3 days away...
December 28, 2025 in Canada ⋅ 🌨 2 °C
In a few days I will be on the road again. I came relatively late to adventure travelling and backpacking. I think I was 30 when my late cousin, Leslie, and I started planning our western Europe three-month backpacking trip. I had just wound up a tumultuous 3 or 4 year gig at HMV, which was at the time, arguably the biggest and best record and CD chain in Canada. I was attending Concordia University as a mature student. I used to sing and was taking singing lessons with a wonderful man named Barry Thompson and things started getting a little more serious. I was a tenor and I remember Barry telling me at some point that while not in the league of a lead tenor, e.g. Pavarotti, I could, if I choose to, have a solid career singing opera. Our lessons were based on opera even though my love was rock and blues. I grew up hearing lots of jazz, classical and opera at home, some of my mom's favourites. I got my love of rock and blues I guess more from my dad, my sister and then of course, my circle of friends. But I knew that the best singers, technically-wise anyway, were opera singers. But eventually I told Barry that I just didn't feel opera the way I felt rock and blues and I ended up not going in the direction of opera. I have sometimes wondered though what my life would have been like had I gone down that path. As an aside, Barry was married to one of the finest Canadian opera singers, Huguette Tourangeau - https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/artic… who also taught singing.
Anyway, I decided that in addition to learning the techniques of the greats, I should learn music theory, so decided to go back to school. I had barely finished high school around a decade earlier. At first I didn't and got kicked out sometime during Secondary 5, the last year of high school in Quebec, for missing too many classes. I managed to get my high school diploma the next summer at the insistence of my parents. So armed with the most basic of scholastic accomplishments, none in the field of music, I auditioned for the music program. It was a long shot but I did have a pretty decent voice and apparently, Sheri (I can't remember her last name) thought I had enough vocal talent and I was accepted into the Concordia music program.
It was there that I heard about HMV as many of the students in the music program had taken part time jobs at the new, hot upstart. I applied and got a part time position working in the cassette department. My life took many twists and turns over the next few years including starting a serious relationship, a heavy rock band that was the toast of the town for a year or so, many promotions at HMV that finally necessitated me quitting university, and Shanghai Daze becoming the top heavy rock band in Montreal for a while. My personal life was a bit of a wreck as I couldn't stay away from the Bolivian marching powder and my girlfriend ended up finally ditching me, tired of my weekend disappearing acts. That was tough but tougher was that she had secretly started dating my boss at HMV. Fuck! OK, time to leave the city I grew up in and head west down the 401 to Toronto to join my siblings and father who had all, one by one, moved there over the last decade or so.
HMW was still growing so I was able to get an assistant manager position at the Yorkdale Mall HMV. I worked in a few more stores as assistant manager and eventually ended up managing my own HMV store in Kitchener-Waterloo. I was doing well but kept getting into disagreements with upper management at head office which eventually came to a head and I quit. It was then that Leslie and I decided to go Europe and have some fun for a few months. I remember so well, gathering travel brochures from a bunch of countries and having them all open and spread out on the floor of my apartment in Kitchener, and Leslie and I planning and plotting our big adventure (remember, this is pre-internet days!). Unfortunately, Leslie changed her mind and that was when I learned my first lesson of travelling, be prepared to go at it alone. I decided to go anyway and after travelling a bit in England with a friend of my sister's who was going to the UK to meet up with her boyfriend, I was now travelling alone in Scotland, and then on to many other countries in western Europe. Of course I loved it, and that, dear friends, at the ripe old backpacking age of 30, was the beginning of my adventure and backpacking travel days.Read more
Lima to Arequipa
Jan 1–3 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
After a thankfully uneventful day and a half in Lima, for I was staying in an area of the city full of cheap bars and even more cheap hotels that catered to very short stays, as in one night max or maybe even just an hour or two, and in addition, I had arrived the morning of January 1, so I was on guard for some trouble to be hanging around the streets or spilling out of one of the sketchy bars. But perhaps I had arrived just late enough that the partiers, johns, prostitues, and wastoids had partied too much and weren't any trouble at all. There were a few times that looked like possible trouble but I gave those places and people a wide berth, put on the most neutral/don't fuck with me look I can manage, walked tall and proud and avoided any altercations. But the hotels are fascinating, dozens on the main drag and little streets around advertising special privacy, "tantric chairs", jazuzzi, hotubs and anything that might seem like a good add on to your night or hour of fun.
I had taken an overnight flight on the 31st from Toronto to Lima and landed at about 7 am. Activating full CAB* mode I found my way to the local bus station, a 5 minute walk from the airport. There were lots of helpful city and transportation workers that guided me to the right bus to take and how the system works - 5 soles (about $2 CAD), pay on the bus, and the drivers have change, cool - I found the right bus, discovered over the few kilometeres ride to my stop that there were way more people on the road then made sense for January 1, and that the cops were still working; I witnessed the arrest of a man on the road a few cars in front of the bus I was on, and since the person arrested was in a car, this created a big, messy traffic situation for a bit as no one would give ground to drivers needing to cut in to get around the now driverless car. If anyone thinks drivers are assholes in whatever city you live in, I can pretty much guarentee you, they are worse in Lima.
Anyway, the bus left me a couple of blocks from my hotel which was about a block away from the main drag of trouble. I only chose this area because I was taking a bus to Arequipa the next day and wanted to stay close to this bus station. But when reading reviews of various hotels in the area, a noticed a few comments about the area being sketchy so I knew what was what..."But I don't know what is what...What the fuck..." (sorry, couldn't resist the little Fatboy Slim diversion. If you don't know the song or the album, I highly recommend checking it out. The song is Star 69 [explicit], and the album is the fucking classic, Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars).
