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thetourist

54 Blog Entries
3 Trips
203 Photos

Trips:

No news, Good news! in Peru & Argentina
No news, Good news! in New Zealand (RWC 2011) & Fiji
No news, Good news! in South Korea & Hong Kong

Shorthand link:

http://blogabond.com/thetourist


Didier


Small hell ...

Cafayate, Argentina


Cardones
Today, I left Tucuman a bit south to go to Cafayate (2nd capital of wine after Mendoza). I took a small interesting road that climbs till 3054 meter to reach the "paso infernillo" literally "small hell" ou "petit enfer". On the Tucuman side it was all green (and rainy) and on the other side like a desert wher I could see some giant candelabre cactus (cardones).
I have other things to tell but I´m not able to upload pictures today so I will update the comments when the pictures will be there.

permalink written by  thetourist on November 11, 2007 from Cafayate, Argentina
from the travel blog: No news, Good news! in Peru & Argentina
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Going north

San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina

San Miguel de Tucuman is a very nice and dynamic city. It is also the city where the independance of Argentina was declared on the 9th of July 1816. Around the place of independance, a lot of very nice monuments. Here the San Francisco church.

San Francisco church

On the other side, I discover another culinary speciality. It is called panchuque and is, in fact, the sausage of the hot dog inside a kind of waffle. In every street, in S.M.d.Tucuman, they have those machines like we have to do waffle but they are not. Then they add mustard, ketchup or mayo on it. One thing that americans did not invent till now!

Panchuque

permalink written by  thetourist on November 10, 2007 from San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina
from the travel blog: No news, Good news! in Peru & Argentina
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Going north of Argentina

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina

After coming back from Peru last week, I had a break in Buenos Aires, Argentina to prepare the second part of the trip. The goal is to travel first north to reach La Quiaca at the Bolivian border and then follow the road 40 to the south. This road follows basically the Andes. I will use it as main road but will also try to see what is around it. I will also meet some friends in two weeks and do part of the travel with them so that we will deviate (quite a lot) from the road 40 to see majors attraction (more to follow).
So today I left Buenos aires with the idea to reach as fast as possible some nice northern cities. The first 200 km out of Buenos Aires are just terrible to drive, but it is a good training to remember the basic rules of driving here. After having been in India earlier this year, at least argentine respect some rules.
It is all about who gets the priority.
Rule 1: Priority depends on the size of the vehicule. Trucks go first, then buses, 4x4, cars, motorbike. In the city, buses and cabs share 95% of the priorities.
It looks like that outside Buenos Aires, the portenos (habitants of Buenos Aires) feel they always have the priority. This creates some crashes!
Rule 2: Pedestrians have no priority: they are not a vehicule
Rule 3: Animals have priority only (and therefore better considered as humans) if they can damage your vehicule. A cat against a car has no priority. A sheep has! The same sheep may not have it against a truck.
Rule 4: lines on the road are purely informative.
Rule 5: If a truck wants to signalize that you can pass him, he puts the left turning indicator on. Not the right one like in Europe!
Rule 6: If someone flash lights, it is not to say hello or to warn for the police. It is to check that you are awake. So you need to answer!

permalink written by  thetourist on November 9, 2007 from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina
from the travel blog: No news, Good news! in Peru & Argentina
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Pisaq Market

Pisaquil, Peru

Today just a short trip with local buses to Pisaq. The "theoretical" market is really for tourists but just aside of it you can still see a smaller one with unknown (at least by me) vegetables. A lot of colors indeed.

Almost art!
On the top of the moutain surrrounding the village, some ruins. The fact is: after having seen the machu pichu, it is like a non spicy indian dish :-)

Pisaq ruins

permalink written by  thetourist on October 30, 2007 from Pisaquil, Peru
from the travel blog: No news, Good news! in Peru & Argentina
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Lucky me! A village anniversary celebration

Ollantaitambo, Peru

After taking the train to leave Aguas Calientes, arrived in Ollantaytambo that is, by lucky for me, celebrating its 133rd anniversary. There, I did one of the best picture till now (check the 2nd picture).
A lot of costumes, dances, food and no tourists. Great! I don´t want to leave!

