The Heralds Go South

2007-04-17T05:13:00.000-07:00

Day 25 (of being home)
Boston, Ma. USA
I know this post is more than a bit past due and I am sorry to all of you who I promised to keep updated.
Last night I ran into an old girlfriend of my brother-in-law's at the grocery store and accidentally ended up unloading on her for over 30 minutes. Almost crying right there in the grocery store in front of our carts. This is when I knew I have been keeping too much inside since we got back. I had to make time for the blog......or God knows I would torture some other poor soul who is probably now very happy she did not marry into this family!
After our whirlwind 4 days at Disney World we flew to New York and spent four days celebrating our friend Darci's 40th birthday. It was a fun way to see friends and get reaquainted with "The Northern World".
My car had been parked at their house in NY all this time, so on Sunday night we drove back to Boston.
We dropped our stuff in our vacant one bed condo in the city and went to bed on the mattress on the floor. Despite having a bed upstairs, the three of us crowded into the double mattress in the basement. I guess we were just use to being close.
At 8am the next morning, Bryce went back to school, I went back to work, and Rich set about making the condo livable for our "temporary" situation.
To say the next month was overwhelming might be the understatement of my lifetime.
Walking into work, I felt like I had gone out for a cup of coffee.
"Betsy, there are two open houses you need to do on Sunday."
"Betsy, I have questions about my Purchase and Sale."
"Betsy, my deal is falling through....do you know anyone who wants to sell a raw loft??"
I have to wonder what on earth they all did for the five months I was gone!
Right back to the grind with appointments my very first day.
I have worked everyday since then with my only day off being Easter.
Yes, I understand it is a double edge sword. If I arrived back to sit at my desk and twiddle my thumbs I would have been very angry. I would have worried about money and wondered; if I had nothing to do here WHY had I come back.
But, on the other side. I feel as if all the joy and wonder of our trip slipped into a memory too quickly. Its funny....we never even talk about the trip. Its as if the limited time available to us to have the necessary conversations of life is all we can handel.
I still wake up mornings feeling like I just had a dream.
But, it was not a dream. It was very real. And now we are feeling the very real consequences of our actions.
After the intial "Of my God, its great to see you! Welcome Back!" all our friends returned to life as usual.....except sometimes it feels like in 5 months they learned to live that life without us and now it will take time to remind them we are here.
Rich has to job hunt and it is hard to get him motivated. I know what a daunting process it is, so I try to understand. But, until he has a job, we have to stay here in the one bedroom.
At first that wasn't bad. After 153 days of hotels, the 1000 square foot condo actually felt quite spacious.
Our first day back Bryce said to me "Mommy, this is a great hotel! We have our own refridgerator and everything." Even Rich said "I knid of like living in the city again." And I have to admit, the comute is pretty sweet.
But, now one month later, the space is closing in on us. The dog is back from Arizona and living in a condo with a dog is an impossible situation. I simply can not believe that people do this voluntarily! He barks at every noise in the hallway, we have no yard to let him out in, and the weather has been unrelenting rain. This morning the whole family was up at six am trying to shush him because the neighbor upstairs already hates us enough.
The privacy issue is also starting to wear on us. In an open space there is no way to put Bryce to bed while we stay up. No way to have a private conversation. No possiblity of romance.
These things never bothered me on the trip. I suppose the good so far outweighed the bad; the bad melted into the background. But back in the real world. These issues are frustrating.
OK....so I am complaining a lot. Thats because I can not lie....its very hard readjusting.
We did anticipate this. We discussed it at length.
But, I suppose knowing an emotion will come and actually feeling that emotion are two very different entities.
To try to make everything more livable, Bryce and Rich are spending quite a bit of time away. At the Cape House, at friends, in Conneticut.
But, in reality instead of making things easier it makes them harder. I am left behind to deal with real life on my own. I feel excluded from the family. I feel lonely. I won't be afraid to admit, more than once I have gone to sleep on the basement mattress crying. Wishing we could be back on our adventure or wishing life had never changed in the first place.
We put Bryce back in school in Reading, where we use to live, in order to help him have less adjustment. He seems pleased about that, but it means I drive past our old house to take him to school.
The first day I slowed in front of the house and said "There is our old house honey."
"Hmm"..he said. "It looks different. Mommy you better get moving or I'll be late for school."
God, I wish I had his sense of moving on. Staring at the house my heart was heavy.
'Its so beautiful' I thought. 'And now someone else owns it. They live there.' Irrationally, I felt as though someone else was living the life that was suppose to be mine.
But, I remind myself that the trip is not what changed that life. The trip was a savior response to a life that was already changing. The house is beautiful. But, that life was no longer making us happy the way it once did.
Alas.....its not as bad as it seems. When I feel disappointed, overwhelmed, and sad......I remind myself:
I have climbed the ancient ruins of Peru. Looked into the volcanos of Bolivia. Crossed the desert of Chile and sipped wine in the mountains of Argentina. I have steamed on a ship through the icebergs, been bitten by a penguin. I watched my son ride a llama and danced at the clubs in Buenos Aires with my husband. I have cheered at Macarana stadium and rode a horse on the island of Morro. I have spent countless hours soaking up the sun in Brazil.
On the trip I read 37 books. I met scores of interesting people, learned a new language and saw things most will never see.
Adjusting is hard. But, I am lucky. I am lucky because I took a chance to do something special. And it was incredible. I am lucky because no matter how hard this is.......that was worth it.
I lived 153 days of bliss. And I lived it with the men I love.

2007-03-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

Day 145
Miami, USA
You know the expression "ton of bricks"...well.....today thats how it hit me. As I read the comments following my announcement that we were back in The States, I burst into tears. "Say it isn't so!" said Shannon.....I wish I could.
Don't get me wrong....I don't feel sorry for us. God knows we have had more than most ever dream of. I will never be able to put into words how much this time has meant to us as a family and to each of us individulaly.
I say with confidence that The Herald Family travels well together. The three of us have always been bonded and now we share not only this special experience, but the knowledge that five months of living in a 100 square foot room, moving on average every three days, figuring out A to B, getting through the fun and the scary......is all something we can do together.....and most importantly have it unite us in a way that makes me so very proud of my boys. I am forever grateful for the chance, the lesson, the adventure.
However, I believe it impossible for me not to be sad as we all are when something wonderful is over.
Anyhow.....back to blogging!
After two wonderful nights hanging out with Taylor, Amy, and their two sons in their beautiful old Miami home we headed to surprise my Grandma.
Bryce wanted to run in and yell "surprise!" as loud as possible.
But, seeing as she is a 95 year old woman with cancer......I decided that might be a bad idea. We wanted to visit....not give her a heart attack. So we went with the less intense version of simply walking into her living room. She was of course, thrilled and we got to spend a lovely afternoon chatting with her and my aunt Maureen. My father's siblings Patti and Marty showed up for dinner and it just felt nice to be around family.
We are staying at Patti's house and she is much to hospitable and generous for words.
My parents get here tomorrow........and then we are off on one last adventure. Don't give up on us yet!

2007-03-23T06:01:00.000-07:00

Day 144
Miami, USA

Yes.....its true. I report with great regret that we have returned to the good old USA. After 15 hours of flying...nearly 20 hours of tiring travel we arrived at US customs and imigration. On our native soil for the first time in five months.
When I first announced we were leaving, I told you there were two things that would bring us home:

A. We were ready;

We were not. We desperately wanted to see far Northern Brazil and Columbia. We were perfectly comfortable with our vagabond lifestyle and had gotten use to the packing, moving, and changing. We missed a few things.....but not enough to want our wonderful adventure to end.

B. We were out of money;
Well....close....but not quite.

So...why are we here?? To be honest, no matter how hard I fought it.....I just could not rid myself the responisiblity inside of me. And when my office starting putting the pressure on for me to come home.....we decided we had to heed the call to our old lives.
When I told Bryce we were going home he said "Yeah!" I don't think he quite understands what all that means and how much he will miss our adventure. He will probably say hi to all his friends and then want to go right back.
We are now spending a couple of nights with our friends Taylor and Amy in Miami. As far as I am concerned.....we are still on the trip.....I have never been to Miami!
Soon we will head t visit my Grandma just North of here.....and then....we have a dew ideas in the works!!!!
So.......keep reading. I hate a book with an obrupt ending! And we still have a few surprises in store.

2007-03-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

P.S.
I never answered Heather's question about how much The Iberostar cost....because its just too embarrasing to admit it.
Lets just say....Bryce better get a scholarship for college!

2007-03-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

Day 142

Rio, Brazil

Why back to Rio?? Well...that is where the flights go.

We are staying in town this time and having a great amount of fun. Our book says one of the best experiences in the world is to "be the boy or girl from Ipanema"....so today that is what we did. We layed on the beach and soaked up the sun. It is really fantastic to have this huge, beautiful beach right in the heart of the city. Like nowhere else I have ever experienced. Its a lot of fun, if you don't mind the hoards of hawkers coming by to sell, drinks, clothes, jewlery, tattoos, food......we actually don't. We find it more charming than annoying. Plus...you never have to leave your beach chair. Everything just comes to you!

We also had the pleasure today of having lunch with Vern Herald's (Rich's Dad) college roommate! He is Brazillian and moved back to Rio over 30 years ago.....Through our driver here in Rio we looked him up and ionvited him to lunch. We thought this picture might be a lot of fun for Vern.

However, so far my favorite Rio experience was last night.

Rich and I got a sitter and went to dinner at The Copacabana Palace. Best food we have ever had! And the restaruant is beautiful, the service perfect, the atmosphere almost a trip back in time. I felt like Bridgette Bordeau in the 1920s. It was pure ellegance personified.

2007-03-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

Days 137 to 140
Praia do Forte, Brazil
I wanted to head to this area North of Salvador because it is famous for Turtles. We love turtles....for those of you who don´t know....Rich and I were engaged on the beach in Australia on a night baby sea turtles were hatching and running for the ocean in the moonlight all around us. We have told Bryce the stories and he always gets angry...."I can´t believe you didn´t take me!" he says. The whole "You did not exist yet" thing does not seem to be a good enough excuse to satisfy......so I figured this was my chance to make it up to him.
I had read a magazine article about a new hotel here called The Iberostar. The magazine was in Pourtuguese.....so I did not understand it, but the photos looked great! I checked it out online.....no info......but I´m game....lets give it a try.
We should have known the moment we pulled up to the huge entry gates with the security guards with headsets, that this was not the hotel for us. Security guards with headsets might as well be men wearing t-shirts that say "You can not afford this." But, hell....we were here and now I wanted to at least see it.
Driving through the palms on the 3 mile drive to the hotel it became more and more obvious that my initial assessment was correct.......this place was bigger and more beautiful than the Taj Majal. Fountains everywhere, men in golf carts, colorful arched buildings in every direction.
Our cab pulled up and I walked into the lobby to "ask" about prices. The front desk told me.....I turned to tell Rich and Bryce to get back into the cab....but there was a problem.
Bryce was standing with stars in his eyes as a pretty receptionist explained to him the: kids club, kids pool, kids theatre, kids golf, kids competitions, ice cream parlor....need I go on. I turned the other way and Rich was watching the Gucci clad models go by while signaling the doorman to get our bags out of the car.
So....Welcome to the Iberostar!
I had most certainly be foiled!
"Two nights!" I told them.

I write to you on night number 4. Okay, Okay....I got hooked too. The beautiful ocean view roon, the big king size bed, the free margaritas and frosty pineapple drinks. Plus they have bingo everyday at 4. I love Bingo.
Ah yes.... The Iberostar. Or as I like to call it Club Med on Crack. This place never stops moving.
Rich has become the MVP on the water basketball team and he actually won the riffelry turnament.
Produce Broker my butt! He must have secretly been a CIA agent.
And Bryce.....Bryce who???? I have barely seen him since we checked in! He runs to kids club every morning after breakfast and then we hunt him down around 9:30 pm to put him to bed.
Last night however we were encouraged to go to the theatre right after dinner where we were thrilled to see our little bug staring in the mini club version of High School Musical.
Thanks Heather!....she´ll know what I mean.
After the show, Bryce told me "They always want me to perform....and sometimes they don´t even say please."
Ahhh...how quickly a star becomes a prima donna!
Yesterday we did manage to extract ourselves and Bryce from the hotel grounds long enough to go find what we came for......Turtles.We went to the Tamar Projecto Turtles. The largest sea turtle rescue project in the world. It was wonderful.....like a huge aquarium on the beach. They had tuns of pools of rescued adult turtles, pools of newly born and yet to be released babies and even "touch pools" where you culd stick your hands in and feel turtles, sting rays and various fish. Despite all the complaining to get Bryce out of the hotel.....he loved it.

They are such facinating and majestic creatures. I always find them so peaceful.
My book calls the project "Disneyfied"...which I assume is mean to be an insult....but I don´t really care what it take to bring awareness to the plight of this endangered species....I thought the project did an excellent ob of teaching both children and adults about this fabulous lifeform.
We also took a nice long stroll around town to do some shopping. Praia do Forte is a beautiful little village with great shops, restaurants, playgounds.....and Bryce´s need t0 make a city worthwild....tree to climb.
Overall....we have had a fabulous stay. A bit commercialized and probably more pampering and activity than we needed. But, its been fun. And fun its ultimately what it is all about.

2007-03-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

Ok....no time to blog right now.....but MOM...I just read your comments! Wow....I guess that could have been Sao Paulo or Montevideo.....plenty of anti-Bush stuff both places.
No worries here in Praia do Forte....we are perfectly safe. No riots. Just a front desk woman who hates me.
I asked her why we could not get towels after 5pm and her answer was "Well....we don´t get many Americans here."
Probably makes no sense to you.....but to me the meaning was quite clear! I laughed the whole way back to my room! Its my favorite comment of the whole trip.
I´ll blog later.
Love,
Bets

2007-03-09T11:32:00.000-08:00

Day 134
Maru Penninsula, Brazil
A lazy day. Not really an option to be too energetic here. We saundered down the beach this morning to the point where we found a comfy little beach bar clad with loung chairs and pillows. We spent the day there chatting with other vacationers, swimming, reading, and dining on typical Bahian foods. Bahia (this state of Brazil) is famous for very distinct and flavorful food. My favorite was the fried cheese they heat over coals on the beach and then douse in lemon. Bryce enjoys the fried meat and falafel balls and Rich dives into the ginger coconut shrimp. All these foods are served by vendors that walk up and down the beach with their fresh wears and then cook it up in a pan in the sand when you are ready.
It was quite lovely.
Rich got up the stamina to go diving with a guy from Sao Paulo he had gotten friendly with at the pousada. He had a great time. However the best part was watching Bryce get excited about the fact that HIS Dad was a real diver! He helped him get on all his equipment and check his guages. He can´t wait to be old enough to go with.
Being too young, instead he made friends with a boy from Argentina. I think he was happy to find a child who spoke Spanish instead of Portugese! His spanish can right back.....I was impressed.
We headed back to the pousada just in time for our Thai massage under a thatched tent next to the water. Oh...life is tough.
At night, Rich and I laid under the moonlight in beach loungers staring at the stars.
I mentioned my "bed" dream to him. He just laughed.
So, I asked him "Don´t you miss anything from home?"
During his quiet thinking process......I listened to the waves tumble onto the shore. I felt the warm breeze and watched the palms sway above us. I took a sip of my wine.
He smiled at me and said "No."

2007-03-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys! Thanks for all the comments last time! Made my day. Sorry I have been away for a few days....but we were in the land of no internet.
I will have everything caught up by tomorrow and I will post Maru Penninsula pics as soon as I can figure out how! This computer is funky. :)

2007-03-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

Day 133
Morro to Valencia
Valencia to Camamu
Camamu to Maru Penninsula
Maru Penninsula to Barra Grange
ALL BRAZIL
Ahhhh...."travel days" as we call them are never my favorites....but none the less, always an adventure.
This morning we got up early to bid farewell to the lovely Hotel Anima and the Island of Morro. Once again we were forced out not because we wanted to leave....but because we had run out of money. We, born of the easy ATM society....do not learn quickly. And, when the cash is gone...we must head to more modernized locals. Or at least stop by them on our way to even less modernized havens.
So we took the 30 minute bumpy road to the 20 minute smooth and lovely ferry, to the two hour car ride.....to the second ferry....not so smooth.
Yes, I am sorry, I have once again embarassed the American people. You see, we waited over an hour for the ferry until we finally realized "the ferry" was that tiny speed boat that had been waiting at the dock the entire time.
"Why couldn´t we just leave?" asked Rich.
The answer came all too quickly as we realized they were waiting for more people. They loaded 8 tourists, one captain, and about 300 pounds of lugguage into the tiny speedboat, clearly marked on the side, in english, CAPACITY 4 PEOPLE. Maybe the problem being these people do not speak English.
So here is the part where I embarassed you.....
We only got about 5 feet from the dock before it became clear that not only were we hanging over the sides, but it was to be a bumpy ride.
So with all my american blooded gusto, I announced the boat would go no further until Bryce was wearing a life jacket.
All the Argentines onboard cracked up and made comments about overly paranoid Americans....but I did not care. He is my son...his life is my responsibility and pride does not play a part in that.
So..back to the dock we went.....Bryce got a life jacket....and 40 minutes later we arrived on the tip of the Maru Penninsula.
The best way I can describe it is to say.....imagine if there were no roads to P-town on the tip of Cape Cod. Just gorgeous, stunning beaches and a few small B&Bs. No restaruants, no shops. Simply water, sand and sun. Plus a guy who meets you at the dock with cold coconuts.
Another 45 minute truck ride over an even bumpier road brought us to Encantado Du Lua, our home for the next two nights. It was simple and small......but how can one be too unhappy when the waves are lapping at the shore and the sun is starting to slip into the ocean.
Though.....I have an admission to make: I woke up with a start in the middle of the night. I thought I had had a nighmare...but quickly acknowledged I had been dreaming about my bed. As I call it "my princess in the pea bed." My $10,000 bed. (Yes..remember...we had money once.)
Oh....how I love the pillow top matress and down pillows. 2000 thread count sheets and silk comforter. I felt the thin, lumpy pillow beneath my head and smelled the dampness of sheets left near the ocean too long. Could it be I missed home?
Not enough not to happily fall back asleep and wake up to the birds chirping out my window.

