Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Feliz año nuevo
posting loads of thoughts, love, hugs and smiles from Santiago de Chile and wishing you all feliz oh 9 :)
Sunday, December 28, 2008
BBQ by the pool
Christmas bbq'g by the pool in bikini, playing volleyball, hanging with the kids... This was my first time spending Christmas in a warm climate, it is full on summer here, it was a bit surreal and hard to imagine it was late December. Had a wonderful time with Karla and her beautiful family, so much love and laughter, absolutely perfect :)
Been lazing a ton ever since, let's not hurt ourselves here during the holidays. I did experience the local bars and clubs, it is very special of course, somewhat interesting, and at times extremely annoying... Bars are fine, clubs just aren't for me i think... And men in Santiago neither. Besides their strange obsession with 80's music, the people of Santiago are very much in love with cheap hip hop sound alike music with awful lyrics and dancing for hours.
In any event, i must run, time to go explore the city some more... i'm ready for Patagonia i think, but let's see.
cheers.
Been lazing a ton ever since, let's not hurt ourselves here during the holidays. I did experience the local bars and clubs, it is very special of course, somewhat interesting, and at times extremely annoying... Bars are fine, clubs just aren't for me i think... And men in Santiago neither. Besides their strange obsession with 80's music, the people of Santiago are very much in love with cheap hip hop sound alike music with awful lyrics and dancing for hours.
In any event, i must run, time to go explore the city some more... i'm ready for Patagonia i think, but let's see.
cheers.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Heading South...
If you ever find yourself in the pueblo of Putre, in northern Chile, you absolutely must eat at Kuchu Marka, a restaurant-pub ran by 2 sisters Bilinia and Gloria. Try, among many other delicious dishes, their ¨pollo al horno¨, it is unbelievable, a killer! i know one or two of you out there who would have eaten a couple more orders of that divine deliciousness.
And all the same, you must NOT, under any circumstances, eat at Rosamel restaurant, it must have been one of the worst food experience of my entire life, i wanted to try all the local places, WRONG!!! Some should be burnt down!
After a couple of mellow days in the area, we're now heading back to Arica to fly to Santiago tonight. It's time to start part II of this journey, hanging out for 10 days with my friend Karla and her crew in Santiago! Holidays celebrations, beach, museum, discover the city some more, some quality time and good conversations with new friends, more learning Spanish and drinking cervezas... life's tough sometimes under the sun in 85 degrees perfect weather :)
Thinking of you, wishing y'all safe travels and happy holidays, if we don't chat before then.
Besos, manou.
And all the same, you must NOT, under any circumstances, eat at Rosamel restaurant, it must have been one of the worst food experience of my entire life, i wanted to try all the local places, WRONG!!! Some should be burnt down!
After a couple of mellow days in the area, we're now heading back to Arica to fly to Santiago tonight. It's time to start part II of this journey, hanging out for 10 days with my friend Karla and her crew in Santiago! Holidays celebrations, beach, museum, discover the city some more, some quality time and good conversations with new friends, more learning Spanish and drinking cervezas... life's tough sometimes under the sun in 85 degrees perfect weather :)
Thinking of you, wishing y'all safe travels and happy holidays, if we don't chat before then.
Besos, manou.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Cruce de vicuñas
Putre 3530m
Parque nacional de Lauca 4500m+
Lago Chungara 4500m
Parinacota pueblo 4600m
Salar de Surire 4200m
Parque nacional de vicunas 4300m
Parque nacional volcan Isluga 3900m
Colchane pueblo 3900m
i have no idea what to say really, perhaps because what i see and feel all day every day is beyond words, explanation and sometimes understanding. It must remain what it is, simply, wonderfully. Words become overrated anyway, what do they really mean at the end of the day? But here are a few, for what it´s worth...
I find myself in the Chilean part of the altiplano, at the border of Bolivia, a region of mountains and volcanos, salars, lagunas, hot springs and high deserts... a palettes of incredible ever changing colors, wild skies, sounds i shamefully forgot existed, smells i never knew existed, sensations i didn´t want to admit i had missed so much, a oh so bizarre yet natural and logical equilibrium of the elements... this land is inhabitated by a few human beings who show an incredible and admirable resilience, but mostly by vicuñas (cousins of llamas and camels), vizcachas (big rabbits that jump around like kangaroos), llamas, alpacas, strange looking ducks, a thousand different kinds of birds, suris (or ñandú, cousins of the ostrich) and a few pumas, which i unfortunately haven´t been able to see yet... they´re so shy.
Been hanging with some of the most simple, real people i´ve encountered in a long time, of a few words mostly, lovely as well, so honest and upfront, no fear no shame, just life: inspiring!
