tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149280582011-04-21T14:18:31.420-07:00an ongoing diary of life... from around the world...hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.comBlogger771100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1150619401830234082006-06-18T01:23:00.000-07:002006-06-18T01:30:01.833-07:00

Hattie is in: Rio de JaneiroThe next few days became a blur of brazilian wonderment. Throwing on my iPod, listening to the House music that I had downloaded from the boys in Iguazu – I cruised the streets and explored the area... known as Botofogo. I found it mostly consists of upscale pizzerias, high rise apartment complexes, a security guard on every street corner, and before I know it I find

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1148530020249957822006-05-24T20:42:00.000-07:002006-05-24T21:17:19.220-07:00

Sorry... computer has been down, but Stacy will not let me hear the end of it until I have posted pictures. So I felt very lame to have my friend take random pictures of me since my laptop is still not fixed - but I did it. And NO I am not pregnant... the flowey shirts are the style here in Brazil. But that my friends... is about my entire wardrobe... or all that fits me now. Sorry for the delay

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1145472922241221712006-04-19T11:44:00.000-07:002006-04-19T11:55:22.283-07:00

Hattie is in: Rio de Janeiro... continuation of storyFast forward half an hour while I explain the typical tourist pleasantries. To when he places his hand on his chest and says ‘Eo’ and then places his hand on my chest ‘Voce’. I have no idea what the hell he is doing... but I am not complaining. Fast forward another hour of him repeating this pattern of hand on the chest placement and eo – voce

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1145256303870383862006-04-16T23:35:00.000-07:002006-04-17T00:06:40.416-07:00

Hattie is in: Please read the INTRODUCTION TO RIO blog prior to this blogLooking back to when I arrived in Rio... it was probably inevitable that I would be drawn to stay here. I had no idea before I arrived what could make me stay.. what would make the transient images of traveling... freeze frame... focus... zoom... and finally retract to see a far larger picture that I had become apart of.

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1145255729618635952006-04-16T23:15:00.000-07:002006-04-17T00:09:43.730-07:00

Hattie is in: Rio de JaneiroThis series of blogs that will be following are in a bit of a different format that might need a little explaining. All of the experiences in Rio are written in one story... thus a short story. So in many ways, it does not follow the format of most of the blogs... which tend to be one theme or experience. It is a bit more detailed.. and perhaps a bit more blunt - so

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1144660764492205152006-04-10T02:15:00.000-07:002006-04-10T02:27:25.866-07:00

Hattie is in- Rio de JaneiroJean Vaneoux, was the man who is often credited with starting the Renaissace. He walked up a hill... just to see the view. It was different way of thinking, and ushered in a unprecedented period of enlightenment and exploration into a different way to see the world.I bring this up because there was a show I watched a long time ago, nearly eight years ago or so. It was

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1137880717938141222006-01-21T12:28:00.000-08:002006-01-21T13:58:38.030-08:00

Hattie is in: Rio de JaneiroThe next day I meet a lovely girl from England who is working as a tour guide here, her name is Tamara... and she is ever so lovely. The first day... I check my email and start looking for tours etc... and generally take it easy. I walk about the town a bit ans am immediately taken with the gorgeous people that I am surrounded in. I(t is like walking around a coffee

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1137871854248971862006-01-21T10:03:00.000-08:002006-01-21T11:30:54.390-08:00

Hattie is in: Rio de JaneiroTearing myself away from Iguazu was difficult. I had found friends... I had felt changed... and I didnt know how to react... what to do with it all... because for some reason... the sad heart... that I had gained... remained. But as I left... on the last night... all my little hostel boys turned up the electronica music that they had acquired from all over the world.

