TSANTSAS! Shrunken Heads!

The Shaur and Achuar cultures who live in the upper amazon, we can thank for giving us the shrunken head! The Shaur live in the Upano Valley in eastern Ecuador and it was my mission to try to find a shrunken head while in Ecuador. The culture requires water just like any other culture but doesn't live near rivers. Also unique to their culture they don't use bows and arrows but only blowpipes.

To the dead, who do wrong during life, their heads are transformed into key chain sized charms. The skull is first removed and then the head undergoes a desiccation process of heating and cooling to shrink it down to size. Shrinking the head prevents the spirit from being able to seek revenge and also gives the spirits energy to their owner. The mouths and eyes are sewn shut to trap the spirit for eternity. Owning a head shows both braveness and power.

I came across 5 heads around Quito and they were awesome. They are smaller than a fist and still have their hair, eye brows and eye lashes. They are really unreal looking and a mythical thing that becomes a reality in person. You can look into their ears and see their hollowed heads. Its strange to fathom that these were actually really people with normal heads during life. You wonder what bad things they could have done to earn the right to have their heads shrunk. An awesome culture and interesting history!

Death On the Pan Americana

Along the entire Pan American Highway from Brazil down to Uruguay, across Argentina to Chile, Bolivia to Ecuador; there are memorials and flowers lining the road for those who died in accidents along it. While travelling along the Pan American and seeing how many there are it just becomes a commonplace sight during long distance bus routes. Only does it become reality when you see life taken from a person in less than a second.

As the bus departed from Guayaquil my only worries were my own petty problems and getting to Colombia to fly home. After 30 minutes of driving recklessly to get out of the city all would change. In the other lane of speeding traffic through a residential area outside of the city, a women carrying groceries attempted to cross the street. The only sounds were a thud and people around the scene shouting. No brakes. No screams of pain. Just the end of a life.

As her body flopped to the ground as an inanimate object people flocked to the windows of my bus and those around the scene ran over. Noone did anything. Noone checked if she was even alive, it was just assumed that she was dead.

Infact she was as she lay barefoot; her shoes having flown off from the hit. Her overweight body lay in a cheerleader position, something that during life she could not have done. Noone showed any remorse or sorrow for this newest casualty to the Pan American but moved about her as if ur were normal.

Disgusted with the way things went I slunk into my bus seat and thought deep and hard about life. The world is a strange place and things can come and go. My ordeal in Peru just turned to a speck of a problem and for days all I could think of was this pile of flesh that once had a family and a life, lying limp and deformed on the side of the highway.

Peru Medical Care!

Day 3 of visiting friends in Arequipa took a twisted turn for the worse. An out of control STAPH infection spread like wildfire in my lower abdomen and in just 24hours was the size of my fist. Thankfully I was with Michelle and Alex or I probably would have just died. The first hospital we tried was trying to charge 25$ just for consultation. So we declined and took a taxi across town to another hospital that was only charging 3$ for admittance. We explained what was happening and what I needed in the ER and I reluctantly sat on the ER table and waited.

I watched as the woman next to me was bleeding from her head, a baby cried in pain from double arm burns, and a criminal sat bleeding in his wheel chair with his tending police officer. The hospital was a bring-your-own-medical supplies type. So Alex had to go out on the street and find a place to buy anestesia, needles, and a cutting tool that were sterile.

The woman bleeding from her head took a turn for the worse as her young son was shaking her and screaming for someone to help her. The doctors slowly rearranged the ER ordering me to someone else´s bloody bed and Alex and Michelle out of the room.

Finally the doctor came over to me and without warning shot me with lidocaine causing the infection to burst open. Then he just began cutting away without saying a word. Blood and puss oozing into a bed pan then said finished. Bandaged it up and gave me a prescription for painkillers I couldn´t afford anyways.

For two days I slept on Alex and Michelle´s floor bleeding and in pain unable to move. Still pussing and bleeding I decided to take a 17 hour overnight bus to Lima where better hospitals or cheaper flights home are. Upon arrivlal I had blood stains all over me. I think that it´s improving so am taking another 17 hour bus journey to Tumbes on the Ecuador border and hoping for the best!