2007-03-05T13:05:00.000-08:00

Day 132

Morro Sao Paulo, Brazil

Still Here! Today we took the attitude of "If you cant beat them, join them." You see, one of the few difficulties of the trip lately has been the frustration of the slow, lazy lifestyle of the Brazillians. These people just do not move fast.....and we are Americans....its hard to become accustomed to.

But, today....we tried it their way.

Early in the day we sat ourselves down at a beach restaurant.......and we stayed until high tide washed the place away.

Its not so bad!

What else can I say....thats all she wrote.

2007-03-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

Day 131

Morro Sao Paulo, Brazil

Okay, okay....we were suppose to leave two days ago....but its just sooooo nice here! We have lost all motivation and if we do not find some inspiration soon.....someone might have to come and fetch us! Any volunteers??????

Anyway....last night was incredible. Originally we had intended to go into town for dinner, but our lazy bones voted for the mellow tranquility of our pousada instead. Quiet music on the surround sound, ocean breezes, great food and the super smiley waiter who does not speak a lick of English.....how can you resist.

In the middle of dinner, Phillipe came running over shouting "Go to the beach!"

We are foreign....so we listen....and along with the only two other dinners (honeymooners from Italy) we scurried to the beach.

There, in all its glory, was a full red moon. And as we stood in wonder the shadow began to slowly slide its way across until we had a 3/4 eclipse. Amazingly, I have never seen an eclipse before. This was not a bad one to start with. So serene, so peaceful, jazz sang in the background as we all sat in wonder letting our food get cold.

This morning we decided we wanted to go snorkling. Phillipe said there was a good spot, but it was a little far. He could provide us transportation. On Morro.....this is transportation.

But, even the horses could only take us for far before the mangroves overtook our path and we had to rely on our own feet.

Through the mangroves and across low tide on a wet and rocky coral reef. This prooved to be a bit of a wardrobe problem........You see, for the horseback ride, I had worn the only pair of decent shoes I have not shipped home or simply disgarded. These were my black suede Merril sneakers.

I laughed to myself.....in my former life "wrong shoes" meant that the particular shade of gold just did not accent the dress very well. Today, it meant very water logged feet that were an effort to pick up again and again across rocky terrain!

I guess combining horseback ridding with snorkling can be akin to going out clubbing straight after work: You are bound to be dressed inappropriately for one or the other!

Through much effort, we made it to the spot.......too bad there were no fish!

But, the adventure was fun. As parents, Rich and I just delight in watching Bryce explore his world. We stopped for every crab, shell, or leaf along the way!

2007-03-03T12:14:00.000-08:00

Day 130

Morro Sao Paulo, Brazil

One thing we have learned is the only thing that can make a beautiful place better is beautiful people. So, we woke up happy this morning after having a lovely dinner last night with three friends we met on the Ferry. Mother, Father, and daughter, from Arizona joined us for dinner and excellent conversation was had for hours under the stars. A beautiful night made more special by the interesting people we meet.

Empowered, we decided to go exploring today....to The Other Side of The Island.

Phillipe, the owner of our Pousada had told us there were "mud people" there and we needed to see that!

So...down the road, past town, under the arches, through the jungle, and along the beach we went. After about two hours of walking the deserted beach on a Robinson and Curuseo style hunt...we started to think Phillipe might be pulling our leg......but then we found them. They are not hard to spot. 10 to 15 Brazillians and tourists alike smearing themselves with mud pouring off towering cliffs that surrounded the beach. As you can imagine, it did not take long for us to decide we wanted to be mud people too! With a little help we went about cherrily covering ourselves from head to toe, loving the amusement of it all. Bryce of course thought it was wonderful. I mean, come on, how often do your parents encourage you to cover yourself in dirt??? And talk about exfoliation! Our skin was so soft Bryce kept insisting for the rest of the day "Just touch me. I´m soft like a kitty." They could make a fortune with this stuff at a NY salon. I only wish little Kayla could have been there.

PINK MUD! What could make a little girl happier! After a quick rinse in the warm ocean we headed off to explore a little more of our deserted beach. But, much to our shock....around the next corner....it was no longer deserted. We had happened upon Monkey Beach, a huge beach bar and restaurant with music and food that takes about 2 hours to arrive at your table.....ohh Brazil. So we stayed a few hours hanging out in the sun and then hitched a ride home on a passing fishing boat. Even in my relaxed state the decrepid fishing boat ( I thought we were going under when Rich climbed aboard) may have made me nervous, except for the fact that the Captain also seemed to know his vessel was on the verge of sinking, and hugged so close to the shoreline, had we actually gone down....even Bryce would have been able to swim ashore.

2007-03-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

Day 129
The Island of Morro De Sao Paulo, Brazil
Just when we were starting to think that beaches in Brazil were swarming masses of colorful bodies where it was near impossible to find a place to lay your towel.......we found this: It turns out....you just have to work for it. First, take a two hour flight to Salvador. Next, crowd onto the two hour ferry to The Island of Morro. When you get off the ferry, you will quickly realize there are no cars. Probably a result of the fact that there are no streets. So, as a solution to the luggage problem, guys with wheel barrels line the port and load up your stuff. You then do your best to follow them down the narrow sand alleyways through town, across two beaches and finally up a cobblestone road. Here a huge Hummer greets you to take you 30 more minutes into the trees. Then and only then.....will you be graced with the words "Welcome to Hotel Anima."

If you are looking at the pictures......you know its worth it.

However, today after a relaxing morning....we decided to check out the rest of the island.

The Island is made up of four parts.

Town: which is found along 1st beach is a charming and eclectic mix of artist shops, cafes, clothing boutiques, and various tourist huts.

We had a great time here strolling, shopping, and having lunch. To our pleasant surprise, Morro does not seem to subscribe to the Brazillian obsession with fried food and we found an excellent organic restaurant where we dinned on fresh fruit crepes and avacado salad.

Next is Second Beach: This is the hip beach spot. Filled with lazy loungers and beach huts serving fruit drinks and various sweet liquor contraptions....this is the place to be if you want to party. Bryce quickly made friends here.

Third Beach gets a bit quieter......this is where you find the bigger more glamorous pousadas and higher-end restaurants.

I made a friend here:

On the final 4th beach....is us. Just our lovely little pousada with a world class restaurant, pool, and nine stylish bungalows sitting on a deserted beach where you could sit for hours without seeing a single soul.

If you ever wished you could have gone to The Caribbean before big hotels and shanty towns. If you ever wished you could choose to sit on a coconut lined beach by yourself or chat with the locals under the stars while eating gourmet food. If you ever wanted to dip your toes into crystal clear water and listen to drumbeats from the tikibar......Morro De Sao Paulo is for you. I know its for us!

2007-03-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

Day 128
Salvador, Brazil
Back on our own. We were very sad to see the Hardy´s go....it was so nice to share our adventure again with people we love. As for the last week, Thank you to Heather for booking and planning it all. We had a great time and are so happy for all we got to see and do in Rio. It is a facinating city of dicatomys that will live with us forever.
Salvador is another huge city (two hours flight North) but VERY different. Salvador is known as the cultural and historic center of Brazil and it is easy to see where it gains this distinction. The buildings here are old and colorful, the beaches full of dark colored Brazillians decended from African slaves and retaining much of their unique allure. It makes you feel a bit like the creole influence you would see in New Orleans.
We only had 14 hours in Salvador.....and 7 of them we were sleeping.....but in typical Herald style we packed in the other seven.
We went to visit two 1700´s Forts, one where they still set off the cannons everyday, we walked the streets shopping for the famous Salvadorian textiles, and had lunch on the crowded beach.
Lunch was the most interesting part of the day. Not wanting to sit around in a restaurant.....we decided to chance it on a famous Bahian street food called Acaraje. Its basically peas and corn turned into paste, deep fried, and then stuffed with lentils, tomatoes, and shrimp (sin shrimp for me). Its VERY tasty....but the interesting part is that the Salvadorians so value this famous food that they have made laws to protect it!
No restaurant, cafe or hotel is allowed to sell this particular food. It may only be sold by women on the street. These women need a license. To obtain this license they must go before a board of directors for the union and submit their receipe for apporval. The license can then be handed down from mother or grandmother to daughter as long as the receipe is not changed. The women who cook and sell the Acaraje all wear traditional flowing skirts and turbans on their heads. I find the whole tradition to be quite beautiful.....which maybe makes the food taste even better. We topped them off with cold, fresh coconut water drank through a staw right from the coconut itself.

2007-02-28T10:20:00.000-08:00

Day 126

Rio, Brazil

Another big day!

We started the morning by heading to Tijuca National Park, a 8151 acre park in the heart of Rio. Like a little rain forest that survived in the middle of this far reaching city.

The park brings forth two emotions in me:

On one hand, it was beautiful and green and cool and peaceful. It makes you rejoice that this historical patch of wild life has survived and glad for the people of Rio that they have this refuge.

On the hand.....it breaks your heart. You see, we discovered when we arrived that the gangs have taken over the park. This makes it too dangerous for the average person to walk the trails or hike the hills. This forest has become a jungle war zone. In response, the park is falling apart. Historical buildings and mansions have fallen down, trails overgrown, restaurants closed. It feels a bit like a jungle ghost town.

We were all very disappointed that we could not go hiking. I found myself angry with the corrupt government that lets such a thing happen to such a jewel as this park.

We did get somewhat fortunate that a gentelman was there from The World Life Wildfund there at the Park. He spoke perfect English and took us on a quick car tour. That was the best we could do.

After the park we headed to lunch at a great place on the water. Big Brazillian BBQ that made the carnivors in the group very happy. They had a kid room.....which made the little ones happy too. We had planned on going to a neighborhood called Santa Teressa....but Fernanda (named by Alex "the terrified, supermodel tourguide" ) insisted there were too many kidnappings in the area. Yes, that is one way to make parents change their minds in a heartbeat.

At the end of our lunch, we fullfilled one of my dreams by going for cocktails and ice cream at The Copacabana Palace. That hotel exudes glamor. I can not even appropriately describe how elegant it is.

To top off a very nice evening we crossed the street and dipped our toes in the water of Copacabana Beach. The kids loved running into the waves in the dark, Alex and I delighted in touching our toes to what Bryce called "Famous Sand", and Heather got very nervous that we were..... "Breaking the one rule that every guide book puts in bold print......DO NOT WALK THE BEACHES AT NIGHT."

I guess we are lucky.....because everyone escaped without harm and a with smile on their face.

2007-02-28T09:39:00.000-08:00

Day 124
Rio, Brazil
Brazil e penta! The cry of Brazillian football...or soccer as we Americans call it. But, you really cant say you have experienced Brazil when you did not attend a football game. Plus we figured the boys (big and small) would love it.....so we bought tickets to Sunday's game of two local rivals Team Flamengo and Team Vasco. Turns out us girls LOVED it too!
I have to admit, walking into the world famous Macacana Staduim in Rio was intoxicating. The military police with AK-47s greet you as you walk in.....crowd control is important....Barzilians take their soccer very seriously. Up in the stands the energy is intense. The game itself is certainly exciting, but the real action in in the grandstands where opposing fans fill opposite sides of the staduim, chanting, yelling, waving flags, setting off fire works, singing, dancing....and sometimes crying. When their team does badly, they yell at each other as if the guy sitting next to them was the actual player who missed the goal. When a big play is being awaited....they jump and dance and yell so loudly you can feel the massive concrete stadium waiver up and down under the power of thousands moving at once. The best way I can describe it to say it is a sea of energy.
Such a thrill of mesmerizing proportion that it leaves your heart beating, your butt shaking, and your throat in the pit of your stomach.
We decided to vote for Vasco (the white team)...because we were surrounded by their fans and somewhat afraid to be happy for the other side. I must say.... we actually got really into it! By the end, I honestly cared how our team was doing.

The plays were exciting. The movement so high paced. The boys so young and yet under so much pressure. And it really can be vicious. We must have seen 6 or more players flip up in the air, come down on their heads, and be removed on stretchers. But, the game barely skips a beat.
And alas, now we have experienced true Brazilian sadness because after a 1/1 tie....our team lost in the final shoot out.
We stayed in the stands until the stadium cleared (as we had been advised to avoid the fights that tend to break out after the game) and then cheered up as we headed back to our van. It was easily voted one of the highlights of our trip.

2007-02-25T06:37:00.000-08:00

Day 123

SAMBRADROME! RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil

Last night was the final party for the winners parade of The 2007 Carnivale. I will have to let Rich tell you all about it...since unfortunately...I did not go.

Zach was sick.....and I certainly was not going to have my theatre enthusiast, best friend, miss this chance of her lifetime. So, I stayed home.

However, I dont think Rich will have to write much.....because as they say...A PICTURE SPEAKS A THOUSAND WORDS!

You will want to click on these and blow them up to get the full effect.

2007-02-24T08:58:00.000-08:00

Day 122
Nitoroi, Brazil
OK.....to be honest we did little more today than hang around the house....swim in the pool and play with the monkeys. It was a perfectly nice day!
The boys loved it and even tied strings to bananas to try to lure the monkeys into the house. These monkeys did not need much encouragement!
So,these monkey pictures are for you Zoe....and because they are so darn cute!

In case anyone out there loves to learn.......these are Miko Monkeys......also called "Brazillian Squirrels."

And I will have to give my cute quote for this entry to someone else's kid.

At some point in the day....we noticed the yard was flooding....

"Who left the hose on?" yelled Heather.

A squeeky little voice chirped "I did!" with pride.

"Kayla! Why did you turn on the hose?" asked Heather

Tiny, 3 year old Kayla smiled broadly and said "For the mermaids!"

Now how can you argue with that logic???!!!

2007-02-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

Day 121
Rio, Brazil
Now here is a picture I know you have seen before.....BUT NOT WITH US IN IT! The Corcovado, commonly known as The Christ Statue. We had to go. Its that symbol that you have arrived in this wild and wonderful city of energy, heat, and some of the best beaches in the world.
The statue itself is fun to get to. You take an old cable car ride up the mountain through the jungle. The cable car was built in 1889. The statue itself built in 1931. Its so much larger than I ever imagined. HUGE! I also never knew it was actually assembled right there on top of the mountain....piece by piece. Millions of tiny mosaic soapstone pieces lovingly put together bit by bit on a mountain top. Very impressive, I must admit.
The view was also incredible. You can see all of Rio. A fasinating city of highrises sandwiched between the ocean and the mountain, twisting and flowing between lakes and lagoons.
The only rough part of the day was that poor Zach had developed swimmers ear,and therefore was understandably very cranky. I felt bad for Heather that her dream of seeing The Christ was marred by the distraughtness that comes with having a sick child.
But, on vacation or not.....we never stop being mothers.

2007-02-21T10:38:00.000-08:00

Day 119
Nitorei, Brazil
The Hardys are here! The Hardys Are Here!
Yesterday at 8am, after 20 hours of travel....Heather, Alex, Zach, Kayla, and Grandpa Jack arrived in Brazil.
We all met up at our house on the hill....which is Brazillian, but beautiful and settled in. Our favorite part of the house is the monkeys! I am sure the locals find them annoying...but we think they are adorable. Cheeky little guys though....they will scurry right into the house and steel food. Last night I could not set the table for dinner until the last moment because when I put out the bread rolls.....one disappeared!
Last night, Rich and I were ready to party with friends....but The Hardys were so exhausted, I think the only reason we kept them awake though dinner was because they were also starving.
Today everyone was still in need of a little RandR.....so we made it a beach and pool day. Its been nice and relaxing. The kids are having alot of fun having buddies and so am I!
Its funny how natural it feels to have Heather and her family here. Just seems like those we love belong on this adventure with us. Not having seen anyone from home since Carrie and Dave left almost two months ago......as awesome as it is meeting new people.....I love the comfort of "Those who know you."
The Beach was very crowded today.....National Holiday and all, which gave us a good chance to experience local culture.
Henceforth comes.....My tidbit for the day:
In Brazil......the body you have has NOTHING to do with the bathingsuit you wear. Thin/fat, taught and smooth or scared and wrinkly, young/old......they all wear string bikinis.
Now....close your eyes......take a moment to picture your grandma.... in a thong. In Public.
NO.....its not pretty. Some things about American culture have their perks!