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1136178814840310792006-01-01T20:15:00.000-08:002006-01-02T03:41:22.953-08:00

Hattie is in: Iguazu, ArgentinaI think that this is one of those blogs for me that is really difficult to write and is perhaps most comparable to the lump in the throat that is difficult to swallow. In Iguazu... getting to know the locals... to hear my name and familiar smiles from the street... to be part of something... a community was amazing. BUt all these kids and friends that I have made

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1136171938808783332006-01-01T18:28:00.000-08:002006-01-01T20:01:46.150-08:00

Hattie is in: Iguazu, ArgentinaSlade was another American, from Oregon area that got stuck or should I say addicted to Iguazu along with me. A cute kid about the age of 20... but a soul that was of many many more years. He and I immedaitely clicked... as the similiarities in our experiences in South America parallelled in many of our observations. He too was pretty much fluent in Spanish... and

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1135719780747720512005-12-27T13:42:00.000-08:002006-01-01T18:13:36.646-08:00

Hattie is in: Iguazu, ArgentinaSo, there are two sides of Iguazu Falls... well, actually three... as it is shared with Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay... but you can see the falls from two sides... the Brazilian and the Argentinian. So if you are going to stay in Iguazu as long as I did... well, you had better make your way over to the Brazilian side. So I hop on the bus with this lovely girl

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1135716737615468882005-12-27T11:59:00.000-08:002005-12-27T12:52:17.773-08:00

Hattie is in: Iguazu, ArgentinaThe next morning I woke up... with a feeling of dread. My experience in Paraguay was exhausting and I truly felt as if I barely got out of there alive. And yet there was this haunting little thought in the back of my head... Madiha. Shit. Before I left I asked alot of people what was the one thing that they wanted from the countries I was going to... and the

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1134292651608307992005-12-11T01:12:00.000-08:002005-12-27T11:58:55.646-08:00

Hattie is in: Cuidad del Este, ParaguayWhen another tourist wanted me to go to some crazy market to go get some black market stuff in a dodgy part of town and told me that it would be an adventure... I quickly laughed and said... naah man, I don´t need to try to get into trouble, I have an easy enough bumbling into my own just traveling. Well... this of course happens the next day.I decide I am

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1134247621765221352005-12-10T12:17:00.000-08:002005-12-11T00:39:50.876-08:00

Hattie is in: Iguazu Falls, ArgentinaOkay... there are seriously no words to describe Iguazu. I will have to invest the time and throw pictures up... because seriously it was.... dude, no words. I don´t know... waterfalls everywhere.... massive water... green lush forest... it was.... so.... I have no words. One of the, if not the most beautiful thing in the world I´ve ever seen. I mean... just..

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1134245181056810502005-12-10T11:46:00.000-08:002005-12-10T12:17:37.450-08:00

Hattie is in:Iguazu, Argentina Okay, the last thing sexy town needed was this. AND I can´t really be blamed... because I woke up with full intention of going to the falls.... but it was raining. So I cruised down to the Brazilian embassy and... well... welcome to Portugeuse. Uhhg. In Brazil they speak portuguese... which although a beautiful language... no fallo portuguese (I don´t speak

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1133730859926533862005-12-04T13:05:00.000-08:002005-12-04T19:04:36.416-08:00

Hattie is in: Iguazu, Argentina I should have known when I got into the bus for Iguazu and on walks the bus steward who looks like he walked out of a freakin magazine... I guazu would be a very nice place to visit. I stopped blogging about busrides a while ago... but you will need to bear with me on this one. As I am traveling with a Canadian by the name of Shane... who is... a bit goofy.

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1133484610211482292005-12-01T16:24:00.000-08:002005-12-01T16:50:10.420-08:00

Hattie is in: Buenos Aires, ArgentinaArrived in Buenos Aires... and it is lovely. A nice big city.. with style and class, not to mention great steaks. I check into the coolest hostel in town... which yes, everyone who recommended it for the last 3 months... it is very very cool. At first they don't know if they will have room... but the let me shower and store my stuff until they hopefully can

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1133298375987412472005-11-29T13:05:00.000-08:002005-12-01T16:24:25.863-08:00

Hattie is in: ArgentinaOkay well let’s start with the fact the rest of South America think Argentina is a snob. But there is some history there. Okay… basically they were like hunters and gatherers until the colonial times… then of course the Spanish arrived… and well they liked it. Put their flag up… but the locals fought back and won. But only to be defeated a few years later. The british tried