I had caught a nasty cold two days before leaving Toronto and was still feeling shitty after my short time in Lima but good enough for the 18 hour ride in a very comfortable bus, nothing remotely like what we ever see in Canada (our buses suck here, at least in Ontario and Quebec. I arrived this morning and am just getting myself sorted out and feeling a wee bit better.
Hasta pronto amigos!
* Cheap Ass Backpacker - CABRead more
TravelerI'd like to see pictures of this bus that you can stay 18 hours on and still say good things about!
TravelerStrangely, the company, Oltursa, doesn't even have pictures of their buses on their website. I was able to find a pictuure of the outide but the only one I could find of the inside seems to a Cruz del Sur bus but it's the exact same thing. I've edited this post so I think you can the pics now
Arequipa
Jan 3–7 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Here in Chile, I think I am finally getting over this nasty cold that started the day before leaving Canada. It's slowed me down a bit but not to the point of being laid up in bed. When I was in Arequipa, I was just moving a bit slower, taking afternoon naps, not drinking alcohol, and popping Tylenols to ease the aches and pains.
Last week whilst walking about the city of Arequipa, I had to go up a bit of a steep section and was so winded at the top I thought, damn, this cold is really messing with my lungs, which it was, but I had forgotten to take into account this city is 2,335 metres above sea level.
While in Arequipa, the second most populous city in Peru (after the capital Lima) with a population of about 1.3 million, and known for its colonial architecture and volcanic stone buildings, I did a PWYC tour of the city. Our guide Edgar, a born and bred Arequipeño, was pretty good although we couldn't understand some of what he said. Most in our group didn't speak Spanish so he did the tour in English which was very good on the whole, but he spoke too quickly and with a thick accent so we lost a bit. But, as is usually the case, these tours are a great, inexpensive way to get to know the history of a city, hear some good stories, get information on buildings or historical figures you might not have otherwise known, and give a local guide some work.
We walked around the historical center which was declared a World Heritage Site in December 2000 by UNESCO, stating the following: "The historical center of Arequipa is an example of ornamented architecture, represents a masterpiece of the creative coalition of European and native characteristics. A colonial town challenged by the conditions of nature, the indigenous influences, the conquest process and evangelism as well as for a spectacular natural scenario." Hmmm...interesting choice of words, "the conquest process and evangelism..." that's kind of the story for most of Latin America, no?
The next day, I went out exploring on my own and found the Chelawasi Public House on a cobble stoned road with wide sidewalks, dotted with bars and restaurants in a relatively quiet part of Arequipa. There are a few narrow, windy and hilly streets, and it feels different from the more overtly touristy part of the city around the main Plaza - the historical centre - a few blocks away. Just not hearing the incessant honking of vehicles and belching of buses is enough reason to come hang out here for an hour or two. My eagle eye spotted a sign advertising various local beers for a reasonable 15 Soles for 300ml. I ordered a very Imperial Ale, Pachacutec, at a very robust 10.5% (99IBU), sat myself outside on a weird, extremely slanted, uncomfortable wooden chair, but in a very comfortable 20 degrees Celsius, and watched the world slowly go by.
La Petite Francaise: I finally found a place that didn't butcher its Americano by adding too much water, and it was only 5 Soles! Not the most comfortable seats (what's with all the uncomfortable seats?! Thankfully, I don't go anywhere without my trusty Therm-a-Rest seat pad. A necessity for those afflicted with FWMBS - Flat White Man Butt Syndrome). I tried to engage the young staff in French artificial some pretty amusing results.
In the main plaza, Plaza de Armas, where some of the most famous buildings that give Arequipa its nickname of the Ciudad Blanca are found, I particularly liked the the incongruity of the large, artificial Christmas tree placed there. It made for an interesting contrast.
The city is made even more beautiful and dramatic by the many volcanoes that provide stunning backdrops whereever you are. From the elegant, conical, Misti to the snow capped Ampato, and the wonderfully named, Pichu Pichu, they all have great myths and stories of their history, and many are climbable but not for this hombre, not this time anyway. During the PWYC tour, Edgar regaled us with tales of a great race that starts in the city of Arequipa and ends at the top of one of the volcanoes (I can't remember which one but not one of the active ones 😆). I searched online for more information on this race and could only find information on a marathon in Arequipa, but nothing about a race to the top of a volcano. Still, it sounds amazing! https://app.advcollective.com/travel-guides/Are…
Finally, a few words on the Santa Catelina Monastry. It's considered one the must-sees in Arequipa, but I was on the fence about going because of the price (45 SOL / $19 CAD) which I think is a bit high, plus the obvious religious connection. But my friend Bartek responded to a previous post about Arequipa and said that when he and his partner, Caroline (Caz) travelled there, Santa Catalina monastery was a highlight, so I decided to check it out and I'm glad I did. I still think it's overpriced but being a CAB, I think most things are 😅. It was very pretty and so calm. And the colours mixed with the plants were beautiful. I also enjoyed reading some of the stories of these feisty nuns. They seemed pretty cool!
My last full day in Arequipa was January 6 and I was a bit worried because the next day, I had to wake up super early to be ready for a 3:00 a.m. pick for the 2 day, one night Colca Canyon trek. My lungs didn't feel top notch and I hadn't done much in the way of preperation the last few weeks since I'd been sick, and in Toronto, I was pretty busy getting our apartment ready for the subtenants, plus the weather was not condusive for biking or long walks, Bah, excuses, excuses, but regardless, I was a bit worried as to my level of fitness for this trek. Vamos a ver!Read more
Colca Canyon trek
Jan 7–8 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
After four pretty chill days in Arequipas, it was time to get serious. What's backpacking without a few hikes and treks? First up was the Colca Canyon 2 day, 1 night trek last week. The first day was all down hill, most of it wasn't crazy steep, but regardless, all day downhill wreaks havoc with the knees but I had my hiking poles which helps sooooo much. I had to be up at 2:30 a.m. and ready for the pickup at 3:00 a.m. From there it was a few hours in the shuttle bus to a little breakfast place, then off to the condor viewing point where we saw a total of 0 condors save for some enterprising Peruvians who were in Condor costumes and took pictures with tourists for donations.