The Real Peru

Cusco was a really beautiful and historic city but overly touristic. Instead I moved into a small town, TikaTika 20 minutes outside the city in the poor country side. I slept on the floor of a school with several other volunteers for a week helping in anyway possible. During the day we would tend the gardens, add straw roof thatching to the new school rooms, clean the facility, or do other various tasks.

Then at 2pm everyday 30-35 children ages 2 to 14 would show up to study, do yoga. or play. Getting to know the kids and being a part of their everyday life was a rewarding experience and let me really see the Peru lifestyle.

I had a memorable Thanksgiving dinner at the school with the other volunteers. A roast guinea pig replaced the turkey and we improvised some yams and pasta. Saturday, my last day there, the kids came at 9am and we organized a day of games for them ending with a chaotic game of capture the flag atop the hill. After we prepared a healthy meal for them all and ate as one big family. It was sad to say bye to them all at the end of the day as they all jumped into my arms one by one to give me a hug. I definately wish I had more time to spend in that magical place where I learned so much, but have to keep moving.

Thanksgiving in Machu Picchu - A strange irony.

A 3AM wake up call November 24 in Aguas Caliente was the perfect way to start my Thanksgiving, unaware it was actually a holiday. I stumbled out into the rainy night and walked the 30 minutes to the Machu Picchu entrance via flashlight. There I met 5 other mates from England and Sweden also dedicated to saving money and being the first ones there. When the first tourist train arrived we furociously stood infront of the gate to guard our place.

At 4:30AM the guard opened the gate and allowed the 6 of us to run across the the bridge while the others were forced to show tickets, giving us a good head start. Nothing like an early morning climb up the side of a mountain in the rain with a ball of coca leaves in your mouth. At the top we were soaked in our own sweat and dying of exhaustion, but the first ones in line to enter the actual park. As the buses started arriving and dumping people off we felt damned proud. A girl from the USA came up with a paper turkey and for the first time I realized it was Thanksgiving.

When the park finally opened at 6AM we received our Wanapicchu tickets and then ran into the park before anyone. I instantly found myself lost in the ancient ruins, masked by early morning mist. With no sense of direction I weaved my way in and out of the labyrinth of ruins eventually getting to the Wanapichu entrance. When it opened at 7AM I joined up with 4 guys from Peru and began the tiresome hour climb up the misty jungle mountain. While relaxing on the ruins at the top the clouds and mist cleared revealing the most spectacular view down into the canyon and Machu Picchu.

Touring the ruins all day was a mystical experience and took me into an ancient world. The irony was, that being Thanksgiving, we celebrate a holiday that essentially signifies the beginning of European conquest and the decline of native culture. Yet there I was exploring the ruins of a great city that once thrived before European conquest. It was a very powerful feeling of sorrow amongst a day of beauty and excitement.

Peace on Lake Titicaca...

Lake Titicaca provided me several much needed days of complete tranquility and peace. The first day sitting with friends on the beach of Copacabana, watching the sunset while eating fresh trout from a food stall, and drinking a beer displaced me from the hectic buses and backpacking. Isla del Sol was a pristine island of ancient Inca terraces and donkeys. Our 3$ a night hostel from the top of the hill gave us a picturesque view over the lake with snow capped mountains in the distance.

 

Hiking from the south to the north of the island across farm land with the lake always in sight was completely relaxing. It left us with a sense of belonging to the culture and the land. On the last day I crossed over to Puno, Peru for a visit to the Floating Islands. Although extremely touristic, the islands were still impressive man made structures. Just floating in the middle of the lake are hundreds of islands made from water reeds, supporting small straw hut villages. A really beautiful place with beautiful people.

Bolivian Desert and Salt Flats

The 4 attempts to obtain a Bolivian Visa and 135$ it cost me was all worth it after just my first 3 days here. I took an epic 3 day jeep trek from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile to Uyuni, Bolivia. We had a great group of 12 representing Poland, Singapore, Switzerland, France, and the USA! During the first day I got serious altitude sickness going from 2000m to over 4000m in just a few hours, but nothing would hold back the beauty the landscape offered.