2007-02-19T06:23:00.000-08:00

Day 117

Buzios, Brazil

Today we just hung around our Pousada, the lovely Villa Bambuti. After two days of traffic, swiming and reading in this lovely setting atop the hill, overlooking the bay.....seemed like all the excitement we needed. And after 117 days of foreign language...it was a pleasure to just sit around and chat in English with our sweet hosts, Debbie and Louis.

This pousada realy starts to feel like visiting good friends. Everyone hangs our and tells stories.....its a nice change from being in hotels.

Bryce enjoyed it because the Pousada has a two year old German Shepherd who at first looks quite opposing, but turns out to be quite sweet.

It was hysterical.....the dog has a terrible fear of drowning and I think Bryce raised him into quite a tizzy by spening two hours in the pool. Poor, Zulu spent the whole two hours trying to pull him out of the water and "save him from danger."

But, alas......I am telling you about the boring part of our day......

LAST NIGHT WE FINALLY MADE IT TO CARNIVALE!

And I can honestly say......it was worth the traffic! Buzios was the perfect place for us to imbibe in this Brazilian tradition. Itsthe kind oftown where bringing your purse and camera to the party is a good idea....not a dangerous one. Its the kind of town where Carnivale is a family event and despite all the crowds and insanity....it is friendly, safe, and fun.

So....here is the gist of how it works. Starting around midnight various bands and dance groups parade up and down the main street. As a party-goer...you have two choices:

Join the masses dancing behind the parade...or stand on the side lines to drink and take pictures.

We did a little of both. The first event we joined was the childrens parade. Note: This is NOT a good event for cameras, hairdos, or my dryclean only shirt.

Essentially the band marches playing samba music and all the kids are placed on shoulders to follow down the street where guys on the side lines pass them rigged bottles of shaving cream and silly string with which they douse the crowd. As you can imagine.....Bryce thought this was the BEST thing ever!

The next event we partook in was the Dancing Girls Parade. Here, beautiful women dance down the streets in the traditional Carnivale costumes, while onlookers toss water to them....and on them. The object is to get "laid" by one of the girls.....to which I did succeed.

There are also all sorts of traditional bands representing the customs and commerce of Brazil. Religious bands, samba bands, jazz, rock, country, blue-grass.....its a virtual maddness of music and dancing. Everyone was so happy! So friendly! And so interested in making sure everyone in attendance was having the time of their lives. There was not one person in town who was not egar to take photos, dance together, pass out drinks and gifts and just generally share the merriment.

All I can say is "You have to go to Carnivale in Brazil.!" It really wil be the best party you ever attend.

Second to the shaving cream parade....Bryce loved all the girls:

Rich loved the girls too: And I loved the boys? Girls? It all gets a little confusing down there!

About 2am....just when the party was getting started, we decided we better take Bryce home.

But, quite possibly....Bryce was taking us home.....I think he could have gone all night. Rich and I are just too old for this stuff!

2007-02-18T07:33:00.000-08:00

Day 116
Paraty, Brazil
In the light of day, our hell had turned to heaven. Paraty was everything I had been promised and more. Charming cobblestone alleyways featuring blue and white houses with laterns and red tin rooftops.

Adorable shops, great restaurants that call you to with the smell of fresh fruit and boiling sauces. And best off all....huge palms lining pristine white sand beaches dotted with colorful fishing boats. This is the Brazil you hope to find. Secluded, pristine and chi chi...but filled with music and color and smiling faces.
The decorations from Carnivale made it even more lively and we throughally enjoyed a morning of just strolling the tiny walkways.
After a fantastic lunch of garlicky brushetta, calamari, and spinach ravioli with light tomato sauce......we knew we had to leave. We had another four hour drive ahead of us and we figured it might take six with traffic.
Oh.....why don't we learn????!!!!!
The first half of the drive from Paraty was beautiful. We took the nicely paved coastal highway (I am sure this is how Mick gets there).
This drive answers the question "With crime and traffic and bugs....why does everyone love Brazil sooo much?"
On your left, thick emerald green rain forest splattered with purple flowers and grand waterfalls. On your right perfect beach after perfect beach and turquios waters more sparkling clear than you ever imagined possible.
It was 2.5 hours of road trip joy.
Then we hit Rio and a little traffic. But, not too bad....it was moving. And seeing Rio for the first time out the car windows was a rush....so we did not mind going slow to check out the vistas.
We passed through Rio without much trouble and hit the Northern 101 to the coast.
Then we sat. Wall to wall cars for 0ver 100 miles and 7 hours of sweat, noise, and the only scenery....the slums surrounding the city. The traffic is so heavy they set up roadside food stands where you can order and be served your dinner in your car without moving more than three feet down the road.
Dear Lord.....I did not think any of us were going to surrvive a 2nd day of living on the highway.
But, we did. A little past midnight (12 hours of driving) we found our Pousada in Buzios.
I rang the doorbell and heard a distinct "Hello."
English had never sounded so good.
It turns out the owners of our beautiful B&B are from California.
They had kindly awaited our arrival with a much needed open bottle of wine.
For the second night in a row....we were too distraught to join the Carnivale.

2007-02-18T05:56:00.000-08:00

Later Day 115
Sao Paulo to Paratay, Brazil
We will call this entry "The Adventure We Never Wanted To Have."
It did not start that way.
We woke up this morning in an American house, with American beds and showers, and DVDs....it was quite a nice little break.
Ligia was a generous hostess and took us on our own personailzed tour of Sao Paulo. And despite all the bad things we had heard about this sprawling metropolis of crime and dirt.....we actually found ourselves liking the city quite a bit. We saw the American school, which was spectacular and I found myself quite jealous Bryce would not be educated there.

This picture was taken just outside the girls classroom. Everything is so green and pretty here!

We also saw the botanical gardens which make you forget you are in a city of 17Million people and make you feel as if Sao Paulo is still one huge jungle. We picked up lunch at a great little deli.
Ligia explained that lunch, with guests, in Brazil is usually a three hour ordeal...but we were anxious to hit the road.
Following our plane disaster from yesterday, I was refusing to fly. However, fearing crime in Brazil, Rich was refusing to take the six hour bus ride to Rio. We compromised on a car rental......if only we had known.
We had two days to arrive in Buzios just North of Rio, so we decided to make it a three hour trip and sleep halfway in a town called, Paraty. I had read great things about this small beach town and I was anxious to see it for myself.
We set off at 2pm. "Be careful." Ligia warned. Its Friday and the traffic will be bad.
"Well be fine" I said..."Were from the East Coast...we know traffic."
The car rental place spoke NO English or Spanish and had NO maps......but they did manage to warn us "Its carnivale....the traffic will be bad."
"We know" I said. Besides...we only had a three hour drive. Even if it took six....we would still be there on time for dinner.
Two hours and four gas stations later.....we had not even found the highway. We were completely lost! At gas station five I was nearly in tears when I heard a man speak up in English. I nearly attacked the poor bloke....but five minutes later we had perfect directions to the highway.
"At this time of day...the traffic will be horrible." He chided me.
"I know....we'll be fine." I said.
2 hours and 10 kilometers later......Rich looked very tense. I tried to disfuse his frustration by plastering a smile on my face and saying as cheerily as I could manage "Think of it this way, dealing with Sao Paulo traffic is just another one of those Brazillian experiences we will have gotten to have had! Six months from now this will be just another great adventure story."
The look he gave back to me said 'If Ihad a gun, I would shoot you.'
So, I shut up.
2 hours later, 6 hours into our 3 hour drive, and still not even out of the city of Sao Paulo.....if he had had a gun.....I would have LET him shoot me.
2 hours later, 8 hours into our 3 hour drive, the traffic eased up and off we drove.
With no local map.....we were going by our big map of South America. It showed one turnoff to Paraty. When we found it Bryce cheered and sang in the back seat. Rich seemed to relax a bit.
The sign said "Paraty, 95 kilometers". At least we would make it by midnight.
70 kilometers later. The road dead ended into the jungle.
Now nearly one AM, pitch black, no one around.....and we were out of road. In front of us was just a rocky dirt path that seemed to disapear into the thick brush. Behind us, the deserted twisty mountain road we had just spend an hour negociating.
Not wanting to go back......"This has to be it." Rich insisted.
"It can't be!" I wailed. "My book says Mick Jagger vacations in Paraty. Certainly a town glamorous enough forMick would at least have a ROAD."
Frustrated, out of options and exhausated, my husband ignored me and plowed our rented Fiat into the Jungle.
As we stumbled and sputtered deeper into the woods, I began to get very nervous. OK....I was terrified.
This is Brazil afterall and driving alone in the middle of the night in the jungle seemed like a very bad idea. Half of me wanted Rich to keep up speed to avoid being car jacked by bandits waiting in the brush. The other half of me was numb with the fear that if we went too quickly we would learch over the edge of the massive cliff that hugged our right side.
2 hours of driving through the blackness up and down the rocky path, jungle vines covering the road and banging off the top of our car, boulders scraping and ripping our undercaridge, waterfalls streaming under our wheels and causing our tires to spin in the mud.......and Rich developed a greater fear. We were in the middle of nowhere........and we were almost out of gas.
I tried to stay calm, but I was loosing it. I had visions of us dead in our tracks, sleeping in the sweltering heat of our little car, waiting for jungle badits to slit our throats in the middle of the night. How could we have been so stupid!? We were never going to make it out of this.....and it was my fault. My poor little baby sitting silently, but wide awake in the backseat.
Rich kept on, slowly navigating the ditches and watching the cliff as we crawled around hairpin turns on the mountain side. The only sign of life we had witnessed in over two hours was various animals scurrying across the path.
Then suddenly....we were blinded.

It was highbeams coming toward us. Friend or Foe? Friend or Foe? Do we stop them to ask for help? Or do we pick up as much speed as possible to avoid allowing them near our car?
Desperate, we pulled as close to the edge as we could, and waited.
The aged pick-up neared our side and stopped.
"Paraty??" Rich yelled through the window.
The elderly driver went through a tiraid of pointing and cursing in Portuguese. I am quite sure he was telling us we were insane. But, he said two words we understood.

Two words which gave us hope.

He pointed down our path and said " Seis K."
SIX KILOMETERS.
Rich looked at me and said "If its true. We should be able to just make it."
On we went and about 1/2 and hour later.... on empty....we broke through the vines and hit gravel. 5 minutes later we found a gas station and directions to our hotel.
Winding our way through town, the first night of Carnivale was in full swing in the streets. Party revelers danced and smiled and tried to pass drinks through our car window.
I have dreamed of Carnivale in Brazil since college. Here I was, and I could have cared less. We just wanted to find our Pousada and go to bed. It was 3 Am. 13 hours into our 3 hour drive.
Good thing Carnivale lasts for five days.
The next afternoon, as we asked the Inn Keeper for directions out of town, Rich would point to the turn off road on our map and ask "This way out of town?"
In broken English she replied "Oh, no. That road washed out years ago. It is very dangerous to go through the mountain. There are bad men...even in the day. And in your little car, you would never make it over the cliff."
Rich didn't bother telling her, we had made it....in the middle of the night. I hope we did not just use up too much of our good karma.

2007-02-16T05:36:00.000-08:00

Day 115
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Word to the wise....never try to fly locally in Brazil the day before the start of Carnivale! What a mess. Our two hour flight to Rio turned into a 8 hour flight to Sao Paulo. All the flights are booked and delayed....its a mess. To make matters worse....some of you may know there was a major commerical airline crash in the Brazillian Jungle not too long a ago. They colided with a American Private Jet, killing everone on the airliner. Anyway...air traffic control got blammed and in response they are refusing to work half the time.
But, after two puddle jumpers and a lot of time sitting in airports in the jungle....last night we arrived in Sao Paulo and were greeted by the generosity of our friends, The Scott Family, who some of you may remember we met on the Cape Horn trip.
Bryce was very excited to see their girls (he brought them presents of gems from the jungle) and we were very grateful to spend a night in their lovely home.
They live in a beautiful area of Sao Paulo. Its a "gated community" but not like we think of them in the US. You do drive through a big guard gate area, but unlike these communities at home, this one is not a "planned development". All the houses are unique, there are parks and playgrounds.....its just like a whole big neighborhood that just happens to be surrounded by a huge electronic fence and guarded 24/7 by guys on mopeds with machine guns.
At the end of their block is a huge pathway going through the jungle.....its really quite beautiful.
It makes me secretly hope that Rich could find a job working for an international corporation that might give us a chance to move around the world like the Scotts do. Tim works for Catapillar and these big international companies provide their families with nice houses, full time maids, drivers......its not such a bad life!
Anyhow.....this morning Ligia is helping us find a car to rent and we plan to drive ourselves toward Rio, stopping for the night somewhere halfway. It will be more fun this way....we will get to see more of Brazil and we got to spend some time....through short...with friends.

2007-02-14T14:20:00.000-08:00

Day 113

Foz Du Iguazu, Brazil

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY.

We heard Boston got dumped on with quite a bit of snow today! So in honor of all of you freezing your behinds off.....we decided to spend Valentines Day.....or "LOVE DAY" as Bryce calls it......at the pool.

Our weather report.....95 and sunny. :)

We are so enjoying the relaxation that we are not even getting a baysitter tonight. We have decided to make LOVE DAY.....a family affair.

Hope all you love birds out there are having a good time.

2007-02-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

Day112

Foz Du Iguazu, Brazil

I must admit...just one day into Brazil and we are in a bit of culture shock.

First and foremost the language....we had just gotten to the point when we could really get by in Spanish.....and now its Portuguese. I honestly thought most people in tourism here would speak Spanish and at least a bit of English. I was wrong. They speak Portuguese, only Portuguese, and dont want to listen to anything else. I speak one work of Portuguese......Abrigado....which means thank you. But I have not gotten far enough to thank many people yet!

The second shell shock was the prices. I know its probably still less than the USA....but after months od spending no more than $20 bucks on dinner and thinking a $1 beer was high end.....being back to $7 dollar sandwiches and $4 drinks is sad!

Anyhow....they do charge you quite a bit here....but you do seem to get back for your money.

In Argentina, our full day at the Falls cost us $30....but we were kind of "on our own".

Here, our day at the Falls would cost $300.....but it was first class all the way. Private driver, private guide, picnic lunch. I definately felt much better about spending the cash as the day went on.

Since we did the "adventure" stuff on the Argentina side, we decided to make today more of a learning day.

We first had a biologist who took us on a 9K walk through the Jungle. Brazil has 185,000 hecactres of protected rain forest surrounding the Falls and they are a spectacular part of this area that I sadly do not think many people take the time to explore.
Richs favorite part was the spiders.

Bryce liked playing Tarzan on the huge jungle vines.

After our walk we took a fun speedboat ride up the Rio Parana through the rapids.

Then we Kayaked back down! It was beautiful. Dont worry...they pull you out a good 3K from going over the edge of the Falls. Bryce, of course, loved the rapids.....but during the quite sections we saw some great stuff.

I have searched the jungles of Belize and Costa Rica...but this was the first time I ever got to see Tucans in the wild. They were all skipping and jumping around this huge tree. Spectacular colors. What magnificent birds!

I also had my best Capaberra siting ever. I have seen them before, in Equador, but only at a distance. For those of you unfamiliar with the animal...it is the worlds largest species of rodent.

Yes.....essentially....that is one BIG RAT!

2007-02-12T13:11:00.000-08:00

Day 111
Foz Du Igauzu, BRAZIL!
In the end.....all it took was one silver pen and a $11 dollar cab ride.
But, I will start at the beginning.
First...our Brazil guy never showed up last night.
So, in the early AM I went to the Consulate to make a plea.
First I was told I had the wrong forms and I needed to fill out different ones.
Then while I was filling those out, the guy told me....."Sorry, we are not doing visas today."
"COME ON!" I bellowed. "I have a hotel reservation. I am meeting friends. I just want to see your beautiful country!"
He looked at me. He looked at my right hand. He looked at me again and smiled. "I like your pen." He said.
Ah HA! I had forgotten the first and foremost rule of Brazillian culture......I had never bribed anyone!
I looked at the silver Four Seasons pen in my hand (I stole three of them) and I passed it through the window. "If you like it, it is a gift for you." I said.
He said "Come back in 1 hour."
3 Hours later we had three 30 day passes into Brazil. Not as good as a 90 day Tourist Visa.....but we will take it. It will get us to Carnivale and to Heather and her family. The whole thing cost me $300 in "Paper Tax" and one silver pen.
I wont complain....the girl behind me paid $200 in "Paper Tax" for one person....so i am figuring my pen saved me a few hundred bucks. Or maybe it was my charm. :)

Then....after ALL that....we hoped a cab and guess what..........he blew right past Brazillian immigration! He did not stop. Brazil never checked our passports and we got no stamp! After all I went through! I want my stamp!
Next time I am just saving my money and crawling across the border during the night!