In total, the climb down and then up the next morning, was pretty difficult, and being in decent shape doesn't quite cut it for this type of hike. My muscles had to relearn the experience of all day downhill and then extreme uphill, and it was almost all steep and almost all rocky. My legs were screaming in pain for a couple of days afterward, and going up and down stairs were a constant reminder of how not used to this type of exercise my legs were.
I had visions of being able to join Renay on one of her multi day hikes in Europe during my first day going down, but all those delusions vanished quickly during the slog that was day 2 and worries I might be entering my donkey days. Ackkk!! We had to start at 4:30 in the morning and our guide told us that if we didn't reach a certain point by 6 a.m. that would mean he'd have to call in the donkeys because we'd be too far behind schedule. That lit a fire under my ass but the body can only do what the body can do, especially at 62 and with a lingering cold and kinda high altitude. But I was encouraged by the many other hikers I came across on the path - the guides of course are in another league - who were all labouring as much if not more than I was. Interestingly, the little group I ended up being with was a family of French-Poles - a young guy and two young women, aged 22 to 27 I think, and their mother. Execpt for the young guy, we were all more or less at the same pace. During the whole morning ascent, we'd pass, be passed, pass again, going as long as we could before needing to take a few minutes break - everyone, all suffering in silence until we reached the summit and only then could we afford to use up the energy to whoop it up! What a feeling, and no friggin donkey!
Maybe the best part of the whole trek was the hot springs after lunch. OMG, I can't tell you how amazing that felt after the gruelling day. Having a couple of hours at a hot springs after a tough hike is amazing! And with the cold waters of the river connected to it, it was wonderfully theraputic - hot water then cold, then hot then cold..ahhhhhh
To recap day 2: Almost 3 hours of uphill climbing over and around rocks. 95% uphill, probably 75% steep. We started the day at 4:30 a.m., no breakfast just whatever snacks, power bars, nuts, fruits, whatever, we each had to sustain us through the climb.
In metres:
Arequipa: 2356
Cabanaconde: 3,300
Sangalle: 2200 when we left at 4:30 a.m.
Ended at 7:45 a.m. at 3,300 metres
Patapampa 4910Read more
borders, chile, iquique
Jan 9–14 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Gratitude, let's start there because the tempation is to let the enshitification of much of our world get the better of me. How amazingly, friggin fortunate am I to have been able to set myself up for this life of travel and leisure. It was a group effort of circumstance, opportunity, luck, personality, environment and other factors that I am probably forgetting.
But here I am (or was), in Iquique, the "Miami" of Chile (beware the comparisons of a famous place to its supposed doppelganger elsewhere as it is never even close. I remember having to travel to Saskatoon for my work a few years ago and reading that it was known as the Paris of the praries. Hahahahahaha, what the fuck were they high on whoever came up with that comparison? I think it had one street with a couple of bistros. Anyway, not to take anything away from Iquique, it's fine, but obviosuly not Miami.
I am grateful to have arrived safe and sound after a three-bus trip from Arequipa, Peru. First it was an overnight bus from Arequipa that suddenly pulled over to the side of the highway at about 4 in the morning. I woke up to find people piling out and when I asked what was going on, people just said that we have to get off, and get on one of the two other buses that had stopped in front and in back of our stranded bus. I stumbled out, half asleep, and like everyone else, scrambled to get my luggage out of the out of commission bus, and onto one of the other two buses. Both of these buses, by the way, were full, and none of drivers were in the least bit helpful, so we were left to our own devices to choose a bus, get our luggage on board, and find a place to stand or sit. I remember just standing there in the nighttime desert looking back and forth between the two buses, trying to guess which one I should make a break for. I kept seeing people going back and forth between the two, some with a young child in their arms, trying unsuccessfully to get help from any of the bus drivers. I went right, changed my mind, pivoted left and caught the eye of the driver who had just closed the luggage compartment. He reopened it, I threw my backpack in, hopped onto the bus just seconds before the door closed and we roared off. I was lucky enough to be one of the last ones on and was able to sit on a step for the rest of the journey, on to the Peruvian border town of Tacna, thankfully only about a half hour away.
From Tacna, I had to cross the street to another bus station where the buses left for Arica, the border town on the Chilean side. Buses leave every half hour or so, so the wait wasn't too long. The border crossing was a bit of fun - go to this window, go to that window, fill this form out, pay this small fee, take your bags out, put them back on, ask the customs officials to, "por favor, habla mas despacio", which got a good laugh from them.
I think I've said this before but being a bit tramatized and toughened from my many Canada to USA border crossings when I was in my teens and twenties, any other border crossings pale in comparison for me. I've crossed sketchy borders from Laos to Vietnam, Guatemala to Mexico, Mexico to Guatemala, a bunch of other countries in Central America, Turkey to Syria, Jordan to Israel (OK, that was one was pretty bad). Israel to Egypt, and many more, but none of them fill me with the sense of nervousness and foreboding that the US border gives me. Fuck those fuckers.
So after the fun times at the Peruvian-Chilean border, we continued our trip to Arica. Finally, I'm in Chile! Again, I had to walk a wee bit to another bus station to get a bus from Arica to Iquique and here I am!