Day 1 we passed green, blue, and white lagoons full of flamingos. The surrounding desert and mountain back drop made for spectacular views. We also visited sulfur hot springs and geysers. The land was dotted with wild and domestic lamas. The place where we would sleep was out of this world. There was a large red lagoon with white rivers swerving through it. Mountains in the back ground and green algae on the shore with a thin line of blue water. Yellow golden grass fringed the lake and thousands of flamingos filled the waters creating an other worldly atmosphere.

Day 2 we drove long distances across the desert visiting several small desert towns and white lagoons along the way. While driving we went through the middle of dust storms and passed spectacular canyons. During the night we slept in a hostel made entirely of salt on the edge of the desert where we relaxed to some overpriced beers in the middle of nowhere.

Day 3 we visited the salt flats creating a false winter wonderland.. White salt covered the ground as far as the eyes could see on the flat plain. In the middle of the vast expanse of salt was a small desert island covered with massive cacti all in bloom.

At no point during the 3 days could a postcard picture not be taken. It was by far one of the most unique landscapes and amazing experiences of my life with an awesome group of friends.

CHILE

After a long night of freezing in the rain of Santiago and sleeping in the subway I finally got a bus to Arica. There I would really get the Chilean experience while staying with a family near the beach. I spent a lot of my time there trying to get my Bolivian visa, but along with the walks to the embassy everyday was plenty of time for sitting on the beach, watching surfers, and relaxing.

The family I lived with instantly made me feel as if I was part of it. The mother took excellent care of me and kept me well fed and washed my clothes for the first time in months. They gave me a large room to myself while they all moved into 1 room together to make me feel more at home. I tutored the youngest son 11 math and the others English, while in return they taught me Spanish.

I spent the week relaxing and the boys showed me around the city. At night we would wrestle around the house and play games. The last day YoYo took me swimming in the cold pacific surf wearing wet suits. While catching a surf through a cave I got thrashed into the side and sea urchines destroyed me. With adequate amounts of beer we spent most of the night digging spines out of my hands and feet. It took me 3 days before I finally got them all out.

My week was so amazing, it was sad to say goodbye. I have to return in a few weeks and get proper surf lessons from the kids once my foot is fully healed. The entire family is surf champions and run the Magic Surf School. It was an absolutely authentic experience and I feel like I always have a home in Arica, Chile.

Valpariso

Valpariso, Chile was a far over-rated city. The best part had to have been crossing the Andes into Chile through the winding mountain roads. There wasn´t a minute that couldn´t have made the front of a postcard. Valpo is nothing more than piles of brightly colored houses on hills, over looking the Pacific and cargo boats. The highlights here are the excellent sea food and the endless murals of spray paint on the sides of all the buildings. Maybe better luck in Viña del Mar tomorrow before making the long bus trek to Northern Chile for some paragliding and attempt 3 to obtain a visa for Bolivia.

Mendoza!

Mendoza, Argentina was a perfect stop over on the way to Chile. Nothing beats a day riding around wine country on a bicycle in the sun. Starting with shots of absynth at a chocolate factory was the perfect way to begin a day of fun. On the way to the first winery the 5 of us got a proper police motorcycle escort, stopping traffic so we could get to our wine faster. Each winery served out full glasses of wine not the normal sample size so we took our time. A micro-brewery at the end was the perfect way to end the day. Not to mention the entire day of riding through grape and olive fields had snow-capped mountains as the backdrop.

Buenos Aires!

I couldn`t have arrived in Buenos Aires at a more exciting time. I took the ferry from Colonia, Uruguay to Buenos Aires the day of the 10 year census so everything was closed to count people. On top of that former President and husband of the current President, Nestor Krichner died. It would be the equivalent of Hillary Clinton being President and then Bill dying but add in some Latin American passion and you get one of the most exciting experiences of my life.

10,000s of people were flocking to the Presidents house to show last respects. Then there were 10,000s of protesters from different groups marching around the city spray painting everything and causing a ruckus in the streets. Of course we joined in and got right into the middle of it all.

 

It continued for 2 more days and nights. We spent some time marching with the socialists, the communists, and other unknown groups. The most exciting group was shooting off fireworks, chanting, and just full of energy into the night supporting who knows what and we stuck with them. Very exciting time to be in Argentina!

