January 5th

Day 112

Since leaving Bolivia, we've seen everything from white sand beaches, to the summits of snow capped mountains. Before the arrival of our cousins and Uncle in Lima, we lounged in the island communities of Lake Titicaca. The shore of Puno, Peru is dotted with dozens of islands made entirely of reeds. We spent a few days sleeping on reed beds, in our reed huts, and eating off of our reed tables, before we moved on to the bustling city of Cuzco. Machu Picchu is by far the biggest attraction for tourists all throughout Peru, and South America as a whole, which feeds into the reason we decided to pass it over. Along with our 'don't plan more then a day ahead' routine, visiting the ancient ruins would've come with much difficulty because reservations often have to be booked weeks ahead. However, in the company of the world's fittest Grandfather as our guide, we embarked on many treks, including the Sacred Valley, and a number of small ruins, many pre-dating the Incas.

A 24 hour bus ride from Cuzco, we found ourselves in Lima, patiently waiting for our cousins to join us. It was quite comical to see the culture shock they experienced while dodging cars trying to cross the streets, and buying bags of quail eggs from some of the many street vendors.

It's gotten to the point that whenever we get into a big city, I immediately want to leave, partially because I enjoy the rural areas, where traveling is less stressful and allows us to indulge more in the local ways of life. The other "big city" factor is our lack of sleep when cars are constantly honking throughout the night, for reasons I will never understand.

Backtracking south from Lima, we headed south to Huaccachina, a tiny town in the middle of the desert completely surrounded by massive sand dunes that seemed as though they were from a movie. We spent three days in Huaccachina, sand boarding and taking dune buggies that proved to be more of a thrill ride then any roller coaster I've ever experienced. Days after we left, I was still finding sand in my clothes, shoes and ears.

Before heading north to where some of the best treks are in Peru, we boated around the Ballestas Islands, which were heavily populated with sea lions and the occasional penguin.

Huarez, Peru is well known for its large variety of surrounding treks and hikes. After some searching for a reliable tour company and a suitable hike, we decided on the 'Santa Cruz Loop'. A 5 day trek through steep mountainous regions, grassy fields, and past small seemingly misplaced lakes. At the end of almost a week of tenting and walking up to 9 hours a day, we were all ready to relax for a while. The only big negative part of the trek was when we unrolled our rented sleeping mats in which our travel agent had said were thick and 'very comfortable' to find they were all full of holes and as uncomfortable as the rocks beneath them.  Despite poor mats and some aggressively, carnivorous bugs on our fist day, it was an experience I'll always remember.

Our last days in Peru were spent beaching along the white sand of Mancora, a surfer's paradise.  The majority of our time was pretty well split between splashing in the waves, and lounging in hammocks, before saying goodbye to Peru and moving on into Ecuador.

Even though we spent a little more than 2 weeks in Ecuador, there were two big events that took up the majority of the time. The first was a 3 day cultural trek that started at a lake in the crater of a volcano called the Quilotoa Loop. We spent each day hiking though forest and sandy declines, and every night in a different little town. We were in Isinlivi for Christmas. A small lively town that celebrates 'Navidad' together in the town square, playing poker with corn as chips, and setting off very dangerous fireworks with the ends of their cigarettes.

Bypassing Quito, Ecuador's capital, we headed to Lago Agrio, just outside of the Amazon jungle, to start one of our most memorable experiences so far. We spent six days in the jungle, spotting monkeys and river dolphins from our canoe, attempting to walk through mud and clay, to find some of the most mind blowing and beautiful insects and animals I've ever seen. 

Watching sloths do just about nothing up in the treetops, and swimming in the alligator infested waters along with the locals. It was the perfect end to my cousins trip, and although it was tough saying goodbye to them, it was with the knowledge that the five of us will be heading home in little more then two short weeks.

November 10
Day 56

Culture shock. Bolivia is unlike anywhere else we've been. Although each county has been different and enriching in their own ways, there have been none like this. Bolivia seems to be a mixture of a way of life from hundreds of years ago, and one verging on modern. Walking through the streets, we pass by people totally unlike each other in any way. Short, stout little women, wearing layered ankle length dresses and tall decorative hats. They carry their children on their backs wrappped in pieces of colorful thick banded material. Then there are teenagers with shorts and Pink Floyd t-shirts (doubtful they know who Pink Floyd are) eating popcorn and taking selfies on their phones.