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1133298318390992872005-11-29T13:04:00.000-08:002005-11-29T13:05:18.393-08:00

Hattie is in: ArgentinaWell, I feel Karma strike me as I had hysterically laughed at Sebastian and Dean on the bus from Puetre Montt to Punta Arenas because they thought it was only 12 hours and since they weren’t traveling with a guide book didn’t realize that it was 30 hours. Well, I grab the bus and quickly learn that the ride to Rio Gallegos where I connect to the bus to Buenos Aires is 5

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1133298250506207062005-11-29T13:03:00.000-08:002005-11-29T13:04:10.510-08:00

Hattie is in: ArgentinaOkay, the old lady was right… spectacular barely describes it. We head off at about 2:30pm (I did all my errands in the morning, like a busy little bee). Basically, off we go through, I don’t know some 90 kilometers to the glacier through Argentinian Patagonia….. beautiful lakes, deep green hills…. I mean beautiful, really. But when we get to the first look out of the

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1133298174819935362005-11-29T13:01:00.000-08:002005-11-29T13:02:54.860-08:00

Hattie is in: ArgentinaI should acknowledge that Turkey day came and went… and it was rather uneventful for me in regards to mashed potatoes, stuffing, yams… and that slow roasted turkey. I had said goodbye to my Slovanians, hopped on a bus to Calafate, Argentina… including that always much anticipated event of the border crossing. Completed the border crossing with the other 20 or so people on

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132984542211541672005-11-25T20:42:00.000-08:002005-11-26T01:23:57.936-08:00

Hattie is in: ChileOkay… well Patagonia… uhhmm.. amazing. Freakin amazing. Crystal clear blue lakes… icebergs… turquoise waterfalls that you sit right next to… animals… oh man… just unreal. They even got some Chilean cowboys on the menu… it, well ranks right up there with the Salt Flats, Macchu Picchu and the Jungle. Freakin beautiful.I end up spending most of the day with Sebastian as our

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132980004482570502005-11-25T20:36:00.000-08:002005-11-26T02:33:21.270-08:00

Hattie is in: ChileAs I tumble onto the bus which will be another 30 hour bus ride I am pleased to see that the guy I will be sitting next to is this adorable tourist. Not to mention two seats away is his travel partner… that is nothing short of gorgeous. We immediately hit it off and his name is Dan, pronounced Dean. He and his friend Sebastian are from Slovania. Yes… I know… where in the hell

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132979763268857302005-11-25T20:34:00.000-08:002005-11-25T20:36:03.273-08:00

Hattie is in: Chile So from where I left off I hung out with Brad from Australia for the day and had a blast… a great guy, ending his trip in about 20 days. Spent close to six months in Europe… pretty much partying. He is now a full blown alcoholic…. And has pretty much broken hearts in every country he has been in… he’s a cutie. But I have to catch up on my blogging and decline

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132979627540419752005-11-25T20:31:00.000-08:002005-11-26T00:32:55.003-08:00

Hattie is in: ChileWell, I should let you know a little about Chile…. Since I am here. Let’s see…. Early times consisted of slight Incan rule up on the top portion, then of course the colonial times (you know when the Spanish just stuck their flag everywhere and enslaved all the locals). In the northern portion… the Spanish whooped on them pretty easily and set up forced labor camps… but the

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132349732392648232005-11-18T13:34:00.000-08:002005-11-18T13:35:32.393-08:00

I awake and I get to my blogging which is sorely behind and really truly a bit overwhelming to begin. My computer which has been taking quite a beating… had some screen damage done to it back in Cuzco… and then ever since the Salt Flats… the audio has been shaky… but as I wake up… the screen damage is gone and the music is working perfectly. Ben concludes that the Magic Computer Fairy came in and

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132349651283455792005-11-18T13:32:00.000-08:002005-11-18T13:34:11.286-08:00