I quite liked Iquique. It's a small to mid-size coastal city in the north of Chile. It's mostly chill, not too busy, the main beach, playa Cavanche is nice - light sand, no rocks, clean looking, refreshing water, a bit cold but not overly so. The beach was pretty packed it being the weekend when I arrived but even on the Monday it was busy. I think it's a popular vacation spot for many Chileans and maybe Peruvians too since it's not very far from the border. The other place I spent most of my time was Calle Baquedano. Walking down this wide, pedestrian-only street leading into the centre of town, it has a bit of a Wild West feel. The train tracks running down the street’s centre provide proof of the old street cars that used to run on it and the faded, wooden, saloon-style architecture is reflective of Iquique’s mining history, an instrumental part of the city’s establishment. Calle Baquedano is a great street to wander on for a bite to eat or a drink in the sun.
If Iquique is anything to go by, I love Chilean driving and etiquette. Of course they drive fast, there's no escaping that fate, but they stop at red lights, at stop signs and most shocking, at crosswalks! Unlike Peru or Colombia where cars have first, second and third priority, where you always have to look carefully even, or especially when, you think you have priority because you don't really, in Chile, you do! They'll stop at crosswalks every time to let you walk through. It took me a few times to get used to it and make sure they weren't just baiting me and when I walked started walking, bam! No, they meant it. They stopped, looked at me, waited a bit, saw I was hesitating and waved me through. They were probably thinking, poor bastard, he's been traumatized by those crazy Peruvian drivers.
It's on the San Pedro de Atacama now...Read more
Gigi, Desert, geysers, flamingoes y mas!
Jan 15–20 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
After a few chilled out days in Iquique, it was on to the city of Calama, a stop over city of which I had read demands not more than a night. I think I saw enough of the city to confirm this to be true, it's not the best city to hang out in for very long unless you're a miner who's working in the area.
But I, like most travellers, if we come here at all it's probably because it's on the way to San Pedro de Atacama, a desert town that's becoming a very popular destination in Northern Chile . Unlike other travellers though, I had the added excitement of knowing I'd be seeing Gi for the first time in a month, and it'd be the beginning of our two month adventure through Chile that would take us all the way to Patagonia.
We met at the Casa Voyage Hostel, a lovely place with a decidedly backpacker/adventure traveller vibe. We had a large private room with lots of charm and a super comfy bed (a real bonus in budget accommodations). The grounds were nice and expansive with paths all around, a few hammocks, decently equiped kitchen to store food and prepare your own meals, lots of indoor and outdoor space to sit and hang out, but best of all...a pool!
We did a couple of tours to see geysers, cool rock formations, salt flats/lakes, cool flora & fauna including many flamingos (I love flamingoes!) It was either rent a car to see all these places or go with a tour. I didn't feel like driving and we liked the idea of having a knowledgeable (hopefully) guide and meals served. Indeed, both tours had good guides, and one was absolutely amazing - very knowledgeable and passionate and a joy to hang out with. All the tours with meals seemed to follow the same playbook; the driver/guide/cook pulls over at spot off the highway with amazing views (volcanoes, salt flats, grazing vicuñas or alpacas), tells everyone to chill or walk around for about 15 minutes while he sets up a table with delicious food and beverages - for breakfasts this included french press coffee! and for lunches, wines! Very cool.
One afternoon, Gi and I rented bicycles to explore an area called Mars Valley or Valle de Marte which because of a mistranslation somewhere along the way also became known as Valle de la Muerte or Death Valley. Both are pretty appropriate as not much grows here and, as you can see from the pictures, it does seem to resemble the red planet quite a bit. Apparently, scientists test technology for Mars missions here due to its extreme conditions and Martian-like landscape. We spent a couple of hours wandering and climbing and could have easily spent a couple more. Unfortunately we started a little too late to get to the sand dunes where you can sand board if so inclined.
It had been a while since I had been in a place like San Pedro - a small town that seems to be growing quickly, with a mix of paved and dirt roads, it seems to have become the centre of backpackers and high-end travellers alike looking for adventure and amazing sights in the desert. There are countless tour companies, small hotels and hostales, restaurants, a few bars and cafes, bicycle rental shops and outdoor equipent stores. It was an interesting mix of off the beaten path/backpacker/adventure traveller/upscale traveller vibe.
After a few days there, it was time to head south to Antofagasta mostly to break up what would otherwise be a 10 - 12 hour or so bus ride to our next destination, Caldera, but also to check out the Mano del Desierto (Hand of the Desert), an interesting sculpture in the missdle of the desert about 70 km south of Antofagasta. We rented a car just for this and it was a fun time as all sorts of people show up around sunset to hang out there. Antofagasta was also where we enjoyed our swankiest accommodations so far - the Wyndham Garden Antofagasta Pettra Hotel, with a breakfast buffet that was fabulous!
We had managed to snag two of the best seats on the bus for the ride to our next destination; the front row on the second level for almost five hours of unobstructed views of the endless desert landscape, a fitting coda to our time in San Pedro de Atacama.
Next up are beaches, whales, penguins, olives, grapes, Pisco, and star gazing, as we make our way south, first down the coast and then inland to Valle de Elqui. Hasta pronto!Read more
TravelerOh wow, the joy of getting the best seats on the bus! Those views must be priceless. I spent a marvellous New Year’s Eve in San Pedro de Atacama 23 years ago. While my travel buddies were trying to chat up some European backpackers, I was chilling in the square, met some local teenagers with a boombox and a smoke. It was a wonderful way to bring in a new year. Enjoy your travels together xxx
beach explorations, whales and...??