2007-02-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

Night 110
Riverbanks, Paruguay (I have no idea the name of the town...or if it even was a town)

I must say......that was the most unsinister smuggling ever!
First...its hard to feel criminal when you are being smuggled over a border on a luxury Catamaran with a bartender.
Second....its hard to feel wild and crazy when your partners in crime include a retired couple from Iowa and The Slovakian Embassador to the United States. (I know....what is it with us and Ambassadors!!!?) That makes two...maybe we can chalk up a few more before coming home!
The couple from Iowa was cute. 45 years ago, when they were married, he had to talk her into marriage because she wanted to "See the world". He promised if she married him, he would take her to every country on the planet. (I think there are 80-something) Now, all these years later he is desperately trying to keep his promise. They have 21 to go.......and Paruguay was on the list.
The Ambassador was there just because he heard the guitar player on the boat was good.
He was. He had Bryce dancing the whole way down the river. Which both the Ambassador and the couple from Iowa thought was adorable.
Anyhow....we got on our boat and I guess you get what you ask for. I said all I wanted was to go to Paraguay. And "go" I did....for thirty minutes.
We pulled up at the riverbank, met some of the local tribespeople, watched a dance.....and left.
However, it was a good time. And I did get some very heart felt pictures of the locals.

We also enjoyed the part of the trip down the river where the boat crossed the lines of Paruguay, Argentina, and Brazil and for 2 minutes we got to be in three countries at the same time. Its just cool to think about.

With no stamps in our passports...we only have the following proof of going to Paruguay:

2007-02-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

Pictures of our pretty little Pousada (Bed and Breakfast) in the Jungle.

P:S. Everybody sen dout thoughts and prayers! We need little Kayla healthy for her trip to Brazil! She has been looking forward to it even more than her mother!

2007-02-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

Day110
Misiones, Argentina
We will call this entry "STUCK IN ARGENTINA". Here we are just 10 minutes from Brazil and 20 from Paraguay....but allowed in neither. Both countries require Americans to have visas. The Brazillian Consulate is still closed and Paraguay does not have an embassy anywhere near here. We could call our friend, The Ambassador, but since we have determined we will not have time to get to the capital where he lives.....we feel it would be a bit rude to call for help.
Hence, here we are.
Misiones has a population of about 6,000 inhabitants. I assume it was long ago carved out of the Jungle because of its location on the Rio Parana and later gained a place in the guide books soley due to its proximity to one of the worlds great natural wonders.....Iguazu Falls.
Today is Sunday which makes this sleepy little town even sleepier.
With the temps over 100F and high humidity....Bryce rebeled and decided to stay in the air conditioned room at our cute little B&B, while I headed into town to find information. I was completely frustrated at wanting to get out of Argentina.....and not being allowed to do so! Even Paraguay....I just want to go for the day......and as is a common problem of mine....the more I am told I can´t go....the more I want to. Unfortunately, Bryce seems to have inherited this distinct determination without cause. And Rich...well.....he is a good sport. Willing to do just about anything if I can plan it and it sounds fun.
As I walked the quiet streets of Misiones, I got the feeling that this city, once cut from the forest, was being overtaken as the jungle fought to take back its rightful land. The sidewalks buckle under the force of vines sprouting from the earth and the houses all seem to be cowering under the massive trees and plants that grow through their fences and invade their yards.
I walked from one end of town to the other without finding any travel agents, souviner shops, banks, or restaurants of distinction. The "Supermarket is nothing more than a long line of open air wooden stands, selling big wheels of cheese, 8 gallon containers of olives and strings of meat hanging from the ceilings.

I walked all the way to the end of the cemented streets looking for something of consequence....some kind of useful tourist information or somewhere good to eat....but the cement obruptly dead ended....into the Jungle. The one thing I did find....was plenty of smugglers. The main commerce here seems to be the ability to get anything you want over the border.....including yourself.
So....I have a plan. I found a guy, named Celos, who is picking us up at 5 tonight and smuggling us by boat across the river into Paraguay. He says we can´t spend the night....its too dangerous and since I have a child I will abide. But, he will take us over to visit the indigenus people of the Amazon on that side of the border. It sounds sooo exiciting! I am really looking forward to this "off the beaten track experience."
When we return tonight, Fernando (I found him in the lobby at The Sheridan Hotel near the park entrance) is going to meet us at our Pousada and put together a plan to get us to Brazil tomorrow. He even thinks he can pull off the most difficult part.....getting our lugguage there!

2007-02-10T18:14:00.000-08:00

NIGHT 108
Salto, Uruguay to Concordia, Argentina, to Misiones, AR
First the cab ride over the border.....fugatives take special note...this the the place for you!
As is the case in most South American countries there is no connection or information between borders...even if you are ten minutes away. Hence, we had to leave Uruguay to buy our next bus tickets due tot he fact that our destination was in Argentina.
Anyhow....at the border the cabbie told us to wait in the car while he took our passports inside. Capirianas (the best drink in the world) in hand we waited as he took our passports inside and got them stamped. 5 minutes! Our fastest border crossing yet......they never checked to make sure we matched our photos, they never checked our lugguage....NADA....and over the territory line we went.
Time to get on our 6, 8, 10....( no one seemed to know for sure, but it turned our to be 12) hour bus ride to Iguzau Falls.
I have to admit....I was dreading it. But, it did not turn out so bad. Dare I say....it was fun??
We had paid the extra $6 for 1st class, which meant we got to sit on the 2nd floor (much to Bryce´s delight). The seats were huge and leather and folded down all the way to sleeping position. At 8pm they showed the first movie (Spiderman 2), at 9 they served dinner....mine was a pre-requested vegetarian meal of spinach crepes, bread and salad with olives......at 10pm the second movie started and throughout it all the drink cart went up and down the aisle serving wine, beer, water and softdrinks.......and eventually free blankets and pillow. I tell ya.....this is NOT Greyhound!
Since we are three.....we always get seperated. This time Rich and Bryce sat up front to watch the movies.
I got seated in the back with a group of young, Dutch packpacker girls and a few even younger Australian guys. We had a great time! For hours we passed around bottles of wine and swapped travel stories until the wee hours. About 1AM the movies ended and the lights went out. We all settled down to sleep and I did not stir again...until I woke up....IN THE JUNGLE....with the driver yelling "Misiones, Iguazu!" Now that was an easy ride! And best of all....Iguazu Falls is near. I have always dreamed and said "Someday I will see it." TOMORROW IS THAT DAY.
P.S. Bryce took that picture of me and my seatmate Slanka! Not bad for a five year old aspiring photographer. :)

2007-02-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

Day 109

Misiones, Argentina

How does one say "WORTH IT!" Whatever it takes to ge to this small jungle enclave in the middle of Argentina, Brazil, and Paruguay....it is worth the trip.

After our early morning arrival, we checked in to La Sorgenta, our charming Pousada...showered and headed out the door with the intention of going to the Brazillian Consulate to give legal border crossing one last try. Guess what? They are closed for three days. No shocker for us. But, thats it! I am done being a law abiding citizen.

Anyhow...the guy we asked to help us find the Consulate quickly arranged our entire day for us. No problem...he just wanted to help. Our new friend, Rafael, had us in his Toyota within 30 minutes of arriving in town and wisked us to the gateway of Iguazu National Park. He then promptly helped us by entry tickets, boat tickets, train tickets....the works! Finally he reported he would be back to pick us up at 6pm. When we asked "How much?" He said "No worries." He was just a nice guy!

Anyhow....the park is a dreamland. Huge jungle vines and towering green plants. Thousands of brilliant purple, blue, red and yellow butterfiles. So many, Bryce was able to catch them in his hands. Lizzards amuck, Catriels (somewhat of a mix between a racoon and and anteater) socilize with the people and ......The Falls....oh.....the beautiful waterfalls in every direction.

I heard someone say on a website that Iguazu Falls is "Niagra on Viagra."

I must day....the quote fits! These babies are powerful and loud and magnificent.

In the park the sun beats down with a temp of 110 F and high humidity so when around 4pm a huge rainstorm flowed in....I cant say anyone minded. Besides...we were wet from the spray of the falls anyway!

Once there, We headed straight for one of the highlights I have been reading about for months...."The Shredder". Its a high powered, adventure seeker ride on a speed boat that actually takes you UNDER the falls.

The trip started with what I have termed "The hottest 10 minutes of my life." We sat in 110 degree weather on hot leather seats (I swear, I have 2nd degree burns on my butt), baking in the sun, until mercifully the boat started moving. And when it got going....it got going!! The boat took off at 50 miles per hour. Racing one way and then sharply cutting the next until we were through the rapids and planted directly in front of the Falls......it was then the excitement really began. The boat burst through the rushing water and millions of gallons of falling water bashed onto our heads and sprayed our faces. See boat below:This is the BEST thing ever! What a ride! It was awesome. I can´t show pics of us under the falls....because the water pounds down on you with such force you can not open your eyes let alone snap a pic! It was fantastic.....sort of the extreme in white water rafing and all of us LOVED it. Bryce cheered and shouted the whole way and then wanted to do it again. Since I was completely swamped from head to toe....we decided to dry off instead.

We spent much of the rest of day walking the catwalks. Our favorite was the 15 minute walk along the Bridge to The walterfall called Devil´s Throat. Its the most powerful of them all and 5 minutes away from even seeing it you begin to get soaked by the spray and mist. At Devil´s Throat Bryce jumped and ran and slipped around the boardwalk once again pronouncing "This is the best day of my life!" I don´t care how many times he says it.....I am always happy to hear it. We finished the day by hiking from waterfall to waterfall, watching birds, catching butterflies and generally being intensly happy to be here.

2007-02-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

More Photos of the Falls.....because they are just so spectacular!

2007-02-09T08:44:00.000-08:00

Day 108 (I think...but Heather seems to think I miscounted somewhere. Its very possible)
Thermas De Salto Grande, Uruguay
We arrived here as a quick break from the bus ride. We did not love the room or the food....but now four days later (we only intended to spend two) we are still here. This resort has become like home. Its so relaxing and the people are so nice. We have gotten into the pool scene, we attend the nightly movies, we spent almost a whole day splurging at the Spa. Its hard not to when a 1 hour massage is $15 and a mani/pedi is $6! I did go a little overboard with my 1.5 hour mud bath and facial for a whopping $20.
Shamefully, I admit...we have seen little to none of the town. We are simply basking in resort life.
Bryce is insperable from the kids club. He loves it there. But, we did manage to grab him for lunch where he delighted in feeding one of the roaming Kimono Dragons that patrol the outdoor cafe. The Kids Club here is different from those at home, mainly in the fact that it is completely unsupervised. I don´t think it would ever occur to them to need a nanny there. Its one of those great things about Latin American Society. They have LOTS of kids. And the older ones take care of the younger ones. If a child can walk....they are left to the divices of the pre-teens who take care of them. And not begrudgingly. As a matter of fact, the older girls (and boys) seem to take pride in their watchdog position.
Yesterday as we were lounging by the pool, one girl pranced out to me with Bryce on her hip. I had never seen her before, but she immediately pronounced to me, in broken English, that all the boys were headed outside for a football game and Bryce had tried to go with them without asking his parents permission first. She seemed even more distressed by the fact that he had tried to go without putting on his shoes. I assured her it was OK for him to watch the game and she assured me she would get his shoes on first.
Its like having free babysitters! And Bryce loves it. This automatic tendancy to take care of the little ones is a quailty I see less and less in American teens who seem to just "want to do their own thing with their own friends." My 12 year old cousin, Dylan pocesses that caretaker quality...but sadly I think he is rare these days in The States.
The nice thing too....is it leaves the parents to relax, drink, and socialize virtually without interruption. I have never once even seen one of the parents check on the kids. It just isn´t necessary.
The adults in Uruguay also reflect this "everyone is your friend" attitude. It is never uncommon during a meal to have a stranger from the next table pull up a chair and start chatting. They want to tell us about where they live and they want to know about our trip and what life is like in Boston. I guess that this interruption would disturb and annoy many East Coast residents....but I am still a Mid-West girl by birth and I love the friendly chit chat and I value getting to know the locals ......who never leave a conversation without giving us their contact information and offering to help in anyway they can.
Today is our last day in Uruguay, a country which very well be forever know as "our favorite in South America." But, Iguazu Falls has been on the list since before we left Boston......tonight we do our first overnight bus in an attempt to get there.
I´m not so exicted about it. All the guide books say to avoid overnight buses as they crash more often. But, its the only one headed there from our remote corner of the world......and there are no planes and no rental cars.....so off we go.
I suppose this laidback attitude can also come from the fact that the entire country of Uruguay has a population of just 4 million. Just slightly more than Boston and less than NYC.
I believe this fact helps to create a "small town" society throughout the entire nation. They may worship the US, our money and stature....but they do not realize the amount of stress lifted by living in a country that, though poor, has almost no cases of kidnappings, child murders, or molestation. They are strong Catholics are fiercely proud of their people. I think they should stop dreaming of moving to American (which every kid here says is what they want) and realize what they have if not so bad.

2007-02-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

Day 107

Salto, Uruguay

Western Border with Argentina.

We are on our way to Iguazu Falls....but decided to break up the 16 hour bus ride with a halfway stop. The first leg of our journey was six hours across Uruguay.....Scary...but I have to admit I am getting use to these bus rides. They are not that bad. This one even had luxury fold-down chairs bigger than those in first class on a plane!

Salto is your typical border town.....but this one found its claim to fame when they discovered crystal clear thermal water bubbling up undernearth its soil. They built a resort around it and that is where we are taking our three day break.

The resort is considered 5 star....not quite by American standards. the rooms are simple and the food is terrible. However, we have decided it was a good place to stop because the ammenities are great.

There are of course the thermal baths....

And three swimming pools, horseback ridding, spa services, nature walks, and all that good stuff you expect from a full service resort. There is also a kids club where Bryce has basically lived since we arrived. He loves it in there....even if all the other kids only speak Spanish!

Today we mostly hung around in the water. How can you not when the water is naturally over 100 degress F. I dont think Rich and Bryce have ever seen me spend so much time emmersed.....but thats because I am always cold! Not a problem at Thermas! Bryce called today "Herald Family Fun Day!" I would say that was about right. :)

Bryce´s favorite is the water playground!

2007-02-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

Day....100 and something....oh goodness....I have lost track.
Montevideo, Uruguay
OK...first things first.....my deepest sympathys to my father. Last night we watched the Superbowl at the bar at The Sheridan Hotel. We watched in Spanish....but we got the point....Bears Lost.
I can only imagine Daddy that you are burried under the covers crying.....but we suggest a beach in Uruguay as therapy.
Second thing....why are we back in Montevideo??? Who would leave such a wonderful place as Punta Del Diablo!!?? (And yes Paula.....that gorgeous place with all the windows was our private hotel.) I cry already with how much I miss it. But, a couple of factors took control.
A. Someone else had booked our hotel. I know....HOW DARE THEY!? But, its true. We did however refuse to leave the deck after checking out and stayed far past when the new guests arrived. We are not beyond being petty.
B. One other small problem.....we were out of money. There is not one place in Punta Del that takes credit cards, there is no bank, and no ATM. And...we spent all our Pesos and Dollars. Yes...the dollars were the emergency stash we have carried for three months. But, this WAS an emergency! We did not want to leave. :)
We are Americans! We live on credit cards! Who ever heard of cash only?????? And, on this topic, we really dont think it was nice of them to not just offer to have us stay for free because of our charming personalities.
C. I was out of books, my watch broke, and I lost my sun glasses. And as you may have guessed....there are no stores in Punta Del.
OK....yes!!! I was also out of cigarettes.
Anyhow....why back to Montevideo??
Well...the road from Punta only goes to Brazil or back to Montevideo. And we don´t have Brazillian Visas.
So here we are in Montevideo. Today we went straight to the Brazillian Embassy......and they rejected us. For those of you who dont know.....this is our THIRD rejection. Its always some stupid buracratic thing we forgot or dont have.......this time the thing we were lacking was a plane ticket out of Brazil. We tried to explain we wont be FLYING out......they dont care.
So! To hell with them! All the backpackers cross illegally......and it is time to go rogue! We are crossing......and they are not going to stop us! Really...they´re not.....the only stop you in the airport.
In the meantime....killing time in Montevideo......Rich and Bryce got cute new haircuts today. I did not need one because RICH did my hair in Cabo......and I have to admit....he did an excellent job! My $120 per visit hairdresser may be out of a job!
Corey...if you are reading...I am just kidding. I love you very much!
Tomorrow we will bus it out of here. Tonight....maybe a movie. I already bought new books.
To answer questions: We did not buy property in Punta yet.....but we picked out a lot and the realtor is going to send us a detailed plot plan and legal documents.
We want LOT 7......lots 8 and 9 are available!!!!! Paula...Carrie.....what do you think about a family compound on the beach in Uruguay?? Kristen.....there is one for you too! $15K each and your in!
I swear in 7 years these beachfront lots will be worth $150K!
Sorry....the realtor in me crept out!!!!! I´ll go back to relaxing now.
Love You! Bye!

