So Mendoza has been super cool fun. St Pat´s day at the Irish pub was insanely fun, I came home with my face painted green. Most of the people here don´t go out til about 1am and stay out til 6 or 7. Joe and I parted ways and I met some other cool cats who I have been hanging out with. The name of this blog is a quote from an American, Shane from Boston who we naturally just called Boston. He was a massive unit who could drink anyone under the table and he turned up at the pub with a two litre bottle of water. Another memorable quote is when a Swedish guy described one of the local beers as tasting like ´llama piss´. For $1AUD for a litre, it could be camel piss and it wouldn´t really matter.
The other day myself, John and a couple of Mexican girls went to the Mendoza wineries on rented bikes, which was great fun. The wine was the best I´ve tasted and by the end of the day we were a little wobbly on our bikes. The next day five of us went down to the lake with two blow up mattresses. What eventuated has been aptly titled ´The Floating Incident´.
Basically there were five of us (Myself, an American, a Pom, and two Swedes) lying over two mattresses which created a sort of raft. We paddled for a good half hour, our flip flops tied together and in tow behind us, before making our way over to the rowing club and restaurant to appease some intrigued locals. They quickly informed us that the club had called the police as you´re not supposed to swim in that particular lake and we made a quick exit. We were sitting at a bar by the lake and toasting to our success when the cops finally drove by.
Today some others are off to the wineries and we´re having a barbecue at the hostel. We´re all parting ways tomorrow, I will be off to Buenos Aires.
The weather here is still amazing and I´m excited to get to BA. Hope all is well in Australia... I heard something about naked photos of Pauline Hanson? That´s something I´m glad I missed. The Tigers line up against the Blues on Thursday. All I can say is get ready for another big disappointment Carlton fans, this is the year of the tiger.
Tom
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Mendoza
Yesterday I said my goodbyes at the hostel, swapped some email addresses and headed to the bus terminal to catch a bus to Mendoza, Argentina. I was able to find one that left in 10min of me getting there and cost roughly $18AUD. The buses here are fantastic. You have loads of space and the seats recline pretty much to the point of being a bed.
Driving through the Andes was amazing. It´s such a different landscape to anything I´ve seen before. The rocky mountain passes and tight bends where trucks have to wait for the bus to pass before cornering themselves. They have tunnels next to steep mountain faces so the rocks don´t fall onto the road.
I was sitting next to a Peruvian guy who had to ask me how to fill out his border crossing form. I struggled too but we worked it out with the help of my phrase book. It was interesting to note that he was using a cheap film camera. Something I haven´t seen in Australia since the nineties.
I met an American guy, Joe, at the bus terminal in Mendoza and we found a hostel together. He looks like a pot smoker so we get harrassed every time we walk down the street if we wanna buy drugs. It´s kinda funny. We ate out last night, had pasta (gnocchi but spelled noquis), dessert and beers for about $12AUD each.
I immediately liked Argentina better than Chile, the people are friendlier, more helpful and more relaxed I think too. They have some beautiful parks here where people just sit around and chill out for ages. The hostel we are staying in is cool but the rooms are tiny. I won´t stay there longer than tonight I think.
The plan now is to check out the city for a bit, find a cheap tent somewhere and hitch hike to Buenos Aires. Like I mentioned, everyone thats done it says it´s quite easy and safe. Especially in Argentina.
I have had a development with uploading photos so with any luck I´ll be able to put some up within the next few days. The internet is either free or cheap here which is great.
I feel the need to mention: I couldn´t find thongs anywhere in Santiago. I went to about ten shoe stores and none of them had any, let alone size 11 which is rare here as the people have small feet. I ended up finding a little Brazillian store which had a full range of genuine havainas and in my size. Stoked.
My next purchase will be a small african drum of some sort. I found a couple in Santiago that were quite expensive. And the Chileans don´t like to bargain so much. I am yet to find one here but I think I´ll get the first one I see... I want one to take around and play in the parks.
OK Hope everyone is well back home and that it´s not too cold... We have had consistently awesome weather here so far.
Tom
Driving through the Andes was amazing. It´s such a different landscape to anything I´ve seen before. The rocky mountain passes and tight bends where trucks have to wait for the bus to pass before cornering themselves. They have tunnels next to steep mountain faces so the rocks don´t fall onto the road.
I was sitting next to a Peruvian guy who had to ask me how to fill out his border crossing form. I struggled too but we worked it out with the help of my phrase book. It was interesting to note that he was using a cheap film camera. Something I haven´t seen in Australia since the nineties.
I met an American guy, Joe, at the bus terminal in Mendoza and we found a hostel together. He looks like a pot smoker so we get harrassed every time we walk down the street if we wanna buy drugs. It´s kinda funny. We ate out last night, had pasta (gnocchi but spelled noquis), dessert and beers for about $12AUD each.