Jan 20–23 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Time for a bit of beach town vibes and whale watching. I'm always up for checking out new beaches, so I was excited to see what Caldera and La Serena had to offer. The first is a very small city with a very laid back, friendly vibe. The second was much bigger with a go-go, busy vibe, but most importantly it was where we would be booking trips to hopefully see whales, penguins, sea lions, and dolphins. And of course, we're always on the lookout out for other fauna and cool cacti
We stayed in a pretty, courtyard style hotel, the Montecarlo, in Caldera and spent day one at the nearby beach, Bahia Inglesa which was OK. We did meet a cool couple though, who were selling drinks on the beach. When we first saw them, they weren't actively hawking their wares, but they were both walking around with coolers and not sitting down anywhere. I finally montioned to the guy to come over and I asked if he was selling anything. He said they were selling drinks, but since there were a couple of police officers walking around the beach, doing some PR and trying to be all friendly and shit, he didn't want to be too obvious and were waiting until they cleared out. The not being too obvious part struck Gi and I as a bit funny since he was tall, with a unique rocker/pirate look, and she had a cool rocker/alternative look, both mostly head to toe in black. He even had black latex gloves, a professional server he was. They definitely stood out. Anyway, the cops eventually moved on and I got my drink. They were walking around the area selling drinks for a while and once when they passed by, I had some psytrance playing on my Bluetooth speaker and the woman said, "buena musica". Well, that's our clue to chat them up for possible pystrance events or parties somewhere! My guess was right and buddy soon had my phone and connected me to a friend of his in Santiago who's plugged into the scene. I spent most of day two wandering around and chilling at a coffee shop while Gi went on a tour of the surrounding area to see some fossils, interesting rock formations and freaky landscape that was once, long ago, underwater. We got a few supplies, did some laundry, and then it was time to move on to La Serena.
The beach there was huge - a few kilometres of fine, light sand and very slow decline into the water. Unfortunately, the city is built a certain way that the centre and anywhere remotely affordable to stay is 2-3 kilometres away - our accommodations, Hotel Boutique Suri, seemed like it wanted to be kind of swanky but mostly missed the mark, was a so-so interesting 40-minute walk away. We did the hike there but took a taxi back which was more interesting than your average ride due to the funky disco lights he had going on inside the taxi.
At the beach, you could walk 50 metres in and only be up to your waist. Walking along the beach, close to the water, we had to walk carefully to avoid stepping on weird, diaphanous, jelly-like things. They kind of looked like jellyfish but without the tentacles. Apprensive but curious we approached one of them, ever vigilant for the slightest movement, and gently poked it. No hidden tentacles lashed out, it didn't move at all and if this thing was once alive it looked pretty dead now. I just used the Google lens feature and apparently, it's something called mesoglea, the "jelly" in jellyfish. It's the last part to decompose after it dies, usually after being torn aprt by fish, turtles or rough water. Strange that in all my travels I had never seen this, or perhaps I have but the memory remains hidden, temporarily (hopefully), within the deep recesses of my mind. We enjoyed the sunset there one evening and decided the city was OK but not worth that much time.
Time to hit the ocean and see what we can see! We booked a whale watching tour from La Serena for one day but decided to hold off on the penguin tour because we heard and read that what had once been a large penguin colony at the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve had dwindled significantly to just a couple of dozen due to a mix of natural and not so natural (human caused) environmental factors, and even that small amount were difficult to see because they had moved locations to protect their young and their eggs from birds and other predators.
But the whales are doing fine and we sighted over a dozen Fin whales during our couple of hours on the water. Unfortunately, we didn't see any Blue or Humpback whales, and no dolphins deemed us worthy to show themselves, but sea lions were there by the hundreds, and boy could you hear them!
Small town vibes and the stars are next 🌌Read more
Elqui Valley
Jan 24–26 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
We rented bikes in Vicuña and explored parts of the Elqui Valley. We visited a pisco distillery, walked around a cute little town, dipped our toes in a river where locals like to excape to on weekends, and had got caught in a goat traffic jam.
In Vicuña we mostly wandered around, admiring cacti as usual, but also visited the Gabriela Mistral museum. I didn't know who she was before and feel a little ashamed since she was the first Latin American author/writer/poet to receive a Nobel Prize in literature, before the more well known, Pablo Neruda. She was a very accomplished, formidable woman who had to overcome many things in her time. I'm looking forward to give her writings a read.
We ended our time in the Elqui Valley with a stay at the wonderful Campo de Cielo Ecosustenable to see the stars. We ended up getting a bit more than we had planned for as a rare storm hit the area.
Next up is Santiago and Valparaíso...Read more
Steps, graffiti, big sandwiches, massage
January 26 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
The photos here are all of Santiago. I'll post Valparaiso in a separate post.
What to do after all that beautiful zen oneness with nature? Well of course, go to the most chaotic two cities in Chile, Santiago and Valparaiso! They are quite different cities but they do have at least three things in common, parts of each city have good dollops of chaos, parts have people really struggling to make ends meet and it shows, and both have amazing graffiti everywhere!
I do like me a funky, big city vibe, warts and all, so I really enjoyed both cities, although I'm not sure I'd live in either one. Maybe Valparaíso since at least it's by the water and close to some decent beaches, supposedly. Also the weather is a bit nicer, not as hot as Santiago is in the summer, much like most big cities with tons of concrete.
The grafitti in both, though, is off the charts. Lots of it, very high quality, and in Valparaiso especially, much of it is quite political. Valparaíso has a rich tradition of social activism, often serving as a backdrop for protests and movements advocating for social justice and political reform, and the city has been a focal point for various social movements, including labour rights, environmental activism, and educational reforms.
Valparaiso definitely reminded me of Lisbon with it's many narrow, winding roads, laneways, and stairways that lead up, up and up. In fact, the city is so hilly that it once had 30 funiculars, which they call ascensores (elevator) - although technically only one is truly an elevator - to ferry people up and down the the steep, closely packed hills. Many are no longer in use but there are still 16 left and we rode a couple of them. It's an arty, funky, edgy city.