2007-02-03T07:47:00.000-08:00

Day 105

Punta Del Diablo, Uruguay

You know you are in a place of pristine nature and beauty when a hummingbird will feed right out of your hand.

Bryce has already made a group of friends and likes spending his sunsets sandboarding.

Should we buy the front lot....or the back lot?????

2007-02-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

Three Things:

First....WELCOME TO THE WORLD MARSHALL TREESE! and a big congrats to Amy and Taylor the proud Mommy and Daddy....we hope to see the little beauty sometime soon.

Second...no worries Mom...I got the test. :)

P.S. We are meeting with a real estate agent here tomorrow!

2007-02-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

Days 103 and 104
Punta Del Diablo, Uruguay
Translated to "Devils Point" the name of this town could not be more wrong. This place is most certainly heaven not hell.
Our last hotel made our reservation here and well....all I can say is "THANK YOU".
Imagine this fantasy:
A luxury resort all to yourself. A beach bar where they mix them up fresh just for you. A gourmet restaurant where breakfast, lunch and dinner are at your leisure and to your liking. Where the only question is "Would you like that served on the beach, in your room, or on the deck?" Where the orange juice is fresh, the vegetables grilled, and the fish brought right out of the ocean. At your feet is a pristine white sand beach as far as the eye can see. Mellow music is always playing and the Jacuzzi is constantly ready to be filled just for you. To top it off...there are three guys named Pablo who seem to live at your beck and call. And the best part of all....you can afford it. The whole resort is yours, including meals...for $100 per night.
We are living this fantasy....its a place called La Viuda Del Diablo.
A luxury beach resort with only one spectaular room featuring huge slidding glass doors which the breeze always blows through and a view of the ocean. A place where your only distraction is the one puffy white cloud in the sky of blue.
As you might imagine...we spent the day sitting by the beach while Pablo 1 set up the DVD for Bryce and Pablo 2 ran back and forth refilling our stawberry Daquiris. Pablo 3 is busy preping our fondue dinner for tonight which we will eat on the beach deck.
Sorry no photos.....beyond our perfect little haven is only one internet cafe.....and they have never heard of a digital camera.
Not much more to report.

2007-01-31T14:59:00.000-08:00

Hola Amigos! Sorry for the delay. It was not for lack of desire.....but rather lack of electricity!
If you like to follow along...start at day 98!
Love You All!
And BTW: Debbie Scobie.....Chris says to shout out a big HELLO and congrats on the baby!!!!!

2007-01-31T14:44:00.000-08:00

Day 102

Cabo Polonia, Uruguay

Feeling motivated from our days of relaxation, today we got up, drank our mud coffee on the porch and then hiked out into the dunes.

It was spectacular. Sand and blue sky as far as you can see. It reminded both of us of the far reaching sand dunes of our childhoods......which sadly no longer exist.

After our hike we had lunch, and then as you do in SA....we waited.

We were packed and ready, but with no access to phones or internet, where to head and how to get there was a mystery we forgot to solve.

Our predicament was ended by the kind people at our hostel. After watching us sit for hours, perplexed, the owner of the hotel......either out of kindness or a desire to have our luggage out of her lobby,........offered to 4 by 4 us over the dunes where her boyfriend would be waiting to take us to his small resort in the even smaller town of Aguas Dulces.

For those of you traking.....ARE WE OFF THE MAP YET????

Day 102

Aguas Dulces, Uruguay

Good evening!

Its actually a cute little beachside community with almost no tourists.....which is nice sometimes.

And besides........they have an internet cafe! What more could you ask for?

2007-01-31T14:24:00.000-08:00

Day 101

Cabo Polonia, Uruguay

Much the same as yesterday...................

A day at the beach. So I´ll tell you a bit about Cabo:

As I have implied, but not completely spelled out, Cabo is an anything goes kind of place. This fact prompted Bryce to inquire more than once "Mommy...why is that girl naked?"

But, its this lacksidasicle attitude of this place that is its charm.

Its a place where the beach is never crowded. But, guard your bag because one of the wild horses running the shoreline might steal an apple out of it.

And if you don´t mind....a wandering cow may choose to share your beach blanket.

Want to go horseback ridding? The guy with the brown house, up the hill, will happily saddle you up for $1.35 US. No guide, no instruction. Just point the horses toward the beach. They know what to do.

Today a fearless dolphin played in the waves for hours just 10 feet from where Rich and Bryce were swimming.

Its a quiet town.....about the most activity we have seen is the daily Yoga in the sand.

2007-01-31T14:05:00.000-08:00

Day 100
DAY 100 AND WE DIDNT EVEN KNOW IT! We were in la la land.
Up at 9am we were ready for a big day of........nothing.
After buying groceries for lunch and comandering a few chairs and an umbrella we sat ourselves in the sand......and stayed there.
Bryce built sandcastles. Rich played in the waves and I read an entire book.
We also enjoyed the local delicacies. One is a drink of sweet milk and rum poured over ice. The other is fried alge balls served up right on the beach with lemon and sugar. I know they sound bad....but I swear they are amazing. We ate them for three days straight.
In the evening we headed back to the hotel looking forward to a cool shower.
There on the porch....were Chris and Dan! We love these guys. Happy to see our buddies we skipped the shower and had a couple pitchers of sangria while Bryce played in the rocks discovering "sea creatures".

Dan taught Bryce that if you throw a small mussel into the open tenacles of a sea urchin....they will snap shut and the creature will devour the meat and spit the shell back out at you. Bryce reckoned this to be the best information ever gathered and spent hours "feeding the sea anenomes".

There is something enchantingly beautiful about a town with no electricity after dark. As the sun falls behind the sand, each house illuminates with candle light and walkways are lined with laterns leading the way to open doors from which music flows.
People walk the sandy paths with flashlights or simply by the glow of the moon. As they pass they smile and whisper as if sharing a beautiful secret.
We had dinner under a tent, lit by candelight, with our toes in the sand.

2007-01-31T13:28:00.000-08:00

Day 99
Cabo Polonia, Uruguay
Our friend, Leo, had mentioned this tiny enclave of a town called Cabo Polonia and suggested it as a good way to see another side of Uruguay.
I might say more than "another side" its "another time".
To explain:
In the early 1900´s, before Uruguay had any roads, this tiny point on the ocean´s edge became a fishing village. In the 1960´s hippies discovered the remote beauty and turned the place into a kind of commune haven. In the late 1970´s the entire area surrounding the town was made a Nationally protected wilderness.....leaving Cabo forever with no road, no phones, no electricty.
This act ensured Cabo has remained about the same for the past 40 years.
Cabo is not easy to get info on and not easy to get to.
To arrive here we took two buses, the second of which dropped us in the sand about 10 Kilometers outside of the town. We then waited with all the hippie chicks for the "Cabo Bus". What arrived was a big open air safari vehicle which transported us, and our 100 pounds of lugguage, over the dunes and into town.

This bumpy ride along the sand caused Bryce to declare "Getting there is half the fun!"

The transport drops you in the center of town where pregnant woman where sarongs and dread-lock headed teenagers sell handmade jewlery in the sand.
Rich hiked it to the only decent place we had heard of to stay. He returned only moments later with, Tony.....from Lemonminster, Ma.! Small, small world.
Together they got all our stuff uphill to La Perla Hosteria our home for the next four days and three nights.
With everyone easily getting over yesterday´s stress (how could you not....this is the most laidback place on earth!) the first order of business was to kick off our shoes.

We would not be needing them again until we departed.
Tired from the trip we set ourselves down into comfy chairs on the front porch of our hotel. We sat there drinking Sangria and listening to the waves crash all day.

We stayed there.........

Through sunset.

And into the night.

2007-01-31T13:23:00.000-08:00

Day 98
La Barra, Uruguay
About 12 hours after reading about our "super-suite" our friend Chris (who we had left behind in Beunos Aires) was on our doorstep in Uruguay.....with his friend Dan.
Excited to have company we all had fun going out to dinner on the Strip and even more fun the next day just sitting at the beach.
Its good to have company because no matter how much we are loving our adventure......and no matter how much we love each other......24/7.....the three of us.......I will admit at times we get on each othes nerves.
Rich was going through a stag of "do his own thing" which could leave Bryce and I a bit stranded....and now we are in trouble because entertaining Bryce has kept me from trip research.....which has left us with nowhere to go in the AM when we have to check out of this hotel!

2007-01-26T14:06:00.000-08:00

Day 97

Jose Ignacio, Uruguay

Day Trip! We rented a car today and headed 45 minutes further North up the Coast to the last town on the paved section of Ruta 10 (The Coastal Highway). We had heard many a rumor about Jose Ignacio.....but could gather no information. The hotels dont really advertise and when you call they tell you "show up and we will see what we can do". We are told this is meant to keep the riff raff out and protect the privacy of Jose Ignacio´s privledged visitors. Our friends say you are just as likely to stroll down the beach in this remote village with the president of a small nation...or Angie and Brad.

We just had to check it out.

From the moment you arrive in Jose Ignacio it becomes instantly clear to you that you have found the birthplace of "Shabby Chic". And her mother, "beachfront elegance", still lives here

too. Its nothing but a tiny beach hamlet, and there is nothing gliz or flash about Jose at all.......but you can just feel quiet paradise seeping out of the air in this place.

We strolled town for a bit (10 minutes), then strolled the breathtaking beaches, then found a place for lunch. The most adorable seaside cafe, Los Negros, comfy waterfront seating. Casual, yet perfect toes in the sand kind of a place.

It was here we found out the other way Jose Ignacio keeps out the riff raff.

A side salad was $30 and entres went from $80 to $150! YES...I am talking US dollars. (They only accept US dollars in Jose Ignacio). I´ll say it again.....What country are we in???!!!

A kind soul back in La Barra explained to me that the restaurants in Jose Ignacio need to ensure "casual tourists" dont stay long. Well......they may have succeded with us. We enjoyed our lunch, felt we had paid for another walk on the beach, and then headed back to La Barra. Hamptons.....this town makes you look cheap!

But, we did have a great day!

2007-01-26T13:51:00.000-08:00

Day 96

La Barra, Uruguay

Well....if Punta Del Este is the hot stuff.....La Barra is her cool little sister. Only 30 minutes up the coast we have moved ourselves to a big "kid friendly" resort in La Barra. This town is tiny compared to Punta, but every restaurant is sheek, every store sells the highest in beach bum fashion....and the sand is beautiful. Its quieter here than in Punta, but obivously more "in the know".

Anyhow.....when we arrived at the resort (which needless to say is way out of our budget) they showed us to our room. It was in the basement and there was one double bed.

Oh no! Not having it.

I explained to the bellman that I needed a King Size bed if there was only one bed (we are sleeping three people here)....well the manger called back, said it was impossible......you know the drill.

But, I know nothing is impossible.

So I had another nice chat with my lovely bellboy, and after paying for our entire three night stay up-front cash, in US dollars......The Heralds moved to the Presidential Suite. (For the same price as the small room in the basement).

Now, this hotel room is probably bigger than our next house will be. Two floors, multiple bedrooms and baths, living room, kitchen, three decks......all looking at the ocean, and of course, a private roofdeck with lounge chairs and BBQ. Now this is how you live in La Barra!

Above: view from our master bedroom.

Tonight we are off to The Sushi Club for dinner on the beach. It does not even open until 10pm....but they say kids are no problem. The culture here is so different!

2007-01-24T17:09:00.000-08:00

Bryce Quote of the day:
After dinner I took Bryce's hand. Only to realize it was covered in goop. "Bryce, how did you get so sticky?" I asked.
He looked at me seriously and said "Mommy, I have been sticky for years!"

2007-01-24T06:13:00.000-08:00

DAYS 92-95
PUNTA DEL ESTE, URUGUAY
Another two hour bus ride up the coast brought us to Punta Del Este..a.k.a The Bevery Hills of South America.

To be honest.....I don't think there is this much money in Beverly Hills and Bel Air combined! The streets might as well be lined with gold....and we might have to mine them if we stay much longer.
The broadways here are lined with palm trees, and high end shops. The women go by on scooters wearing hand woven straw hats and white Gucci crepe dresses. The restaurants all have sections for regular customers and seperate rooms for VIPs, as well as outdoor lounges with comfy sofas and candelights which are filled with pretty people until five am..... on a Monday. Even the taxis here are Mercedes....S class.
We quickly discovered that $100 per night (our high end) buys you the roach motel in Punta....but drawn in by the glitz and glamour, I turned to my old friend, Expedia.com and got a decent deal in the residential section. (Where you can not distinguish which monolith is the 50 room hotel and which as simply the neighboring private homes). WHICH COUNTY ARE WE IN AGAIN??? Who knew.....Uruguay!
Anyhow....Expedia served me well and the hotel is lovely. L'Auberge....its...5 stars (and actually deserves them), excellent sevice and a mellow atmosphere that could keep you in a lounge chair for days.
Side Note: Heather mentioned in the comments section that she had never seen me so much in sunglasses. True...I dont normally wear them. But, if there is one thing to remember in South America....its is Al Gore's cry "No O-Zone."

Back on topic......Of course...please note, we are the black sheeps of the resort. While other guests sit around the lounge discussing their "private islands", yachts, and art shopping sprees.....we have laundry hanging all over our room, because we cant afford the hotel rate for laundry service. Ooops.
The only real downside was Bryce woke up yesterday morning with a terrible cough and shortness of breath. We immediately went to the front desk to ask where we could find a pharmacy. But after hearing his syptoms.....the receptionist replied "I think Bryce should see a doctor."
"We dont want to get him out of bed and put him through hours of waiting a clinic or hospital" I told her.
With a scewed expression on her face she said "Of course not! Who would ever do that to a sick child?"
The entire American Medical System is what I thought.....but instead of saying it I quiried "Then what do we do?"
She told me she would call the local pediatrician and he would arrive at our hotel room within the hour. Who knew!
20 minutes later the doctor...and his nurse arrived. They put Bryce on vapor oxygen and gave him some medication (most likely never approved by the FDA) and he was better in 20 minutes.
I do suppose there are some major disadvantages to "the modern medical system" of the good old USA.

Anyhow...with Bryce feeling better....we decided not to waste the 85 and sunny day (of course, they all are/but none should be wasted) and we headed for Playa 12. What we had been told was the"fun beach". Fun it was! Cocktails, food that makes you feel bad to be wearing a bikini, rides, beach massages, slides, bungi jumping.....The works!
Bryce promptly found a group of fans (little Uruguan hotties) and all of us had a blast.
At the end, Bryce announced "You are the best parents ever!" I'll take it while I can get it.

Yes...that is me on the slide to the right. I am always happy to humiliate myself to keep things interesting on the blog!

2007-01-21T04:44:00.000-08:00

Day 90
Montevideo, Uruguay
Sadly....we had to leave Colonia.
Our last night there we were sitting at the outdoor cafe in the square. Richard and I were sharing a bottle of wine and listening to the Sax player belt out Frank tunes, while Bryce sat under the table sharing his dinner with the lot of local dogs......the air was warm, but with a nice breeze....and we met a woman from Canada. She said she had also happened upon Colonia by accident, she was not even suppose to stay one night. But, now she had been there a week and the next day she and her husband were meeting with a local real estate agent. Yes.....its just that wonderful.
Anyway, we decided we had to leave because as lovely as it is.....there is nothing there. No travel agents, no shops to speak of, and nobody speaks English. Hard to plan anything that way.
So we got on the local bus, traveled three hours and arrived here to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
As for Montevideo....
We came
We saw
Were leaving.
A. Nothing is open here on the weekend.....so our entire plan of getting things done is shot.
B. After Buenos Aires....this city is quite a let down. Just like a little BA wanna-b, but dirty and noisey, and quite boring overall. The city is not so well kept and we cant find anything to do.
Last night we actually took a cab out to the suburbs (to the shopping mall) to see a movie. We saw the new movie (is it new in the US?) Noche a la Museo.....Night at the Museum. It was in English...with Spanish subtitiles. At least Bryce had a good time.

2007-01-19T13:34:00.000-08:00

Day 80

Colonia, Uruguay

Yesterday we officially dragged ourselves out of Buenos Aires. We spent our last night there at a fun and very "IN" restaurant called, Osaka, with Chris and then I went home at 1am. Rich did not arrive back to the hotel until nearly 5am.....but he managed to make it up at 7:45 for our cab to the dock. Chris had given us the "inside info" that there is no need to fly or bus it to Uruguay from BA....there is a Ferry! So, at 10am yesterday morning we and about 500 well-dressed Argentinians cleared customs and loaded the "ferry". Turns out its a huge ship with a casino, shopping mall, restaurant, top deck bar........needless to say we did not take it all in because we slept the entire three hour ride.

I knew nothing of Colonia, had never heard of it in fact, but thats where the boat went....and you know me....if I can cross a border without flying or terrifying roads......that is how I am going to do it. Hence, our last hotel in BA had booked us a cheap hotel ($50 per night) in Colonia for one night and I figured we would figure it out from there.