It has been unbelievably good to withdraw from the world i know, i must say, it is very difficult for me to return to this computer after only a few days really, i can get used to this lifestyle for a undefinite while longer and disappear... may i?
But i do think of you all, so here it is: hey hey, how are you? how´s life wherever this finds you today? i hope you´re all preparing for an awesome load of festivities and great times, i send you my love from the Parinacota district of Chile and i will try to come back.
Besos, manou.
p.s. happy 1st birthday to my beautiful beloved Ilona!!!
Parque nacional de Lauca 4500m+
Lago Chungara 4500m
Parinacota pueblo 4600m
Salar de Surire 4200m
Parque nacional de vicunas 4300m
Parque nacional volcan Isluga 3900m
Colchane pueblo 3900m
i have no idea what to say really, perhaps because what i see and feel all day every day is beyond words, explanation and sometimes understanding. It must remain what it is, simply, wonderfully. Words become overrated anyway, what do they really mean at the end of the day? But here are a few, for what it´s worth...
I find myself in the Chilean part of the altiplano, at the border of Bolivia, a region of mountains and volcanos, salars, lagunas, hot springs and high deserts... a palettes of incredible ever changing colors, wild skies, sounds i shamefully forgot existed, smells i never knew existed, sensations i didn´t want to admit i had missed so much, a oh so bizarre yet natural and logical equilibrium of the elements... this land is inhabitated by a few human beings who show an incredible and admirable resilience, but mostly by vicuñas (cousins of llamas and camels), vizcachas (big rabbits that jump around like kangaroos), llamas, alpacas, strange looking ducks, a thousand different kinds of birds, suris (or ñandú, cousins of the ostrich) and a few pumas, which i unfortunately haven´t been able to see yet... they´re so shy.
Been hanging with some of the most simple, real people i´ve encountered in a long time, of a few words mostly, lovely as well, so honest and upfront, no fear no shame, just life: inspiring!
It has been unbelievably good to withdraw from the world i know, i must say, it is very difficult for me to return to this computer after only a few days really, i can get used to this lifestyle for a undefinite while longer and disappear... may i?
But i do think of you all, so here it is: hey hey, how are you? how´s life wherever this finds you today? i hope you´re all preparing for an awesome load of festivities and great times, i send you my love from the Parinacota district of Chile and i will try to come back.
Besos, manou.
p.s. happy 1st birthday to my beautiful beloved Ilona!!!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Of monkeys, Chilean crows and other randoms
A quick one before hitting the road, again, leaving Arica behind us this morning to reach Putre at the entrance of the Chilean altiplano, Andes and Lauca National Park where we´re going to spend the next week or so in my favorite kind of playground.
Hanging on the pacific coast has been pretty cool, although under the light of some major hallucinations on Armelle´s part, since she got severly ill for 48 hours and was a bit delirious at times... She saw monkeys in trees where there were birds, crows where there were local vultures, went to grab the waiter´s ass at a restaurant to get his attention... Needless to say, we´ve been laughing a lot.
Pisagua was very interesting to say the least, ghost town kind of feel but very much alive in its own way, out of time, but definitely in place, its history is rather violent, what´s left from it is sad, but it has its interest... the torture and mass murder that took place under Pinochet is still in the walls it seems, everything is now falling apart but people remember and one can sort of feel it in the air... The town looks like it´s about to be abandoned... maybe it is, it is hard to tell.
Arica is mellow, nothing special exept for a giant Jesus up on the hill dominating the whole city and a ounce gorgeous valley at the entrance of town where they grow olive trees (although the desert is constantly threatening to take over at any moment from the hills surrounding)...
My Spanish is improving slowly but steadily, i still am a non smoker, the sun is shining every day, it´s sweet and warm down here, loving it all, even if i thought there would be more indigenous groups and villages for some reason... Hoping it will be the case on the altiplano, but regardless, people are lovely.
Very eager to be up in the mountains now i must say, it´s all supposed to be made of gorgeous (sometimes dangerous) land, small Aymara villages, a few travelers, a bunch of vicunas, suris, lamas, alpacas, and maybe some monkeys if we´re lucky and "look" hard enough :) Gonna be hiking every day, waking with the sun, and hanging with the stars.
Hope everyone is doing great and having a sweet December. Thinking of y´all. Cheers.
Hanging on the pacific coast has been pretty cool, although under the light of some major hallucinations on Armelle´s part, since she got severly ill for 48 hours and was a bit delirious at times... She saw monkeys in trees where there were birds, crows where there were local vultures, went to grab the waiter´s ass at a restaurant to get his attention... Needless to say, we´ve been laughing a lot.