Like all really big cities, Santiago has many distinct neighbourhoods that can suit any and all tastes but it was the the architecture and grafitti that really stood out for me. That and the locals being really concerned that someone was going to steal our cell phones at any moment. We were warned a few times to be carefull when we were looking at our phones on the street, checking Google Maps for where something was, or what was around us to see, where to eat, etc. Although pretty much everyone we saw walking around had their phones out, talking, scrolling, texting, looking, whatever. Maybe we looked too touristy and easy marks? Who knows, but we took it in good spirit, thinking that they were looking out for us.
Santiago also has lots of green space - parks and hills and such - which we hiked around. We spent a very tough part of one day at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. "The Santiago Museum of Memory and Human Rights isn’t just another building on the city’s bustling cultural circuit; it is, quite literally, a testament etched in concrete and emotion, dedicated to commemorating the victims of human rights violations committed by the Chilean state between 1973 and 1990. It’s a place designed to prevent these atrocities from ever happening again, a solemn promise to future generations that memory, truth, and justice are the cornerstones of a dignified society. For anyone looking to truly grasp the complex fabric of modern Chile, this museum isn’t merely recommended; it’s essential, a vital pilgrimage that delves deep into the darkest chapters of the nation’s history, shedding light on the strength and resilience of the human spirit in the face of unspeakable cruelty." I didn't live through any of this and it was extremely hard to walk around and see the pictures and read the stories. I can't imagine how difficult it is for someone who lived it.
So apart from that, we enjoyed some decent food, but not outstanding. They do like their sandwiches big over here though...damn! I also tried their version of streetmeat which was cheap and not too bad - reminded me a bit of the steamie hotdog experience in Montreal. We hit a couple of bars and also stumbled into the most fantastical placed Ocean Pacific's Buque Insignia that was massive and had so many parts to it, it just kept going and going. Crazy place.
I went to see a kinesiologist/massage therapist that was recommended to me by Felipe, a good friend of Gisela's whom we'll meet soon and he did some great work on my neck and shoulder which had been bothering me for quite a while now. Travelling around with a backpack takes its toll yo!
Next is Pucon and a serious hike, then meeting Felipe and off we alll go to the Island of Chiloe. Then it's La Carretera Autral and Patagonia baby!Read more
Valparaiso pics
January 27 in Chile
just pics here
Hikes and trees!
Jan 31–Feb 3 in Chile ⋅ 🌙 20 °C
Pucón is a small city about mid way between the top and bottom of Chile (2,818 km from Arica at the northernborder with Peru) located in the Province of Cautín, Araucanía Region, 780 km to the south of Santiago. It is also one of the cities in the Chilean Lake District and where many backpackers, adventure travellers and outdoor lovers hit if they're looking to ascend the beautiful and impressive Volcán Villarrica, ride the Río Trancura rapids or hike in the remote forested corners of the nearby Parque Nacional Huerquehue or Parque Nacional Villarrica. Pucón gets particularly busy in January and February when us international travellers are joined by Chilean holidaymakers. On a clear day, you'll be greeted by the awe-inspiring sight of Volcán Villarrica smouldering in the distance. And for those with a bit of extra money to spend, evenings are generally spent eating, drinking and partying in the restaurants and bars, or soaking in one of the many surrounding thermal springs.
We hiked the Parque Nacional Villarrica one afternoon which we really enjoyed - the views, the ancient lava rocks, our constant skittering, green companions; the common painted smooth-throated lizard green - and it served as a good warmup to the very difficult San Sebastian hike in the Parque Nacional Huerquehue the next day. The flora and fauna, and the views on that hike were incredible, especially the ancient Araucaria trees, some of which are over 1,000 years old. It felt a bit like being in a Dr. Seuss story come alive, or being in the Labyrinth movie at times. It was a super hard hike made more so because at one point you're sure the end is just over the ridge, the last bit of mountain where you can see the light but no...it turned out that the last part, scrambling over rocks that made up part of the ridge at the very top was still to be conquered. But what a view!
There was a pretty lake with cool water once we got back down to soothe our weary feet.Read more
back in time to Chiloé
Feb 4–11 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
I want to write, to share, but I'm so wiped after three days of tough hikes in Torres del Paine National Park and not much sleep in between each day of hiking. My brain is not firing on all cylinders so just a few words to catch on the part of the trip I haven't written about, Chiloé. Then maybe the epic Torres del Paine to close off this trip.
The island of Chiloé has a bit of a mystical, magical feel. Heritage, wooden churches, weird goblins and myths, food markets with lots of fresh seafood that Gisela's friend, Felipe, relentlessly tried to get me to eat, unsuccessfully of course. We went to a remote beach, hiked to a not so great beach but a good hike plus it had the freakiest most colourful seaweed I've ever seen, had fun hanging out, visited some pingüinos, old palafitos houses, and more...maybe just pictures for now...Read more
let's get down to some serious hiking!
Feb 14–15 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
I will "jump" to the present and then work my way back in time to, maybe, connect to where we were going in my last post, meeting Felipe and then travelling with him to Chiloé. I want to write about Patagonia while it's fresh in my mind.
We're currently in Northern Patagonia, riding buses on the Carretera Austral, the famous Highway 7 that runs north-south from the town of Puerto Montt to the literal end of the road at Villa O'Higgins. From there, there are various ways to get to Southern Patagonia and then, if you have the time and the budget (we don't), to the "bottom" or most Southern part of our amazing world, the South Pole and Antartica. We've chosen the CAB route (surprise, surprise), a bus from Coyhaique, a scant 12 hour ride through Argentina, then back into Chile ending in Punta Arenas. Then we'll make our way north for a bit to Puerto Natales to hike the famous Torres del Paine. Then fly back to Santiago and either hang there for a few days or hit the beaches of Viña del Mar before our leaving Chile on March 10.