Here we are.....two days later. Colonia is beautiful! Its like going into the past. It has that Spanish Colony feeling I have discovered only a former port town in a country that has never fully reached the economic status needed to explode can have. Everything here is so perfectly charming. The cobblestone streets, the two story haciendas, the majestic government buildings mixed with English cottage style churches. Cafes line the avenues and all roads lead to the water.

Where the Uruguayans seem to sit for hours watching the boats come in and out of the Harbor.

Even the cars here seem to have been forgotten in time. Not that you really need them. The town can be walked top to bottom in 20 minutes. And it appears some residents have figured that out and left their cars parked for....well.. can we say "A little too long".

As for our cheap hotel, I mentioned, Don Antonio Pousada......well........its incredible!
Not to mention my lunch today was $3.25 with drinks! OK...so what did we do today....Ummmm....NOTHING! What are we up to tomorrow?? Ummmmm.....I think the same!

2007-01-19T13:00:00.000-08:00

Day 78

Buenos Aires, Argentina

This morning we woke at the horrific hour of 8:30Am to hop a ride out to Estancia Santa Susan, an old fashioned ranch about 1.5 hours outside of Buenos. As much as we have been loving the city of Buenos Aires....we thought it might be nice to see the outlying area called The Pampa. A massive amount of land filled with large ranches and farms, the way it has been for hundreds of years.

The day turned out quite nice and we had a great time. We started out with a little horseback ride, and then a big Bar-B-Q, called a Parrilla.

Of course, Rich and Bryce enjoyed that part a little more than I did. But, the wine was flowing freely, the gauchos were singing and the whole event turned into a real old fashioned sing and dance fiesta.
After getting us livened up and happy......the ranchers took us outside to watch them do round-up. I must tell you these guys are amazing. Many of the guachos were fifth generation Argentine ranchers and they work a horse better than I work my own two feet. I thought about Darci and Grace......you guys have got to get out here!

After the round-up we hung about visiting with the family who owned the estancia. As some of your know, Bryce has been begging me to ride horse for over a year now. I have insisted he can not ride until he is 7.

However, I turned my back for one minute..........and it seems like the rancher´s daughter, Yasmine..aka Bryce´s new girlfriend, had other ideas!

She threw out a hand, Bryce hopped righ on and off they went across the field! She is a young, rough and tumble tomboy with the looks of a future super model. And a rich father to boot! If this is Bryce´s type......we are in for a heap of trouble!

2007-01-17T14:36:00.000-08:00

DAY 77

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

This town loves their tango!And Bryce loves a good show.....so with a little begging the concierge managed to get us three box seats to one of the best Tango shows in town. It did not disappoint. The event is held in this old Opera House about 15 minutes outside of dowtown. The building alone is enough to put you in the mood with the thick red curtains and bronze balconies. And the production! What can I say....

This is is like the Boston Pops, Chicago lyric Opera, and Broadway all rolled into one..... with the difference being that they serve wine and liquor in your box! And one more difference.....this show is.................................

!!!!!!SEXY!!!!!!

(OK.....had to throw that in. I figure a little skin keeps you reading. :)

Anyhow....needless to say that seeing Tango in an antique theatre in Buenos Aires was a life experience of grand proportion.

They finished the night with "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" in Spanish sung by three Opera Singers with a full orchestra behind them. I must say....it put Madonna to shame.

I openly sobbed like a baby and jumped to my feet with thundering applause!

2007-01-15T10:46:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone....just wanted to let you know that Tim and Ligia (our new commenters) were the Brazilian family we met on the trip to Cape Horn. Great to have fellow travelers reading and putting in their take of certain days as well!
Thanks Guys!

2007-01-15T09:46:00.000-08:00

Day76

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

Sorry to have been so remise about writing! But, we have been so enthraled with enjoying our time in this incredible city that we have not had a moment to stop! So...I'll start at the beginning.....our first full day here we checked into the Four Seasons (Thanks Mom!). We quickly got our barrings in the "high rent district" of Recoleta where the hotel is located......and Bryce quickly reverted back to his roots by happily taking a call (on the private cell phone the hotel provided him!) from Braden and Madison.

Upon returning from our reconnisence mission to explore the neighborhood....we found Rich's friend, Chris, from high school hanging out in the lobby! He had been keeping up on the blog and email.....and decided Buenos Aires was as good a place as any to hang out with us. Those of you who know Chris...are not surprized. Anyway....our foursome quickly gathered friends and by the first night we were in a Argentine steak house having dinner with our new "crew". Rich and I, Chris, a vacationing couple from Italy named Paulo and Antionella, and Leo...the local professional soccor player.

The next day we all just relaxed for my birthday. The group hung out at the pool and I treated myself to a day at the spa and indulging in the wonderful Argentine tradition of siesta.

Hey! Its necessary! My birthday in Buenos with this crew....I knew it was going to be a late night!

My birthday evening started with a cake surprise from the hotel, which was very nice as it gave me the opportunity to have a little singing and celebration with Bryce.

We then headed out to a Japonese place the hotel recommended....very strange..but I have too much to tell to get into it....so we will skip it!

Following our very weird....three hour dinner, Chris insisted the Boston girl should spend some of her B-Day at a good old fashioned Irish Pub. So off we went to a place called Kilneys where the boys enjoyed Guiness and I drank two Cosmos that were even more strange than my dinner.

But the bar was fun and lively and all had a good time.

Around two am I ready ready to party and our group moved onto the Puerto Madero Barrio to a hot spot club called Asia De Cuba.

Packed in like Sardines, but enjoying the loud music and intense crowd of young and wild Argentinians we danced the night away into the wee hours of the morning when I finally convinced Rich the babysitter probably wanted to go home before noontime!

After sleeping away half of the next day we decided to take it easy and just stroll around the districts. We got lucky in that it was Sunday and the streets of Buenos Aires were alive with activity! Craft markets, street fairs, antique bizars, bands, jugglers, and more filled the cobblestone streets of the San Telmo Barrio and we spent hours just enjoying the vibe of the city.

Families dining in the streets.

Tango in the Square

The mime who stole Bryce off Rich's shoulders!

Just a lazy afternoon in Beunos Aires.......Thouroughly exhuasted from living the lifestyle of bed at 4am/wake up at 11.....we decided the Italians last night in BA would be a quiet one. Leo invited me to cook dinner for the group at his home and it sounded like an excellent plan. The only catch was that Leo took me to the grocery store and between an American (with terrible Spanish) and a single 20-something Argentinian soccor player (who had never grocery shopped before) it was a bit of an amusing ordeal to get all the ingredients. However the night turned out perfect. I managed to wiggle my way through Leo's kitchen as he set up an outdoor table in his backyard (turned private soccor field in dowtown BA). The night was warm and friendly and overall a perfect way to enjoy this incredible city.

2007-01-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

Day74
Buenos Aires, Aregentina
Drunk and happy! Its 1:30 in the morning and we are happily ensconced in The Four Seasons, Buenos Aires. And why am I writing at 1;30am?......cause its my Birthday! We rang in the 13th, (which I did not think Iwould live to see after our hurricane swept flight out of Ushuaia,) at midnight here with a surprise group of friends.....I'll let some of you guess the surprise...others might know.
Anyhow....late for the babysitter. Rich is still out at the clubs....and I just wnted to say thank you all for your Birthday wishes! I love you and will write and post pics tomorrow.
Betsy

2007-01-11T09:16:00.000-08:00

Day 72
USHUAIA, ARGENTINA
Its actually quite a nice city. Its larger than I expected. A cool, fun Argentinaina City with German influence and a strange "small town Alaska" type of vibe.
This is the jumping off point for all things "Antarctica" so it draws a high-end adventure crowd and is filled with gear shops and duty free luxury goods.
We had a final dinner last night with Kristina and Brendan....our friends from Cape Town South Africa. It was a lovely evening and we sincerly hope to see them again.
One hour into our arrival here we had a hotel and a flight out. (We are getting better at this!)

I won´t say where we are going next...........I will let the picture speak for itself.

2007-01-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

The following entries: Day 67 to Day 71 are my on-board diary during our expedition around Cape Horn. Starting on Day 67 and working your way up will help you to enjoy the journey the way we did.
I hope you enjoy reading. I enjoyed writing it!
And a big hello to Patti and the gang in Florida. Thanks for keeping up!

2007-01-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

DAY 70
USHUAIA, ARGENTINA
Early light brings the lights of Ushuaia and the end of our journey. Back to "Real life". We have no place to stay tonight, no idea where to go next, and ultimately no way to exercise ourselves from this isolated city.
With heavy hearts.....we leave the Mare Australis.
Paula asked, many entires ago, what was the highlight of our trip.
I never answered because it felt so impossible to pinpoint just one of the incredible experiences we have had.
But, now its easier. This five days aboard ship have been magnificent. This is the greatest highlight of an incredible journey.
For the experiences we had.
For the friends we made.
For the beauty we saw.
This has been the adventure of a lifetime.
I have seen and touched things that were previously only words in History Books.

2007-01-11T08:40:00.000-08:00

DAY 70
CAPE HORN, INTERNATIONAL WATERS OF THE TERRITORIO OF ANTARCTICA
6am brought the announcement. We were minutes from rounding The Horn, the shore had been secured, and anyone desiring to set foot on the Southern most solid land in the world better get their life jacket on and hit the deck. 20 minutes to anchor.
We lept out of bed and started to scramble.
On deck you could see the Albatross just 100 yards in the distance. Elation filled the spirits of everyone on deck as we rounded the Cabo De Hornos and watched the lighthouse, which guides ships around the bottom of the earth came to into view.
On shore we hiked 160 wooden steps up the rocky cliff to the top of the island and stared out in wonder at the end of the world. A place where so few have walked that the 100 year old registry book remains unfilled. I was honored to place our names in it.
The one man navy stationed on this desolate island stamped our passports and welcomed us to the Territory of Antarctica.
The mood was high. The experience was glorious.

8:30am
Back on board we prepared ourselves for the bumpy ride back to Tierra Del Fuego through the Drake Passage. Point of interest: The Island of Tierra Del Fuego has more land mass than California, Oregon, and Washington combined, but a population of less than 300,000.
One more: Cape Horn is not a Cape. Its an archiapelo of islands not connected to the continent.

10:30am
Heading to the lounge. They are showing a movie on.....shipwrecks?????!!!!!!

1pm
The waters have actually been quite smooth today. But, the ship is blanketed in fog and a steady rain has begun. I am glad the captain knows his way, for as we have just found out....there are over 800 known shipwrecks beneath our bow.

2pm
Smooth sailing and the weather has cleared. We once again have beautiful views of the channel and island ahead.

4:30pm
Arrival and disembarkment in Puerto Williams, Chile. Puerto W is a tiny town with the large claim of being the Southern most city in the world. Nearly 12,000 miles South of New York City where we began. The Port was established in 1953 as a naval base for Chile. It is now home to 2,500 residents, 150 horses, 200 dogs.....and not much else.
We did however delight in finding Club De Yachtes Micalvi. This infamous yacht club is a de-commissioned antique battleship........and the legendary meeting place for The Cabohornos, an elite group of sailers who can claim to have rounded the Horn without engines or navigational equipment.
It was here we spent a pleasant afternoon sipping drinks. After a chance meeting, the Ambassador to Paruguay joined us for a Baileys and has since invited us to visit his home at the end of the month!
Taking shelter from the rain, drinking with dignataries, on the Island of Navarino, in the Beagle Channel at the Southern end of Patagonia........you can´t help but think "Does it get any cooler than this???"
Its hard to hide my secret smile as I think "Maybe it could." :)
The adventure continues.

9pm
During dinner a small boat pulled to our stern and three well-dressed men boarded our ship.
It turns out that as we dined we had crossed into the waters of Argentina. This was customs. Drunk from an afternoon of drinking at the yacht club and giggly and goofy from our days experiencing and our last evening together we all submitted to our inquiry by joking, laughing, and general merriment about being checked for contraband.

10:30pm
Get the party started! We all danced and chatted away our last evening together untilt he wee hours. The people on this ship have truly become our friends. Now.....and I hope forever.

2007-01-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

Day 69
CANAL BALLENERO, CHILE
Rocking and rolling right out of bed last night I woke up at 4am. Now completely aware of the creaking and moaning of the ship and the tide and flow of the great swells of the open ocean. I got out of bed and snuck onto the deck. The first glimmer of twighlight was turning a rich blue over mountains in the distance and the winds were calm. The serenity of the scene put me back to bed.

10:15
Late for Glacierology class! Gotta run.

2pm
Landing on the Pia Fjord and Glacier
I wish this blog had sound! Because the true experience of this landing was LISTENING. After going ahore we hiked to a lookout where the Glacier lay before us. As we stood high on the hill we had treked up, you would hear these deafening cracking sounds. And then as you stood there in stunned silence.....a SMASH..would eco through the inlet and a massive snowfall would break away from the Glacier and cascade into the sea.
Scientists say Glaciers are living things. Today we saw, with our own eyes, evidence of the truth in this.

6pm:
Announcement on the PA! We are entering the AVENUE OF tHE GLACIERS.Everyone reported quickly to the top deck and we began our passage.
One after another we passed just 100 feet from the tumbling mountains of ice.
The Glaciers of this cooridor are named:
France, Germany, and Italy. And in the spirit of celebration the crew served us saussage and beer as we passed Germany, Pizza and wine in Italy, and cheese and champagne as we sailed past France. WHAT A GREAT PARTY WEHAD! 10PM:
After dinner we are called to the meeting area for a briefing. The captain explained to us that if the waters were too rough we would not make it to Cape Horn. And that even if we did make it around......there was no guarantee the shore was stable enough for a landing. The Captain suggested a drink and an early night. It could be a rough ride.
Too excited with anticipation to sleep, Rich and I took glasses of Port to the lounge and watched a movie on Global Warming. I do believe it was more terrifying than the high seas.
After the movie we retired to bed a little drunk and exhausted.
I did not wake again until I heard the PA blare to life.

2007-01-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

Day 68
7AM
AINSWORTH BAY, CHILE
Woke up with a start. In that moment between asleep and consciousness, I felt the wake and tremor and I believed for a plit second I was experiencing my second earthquake. But as alertness rose in my brain I rememebered I was on a ship. That tremor was the boat dropping anchor. The excitement of our first landing was enough to pop me out of bed even at this ungodly hour.

9am:
Into the Zodiacs we were going shore in the National Park lovingly called Iceberg beach, located in the Darwin Mountain Range.

The skys were gray, but the weazther was a warm 50 degrees and we all had a great time. We explored the pristine forest ) where Bryce got stuck int he mud and then our guide lost her boot trying to pry him out....his highlight of the day.)

We ran around the beach and the kids studied the Beaver Dams hoping to get a glimps of the elusive Antartic creature.
At the end of our exploration of this beautiful and completely untouched area the crew surprized us by setting up the bar right there on the beach.....at 10am!

As it turns out.....Rich takes his iceberg with a dash of scotch.
Bryce prefers his straight up!

2pm:
TUCKER ISLAND, CHILE
Home to commerants and penguins. But, here we can not land. The islands are protected. This is a fragile site where the slightest bit of dirt from our shoes could wipe out an entire species. We zoom around in our Zodiacs.

7pm
Rich is attending Flora and Fauna class, but I am holed upo in our cabin doing laundry in the tiny bathroom.
Bryce is playing Old Maid with the girls in their room.

8pm
Dinner
As we dine we pass through the NW arm of the Beagle Channel. This is the most narrow point of our journey. At times it seems the mountains are closing in on our ship. The site of over 1000 waterfalls pouring from the foreground Marinelli Glacier is sufficient to take your breath away. I lost my appetite and indulged my excitement by heading to the open air top deck for a better view.
They tell us tonight, we will leave the protected waters of The Strait, and head to the open ocean. They have "pre-advised" us to expect high seas and possibly rough waters starting at 1am.
I hope I sleep through it.

2007-01-11T08:02:00.000-08:00

Setting Sail from Punta Arenas close to midnight.

2007-01-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

DAY 67
6pm
ABOARD THE M/V MARE AUSTRALISDeparture: Punta Arenas, Chile. 52 degrees South on the coastal side of the Magellan Strait.
78 passengers, 25 crew aboard.
The boat is gorgeous. Its like a huge luxury yacht. Our room is tiny, but very nautical and we have a picture window so we will always be able to see the sea.
Shortly after finding our way on board we meet our "table companions". Lagia and Tim from Brazil with their two young daughters, Maria and Gabriella. There is no mystery why the galley steward assigned us to each other. These are the only three children aboard.
Parents and kids quickly become friends.
We would do all our excursions, meals, and activities with them for the rest of the voyage.
After a safety lesson we all go to our navigation lecture and then dinner. The air on the ship is full of excitement and everyone is happy to chat. Its hard to find a single face without a smile.....as one would expect when everyone aboard is about to fullfill a dream many of them have had their entire lives.
The Captain announces all liquor, wine, and beer will be free for the rest of the trip and lots of jokes go around about buying each other drinks. We are excited to have a fun crowd to enjoy the journey with.
They tell us at dinner that we have 19 nations represented on the ship. We are our own little United Nations....and one drunken night later on Rich, the Chilean lawyer, the French politician and the South African business man declare they have solved poverty, war, and global warming over three bottles of whiskey and wine.