Pisagua was very interesting to say the least, ghost town kind of feel but very much alive in its own way, out of time, but definitely in place, its history is rather violent, what´s left from it is sad, but it has its interest... the torture and mass murder that took place under Pinochet is still in the walls it seems, everything is now falling apart but people remember and one can sort of feel it in the air... The town looks like it´s about to be abandoned... maybe it is, it is hard to tell.
Arica is mellow, nothing special exept for a giant Jesus up on the hill dominating the whole city and a ounce gorgeous valley at the entrance of town where they grow olive trees (although the desert is constantly threatening to take over at any moment from the hills surrounding)...
My Spanish is improving slowly but steadily, i still am a non smoker, the sun is shining every day, it´s sweet and warm down here, loving it all, even if i thought there would be more indigenous groups and villages for some reason... Hoping it will be the case on the altiplano, but regardless, people are lovely.
Very eager to be up in the mountains now i must say, it´s all supposed to be made of gorgeous (sometimes dangerous) land, small Aymara villages, a few travelers, a bunch of vicunas, suris, lamas, alpacas, and maybe some monkeys if we´re lucky and "look" hard enough :) Gonna be hiking every day, waking with the sun, and hanging with the stars.
Hope everyone is doing great and having a sweet December. Thinking of y´all. Cheers.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Huh, euh, well...
San Pedro de Atacama 2440m
valle de la Luna
Toconao
Salar de Atacama
Laguna Chaxa
Laguna Miscanti 4200m
Laguna Miniques 4200m
Valle de la Muerte
Aldea de Tulor
El Tatio Geysers 4300m, highest geysers field in the world.. impressive!
Machuga village
Long piece of road to Iquique today... Iquique ahora!
I guess this is where you can find me tonight, exhausted, but alive and well, despite some rather upsetting setbacks... my computer crashed, i wanted to cry but didn´t, for i was in such a beautiful peaceful and awesome place.
I really had no idea what i was going to live-see-do here... i thought i did, but nah...it´s pretty cool although not what i had imagined... which is better anyhow... i like surprises.
had the best introduction to northern Chile with Valle de la Luna, still haunting my dreams (i´m not joking).
The Atacama desert is full of Chilean hippies, socialists and misfits, but also hard resilient working people, inspired young activists who want to redo the world and make it a better place, wonderful families and a handful of rather interesting travelers who keep on bumping into each other when least expected. Mayhem in a strange dangerous place, wonderful :) played sucker for a hot minute with a 6 year old boy in Machuga, the one and only child in that village, his name is Alexander and he´s one cool laughing energetic kid with loads more red blood cells than the rest of us, for he ran all of us out up there at 4300m! Left today for the coast, a pinch in the heart for i do love the desert and everything it means and brings, yet reaching the ocean was a sweet relief from the dust biting dry windy atmosphere we´ve been in so far.
Whatever happens, DO NOT drive route 24 from Calama to Tocopilla, it sucks! The mining industry has ravaged the land, among other things, it´s rather sad. and do not go to Tocopilla, it is aweful, entered, turned around right away, and drove off as fast as i could, it is one gross town!!!
although the coast is damaged by major industries and ugly seaports, it still holds little pockets of gorgeous mountains falling into the ocean and weird ghost-towns that are worth the long drive north...
happy to be in Iquique, although cannot wait to be in my next little dreamworld, the Lauca region at the border of Peru and Bolivia... up there...
now a few side notes:
*drove over 1000km so far i believe, although have not kept count yet
*my car has asthma, it´s cute yet cannot go uphill but in 3rd or sometimes even 2nd gear.
*i have NOT smoked a cigarette since i quit 10 days... who´s proud? come on!!! i think it actually worked and i´m becoming a non smoker relatively painlessly... so far... i´m happy.
*technology is great but life is better
*i love my new camera
*Chilean beer is pretty good, although their wines are better
*i still believe the photos i take speak more of my travels than me, even if they´re not great
*Skies full of stars are one of the coolest and best thing that´s out there
There will be more at some point, no photos since my computer chose a Chilean death, but i will keep on trying to type a few irrelevent things when i can reach the internet cafes.
loads of love and french hugs for the ones who like that
valle de la Luna
Toconao
Salar de Atacama
Laguna Chaxa
Laguna Miscanti 4200m
Laguna Miniques 4200m
Valle de la Muerte
Aldea de Tulor
El Tatio Geysers 4300m, highest geysers field in the world.. impressive!
Machuga village
Long piece of road to Iquique today... Iquique ahora!
I guess this is where you can find me tonight, exhausted, but alive and well, despite some rather upsetting setbacks... my computer crashed, i wanted to cry but didn´t, for i was in such a beautiful peaceful and awesome place.
I really had no idea what i was going to live-see-do here... i thought i did, but nah...it´s pretty cool although not what i had imagined... which is better anyhow... i like surprises.
had the best introduction to northern Chile with Valle de la Luna, still haunting my dreams (i´m not joking).