Ollantaytambo 133th birthday


Looks like she saw me

Eat a very good trout but then saw a full Guinea pig (cuy). I regret to have eaten that trout already. At least I have tried the Guinea pig earlier in the week (Sorry mum!)

Cuy (guinea pig)

permalink written by  thetourist on October 29, 2007 from Ollantaitambo, Peru
from the travel blog: No news, Good news! in Peru & Argentina
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Inca trail - Day 4

Machupicchu, Peru

Wake up at 4:00 this morning to start the last 2 hours of the trek to Machu Pichu.
Some very hard steps leads us to where we should have the first view on Machu Pichu. Damned! it is full of clouds!

On the (hard) way to ... amarello... machu pichu

Later on, fully sunny day and Machu Pichu is full of tourists. I don´t know what I prefer ;-)

Machu pichu in the morning

As we didn´t have enough climbing, a last 1 hour climb to Wayna Pichu to enjoy a splendid view on Machu Pichu (tourists are smaller from there :-)

Machu pichu viewed from Wayna pichu

Then down to Aguas Calientes for the first hotel night since 4 days. Looks like someone suddenly opened the roof and it started to rain non stop the whole night (including inside the hotel room)

permalink written by  thetourist on October 28, 2007 from Machupicchu, Peru
from the travel blog: No news, Good news! in Peru & Argentina
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Inca trail - Day 3

Ollantaitambo, Peru

Longuest day with 18km and 2 passes.
We start from 3640m up to 4000m (Kununakay) then down to 3300m and up again to 3700m to the 2nd pass of the day (Sayaqmarka) where we have lunch
Suddenly the rain arrived making the downhill of 1000m more difficult on those very high steps

Sayaqmarka


Winawayna (forever young in quechua)

The we arrived at the camp at 2700m called Winawayna (forever young). There is a very nice inca site just 5 mins from there. I was told by the guides that most of the trekkers don´t go to see this site because they are too tired after the 18km trek of the day. Unbelievable!!!

permalink written by  thetourist on October 27, 2007 from Ollantaitambo, Peru
from the travel blog: No news, Good news! in Peru & Argentina
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Inca trail - Day 2

Ollantaitambo, Peru

The most difficult day of the program and I was happy to know they could repair my shoes if needed :-) I still wonder if they ever repaired one size 47.

We sell everything like Carefour

We start at 3100m to reach the highest point of the trek at 4200m (the Warmiwanusca pass), the down to the valley to reach the Pacamayo camp at 3640m. All this in 12 km.

View from Warmiwanuska - at 4200 meters !!!

permalink written by  thetourist on October 26, 2007 from Ollantaitambo, Peru
from the travel blog: No news, Good news! in Peru & Argentina
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Inca trail - Day 1

Ollantaitambo, Peru

After a bus ride from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, we are ready to start our 40 km trek in 4 days (better said 3 as the last one will be in Machu Pichu)

Inca trail altitudes

Today is a gentle 10 km trek up from 2682m to reach 3100 for our first camp night at Wayllabamba

Luxury toilets in Camp 1

On the way, the first inca archaelogical site: Salapunku

Salapunku

permalink written by  thetourist on October 25, 2007 from Ollantaitambo, Peru
from the travel blog: No news, Good news! in Peru & Argentina
tagged IncaTrail
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Still in Cusco

Cusco, Peru


Plaza de armas, Cusco
Second day in Cusco before the big day tomorrow.
There will be no news the next 4 to 5 days because i will be on the inca trail (camino del inca) with the highlight: Machu Pichu.
You can follow my theoretical progression in this trek using the following link
http://www.inca-trail.com.pe/maps/tracker.php?lg=en&id=572965434


Saqsayhuaman
Today was a day for preparation of the long 4 days trek, shopping and visiting a monument called saqsayhuaman (to be pronounced sexy woman!) located on the top of Cusco

Oh, last word, food. Yes just finished a steak of alpaca.... One of those...


Smile for the stupid tourist (me!)

permalink written by  thetourist on October 24, 2007 from Cusco, Peru
from the travel blog: No news, Good news! in Peru & Argentina
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