11pm

After dinner I take a moment to stand out on deck. A cool, but comfortable wind blows at my face as I stare at the Magellan Straight with the shore line of Tierra Del Fuego on the horizon. The clouds begin to turn a hazy pink as the sun dips intot he water. "I´m here" I think. This is real.

I silently blame the wind for the tears stinging my cheeks.

2007-01-06T06:43:00.000-08:00

To our die hards: Paula, Heather, Evie, Mom....read Day 66 before 67....it will makes more sense even though I published them together!
Love You.

2007-01-06T06:41:00.000-08:00

GREAT TO HAVE POSTS FROM "NEW" PEOPLE. Hi Scotty! Hi Mary! Keep them coming. Knowing people are having fun with the blog and not forgetting us really keeps us going!
Love You All
Betsy, Rich and Bryce

2007-01-06T06:29:00.000-08:00

Day 67
Ok....so here is how it goes around here:
A. There are those traveling by way of "pre-packaged" tour. Hence...everything is taken care of. Your hotels are booked, your flights arranged, your baggage is carried....you get my drift. Those people are VERY un-cool. We don´t hang with them.
B. There are those traveling independantly to Antartica. They are super cool. They don´t hang with us.
C. Then there are the majority of us in the middle. We have been meeting these groups and individuals ever since Peru and the general goal is "get as far down as you can." As we have traveled Southward......they have petered off. We have said goodbye to Sally, the German couple, the honeymooners from Boston, the three dentists from Finland.....There are all the reasons: Out of time, out of money, its too cold, the weather is bad.......
In reality...everyone dreamed of going to "THE TIP"....but the reality of getting there is......its not that easy.

With that in mind......HANG ONTO YOUR HATS GIRLS.... BECAUSE WE ARE GOING FOR IT!
Originally we planned to get to Ushuaia, the Southern most city in the world....but thats just not going to cut it anymore.

We have found a ship. And that ship is going to take us around The Horn.

Yes...I know...Betsy is afraid of flying. Betsy is afraid of driving on cliffs. Betsy is afraid of rough water voyages.....But hell......I´m getting on a boat, a quite small one. And I am going to cross the most dreaded water passage in the world. We set sail in four hours.
Wish us luck....it may be a few days before internet surfaces again. :)

2007-01-06T06:23:00.000-08:00

Our Day At Torres Del Paine National Park. Day 66 explains the pics!

2007-01-06T06:03:00.000-08:00

Day 66
Puerto Natales, Chile
Population 15,000 people. 700,000 sheep. For those of you mapping.....you will have to back track five hours North.

We have spent the last two days in this funky little hippy/tourist town. Its really quite adorable with shops and cafes. Its filled with vegetarian restaurants and camping gear shops. We were lucky to find an excellent and charming lodge here, called the Weskar Lodge, with stunning views of the mountains and a causual living room and bar from which to enjoy them. The first night here we went into town for dinner at a fun homemade pizza joint and who should walk into the restaurant...our English friend Sally! I think that makes four countires and fivce cities for the four of us! Its a small world does not even begin to explain traveling in SA. The next day we again ran into our German friends from Puerto Montt!

Anyway.....everyone comes to Puerto Natales because it is the gateway city to Torres Del Paine National Park. 15,000 hectares of unspoiled wonder and beauty in the heart of Patagonia. Torres in the local indian language means "Towers" and Paine means "blue". But these names do not even begin to describe the towering infernos, glowing green plants and icey blue glaciers that greet you at Torres Del Paine. I have found that the Cone of South America makes a liar out of you. Because each time I say "We have seen the most beautiful place in the world." something even more breathtaking falls before our eyes.

The park is access down a three hour dirt road. (They are building a new one that our book said would be finnished in 2005.....ummmmm)

But, you don´t even mind the drive because everywhere you look is stunning mountains and plains. We saw LLamas, alpacha, fox, deer, sheep, hawks, and cowboys along the road....all beside the backdrop of these fabulous peaks.

Inside the park we did two hikes. Many people here hike for five days or more....but with Bryce in tow we stuck to the "begginer" trails. The first went to a place called Salto Grande......Interpretation....magnificent waterfall!

Our second hike took us through the 500 year old woods to the beaches of Lago Gray. Here on the beach a huge iceberg had recently broken off the Glacier Grey and washed up near the beach. It was as large as four 747s and as blue as a robins egg. Colors like I have never seen before.

Overall it was a great day. At one point Bryce exclaimed "This is my best day ever. I am going to live here forever!"

2007-01-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

Day 64
Late night...can´t sleep. I just read Heather´s comment on today (you are quick on the draw babe!).....but its true. I would expect more rustic as well...but Punta Arenas is a very metropolitan city. They even have teenagers hanging out at the disco!
But, what I could not stop thinking about today is......think of how hard it was for us to get here. And imagine what it took to build those buildings here over 150 years ago!
No planes, no roads.....the ships had to bring everything including the architects and artisans. And to think they can only really work outside here two months per year. What a courageous and incredible undertaking! If you ever get a chance to read a book on Sarah Bruan....do! I can´t wait to pick one up when I get home.
Love you all......goodnight!

2007-01-03T18:56:00.000-08:00

Ok.....More penguins pics.....because they are just so awesome!

Thats the little bugger who bit me!
Two army officers live in the lighthouse 24/365 to protect the penguins from harm.
The ship that brought us to the island in back of a seas of penguins. Remember....you can click on pics to enlarge them!

2007-01-03T18:14:00.000-08:00

Day 64

PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE

Population 110,000, the Capital of the Magellanic and Antartic Region and they claim "Patagonia´s most important city."

At first glance...Punta Arenas is another mid-sized Chilean city. But, then you start to look around and you realize....it is truly beautiful. All the Chilean cities we have been to have been characterized by impressive Victorian architecture...but here in Punta, the difference is, they seem to know how to take care of it. The Plaza De Armas is spotless, the buildings are in pristine condition, and throughout the streets everything is quite and respectful. Lest I say.....we like it here.

We spent the majority of the day stolling the streets and "taking care of business". Phone calls, credit card payments, etc....

But then we went out to dinner followed by drinks at the Sarah Braun Mansion. We learned tonight, as we sipped fabulous ice wine in comfortable leather chairs, that this mansion is the very place Captain Schakelton came when he reached land. Lady Sarah is the woman he begged to save his crew! If you do not know the story I am speaking of......look up Captain Shackelton on the internet......11th grade history will come back to you......it took me a minute. It really is one of the best stories of adventure in all of history and being here makes you feel the history. I am fortunate enough to feel a part of the earth´s great founding!

Here is the mansion......at 10PM!

That is just another facinating part of this city. At 11pm tonight we watched the sunset. I have, of course, heard of cities with 20 hours of sunlight per day.....but I must say the reality of it is really quite entrancing.

The wind is also a bit of an adventure activity of its own around here. The winds in town today hit 70 miles per hour. No storm....it was a bright sunny day....its just the wind! It was strong enough to pull the elastic out of my ponytail and Rich had to carry Bryce for fear he would blow away!

P.S. To answer Heather´s question......No Ice. Its the heart of summer here. Which means its a balmy 50 degrees with high winds and you only have to wear one wool hat instead of a face guard!

2007-01-03T08:25:00.000-08:00

Digress back to:DAY 63
PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE
My husband was right! My husband was right! I will shout it from the rooftops if required. But, first....lets start from the beginning:
PART 1
Yesterday (New Years Day) was about the worst day ever. We arrived at the Navimag (our ship) office around noon with about two hundred other stranded passengers. The only upside to standing in the line waiting for our refund was the chance to swap ideas and strategies with the other lost souls. Here were the deductions:
A. There is no road connecting Northern Chilean Patagonia to Southern Chilean Patagonia. There is a 400 kilomether stretch between where the Pan American Highway (lovingly known to us as Ruta 5) ends and the Catarrel Austral (dirt road to the South) begins.
B. All the boats, ferries, and etc... were booked until later in the month
C. Either you head North.....or you fly.
As the travel agent put it "Mame...it is the edge of the world. Not an easy place to get to." Thanks for the heads up buddy!
I was so exhaserbated I voted to give up. I wanted to hop on a 747 and head West to Buenos Aires. But, my typically "happy to have you plan it" husband put his foot down. "We said we were going to the end of the earth and by God WE ARE." he mantrad.
So along with hords of others...we booked a flight for the next day.
That left us with another pleasant evening in my favorite town...Puerto Montt. Those of you who have followed along know that last bit was laced with extreme sarcasm.
In Puerto Montt everything was closed for the holiday....and I mean everything...including the hotel restaurant! I wont go into all the details of the evening...because it will make me look bad......but the next day we and our new friends from BOSTON and Sally...boarded our planes of doom.
The first half of the flight was not bad.....I was past out from a bottle of wine and a xanax...despite it being a 10am flight. But the 2nd half of the flight a coma could not have kept you asleep. The high winds of Southern Patagonia pushed and plummeted our plane like a childrens kite. The only ones on the plane not effected were the flight attendants....and possibly Bryce who thought the roller coaster was cool.
Sally has never been afraid of flying before....but she says she may take the 30 hour bus ride back through Argentina. (Just kidding Sally!)

Part 2
Ok...it was worth it!
Some of you know I like to chat. But, its a lucky thing because less than an hour after our arrival in Punta Arenas a fellow traveler told us the only boat going to Isla Magdalena was leaving in 1 hour.
Now, there are places I have dreamed of going ever since I bought my first travel guide to South America... and Isla Magdalena is one of them. This island, two hours across the Magellan Straight from Punta Arenas is the worlds largest Penguin Breeding Colony. And come hell or high water....I was going.
So we threw our bags into a hostel and ran for the boat. We did not even bother changing or eating. As far as I was concerned...this was a run for my fantasy.
It did not disappoint. About 1 hour into the very pleasant boat trip you begin to see little black and white heads popping in and out of the water. As we drew closer to the island....there they were. Thousands of them. 150,000 to be exact!
You get right off the ship and there they are allaround you. They just waddle about with little to no bother of the 100 people who just walked onto their island. The best part was we are here in time for the babies! They were born only 4 weeks ago and they are cute and fuzzy as ever.
Bryce loved it! Ok....I loved it too!
They tell you not to touch the penguins...but thats hard because as soon as you get close.....they touch you. Or bite you to be exact!
We wandered around the beautiful island watching them feed their babies, huddle in their little burrows under the mud, kiss, clean, squawk, and dance about.
I was sad to miss the movie Happy Feet but this had got to be better!
It was four of the most amazing hours of my life.
On the way back Bryce made friends with a 10 year old English girl and they ran all over the ship playing hide and go seek. They were so cute.....and everyone on the ship was in such a good mood from our fabulous trip that people all over the boat got involved in helping them find each other with points, whispers and hints.
The boat did not return until almost 10pm. But it was still light out and we were all elated from the experience. So the three of us, and Sally, treated ourselves to dinner at the Sarah Braun mansion. She was one of the first wealthy female settlers here and her home is as spectacular as a Newport Mansion.
Bad start to the day........great finish. Thanks Rich for pushing me on!

2007-01-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

THE BOYS IN TUXES ARE JUST SOOO CUTE....THEY REQUIRE MORE PICTURES! Evie....these are for you!

Mamma and Babies

A little PDA

Tell it like it is baby!

2007-01-02T04:58:00.000-08:00

Day 63
Puerto Montt Airport
I´ll have to be quick.....I will fill you in later....but we are flying to Punta Arenas. I am not happy!!!!

2006-12-31T07:37:00.000-08:00

Day 61
PUERTO OCTAY, CHILE
New Years Eve and things are falling apart! The bank machine ate Rich´s ATM card....before giving him money....and mine is being rejected by the machine too! We don´t even bank at the same bank! So hence, we have no money....which we decided was fine because there really is nowhere to spend money here....but we will try the banks in Puerto Montt tomorrow....OK one crisis handeled.
But, then I drove to town to check my email.....and our boat to the South has been canceled! Canceled! This is the one thing we planned over four months ago! It is the only way to get down south without flying in what they call a "Air Taxi" which A. is expensive and B. Very scarry!
I have been looking forward to the "Frieghter Crater" trip through the Fiords as long as we have known we were coming down here. My heart is broken. And now we have to decide whether to skip heading toward the horn all together or......or.....I am not sure!
Not a happy holiday to say the least.
Dave and Carrie took off early this morning for their "Air Taxi" to the Futaleufu River (some of the best rafting in the world) I hope their day is going better than ours.
It is funny being just the three of us again. We have not been this way for over a month! I will admit, there are advantages and disadvantages to having everyone together. We loved having the company and conversation. And we love my family. But, it can also be hard organizing a group of seven everyday.....especially without cell phones.
I am sure there are times we will miss them all and times we will be happy just to be our threesome again. In tribute to our time as a family.....here is a nice family pic.

2006-12-31T07:16:00.000-08:00

Day 60
PUERTO OCTAY, CHILE
Day 60! Can you believe it! I think of all we have done and seen. Life in Reading seems so far away now.....hell life in Peru already feels like a million years ago! Long gone are the days in Aguas Calientes where we sipped rich coffee poured in a religious type ceremony. We are now quite use to our Nescafe! I can´t count how many mornings we have had biscuits, ham, and cheese for breakfast or how may various internet cafes we have sat in.
I have finally gotten use to carrying my own TP and soap in my bag, I no longer reach for my cell phone when given a moment in the car or waiting in a cafe. Actually, when I hear a cell phone ring I am a little shocked.....it seems strange that people continue to go about using them.
I have not grown accustomed to the fact that Argentinians and Chileans do not wait in line or believe in personal space. And I will admit that I miss being able to call Rich when I can´t find him or we need to coordinate plans. Here....you just wait until someone comes back from where ever they went. I am forced into a much more subdued lifestyle and I can´t say I don´t like it.
Today is Carrie and Dave´s last day and we find ourselves back in Chile in a very tiny town called Puerto Octay. Its on a lake with stunning views of the Volcano. To call it "small" is actually an understatement. Its the first town we have found with no internet cafe (I am currently nealy an hour away in a bigger town of about 1500 people). It seems that poeple come here for peace and quiet....which won´t kill us. We are staying in a hotel called Centinela and quite does not really even begin to explain this place. They have a small beach (and its finally getting hot enough to swim!) and a dock with one boat. They have a lush green lawn, a restaurant.....and not much else. Driving into town also will not help you. Its completely closed for the New Year weekend. The book says this is a good place to spend three days in bed.....and I can see why. Waking up from our adorable cabin with the stunning views (above is right out our front door) is enough to make anyone feel a bit chill.
Tonight is Carrie and Dave´s last night with us. So, we plan to eat dinner here (there really is nowhere else) and play cards and drink wine.....its our standard MO!

2006-12-30T13:24:00.000-08:00

Day 59
Bariloche, Argentina

Saying goodbye to Bariloche was the first time this trip I have felt that inevitable "end of vacation" feeling. That sense that you are about to leave paradise and head back to the "real world". However, the light at the end of this realization is that for now, for us, the "real world" is another adventure. A quest to find another Bariloche. So we headed back to The Pan American Highway and toward the boarder. The borders here are not like at home where you enter one country, hence leaving the other behind. Here you must cross the boarder out of Argentina, drive for nearly 45 minutes and then cross the border into Chile. Hence, inbetween is 30 kilometers of lush green feilds, rushing waterfalls, glorious mountains, and nicely paved road....that belongs too???? Nonone? My question I suppose is "Is it possible to be in no country?" And more importantly...if nobody is cleaming it....CAN I HAVE IT??

Anyhow, the ride was entertaining, mostly due to Bryce´s smart and funny questions coming from the backseat:

What is a kilometer?

How is a waterfall made?

Daddy...can you talk to cows?

We stopped on the Argentina side for lunch and ate the most wonderful food I have had since leaving the US. The town is called Villa De Angostura and it is lovely. All the buildings are made of wood, the streets are lined with flowers and the mountains loom in the background.

On the Chile side, Dave had us pull over because in going over the map he had found a "shortcut". Since he has been an excellent navigator the past month we turned left and headed off on a dirt road. Gravel spewing and dust flying we drove down the road toward Puerto Octay. The road provided some of the most beautiful scenery of Chilean farmland I have ever seen. It also provided some minor delays.....

and then an hour later....dead ended into a lake!

Oh well....we saw another view and made it to our next "home" as Bryce calls every place we stay in plenty of time to make the Chilean start of dinner....at 10pm.

2006-12-28T11:09:00.001-08:00

Day 58
BARILOCHE, ARGENTINA
Sadly...my parents left to head back home today. It will take them three days to get back with stops in Buenos Aires and Miami. I think they are sad to go.....but my Dad might be a bit ready for "the adventure" to end. I think next year we might send him to a beach in Mexico.
Anyhow...we have had two gloriously sunny days here in Bariloche and we have made the most of them by doing outdoor activities galore!
Bryce´s favorite was the Alpine Slide. You take a chair lift up the ski slope and then cruise down on a sled.