We drove an hour and a half on a bus going about 10 km/h to a small village that was known for its local Sunday market. We walked the dirt road to the main square along side donkeys and bulls to where the vendors were. The streets went from barren, to crowded with people and merchandize everywhere. I wish so much that we could've photographed everything around us, from the ladies, whom almost all sported two thick braids which fell just above their hips, to the goats and sheep being herded through the pathways, but every photograph taken had to be accompanied by permission. The reason for that being, many of the people believe that when a photograph of them, or of their livestock is taken, it takes away a part of their soul as well.

Today, Colby and I volunteered at an orphanage. It was both an amazing and heart breaking experience. Even though I'm now covered in spit up and smell like baby food, I hope we find other opportunities that are similar. We head to a city called Potosi tonight, and then onwards to the biggest salt flats in the world.

I find it hard to believe that it is snowing in Canada right now, even though its getting increasingly cold here as well because of the altitude. Right now we're at about 2750m above sea level and tonight will be at over 4000. This means the views are amazing, and our breathing comes with much difficulty, but worth it no doubt.

November 1
Day 47
Paraguay was a short voyage, but no less amazing. We crossed the border into Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. A city that envelopes every aspect of 'a border town'. Busy and over populated. Busses and cars crowded the streets, while motorcycles weaved in between and around them. My mom described the hostel we stayed at as 'her limit', that she could cope with the dirt and bugs but wasn't sure if she'd stay in a place much worse. I found the place to be cute, and treasured the air conditioning dearly, even though it happened to be dripping on me all night, and made a lovely damp pillow for cockroaches.

Colby and I had been put in charge of organizing both Paraguay and Bolivia. We figured a few days in Cuidad del Este was all that was needed and then headed up north. After some confusing Spanish phone calls, and a very bumpy bus ride we found our selves at 'Reserva Naturel Laguna Blanca', a nature reserve populated by a group of interning nature nuts. Each intern had their own project, all very different and amazing in their own ways. We were lucky enough to have the opppportunity to volunteer and help with the projects in any way we could, which was probably more fun then work for my family. With piranha fishing, scorpion hunting, searching for monkeys and catching opossums, we were opened to a whole new world and were able to learn about how nature works in the different ecosystems. This of course was mixed in with a lot of swimming, and kayaking in the most gorgeous lake I've ever seen.

I loved everyone we met during our stay at the reserve. There was an amazing combination of  a very laid back environment with down to earth, happy, welcoming people which made it so hard to say goodbye.

Were now back in Argentina, taking the time to see the northern part before venturing into Bolivia. It's only a few weeks until we pick up my cousins and uncle in Lima, Peru, and they join us for a month. Although I love my family so much, I'm beyond excited for my cousins to come and to be able to talk to someone other then the same four people.

Otto 16th
Day 31

One month down, 100 days to go.

It's getting a lot easier to get around after having taken Spanish classes in Rosario, Argentina. Athough my whole family had taken lessons, I somehow have become our official translator for the time being.
Rosario was wonderful. Our decision to go to the city was because of a guy named Dylan we had met in Uruguay. Not only did he influence us to go to Rosario, where he lives, but also played a big part in why our stay was so great. With the combination of language studies, sweaty futbol games and ice cream from the best places in the country, our time there was well spent.
From Rosario, we traveled up north in the back of a truck to 'Reservation del Ibera' a wetlands and bird watching  paradise. Capybaras roamed the local's yards and dirt roads, and alligators swam in every nearby creek and pond. We stayed in a cozy little hostel owned by a cute old couple and their 7 children. The perfect place for watching hummingbirds fluster around watering cans and toads the size of small pumpkins crowd under light posts to catch bugs. After a few treks in the jungle and a boat ride across the river, we embarked on a 12 hour ride to my current destination.
Half of the travel was in the luxury of a bus, blasting terrible Japanese kung fu movies in Spanish. Although the language barrier didn't matter much, the dialogue included was mostly just screaming, along with many terrible fake punching and kicking sounds. The other half of the journey was spent packed into the cab of a truck, on the worst road I've ever seen. There was no shortage of bumping into the doors, the roof, or each other . That trip made me realize my love for gravol.

Though my family tends to stay away from the more touristic areas, we decided that Iguazu Falls might just be too good to pass up, especially since its on our way into Paraguay. Tomorrow we visit the falls, and then continue into Ciudad del Este , Paraguay.

