No sleep... but it's for FREE!

This is how Ian and I "slept" for one night while in Buenos Aires. We were desperate for a free place to stay because of some budget issues. I think I got a few hours of sleep but Ian says that he didn't get much sleep at all. It might have helped if we had borrowed some blankets. Apparently pride isn't good for backs.

From Machu Picchu to Potosí

Machu Picchu was expensive, but very worth it. Visiting these ruins have been on my to-do list for quite a few years. To be honest, we had pretty bad weather but this did little to dampen my spirits. Because of the rain, there have been many landslides in the Cusco/Machu Picchu area and many tourists have become stranded there. We had a four hour delay on the way out, but nothing too serious.

We made it into Potosí this morning and were met with extremely cold weather. Ian and I are going to take a tour of the old silver mine which has made Potosí famous throughout the world. Tomorrow, Ian, Jeff and I hope to check out La Casa de la Moneda (silver mint) and visit some amazing hot springs in the area (the Incas would make a special trip from Cusco just to visit their healing properties).

The current plan is to leave Potosí tomorrow night and get back to my house as fast as we possibly can.

Travels since BA

I haven´t had much time or ganas to update my blog lately, but since I have a few things to update and I am paying for my url (the joshgreenman.com address thingy), I might as well write a few phrases to keep my even fewer readers content.

Jeff made it down to Buenos Aires on the seventh of this current month and we were able to make it up to Salta on a flight the following day. I felt a bit bad not being able to show the touristy sections of Salta and Jujuy to Ian and Jeff, but I guess that usually happens when you take living in a city for granted, no matter how beautiful or unique they might be (Jujuy is neither of these, I assure you).

We made our way up to the Bolivian border with a night spent in Huacalera, a small town in the Valley of Humahuaca (Unesco world heritage park). Our bus ride from the Bolivian border to La Paz was terrible, especially bad was the stretch between the border and Potosi. Once this road is complete it will be a nicer trip, with bus companies willing to send better buses, instead of just their beaters.

Once in La Paz, Ian, Jeff and I decided to ride bikes down the world´s most dangerous road. Ian and I made it down without any problems, but Jeff had a bad accident after one minute of leaving the top of the mountain and broke his wrist. We had a hard time getting the $3,000 together to pay for his operation. The clinic only accepted cash and our atm withdrawal limits are set to $200. Thanks to the generosity of friends and family, we were able to gather the money an hour before it was due. Whew...

I am happy to announce that we are now in Cusco, probably one of the touristiest cities we have been in so far. We leave for Machu Picchu tomorrow and will be back in three days. The next big city on our list is Potosi, which will involve exploring the silver mine and visiting the mint house (where coins were made).

We are all quite tired but I am sure that we will survive until the end of the month. I´ll put some photos on as soon as I get back to my computer in Jujuy.

Chau for now.

Love from Quechua land.

Buenos Aires again...

I've been in Buenos Aires for about a week now and have been really enjoyed it. Moving has always been a a large theme in my life and it seems to be continuing, even while on vacation. I've been in BA 7 days and heading for housing number 6 tomorrow night. It's been fun having Ian with me. We've been having quite a few laughs and I hope that these good times will continue. Ian's been a good sport even though he's been suffering through a few physical aggonies. He keeps saying that he can't believe how late we eat here in Argentina.

I've had a long week with some not so great sleeping situations. The hostel we are staying in tonight seems to be pretty nice and I hope our roommates aren't too noisy. Tomorrow Ian and I explore La Boca (Italian neighborhood) and move to a friend's apartment.

chau for now