I wish you could have seen my parents race each other down that thing! It was enough to keep anyone laughing for a good long time.

We also took a beautiful ride to the summit of one of the nearby peaks. You get to ride up in a Gondola.....(which I can´t show you pictures of because Rich took them all in 5MEG!)
And then there is a revolving restaurant and incredible views at the top. It was really beautiful. Some of the best views of my life.
The boys also got up early in the morning for a hike...which I would also show you pictures of if they weren´t in 5MEG.....is anyone getting the hint Rich may be in a bit of trouble???
Not that he knows it yet.....he and Dave have hired a guide and are off Fly Fishing for the afternoon! I hope they catch something big. I have a feeling some bragging rights may be at stake.
Last night we had our 2nd fondue dinner of the week and I think we have gone through 20 bottles of red wine in five days. Alas....tomorrow is our last day in Bariloche. It has been wonderful, but its time to start thinking about planning our next steps. Our vacation, from our vacation, must come to an end. I guess life could be worse. :) Down toward the end of the earth we head!

2006-12-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

Heather requested some "scenery" pictures.....so here are a few:

ME AT THE SUMMIT

BARILOCHE STREET SCENE

2006-12-26T12:04:00.000-08:00

The Christmas House

2006-12-26T11:53:00.000-08:00

For Christmas Eve dinner we went to an incredible Swiss Style fondue restaurant where families danced around and puppies played! It was great fun.

2006-12-26T11:28:00.000-08:00

Day 55
Bariloche, Argentina
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Our friend from Spanish school in Peru, a English woman named Sally, remembered our invitation and came to join us which was nice. You know us...Christmas just isn´t the same without at least one add on!
It was funny....I had not heard from her and thought she might not be coming.....but then Rich and Dave returned from their hike with her! They found her out on the road. Perfect....just like the boys to go out hiking and come back with a cute girl!
Despite being on the otherside of the Equator....a lot of Christmas felt very traditional. We opened presents by the tree, played games, and cooked a big traditional meal. (Mom even managed to cook the roast in the wood fired oven!)
But some things were very different from our typical Christmas.....like WATERFIGHTS!

HOT TUBBING

RELAXING ON THE DECK

Overall a beautiful Christmas.

Today after two days of glorious sunshine it is back to pouring rain and clouds......but we have faith! The sun will come again. Thanks for all the beautiful comments on the blog for Christmas. I think the only thing that could have made our Christmas better was if all of you were here with us!

2006-12-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

Day 54
Bariloche, Argentina
Merry Christmas Eve! And Merry it is! We finally made it to Bariloche two days ago (with hassel free boarder crossings!) and it was worth every bit of angst to get here.
Starting with the drive here from Puerto Montt. It is just spectacular. Green fields, bridges, flowers, mountains, lakes and waterfalls never stop the entire six hour ride.

And then we got to our house! Its unreal. Its just so beautiful. Bryce calls it the "Christmas House" and he´s right. Its this log cabin style mansion on Lake Moreno and it just feels like Christmas. They has even hung stockings by the fireplace and set up a Christmas tree for us.
Of course the view is not bad either....
White cap mountains, blue water....I can live with it. We are are our own little Lake you have to cross a bridge to get to. We had arranged for the house to have no staff....but our first morning a local woman showed up at the door offering maid services for $2.50 per hour (gotta love Argentina)..... being us......we hired her on the spot!

The big building across the lake is Llao Llau...we are told its the finest resort in Latin America and we plan to check it out for lunch.

As far as the house.....Uncle Davey and Rich´s favorite part is definately the Jacuzzi. And I don´t think Bryce has been out of the indoor pool since we got here! No bad living for a bunch of people with no jobs!
Bariloche itself is also inherently charming. This is kind of Argentina´s version of Aspen. Its a hot ski area with great food, adventure activities, and huge lodges dotting the lakes. But, keep in mind the seasons are reversed.....so its like summer in Vermont. We have spent the last two days running around town in seach of last minute Christmas presents and food shopping for Christmas brunch and dinner. The town looks very German. Its filled with chocolate shops, crafts, and all the trappings of home including good fondue and popular shops. You walk in and out of the charming stores feeling awesome because your dollar is three times stonger than at home, the sun is shinning, and its 65 degrees in December! Just cold enough not to feel too wierd for Christmas....without all the freezing cold suffering stuff. Plus we can see snow capped mountains. I´ll call that a white Christmas!

2006-12-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Day 52
Puerto Montt, Chile
Yesterday was lovely. After a lazy morning Rich, Carrie and Dave went rafting. They were only class three rapids and Bryce and I wanted to go...but the guides said no to my munchkin. Bryce reminded me several times he has done class 3 rapids before....but if the guides think its a bad idea...I am not the mother to fight them. So.. Bryce and I went wandering around Puerto Varas.
(I´ll try to get rich to post pictures and write about the rafting later. They had a great time!)
It turned out to be a lot of fun. It finally felt like Christmas.
A. We were shopping!
B. They were pumping Christmas Carols into the streets through loud speakers
C. They sell fresh Christmas cookies on every corner and we even saw a santa!
It was fun to start getting pumped for the holiday. Better late than never.
Today.....more problems. We arrived back in Puerto Montt to pick up my parents and our permits to travel to Argentina. But, the permits were in the wrong name! Buracracy and this family just do not seem to get along!
So now.....Bryce and Rich have gone to get my parents, Carrie went to return our Chillean rental car, and Dave....I am not sure where Dave went. But, I do know I have been left here alone to wait for the new permits. Alone in Puerto Montt. Cold, rainy....and lets not forget....dangerous Puerto Montt.
But, I am not worried. They are my family. They will come back for me.
And if they don´t.......I have a credit card and a passport. Don´t look for me....I´ll be sunning myself on a beach somewhere near Rio!

2006-12-21T06:38:00.000-08:00

Day 51
Puerto Varas, Chile
Well....the upside to independant travel is....if you don´t like where you are.....high tail it out of there! And that is exactly what we did on Chiloe. One more lovely ferrry ride,

and we were back on the mainland. We then drove a quick hour and a half to the town of Puerto Varas. We read in the guide it was the "next Pucon" and since we love Pucon....we figured this was a good bet. And indeed it is cute. Not as cute as Pucon mind you.....larger and a bit more commercialized....but much better than Chiloe! This town seems to have a German influence which leads to charming wooden buildings, cheese shops and craft markets.

We found a great lodge right on the Lake, called Hotel y Cabanas Del Lago. They had no rooms, but they had an adorable little cabin with one bedroom and three beds in the living room.

After Chiloe and our cramped Hostel.....we decided the cabin was heaven. The resort also has great views of the lake , an indoor swimming pool.....and Bryce´s favorite a playground right next to our cabin!

Rich also found his favorite toy here...
Life is good again and everyone is happy. Our cabin even has a little kitchen which after two months of eating in restaurants was a grand surpirse. Its a tiny kitchenette with no stove...but I managed to make a dinner of spicey corn chowder and beer steamed mussels with lemon butter. It seemed very appropriate with the cloudy and cool weather that continues to haunt us here in Northern Patagonia! Everyone deemed dinner a wonderful change from the local fare.
Good news from my parents. My mother was able to convince the embassy that missing Christmas with your only grandson IS a life or death emergency. They should have the passport today and be able to fly back tomorrow in time to drive to Argentina with us. They have certainly beeen making the most of their detour. They are staying at the Plaza in Santiago and when we finally reached them they were on a wine tour and planning a lovely dinner. I was feeling very happy for them that they were doing such a good job of turning lemons into roses .....until I remembered their only access to money is MY credit card, that I gave them with strict instructions it was "To Be Used For Emergencies Only". Uhmmm......is this how my Dad felt the day he handed me HIS visa as I headed off to college??

2006-12-20T14:02:00.000-08:00

Day 50
The Island of Chiloe, Chile
Well.....it turns out the beautiful 30 minute ferry ride to Chiloe.....is the best thing about Chiloe.
The guide books made Chiloe sound charming and unique, but all we found (after driving across the entire island) was more dirty Chillean cities. Kind of smaller versions of Puerto Montt.....and colder, windier, and rainier.
We got to our hotel and they did not have our reservation....almost everything was booked and we were freezing. After the day started with Mom getting robbed....we were getting a bit cranky.
But, as we do....we made the best of it. Finally found a clean if not almost cute hostel with two rooms and went out for pizza. Afterward we did find a fun, boat style bar with a friendly owner and good drinks and our opinion of Chiloe increased by a bit.

2006-12-20T13:34:00.001-08:00

Day 49
Puerto Montt, Chile
Happy anniversary Mom and Dad! But.....not really. What a disaster! In our rush to get out of Puerto Montt as quickly as possible we were all running around taking turns doing errands.My Mom´s task was to take care of Bryce and he wanted to go to McDonald´s....so off they went as we packed up the cars.
When they returned we were all anxious to hit the road....but my Mom´s face told us something was terribly wrong. She explained to us she had been robbed. She was unhurt....but since we were packing and getting ready to change cities she has put EVERYTHING in her purse. All my parents cash, all five of their credit cards, their ATM card, her perscriptions, her glasses, and worst of all......her passport.
The very helpful hotel staff quickly jumped into gear calling the police while my Dad got on the cell to cancel all their cards and Carrie hopped on the computer to contact the embassy. The embassy clearly explained to us that the only way to get another passport (the only way for her to be with us in Argentina for Christmas) was to go to Santiago....11 hours away.
So...we did the only things we could. I drew as much cash as I could from my ATM to give them and Carrie charged plane flights on her Visa. We drove them to the airport. It would be a minimum of 4 days in Santiago.......and at worst......two weeks.
My poor Mom felt so awful. It was their wedding anniversary. But, the clear demonstrations of 42 years olf love and marriage shined through. My Dad never once solded her and never once did he consider not returning to Santiago with her. They are a team. He simply felt bad for her because he knows how much she wanted all of us together.
At the airport we had one final scare when the desk at the airline told us they had seats for my parents.....but no meals. Its a two hour flight........so who cares!? Well...it seems Air Sur cares and will not fly any "guests" without a meal. Are you kidding me?????
After much begging, they let them on the flight 15 minutes before take off.
The five us us moved on to the Ferry to Chiloe.

2006-12-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

Day 48
Pucon to Puerto Montt, Chile
Well...our adventures in Pucon got a little rained out. We had to cancel rafting....but hope to do it sometime soon. We did however get a van to the natural hot springs in the evening and that was fun...but four of the six pools were closed......so the guy gave Carrie and I a free bottle of Pisco Sour to sooth our disappointment. It seemed to work and we had a good time. We had a great vegetarian dinner in town. Pucon is so cute.....nothing can ruin it.
The boys did risk the rain (and got lucky with a decent morning) to hire a guide and go fly fishing. The novice (Dave) was very successful and caught a big brown trout.

Rich caught one too.....but not as big.
He´ll be eating his on a Ritz cracker. :)
We arrived at the hotel in Puerto Montt around 6pm and I was so thrilled to see Bryce! He looks great and gave me the best hug I have ever had in my life!
Its fun to all be together again and swap stories of our various adventures.
However, we are anxious to get out of Puerto Montt. It is a dirty, noisey city with no charm. And to boot......its cold and raining.
Tomorrow we are off to The Grande Island of Chiloe!

2006-12-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

We have fast internet service here....so below is a retrospective of photos from earlier parts of the trip!

2006-12-17T10:48:00.000-08:00

Valparaiso Puerto

2006-12-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

Riding in the Andes

2006-12-17T10:22:00.000-08:00

A day at the beach...Bahia Inglesia

2006-12-17T10:07:00.000-08:00

Fishing at Bahia Inglesia?

2006-12-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

Carrie asked me if Pucon looks like San Pedro.....NO! But, since I never had San Pedro photos on the blog...here are a few to compare.

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

2006-12-17T06:46:00.000-08:00

DAY 47

Pucon, Chile
Well....we have found cute! We are in Pucon, about 10 hours South and slightly West of Santiago and I must say it is one of the most adorable towns I have ever seen. You can't figure out if it feels like Aspen or Switzerland or maybe just the Chilean mountains!
Its a popular ski village in the winter, but now in summertime it is the "Adventure Capital" for white water rafting, horsebackridding, mountain climbing....and hot springs. (You may have guessed, Carrie found this place). The small village is filled with vintage log cabin style buildings advertising vegetarian restaurants, adventure tours, yoga, hiking, fly fishing and home cooked bread.

Our hostel is called Ecole and it is adorable. It looks like a little cabin filled with plants and flowers and little bridges which lead you to your room. Ours have wood floors, a living room and a big center chimney which we promptly lit last night because the temps have dropped about 20 degrees from Santiago.
Last night was a bit quiet.....I would say because we were all hung over, but it might have more to do with the fact that getting me on the local flight yesterday took two Xanax and a bottle of wine. Hence, I promptly slept through the flight, the drive to Pucon, and then for about 12 more hours! However, I had no flight anxiety and today I feel amazingly refreshed.
Tomorrow is BRYCE DAY! I can't wait to see him!!!!!! I miss him so much. I cried when I read my Mom's last comment. Mom, if you are reading this to him......I'm coming baby! One more day.
Off to do adventure tours! I should have some good pics tomorrow!

2006-12-17T06:30:00.000-08:00

Day 46
En-Route, Chile
Great night out last night in Santiago! No pictures....because both cameras died...can you belive that!
Anyhow.....it was Carrie's Birthday so we went over to the "Chi-Chi" part of town called Barrio Bellavista and it is soooo cool. Gorgeous little area of winding streets filled with great restaurants, cool bars, street performers, bands, and free theatre. Its what you dream a city will be....filled with life, instead of traffic.
We ate dinner at a place called Etniko, its a Fushion Asian Restaurant con very lively hip bar with indoor and outdoor patios, blarring music....and best of all INCREDIBLE food. We munched on veggie sushi, veggie tempura, and wok fried tofu. Everything came in the best sauces and the boys seemed to love their samlon stuffed fritters and eel rolls. Of course, the triump of the place was the very strong...but tastey margaritas!
The staff there was all very beautiful...but very nice....a combination you would not find in New York. As they turned away hotly dressed Chilleans at the door they treated us like royalty. When I stepped outside for a cigarette the bartender chased me outside to tell me I could smoke at the table. When I explained my table mates would not appreciate it he said "Well...a beautiful woman should never smoke alone. I will stay out here with you, until you come in!" Yes...that comment increased his tip by $10!
But, then when we tipped him, he tried to give some back! "This is too generous" he said. Can you possibly imagine that happening in the US! They will take any tip the frunk fools will give them!
By the end of dinner we were already drunk from food and liquor...but we plowed on. We headed to a local Pena (bar with live music) called Pico Cuba. Its a little place with a live guitar player and stiff mojitos, enjoyed on natural wood bar stolls with large open windows and friendly waitresses who talked the guitarist into playing Happy Birthday in English.
That was enough for Carrie and I so they boys walked (or dragged) us home and then went back out!
Lets just say they did not feel very well on the plane the next day!

2006-12-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

Day 45
December 15, 2006
Santiago, Chile
Happy Birthday Carrie!
Sorry....no pics today because Rich left the camera in our last hotel room. No worries...the boys went back for it....but by the time they had it the wine tour was over and all we have done since then is drive on the highway. The highway here is no prettier than the highway at home.....so I figured you dont need pictures.
The winery this morning was fun. We decided to change it up a bit and went to an organic winery up in the hills. Its called VOE. They only sell one lable in the US called, Serenity....and we did not get to try it, but some of their others were great. I even loved their white....not like me. Anyhow this winery was fun because it had the feeling of a farm. They let cows wander about to fertilize the field and chickens run amuck to eat all the vine weebils. They grow camomile, poppies, and lavender amoungst the grape vines to add flavor to the whites and cultivate green peppers in the same fields as the shiraz.
All the wineries have been wonderful and we really learned a lot.
I am glad to have been here now. We had private tours on the first three vineyards and today only four others....but they tell us in Feb.they will have up to 1000 visitors a day! I much prefered feeling like the vineyards were there for us. All the wine we could drink! The weather has been perfect too. 80 and sunny everyday. Its very hard to leave.
Here in Santiago things have chilled since the funeral. Its now back to just simply being another one of the worlds bussling cities.
Good news is the rather bland, but kind hotel has upgraded Carrie to a suite for her B-day......the last one did that too....she is making out!
Anyhow....Carrie gets to pick dinner tonight and it sounds like we are off for sushi.
Mom.....no word. We keep calling you and checking our email. You have not posted in a few days....please check in!
Love,
Betsy

2006-12-14T14:55:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone......
Lots of new pics below! And remember to scroll through days past. I have finally added pictures to most of them.
Evie....love the map thing! I wish I was techy enough to add a map to the blog.
Mom...worried about Dad. We keep trying to call you. Get in touch if you can. We are starting to think you have kidnapped our baby to live on a sheep farm in the Falkland Islands!
Love you all!
B and R