I immediately liked Argentina better than Chile, the people are friendlier, more helpful and more relaxed I think too. They have some beautiful parks here where people just sit around and chill out for ages. The hostel we are staying in is cool but the rooms are tiny. I won´t stay there longer than tonight I think.
The plan now is to check out the city for a bit, find a cheap tent somewhere and hitch hike to Buenos Aires. Like I mentioned, everyone thats done it says it´s quite easy and safe. Especially in Argentina.
I have had a development with uploading photos so with any luck I´ll be able to put some up within the next few days. The internet is either free or cheap here which is great.
I feel the need to mention: I couldn´t find thongs anywhere in Santiago. I went to about ten shoe stores and none of them had any, let alone size 11 which is rare here as the people have small feet. I ended up finding a little Brazillian store which had a full range of genuine havainas and in my size. Stoked.
My next purchase will be a small african drum of some sort. I found a couple in Santiago that were quite expensive. And the Chileans don´t like to bargain so much. I am yet to find one here but I think I´ll get the first one I see... I want one to take around and play in the parks.
OK Hope everyone is well back home and that it´s not too cold... We have had consistently awesome weather here so far.
Tom
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Santiago Es...
So I have been at Bella Vista Hostel in Santiago a little longer than expected now... But because I like it here. There are cool people here. Germans, Spaniards, Americans, Canadians, Australians and even some Norwegian guys that I might be heading to Mendoza with on Monday.
Everyone here seems to have the same purpose: Learn Spanish, see all of the big cities and have some rough experiences in smaller towns, while spending as little money as possible. Here they buy beer buy the litre and share it in small glasses. I have yet to try the national drink, Pisco, but maybe I will tomorrow...
I met a cool guy from Oregon, USA, who is riding his bike from Southern Chile all the way back up through Mexico and the US back to his home. I'd like to try something like that one day. I have photos but am struggling to work out how I'll put them on the internet... The computers aren't so great here.
The plan now is to catch a bus to Mendoza, stay a few days and then hitch hike to Buenos Aires. I have met several people who have hitched and they all tell me it's easy and quite safe.
For the moment though I am living slowly. Reading my Jeffrey Archer book while sunbaking on the roof of the hostel, with a view of San Cristobel only a few hundred metres away. I can't wait to get out and see Argentina and some small towns... Experience some culture. Learn some more Spanish.
Saludos!
PS I love getting emails from home.
Everyone here seems to have the same purpose: Learn Spanish, see all of the big cities and have some rough experiences in smaller towns, while spending as little money as possible. Here they buy beer buy the litre and share it in small glasses. I have yet to try the national drink, Pisco, but maybe I will tomorrow...
I met a cool guy from Oregon, USA, who is riding his bike from Southern Chile all the way back up through Mexico and the US back to his home. I'd like to try something like that one day. I have photos but am struggling to work out how I'll put them on the internet... The computers aren't so great here.
The plan now is to catch a bus to Mendoza, stay a few days and then hitch hike to Buenos Aires. I have met several people who have hitched and they all tell me it's easy and quite safe.
For the moment though I am living slowly. Reading my Jeffrey Archer book while sunbaking on the roof of the hostel, with a view of San Cristobel only a few hundred metres away. I can't wait to get out and see Argentina and some small towns... Experience some culture. Learn some more Spanish.
Saludos!
PS I love getting emails from home.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Bella Vista
I have now moved on from my host family´s house to a hostel in Bella Vista, which is the arty bohemian sort of neighbourhood here. It was sad to leave them (and free food and accommodation) but I needed to meet some people to travel to Argentina with. I am going to Mendoza first, so I´m looking to stay here another two noghts or so, then catch a bus.
Yesterday Miguel and I went to a place called San Cristobal, which is a big hill right in the middle of the city (they have three of them) with a great big statue of the Virgin Mary on top. They call it the statue of immaculate conception. I got a sweet photo of me in front of that which I´ll put on here hopefully tomorrow or the next day.
Miguel then took me to a great little bar in the city where we had drinks called Terre Moto (Earthquake). The drink was pretty much just a big cup of wine with some sort of red liquer and ice cream on top. I felt pretty drunk after that, then we had empenadas. Empenadas are the Chilean equivalent of a Four and Twenty pie. We also shared some beer. We worked out where to meet today as Miguel wanted to show me more of the city, then I returned to the hostel and promptly fell asleep, even sleeping through breakfast this morning... Which is why I must now go and find some lunch (Empenada and beer maybe?).