The next morning Amy wakes me up before she leaves on her bus at 8 in the morning. It pulls on my heart to say goodbye as she is wonderful and we relate on many levels. As the Fabulous Four (Billy, myself, Ben and Tamara) quickly clicked…. Amy and I clicked on another level… perhaps being 30 (she is 31) and looking at things from a little bit of a different perspective. We say goodbye, and

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132349564896004902005-11-18T13:31:00.000-08:002005-11-18T13:32:44.900-08:00

As Amy the drill sergeant is corralling us to get ready and get going… she has undergone a bit of generalized anxiety regarding the facts that Ben, Billy and Tamara aren’t yet back from the pool. Amy, myself and this other independant traveler dude, whose name I have no idea what is… but he was on the silver mine tour and then we separated and then he showed back up in San Pedro. (True

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132349474636099172005-11-18T13:29:00.000-08:002005-11-26T00:21:39.803-08:00

I remember telling Madiha (Infamous Intern) when she was asking me about my friends that I have at home… and how amazing they all sound. As stories of the Mexican Mamas, Nat, Oscar, Janelle, Sashi, Hilt, KimJu, Liz, Chris, Brian, Stac, Scott… and the list goes on… and she was asking me how all of these incredible people can be one group of friends for one person. I described it like these

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132349378480808892005-11-18T13:28:00.000-08:002005-11-18T13:29:38.483-08:00

We head off and drop off our stuff at the hostel and begin our agenda.. filthy tired and not one of us are in a good mood. We are tired and desperately need a shower, but we have to get our stuff done. As we head to the bank to get money… the new conversion for the US dollar is something like for every dollar it is 644 pesos. But the English have it easy because the pound (also referred to as

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132349299457882112005-11-18T13:27:00.000-08:002005-11-26T01:48:24.316-08:00

As we say our goodbyes… the two groups separate. Ali, Daniel and Sadie head back to Uyuni and Bolivia… the rest of us… including David, Billy, Ben, Amy, Tamara and myself head to Chile. We are ready and anxious… but have no idea how long we have to go and how long the bus ride is. But since we will be crossing the border, we all dump the coca leaves…. But as head towards see level… we anxiously

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132349248739861092005-11-18T13:26:00.000-08:002005-11-25T23:38:52.490-08:00

That morning, we are all dirty and all miss breakfast. By the time the sunrise happened, breakfast was cleared…. But as I see Billy trying to scour for something to fill his belly as we are being rushed into jeep… I see him trying to pick off the mold off the bread that has now become a ridiculous task that is not worth the trouble. Needless to say, we all are hungry and have nothing in our

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132349184216262622005-11-18T13:25:00.000-08:002005-11-25T22:50:27.250-08:00

The next morning we make our way to breakfast and our meals have gotten pretty damn bad by this time… we have had the same old bread for the next day… and it has now began to mold… the soup that we had for lunch the day before we had had for dinner… and yet we sit around and just go with it.. because hell… it is South America… and what the hell are you going to do about it. But it arises that the

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132349133038708342005-11-18T13:24:00.000-08:002005-11-25T23:46:11.420-08:00

Daniel (the Brazilian) arrives at our hostel in the morning and Sadie has gone and bought a few bottles of rum for trip (we understand that it definitely is due to the acquisition of Daniel to our group). We are packed up, got our bottles of water and are off. First stop is to some train graveyard… which is like this area that has all of these old abandoned coal engine trains. It is cool and as

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132349083028719622005-11-18T13:23:00.001-08:002005-11-18T14:37:21.360-08:00

As we reach the hostel from the silver mines… we are all filthy and tired. David pops into the shower and I head in after him… to luke warm water and then being screamed at in some bizarre mixture of French, English and Spanish from David who is telling me we are going to go get something to eat with everyone. As I get out of the showered I am greeted by Luik ( a French guy that David and I met

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132353155302520212005-11-18T13:23:00.000-08:002005-11-18T14:34:10.526-08:00

We arrive after a rather hellish busride to a town that can only be described as a pit. Uyuni. But it is the jumping off point for the Salt Flats. It is a frigid, otherworldly middle of nowhere community with a population of 14,000, elevation 3675 meters. The entire town is pretty much based upon people coming to see the Salt Flats. We arrive and immediately are walking about town because there