Borders...

After leaving Igazu Falls I failed to obtain an exit stamp from Brazil during a late night flee to Argentina. After crossing Argentina and Uruguay I had broken international law and would be denied from Brazil in the future and or fined\arrested upon return. So I went to Chuy, Uruguay on the border and explained my situation there. Immigration officials told me I was fine in Uruguay but as soon as I crossed 1km in the other direction I was in Brazil and there was nothing they could do to help me. They gave me directions to the Brazilian immigration office 4km away and wished me luck...

I walked down the side road to get there through a field of cows. Every step I took I got more nervous. When I was 500m away I decided to take out my black pen and use the ink smudge technique to smear out the entry date on my Uruguay stamp so it just read October 2010 not  22 October 2010. This way there was no way of knowing I visited other countries prior. Then I made my way slinking around the line of trucks waiting for inspection. The office was in my view from the other side of the road as I crept along the ditch. I waited for a bus to pull in front of the office blocking their view and distracting the guard. I booked across the road got past the office and onto the other side.

There I waited another 10minutes staying low behind a truck for another opportune time as a second bus pulled up. I ran behind the bus and filed in with the other passengers. Heart thumping I stepped up to the window. They needed to see bus tickets at the window so I quickly said I took a taxi and turned around to thankfully see a vacant taxi and pointed to it. She scanned my passport and I kept her attention by talking. She carefully examined the blotched Uruguay stamp and I almost threw up. Then there it was! She stamped my passport, Exit Brazil 25 October 2010! I grabbed it, thanked her and casually walked in the direction of Uruguay until out of sight when a huge smile spread across my face! Success!

Igazu Falls

By far one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen in my life and definitely worth the 40$ fees. From quite a distance you can see it's mist rising into the sky. When approaching before you can even see it, you can hear and feel it's power. The first glimpse was postcard material.

A set of 8 or more large waterfalls making giant slices through the lush green canyon sides. Rainbows were springing into the clear blue skies from every direction. The numerous waterfalls stretch for almost a kilometer to Garganta Diablo, the largest of the falls at the end of the impressively extensive stretch of falls. The entire scene is rushing white water cascading through the jungle, an abundance of exotic birds and vibrant butterflies, and nothing but the sound of the water crashing down, taking you into a new and mystical world. A truly awe-inspiring moment.

Sorry Niagara Falls... These falls make you look like

a ripple in a stream.

Paraguay

This is a country on 24 hour siesta. It has moved up in the ranks of my favorites. Camping in Cerro Cora was so relaxing and historical. The better part was I was the only person for kilometers camping other than the onslaught of mosquitoes as sun fell. I arrived in Concepcion just in time for Rio Paraguay Festival 2010 full of beer and good local music and culture.

Encarnacion is a very nice laid back town and perfect stop over for Trinidad and Jesus. The ruins in these places are not amazing but still interesting and a beautiful spot to visit on the UNESCO tour. The near 300 year old jesuit mission buildings don´t qualify as ancient ruins but are still beautiful and well worth a visit for 1$. Walking back to Brazil was a lovely 20km trek during the midday heat, but I´m in Igazu Falls and off to Argentina tomorrow after viewing the falls.

The Pantanal

The true jungle experience is in the Pantanal. Tucans, parrots, macaws, and bird diversity covering every shape color and size. Rivers full of caimen and piranha. River boating around to find giant river otters. Capybaras, fox, agoutis and armadillos roaming everywhere. The sounds of jaguars slinking on their light feet through the jungle sending birds in a frenzy. Caipirina campfire nights before being rocked to sleep in a hammock to the sounds of the restless jungle. Relentless itching of mosquito bites and brushing off ants. This is why I came to South America! It was an amazing adventure with team France, Australia, Wales, Maldives, and USA; but now I´m 20meters from       the Paraguay border and ready to escape Brazil!