The Atacama desert is full of Chilean hippies, socialists and misfits, but also hard resilient working people, inspired young activists who want to redo the world and make it a better place, wonderful families and a handful of rather interesting travelers who keep on bumping into each other when least expected. Mayhem in a strange dangerous place, wonderful :) played sucker for a hot minute with a 6 year old boy in Machuga, the one and only child in that village, his name is Alexander and he´s one cool laughing energetic kid with loads more red blood cells than the rest of us, for he ran all of us out up there at 4300m! Left today for the coast, a pinch in the heart for i do love the desert and everything it means and brings, yet reaching the ocean was a sweet relief from the dust biting dry windy atmosphere we´ve been in so far.
Whatever happens, DO NOT drive route 24 from Calama to Tocopilla, it sucks! The mining industry has ravaged the land, among other things, it´s rather sad. and do not go to Tocopilla, it is aweful, entered, turned around right away, and drove off as fast as i could, it is one gross town!!!
although the coast is damaged by major industries and ugly seaports, it still holds little pockets of gorgeous mountains falling into the ocean and weird ghost-towns that are worth the long drive north...
happy to be in Iquique, although cannot wait to be in my next little dreamworld, the Lauca region at the border of Peru and Bolivia... up there...
now a few side notes:
*drove over 1000km so far i believe, although have not kept count yet
*my car has asthma, it´s cute yet cannot go uphill but in 3rd or sometimes even 2nd gear.
*i have NOT smoked a cigarette since i quit 10 days... who´s proud? come on!!! i think it actually worked and i´m becoming a non smoker relatively painlessly... so far... i´m happy.
*technology is great but life is better
*i love my new camera
*Chilean beer is pretty good, although their wines are better
*i still believe the photos i take speak more of my travels than me, even if they´re not great
*Skies full of stars are one of the coolest and best thing that´s out there
There will be more at some point, no photos since my computer chose a Chilean death, but i will keep on trying to type a few irrelevent things when i can reach the internet cafes.
loads of love and french hugs for the ones who like that
Sunday, December 7, 2008
What day is it?
Never been so good with words...
Drove one of, if not THE ugliest road I’ve ever been on, from Antofagasta to Calama… It had a bit of a post-nuclear feel to it, I naturally speeded my way through it. Luckily, it was soon forgotten once the region of San Pedro de Atacama was reached… Valle de la Luna is everything they say it is… actually so much more … Hiked around in the dunes and hills for a few hours until sunset, stared at the skies, met a new friend, and breathed like I hadn’t in far too long. Life’s bloody good, and yes, I’m still smiling BIG, naturally! Sue me if you must.
Started all over again this morning, hiked around the Salar de Atacama, hang out with Flamingos, laughed a ton, practiced my Spanish and chilled like there’s no tomorrow… what day is it?
I’m off, I have a date with the stars
Drove one of, if not THE ugliest road I’ve ever been on, from Antofagasta to Calama… It had a bit of a post-nuclear feel to it, I naturally speeded my way through it. Luckily, it was soon forgotten once the region of San Pedro de Atacama was reached… Valle de la Luna is everything they say it is… actually so much more … Hiked around in the dunes and hills for a few hours until sunset, stared at the skies, met a new friend, and breathed like I hadn’t in far too long. Life’s bloody good, and yes, I’m still smiling BIG, naturally! Sue me if you must.
Started all over again this morning, hiked around the Salar de Atacama, hang out with Flamingos, laughed a ton, practiced my Spanish and chilled like there’s no tomorrow… what day is it?
I’m off, I have a date with the stars
I'm out of words... Atacama desert
A true haven in the driest desert in the world...
Salar de Atacama
Salar de Atacama
Valle de la Luna
Valle de la Luna
Valle de la LunaFriday, December 5, 2008
Asi es la vida... Viva Atacama de Chile
Landed with a big smile
For this land is delicious
Time to go play
Thursday, December 4, 2008
I am a surrender monkey
I have yet to pack
I have not smoked a cigarette in 3 days
My brain is in a bundle
I am drinking tea
Enjoying a few more hours in Brooklyn
I am hungry, slightly confused, probably withdrawing but surely happy
I am being pressured to blog by far too many
I surrender, but I am out of cheese
so here it is
This is a test
And I am a (sometimes cheese eating) surrender monkey
I have not smoked a cigarette in 3 days
My brain is in a bundle
I am drinking tea
Enjoying a few more hours in Brooklyn
I am hungry, slightly confused, probably withdrawing but surely happy
I am being pressured to blog by far too many
I surrender, but I am out of cheese
so here it is
This is a test
And I am a (sometimes cheese eating) surrender monkey
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