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132349030348203792005-11-18T13:22:00.000-08:002005-11-18T14:35:54.556-08:00

Potosi. The world’s highest city. Potosi has at turns been blessed, cursed, rich and depressed by its renowned silver deposits. The city was founded in 1545, following the discovery of ore in silver rich Cerro Rich, the hill overlooking town. The veins proved so loaded that the mines quickly became the world’s most prolific and Potosi, at a staggering 4090 meters, grew into Latin America’s

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132348960804257182005-11-18T13:21:00.000-08:002005-11-18T13:22:40.806-08:00

LaPaz may be the official capital… but Sucre is the heart of Bolivia. Congress still convenes there, and the people seem to have a special place for Sucre in their heart. It is a small little white city that is lovingly at 2790 meters…. Aaahhh…. Getting closer to air. Everywhere you look are these beautiful white colonial buildings, things are clean…. And immediately you understand why this is

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1132348848713976582005-11-18T13:19:00.000-08:002005-11-18T13:20:48.730-08:00

So as I sat and studied in LaPaz watching a few hundred travelers come and go… things began to blur. Faces and names of people came and went, and I stopped trying to remember peoples names. My nightly ritual of watching my new favorite Spanish novella with the ladies that worked at the hostel even began to become tainted with… I must get out of here. As I sign up for my test on line… the next

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1130439966579249602005-10-27T11:33:00.000-07:002005-10-27T12:06:06.716-07:00

I am alive. :) Right now I am in LaPaz, Bolivia. I have taken a few weeks off and am studying for the GRE for grad school. I take the test in a week... and am cramming Geometry and Algebra that I havent seen for ten years. The beds are shit here... but there is hot water and internet access... which is nice. Have met lots of people here... went out to a club here last weekend in LaPaz. It

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1129345400019061592005-10-14T19:34:00.000-07:002005-10-14T20:03:20.026-07:00

Well... change of plans. Skipped the island and decided that I will come back to Copacabana with my camera... and I am anxious to get to LaPaz. We acquired a new little irritant and that is this Aussie girl who is like 22 years old... and I refuse to even learn her name. She became attached to Shawny.... and havent been able to shake her. She talks and talks and talks.... shes just one of

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1129074076067140032005-10-11T16:26:00.000-07:002005-10-13T09:56:12.730-07:00

As we (Asof and I) take our midnight bus to Puno... we huddle together because the bus is freezing... (no, gurls... I am not complaining). I adore traveling with men... because they are such a take charge creature.... pay for the taxi, give the directions... macho macho macho... hell, I´ll take it... its a nice break from being in charge of everything. Plus they seem to get this little puffed up

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1128997975149291572005-10-10T19:10:00.000-07:002005-10-10T19:32:55.156-07:00

Okay... so as I see the end in sight... almost caught up with my blogging... ahhh... have to sort of have a catch up blog. First of all... Asof... who is Israeli.... oh goodlord.... he´s gorgeous. We all call him the Israeli Johnny Depp... we´ve been hanging with him for the last 4 or 5 days... and he is so lovely. Probably one of the most gentlest souls inthe world, a bit idealist... but he

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1128899626096697892005-10-09T15:38:00.000-07:002005-10-10T19:10:32.856-07:00

One night... it was a mellow evening, I stopped by Benhaamin´s room and he´s just kickin it listening to music.... Asof (Israeli Johnny Depp) ends up stopping by as well. Benhaamin is drinking Rum, his girlfriend is already passed out on the bed. The night began as most of them do around here... but this one ended up a little different.See Benjamin is always moving... always talking.... always

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1128897514476397742005-10-09T15:36:00.000-07:002005-10-10T19:09:58.913-07:00

Okay... Macchu Picchu is the thing to do here in Peru.... every conversation that you have includes... have you seen Macchu Picchu yet? It is the tourist attraction... and Peru.... well... they will milk it for all it is worth... you will pay to see this lost Incan city, no doubt about it. So it is often... how much will you pay? You can do the Inca Trail.... completely famous.... but seriously a