OK, back to the present, kind of... We didn't start at the most northern part of the Carretera Austral, we started at Puyuhuapi because we wanted to hike Queulat National Park to see the very cool Hanging Glacier. We set out as early as we could for the hike to hopefully have a bit of quiet contemplation time and unobstrcted views of the waterfalls coming down from the glacier before the hoards arrived. We did and it was as beautiful as advertised but as we sat on a bench admiring it, along with a German girl who was there, we all couldn't help but be reminded that it was another sad reminder of climate warming. Pictures and accompanying explanations note that the pace of how much the glacier has been receding has really picked up and that is why there are waterfalls.
The pictures here are from Puyuhuapi and the hike. Enjoy!Read more
2 days in a row!
Feb 17–20 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C
..of serious hiking. We were based in Villa Cerro Castillo, making our way south on the Carretera Austral...and loving it! We've seen lots of hard core bikers who are biking the Carretera Austral. We met a Candian guy from Oakville at one of the parks, and a French guy staying at the same place as us in Cerro Castillo who started biking in Costa Rica and is going to Ushuaia! Seeing as the highway becomes gravel right here, https://maps.app.goo.gl/eJFyBbiPGbePZoDg7 , and there's a fair amount of ups and downs, it's quite the trip. Of course there are lots of motorcyclists too, but hiking is what draws most people here, some who do multi-day hikes in the parks lugging all their tents and all their gear around. Very impressive...Read more
The rest of Northern Patagonia and then?
Feb 21–26 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
No rest for the wicked, or maybe, just a bit. I needed a couple of days off from the hiking, the walking, the climbing, the planning, all the stuff that one does when adventure, budget travelling. It's fun but sometimes I admit that it would be nice to have more funds at my disposale to be able to eat out more instead of self catering almost all the time, to be able to stay at fancy hotels with heat, and use flights more. I guess I could, but my retirement funds would likely come to end before I would come to an end. I am definitely not complaining, I feel super furtunate to be in this position, I'm just musing, commenting you might say... 😉
After Villa Cerro Castillo, we had a couple of other towns to hit, hikes to do, and stunning lakes and mountains to ogle going south before turning around and heading back up to Coyhaique. Normally one might not be too keen on retracing one's steps but in the case of the Carretera Austral, we're more than happy to do it because the scenery is truly stunning.
First up was Puerto Rio Tranquilo where the big draw is a boat ride or kayaking out to the Marble Caves (Capillas de Mármol), a series of intricate caverns, tunnels, and islands composed of solid marble, sculpted over thousands of years by the lapping waves of General Carrera Lake (Lago General Carrera). For more info check here,
https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/marble-ca…
We kayaked of course because that's way more fun. We took the tandem kayak which provided more stability for our resident photographer, Gigi!, to be able to take pics, while yours truly was working it at the back, paddling and steering. The formation of at least one of the caves is, shall we say, interesting. See if you can spot it. As an aside, 'kayak' is another English word with fucked up spelling...I mean, why Ka annd not Ki...bloody English. Anyhooo...it was quite lovely and we even had a spell of crazy Patagonian weather when the winds really picked up and the waves became a little unnverving. It felt like sea kayaking for a while.
OK, on to our most southerly stop in Northern Patagonia, Cochrane, where Gi and I did a couple of pretty easy hikes in Patagonia National Park one day totalling about 17 or 18 km. This steppe region is quite different from what we'd been hiking previosuly in Patagonia and it was nice to have a change of scenery, especially right before we go to Southern Patagonia and the massive mountains of Torre del Paine in a few days. Guanacos rule the land here as you'll see by the pictures and videos I took. Trying not to confuse all the camelids I've seen on this trip, I did a quick Duck Duck Go search to come up with, "There are four species of South American camelids: llama, alpaca, vicuña, and guanaco. Two of them are domesticated (llama and alpaca), while the other two live in the wild (vicuña and guanaco). All are perfectly adapted to the altitude and extreme climate of the Andes." So there you go.
We also saw a condor, some other interesting birds, such as the Cinereous Harrier, ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinereous_harrier ) and Southern lapwing, but alas, no pumas. Now you might be wondering if wanting to see a puma is smart, and I'd understand that sentiment because if you see a puma, it definitely sees you, which might be a problem. But apparently, puma attacts on humans, in this area at least, are exceedingly rare and we were told there's only been one recorded human death at the hands, or should I saw, the paws of a puma. I think they prefer the various fauna on offer around them, like the many, many, guanacos. There are pumas where we hiked and sightings are not super rare but we had no such luck. There was a very cool, slightly unnerving suspension bridge that took us over the Rio Chacabuco about 80 metres below. Once we crossed, we headed down another km to a lovely spot for our lunch, as is our custom.
I took the next day off but Gi, who's becoming quite the trekker, did a nice 20 km hike and walked from town to and from the park entrance adding about 8 km! OK, I think that about covers it for now. Maybe a quick word on the towns...they're cute, chill and each has it's own character. I thnk my fave was Cerro Castillo - mostly because of the all the hard core hikers and hitchhikers we saw. Not too many frou frou travellers here.
