. I could spend the rest of the week here easily, but I can´t shake the curiousity of seeing other mountains. They are so amazing!! I want to eat them whole. My pictures of this week will be quite boring if all I do is take pictures of every mountain I see. And another one. And another. I also love all the lupines in bloom. And the wild rose blossom I picked to day from a rosehip bush smelled like apples. Wow!!! I just feel so at ease here. Anyway...I think I better go give Angela a hand with dinner. And I need to refill my glass of wine. love to all, tori