October 4
Day 19

Pickpocketing is an art in Buenos Aires. Naturally, Tourists attract pickpockets, which means that in the capital of Argentina, there is no shortage of either. My family stands out as a target, carrying our large packs on our backs, and walking pretty much everywhere we go. Only a few blocks from the ferry terminal after entering Argentina , we expirenced our first run in with one of the many popular scams, continant wide. A couple passed by us, and shorty after we realized that our packs, hats and jackets were sprayed with a grimy green liquid. Within seconds a man came up to 'help us', pointing up at the trees and in broken engish told us that we were the victims of parrots. Highly unlikely for many reasons, one being that parrot crap is most often not green, and that the sprays were from the side ,not from above us. Lastly, we really haven't received much help at all from anyone on our trip. So far the culture here seems to be a lot more harsh then at home. Every time Id pass someone in the streets and smile, they'd look at me as though I were crazy. So receiving help from some stranger was odd on its own.

It was when we passed the same couple who we had already seen that we knew it was a scam, and that they were the culprits, not the parrots . They were trying to get us to go to them, and take off our packs so they could 'assist us' Which likely meant taking anything of value they could manage to grab. Luckily we had read abut similar scenarios happening to backpackers, and left with all of our belongings.

Although our first experience in Argentina happened to be a negative one, I'm glad it happened. I learned a lot from it, about what to look out for and how to be smarter about traveling. Since that moment everything has been uphill. Spanish lessons will take place next week. They are much needed, every other one of our trips we've been able to get through the language barrier easily, but as it turns out, nobody in south america speaks English.

September 27th
Day 13

Today was our last whole day in Uruguay. Tomorrow morning we ferry to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Our last few days in the country were spent in a tiny horse ranch just outside of a town called Rocha, and in the picturesque town of Colonia del Sacramento.
I don't know how on both of our big trips I've had "interesting" expiriences with riding animals. In Laos, southeast asia, the elephant I was riding decided to take off through the jungle after being frighented by the noises of a car in the distance. And Although we had excellent hosts at the ranch we stayed at, and superbly trained animals, I still managed to almost get bucked off my horse after it was bitten by another one, during a ride up the mountainside. Other then that small, startling moment, everything was perfect. The people who owned the facility were two down to earth, dread lock wearing, vegetarian gaucho's.

We stayed in a beautiful little house with a grass roof and walls made of old car tires, mud and straw. The horses roamed around freely through the many acres of land, along with many dogs, skunks and lizards.

We spent all of today walking around the small 1700's looking town of Colonia del Sacramento. The architecture here looks as though it was taken from a picture book, with brightly colored houses and stone roads. I'll be a sad to leave Uruguay tomorrow, but I can't wait to see everything that Argentina will hold.

September 24
day 10

I find it quite amazing how much I take for granted, coming from Canada, where we have almost unlimited resources and dont think about how lucky we are. I found myself having some kind of a revelation walking through the small dirt paths of punta del diablo, carrying a six liter jug of potable water. surrounded by houses that would probably be a little over two times the size of my bedroom at home, with grass roofs and walls made of mud and straw. It's odd to think back to telling my mom that I have "no clothes" to wear to school, when there are kitchens here the size of my closet.

We've been staying in hostels in two different fishing villages since we left Montevideo. One of them being Punta del diablo, where we hiked in the forests and along the beaches in the rain. Spotting whales splashing around a short way from the shore, and parrots flying right above our heads. I'm writing from cabo polonio, an even smaller, more rustic village in which the only way to enter or exit is by taking a half hour jeep ride to get through the rough sand dunes. While walking along the beaches its not a scarce sight to see washed up sea lions or penguins, levi was beyond excided to take many picture for his class. We have no electricity here, and having a hot shower requires turning on a gas tank and lighting right behind the shower head with a lighter. I preferred a ice cold shower to the pungent smells of gasoline. WiFi is also not heard of in the entire town, so I'll be posting whenever I find the next connection.

'Winter' is just ending in Uruguay, which I find hard to believe in the twenty degree weather. Colby and I got many odd looks being the only people in the ocean when everyone else was wearing winter jackets and scarfs.
I suppose the temperature will be getting warmer and warmer and although I'm hoping to return to Canada with an amazing tan, I am already beginning to miss the snow.