Tom
Yesterday Miguel and I went to a place called San Cristobal, which is a big hill right in the middle of the city (they have three of them) with a great big statue of the Virgin Mary on top. They call it the statue of immaculate conception. I got a sweet photo of me in front of that which I´ll put on here hopefully tomorrow or the next day.
Miguel then took me to a great little bar in the city where we had drinks called Terre Moto (Earthquake). The drink was pretty much just a big cup of wine with some sort of red liquer and ice cream on top. I felt pretty drunk after that, then we had empenadas. Empenadas are the Chilean equivalent of a Four and Twenty pie. We also shared some beer. We worked out where to meet today as Miguel wanted to show me more of the city, then I returned to the hostel and promptly fell asleep, even sleeping through breakfast this morning... Which is why I must now go and find some lunch (Empenada and beer maybe?).
Tom
Monday, March 9, 2009
Santiago Is.
I arrived at my host´s house, Miguel, yesterday and was very grateful for the meal that his mother put on. Chicken and rice never tasted so good! I lay my head down for a nap at 5.30pm and didn´t wake til 9am this morning.
I had my first shower since the day before I left Australia, and had a breakfast of cereal, eggs, fruit and coffee! Miguel showed me the city today, helped me get an adapter for my Australian plugs (it cost 370 Pesos, roughly 50 Australian Cents.. And they told me Chile was going to be expensive??) and we visited the cemetery. The cemetry had everyone from past presidents to virtually unmarked graves covered in rubbish. Some graves were just bones, in a small box, in a wall with hundreds of other people. I have some great photos which I will post when I have more time on a computer.
Like the cemetery, the city itself has a great contrast between how the rich live compared to the poor. I have seen some mansions here, but on the way into town from the airport there were slums, shanties that house entire families.
We are now using free internet in the library at Miguel´s University, looking for details of a gathering of couch surfers in the city tonight, where we can sample some fine Chilean beer and wine, which is of the highest quality!!!
I had my first shower since the day before I left Australia, and had a breakfast of cereal, eggs, fruit and coffee! Miguel showed me the city today, helped me get an adapter for my Australian plugs (it cost 370 Pesos, roughly 50 Australian Cents.. And they told me Chile was going to be expensive??) and we visited the cemetery. The cemetry had everyone from past presidents to virtually unmarked graves covered in rubbish. Some graves were just bones, in a small box, in a wall with hundreds of other people. I have some great photos which I will post when I have more time on a computer.
Like the cemetery, the city itself has a great contrast between how the rich live compared to the poor. I have seen some mansions here, but on the way into town from the airport there were slums, shanties that house entire families.
We are now using free internet in the library at Miguel´s University, looking for details of a gathering of couch surfers in the city tonight, where we can sample some fine Chilean beer and wine, which is of the highest quality!!!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
First Day!
I have arrived in Santiago after two arduous flights. The flight from Melbourne to Sydney was easy as I had no one sitting next to me and it only took one hour... The flight from Sydney to Santiago via Auckland wasn´t much chop. It was long and the seats were cramped. I was sitting next to a Chilean girl who had been living in Adelaide who helped me through the airport and into the city... The taxi driver tried to rip me off as soon as she got out of the taxi. I shut him down. Good one Tom.
Currently sitting in a super dodgy internet cafe... The ´@´ button doesn´t work on this keyboard so I have to copy and paste it every time I wanna use it. Crazy.
I forgot to write down the address of my accommodation which is why I´m here, so I better go find it now.
Wish me luck!!!
Currently sitting in a super dodgy internet cafe... The ´@´ button doesn´t work on this keyboard so I have to copy and paste it every time I wanna use it. Crazy.
I forgot to write down the address of my accommodation which is why I´m here, so I better go find it now.
Wish me luck!!!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
4 Days Til Departure - Expenses To Date
When I finish writing this I am going to go and start packing my backpack. I still need to make copies of my important documents, write a list of people I need to send postcards to and things like that... I thought it would be interesting and helpful for anyone else planning their trip to see what I have had to spend money on so far.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations
- Initial Consultation $20 (courtesy of a $60 medicare rebate)
- Yellow Fever Vaccine $110
- Typhoid and Hepatitis A Vaccine $60
- Three rounds of Hepatitis B Vaccine $84 ($28 x three injections)
Gear
- Backpack - 55L Black Wolf $210
- Accessories $0 - I either had them already or received them as presents.
Other
- Flight $2100
- Passport $200
- Travel Insurance - Basic cover, no excess $170
- First week of accommodation $0 - Free through couchsurfing.com
- 3kg of the finest Australian heroin... I mean Vegemite. $4500AUD - to be made back with interest from sales in Colombia.
Thanks to everyone that has helped me financially with the trip!
Tom
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