Oh, and more more thing, the Maracuá variety (passionfruit) that is found is South America is sooo delicious. I've had the juice, ice cream (amazing!) and just now, a maracuyá cheesecake tartelette, maybe the yummiest cheesecake I've ever had.Read more
torres
March 11 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
there might be more errors than usual...sorry about that but I'm on the plane in Bogotá about to take off trying to post this before returning to Toronto
There are so many amazing sites to see in Patagonia, but some of them are very expensive to get to and see. Plus, even taking into account the remoteness of Patagonia, there's definitely some price gouging going on sometimes, and the crowds on one of the hikes was a little much, but I'm still very happy I went becuase it's a very impressive and beautiful part of the planet.
Torres del Paine National Park is a huge park with many sections and trails, and there are various ways to access many of them. One way, which seems like a must for serious hikers, a rite of passage almost, is either the W or the O trek - 5 and 8-day treks respectively - two of the most famous and popular multi-day treks in South America. You can also do more modest 2 or 3 day hikes and access some the more famous trails that way.
Whatever multi day trek you do, you can only camp in certain designated areas along the hike, nowhere else, no wild camping. This means that the platforms where you place your tent on if you have your own gear (by far the cheapest option), tent and gear (sleeping bag, etc.) rentals (super expensive), or have a bed in a refugio (cabins and super duper expensive), book up many months in advance. This was Gi's original plan but the platform spots book are the first to get snatched up and were all gone by the time she went to to book.
So plan B was stay in Puerto Natales which is the closest city to the park entrance and where most people stay if they're not staying in the park itself. It's about almost a two hour bus ride away and while there are a few sites closer you can stay at, there's all super pricey. Puerto Natales is the closest place you can get reasonably priced accommodations.
Since weather is always a consideration when hiking, we decided to stay in Puerto Natales 5 days because it looked like there would probably be at least 3 good days within the 5 good for hiking. To hike Torres del Paine, there are no one-day passes, except if you go on a tour. Otherwise, it's a 3-day pass which is what we bought, or 3+day pass, which is what all the 5 and 8-day trekkers buy.
It's funny because it wasn't a slam dunk that we'd even be going to Torres del Paine, and in fact at one point Gi said she'd be OK with skipping it. We had both read and heard how busy some of the more popular trails can get in the summer, especially the most famous one of all, Mirador Base Torres. We'd been pretty spoiled in our trip to date in that there had rarely been a lot of people on any of the trails we'd done, and sometimes we were even alone! So we weren't sure if we wanted to be hiking in lineups, no matter how amazing and beautiful it might be. But we were convinced along the way and I'm glad we were, even though there were some moments where I was losing my shit (almost always internally though, not externally) at how slow the going was. It's a pretty tough hike but because of its iconic stature many people who, shall we say, are not in the best of shape, want to hike it. On the one hand, I applaud and totally support their willingness and adventurousness at attempting something that's obviosuly very difficult for them and outside their comfort zone. On the other hand, they're in my fucking way! Hahahaha, but seriously, I know that we've all paid, we all have the right to climb, and everyone should climb at the pace that's safe and comfortable for them. So the parts that are narrow, where you can't pass (not safely anyway) you have to be patient until there's an opening, an opportunity...and then you pounce! You announce yourself in some way, then you pass, you zig and you zag, you skip and you hop and you bop, and you're free from the masses! ...until the next logjam, but man it feels good for that time when you can go the pace you like. I feel best hiking when I'm doing it at the pace that at that particular place and time feels just right. Sometimes it's chill, but mostly it's not, and sometimes it's a gruelling uphill section but whatever the pace, a flow state can ensue and it's a beautiful thing. I would say I'm a medium to medium fast hiker for the most part, when I'm in good form. Of couse that changes after eating or towards the end of a tough hike and then I might go full tortoise.
Well, I'm sure I'm omitting tons but I'm on the plane, takeoff is imminent and I want to post asap or it might never get done.
Peace, love and flow,
MikeRead more
The end
March 11 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
This is the end of our tripping around Chile. Even with my suspect memory, I'm sure many of these amazing experiences and encounters will be with me forever, unless of course I turn into a dribbling, vegetable hull of a human, but at least until then.
Every trip has a signature phrase or thing that we might associate with where we are or have been. With Chile, it's whenever we did the quick calculation in our head or on the currency exchange app of what the thing we're buying in CLP costs us in CAD, and realize how fucking expensive it is, we would shrug and say, "well...we're in Chile." There was a bit of sticker shock at the beginning but we eventually became accostmed to it. Yes, it's that expensive here. Not Switzerland expensive, but it's definitely the most expensive South American country I've been to, but I haven't been to Argentina yet, and I've heard things can get pretty pricey over there, and worse, it can change by the hour what with their crazy inflation rate. I knew going in that it would be more expensive than Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia, the SA countries I've been to, but I was a bit surprised that things like groceries, restaurants, accommodations, etc. would often be more or less the same price, or even sometimes more! than in Toronto.
But on to the memories...
Soooo many great hikes, countless times saying, "wow! how amazing is this?!", big sandwiches, completos, good beer, decent beaches, freakiest seaweed ever, beautiful sunsets and sunrises, the soaring granite spires aka Torres del Paine, helpful Chileans, drivers that stop for pedestrians at crosswalks, many many bus rides on top notch buses, endless landscapes on buses, condors, penguins, whales, woodpeckers, flamingos, punky birds, many many vicuñas and others camelids, street art, murals, very fast "what the heck did they say?" Spanish, Costa "chocolate" cookies, Evercrisp roasted peanuts, turquoise lakes and lagoons, Atacama desert, ferries and flights, sandwhich & chips lunches during our hikes, horses, sheep, goat traffic jam, elqui vallley stars and lightening show, lúcuma ice cream, Maracuyá anything, and more I'm sure but I really want to post this because if not, it may never get done.
Much love to everyone and we'll see you all down the road somewhere, sometime.Read more
TravelerWonderful to hear your origin story. Looking forward to following your travels. Bon voyage!