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1128897390770879352005-10-09T15:33:00.000-07:002005-10-09T22:21:28.803-07:00

I should note some things about Cuzco.... it is the archeological center of South America. The Incans were here... and they left their stuff behind. The Sacred Valley is an all day tour that begins at the crack of dawn which in Cuzco is anything before noon... so from 8:30am till about 8 pm. Awakening after a night of dancing... a few hours of sleep, I take my cold shower and wait downstairs to

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1128465790697584992005-10-04T15:24:00.000-07:002005-10-05T20:27:25.796-07:00

Okay... well, as the days have now blurred together... I am trying to sort them out. But what I do know is that Benjamin deserves his own blog. Benjamin... commonly referred to as Ben- haaamin around here is quite the character. As I mentioned earlier he has traveled to over 42 countires and knows the political situation and history of the entire world. His favorite television station is CNN and

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1127781900379433452005-09-26T17:19:00.000-07:002005-10-04T15:24:16.723-07:00

Okay... so as Shawny wakes up the next morning... she inquires as to my night... and she is instantly jealous... so I let her know that we will go out. Now, I wont lie... I slept till about 11 and awoke with a bit of a hangover. It had worn off pretty quickly with a cup of the local coco tea. Okay... well, cocaine is everywhere here. The coco leaves are made into tea, everywhere to help with the

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1127703865175376312005-09-25T19:10:00.000-07:002005-09-26T17:18:11.370-07:00

We took our 30 hour busride, which pleasantly was only 19 hours. Aaaah! Thank god... as people including me were getting sick the entire way. Uhhg. It was the only time when I preferred being in the bathroom on the bus than anywhere else. I think part of it was that the window was open in the bathroom... so I could breathe. But I was not well... but I just had stomach problems and nausea...

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1127685144756524732005-09-25T13:55:00.000-07:002005-09-25T15:35:34.966-07:00

So... Shawny (the 19 year old) wants to go to Cuzco as well and we figure we will travel a bit together. She is this tall, probably close to 6 foot, very young idealist. Never had a boyfriend, worked at whole foods store for the last few years and just graduated from highschool. She will be attending some bizarre college in North Carolina where the students live in a commune type thing... I dont

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1127625903634945482005-09-24T21:42:00.000-07:002005-09-24T22:25:03.716-07:00

We arrived in Lima and made our way to a hostel in Miraflores that I had stayed at... Home Peru. Its nice... homey... and friendly and central. It is nice to see familiar faces as we arrive and immedaitely Helene and I take a nap. It is the weekend, so I have to try to work out my other stuff while I wait fo the Embassy to open up Monday morning. I will forgoe my nightmare with Bank of

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1127621284881352642005-09-24T20:45:00.000-07:002005-09-24T21:41:45.376-07:00

Although Huanchaco hasnt necessarily treated me so well... I cant help but still absolutely love it. With my family now spread out everywhere... home is a hard place to locate... but still to this day... the beach in Ventura still holds the home feeling for me. It is lucky for me because now... looking out at the beach anywhere... brings a bit of that home to me... even in Peru. I wake up to the

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1127458909100476582005-09-22T22:38:00.000-07:002005-09-23T00:01:49.836-07:00

Well the next morning arrives... and the nightmare now becomes reality in daylight. As I opened my eyes... I had hoped to see my bag and my reputation still in tact and in my possession... but both were long gone. As I crawl out of bed and saunter out to the office, rubbing my eyes... as if to try to wipe out my memory of my previous night away... I log onto my laptop, which I acknowledge that

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1127073966541167852005-09-18T12:08:00.000-07:002005-09-22T14:03:06.110-07:00

Well, I am thinking that this is perhaps going to be one of my more embarrassing blogs... but since I have promised to be completely honest in the blog... I might as well get this entry over with. So I wake up in Huanchaco and it is... of course, beautiful. Morad and Helene have decided that another bus immediately will be a bit much for Helenes back... so they want to stay an extra day... I