Rio de Diablo

Rio de Janeiro may have the Christ statue looming over it but below his feet is the home of the devil. Trying to climb Sugar Loaf I injured my foot. Six hours in a free Brazilian Hospital was interesting. Waiting in line amongst people bleeding on the floor, women having babies, drug addicts, pregnant prostitutes and so much more was not the day on the beach I was looking forward to. I went out back into a small wood building out back to get an x-ray on an old school desk with no lead coat. They injected me with a shot of unknown painkiller, simply wrapped it up and sent me on my way with only 2 words spoken in English-`´Fracture there´´(While pointing to my foot.)

Getting robbed at the Lapa street party was also not something I had planned. Camera and money gone. Whe I returned to the hostel they threw me out. Thanks to some very nice people from England I survived 2 more days and made my way to Campo Grande over 1000km away from Rio! I got my money sorted out, a new camera and am going to hobble my broken self to Venezuela and finish this trip as planned! Next stop Paraguay!

Rio de Janeiro

I´ve been in Rio for 4 days at a hostel 2 blocks from the beach but have only made it to the beach once at 4 in the morning on the unsuccessful walk home from a samba club to sleep. The christ statue always looming over head is really starting to creep me out. He´s always watching and judging, and its no good to have someone judging you while in Rio. This place is a trap and I´m already planning on staying longer than intended. I need to buy a bus ticket to Campo Grande soon to find my Jaguar or I will be stuck here forever.

Rio Amazonas finished!

The first of my long list of things is complete! It took 3 weeks but I navigated my way down the entire Amazon to Belem where I´m waiting for a bus to Rio de Janeiro for some much needed beach time. The past week has been one of the most trying yet best of my life. Living in the Maraguay village was one of the most rewarding experiences. I arranged a soccer game against the neighboring village to the south using sticks on the white sand beach for nets and an old tire melted into a ball. The entire village came out to watch. For the children we made kites out of plastic bags and sewing thread I had.  As the sunset we drank homemade rum with fresh fruit juices. A day of tranquility.

The jungle part of the journey was amazing. Gargantuan trees, monkeys, snakes, butterflies encircling, and the entire jungle experience surrounding you. Waking in the night to the sound of turantulas eating the cochroaches below my hammock, was a welcomed change of sound from the howler monkeys in the trees above. Bee´s attacked me and my hand swelled so badly I couldn´t make a fist for a week. Fire ants destroyed my legs. A massive black wasp type creature stung me and my arm tripled in size as the poison spread up my entire arm. I have some great pictures of the ordeal, and the only option for medicine was to drink what the locals gave me. A sugar, water, tree bark, and termite concoction.

How I survived this one I don´t know, but the Amazon is complete! South America is just beginning for me and I can´t wait for what happens next!

The Amazon Continues

I´ve successfully floated down 3/4 of the the Amazon. My current location is Santarem where I have been waiting to get permission from the Brazilian government to enter a protected area today. I intend to stay with another indigenous tribe for a few days to learn the culture and the way of life. So far I have chased monkeys in the jungle, dolphins down the river, have been bitten by piranhas and bullet ants, visited indigenous tribes, and have had one of the craziest adventures of my life.

I only intend on 1 more week in the jungle before returning to civilization and meeting my friends in Salvador to party in the streets. This trip is just starting to get good! I´ll be sure to post pictures when I get to Rio de Janeiro in a few weeks.

Amazon adventure begins!

The third day aboard the Voyager IV proved an entertaining one. Nothing quite like waking up to a Brazilian Federales rifle nudging your hammock to show ID at 5am in port.

After two days of watching the amazon pass by from my hammock I sat in the sun thinking about my return to reality and grad school. Gray river dolphins passed and a manatee gave me false hopes for my pink dolphin. Amidst a life revelation a spot of pink appeared. There it was! My pink dolphin soon followed by 2 more in synch. The pink masses emerged from the merky water like lightening in the night sky. The sun set illuminating the sky pink/orange; reflecting in the water with the only separtation of land and sea being the green tree line of the rainforest.

No day is complete without a Brazilian marine vessel with 9 armed troops speeding up to your boat and boarding just before the dinner bell to inspect for drugs. Nor could a day be complete without falling asleep to the siloutte of the amazon passing your hammock while watching Superbad in Portugese... Day 6 South America complete!