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1127024255522042292005-09-17T22:39:00.000-07:002005-11-26T01:59:21.186-08:00

Well... traveling with Morad and Helene is interesting. They are absolutely adorable, but they are a couple... and that is through and through. Helene is absolutely 100% Paris. She speaks her french in a slur, she eats red meat, smokes like a chimney... and weighs about 90 pounds. She pretty much hates everything about America... New York is alright (we have beautiful black men)... but she is

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1126897661623183702005-09-16T12:07:00.000-07:002005-09-16T18:16:29.346-07:00

I wake up the next morning and have breakfast with Oscar. We are sitting around talking about my trip and about where I am going, both a bit with hangovers and this French guy with his girlfriend mention that they have overheard my conversation and have a similar trip. We immediately start exchanging info about traveling, where this guy from Switzerland joins in on the conversation. The Frenchies

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1126897610441298972005-09-16T10:57:00.000-07:002005-09-16T12:08:20.956-07:00

A little town, about an hour outside of Loja in Ecuador. In a country, where the life span is frighteningly short… there lies a little town, consisting of about 2,000 people, where people live to 120… all of the time. It is a town that is famous for the fact everyone lives to over 100 years old. Well, the plan was a stopover in Vilcabamba… a few hours of sleep, up at 4 to catch a taxi at 4:45 to

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1126145682360624252005-09-07T17:58:00.000-07:002005-09-09T19:51:11.490-07:00

Oh bloody hell! Well, it ain´t all jungle boys and butterflies. So I was in this wonderful hostel in Cuenca with these adorable people who ran the place... especially this guy Salvador... absolutely adorable. But as usual, it takes him 3 days to tell me he´s married. Needless to say, though, he is a wizz at planning and tourism in general... and seriously sees me as perhaps his hardest project to

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1125948927193276712005-09-05T11:45:00.000-07:002005-09-05T16:39:26.266-07:00

Just as everything seems unreal… I decide to go to a restaurant and begin journaling… and try and catch up. I order a great meal, huge avocado with a vinegarete, a pasta dish with a cream sauce and vegetables that is amazing. As I sit and type, another traveler comes in, staring a my laptop. I end up inviting him to eat with me, and as I inquire as to where he has been, he mentions that he’s been

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1125792439763813352005-09-03T16:49:00.000-07:002005-09-05T11:42:23.743-07:00

I woke up and threw on my clothes… figured a T-shirt, a long sleeve thermal and jeans, a bathing suit. Met Sebastion at his house with my stuff which I stored at his house. So we get down to the bank which of course now doesn’t accept my card… only balance transfers at the time… then go to the internet café… that has a phone for international calls and call the international number for the bank

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1125602881079803992005-09-01T12:27:00.000-07:002005-09-05T09:46:53.703-07:00

Completely refreshed from the busride, I check into my hostel, throw on my iPod and backpack and start for downtown. Banos is this beautiful little town that is seriously in this little tiny valley. You can walk literally around the entire edge of the city in about 4 hours. A bit touristy, but wow… you just fall in love with it. The Bathrooms are clean… there are a zillion things to do, as in

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1125602790106843992005-09-01T12:25:00.000-07:002005-09-05T09:16:09.543-07:00

The ride to Banos was beautiful. It was approximately four hours, but really lovely. It started off a bit rough though. I sat across the aisle from this lovely couple from Arcata. They were traveling around Ecuador for a few weeks, they had a son about my age. But immediately the gentleman realizes that his bag is gone. He had put his bag overhead, and literally within minutes was gone. Some

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1125602697569267822005-09-01T12:21:00.000-07:002005-09-05T09:07:07.033-07:00

I met up with Alexandra, the Italian go-getter, at the pizzeria downstairs of the hostel. I had just seen Claire leave back to England a few hours before. Travel partners are easy to come by here… start a conversation and before you know it you are going somewhere together. Her English and Spanish are better that my Spaish and Italian that is for sure… but of course certain things don’t translate

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1125602485392303952005-09-01T12:20:00.000-07:002005-09-05T08:50:37.040-07:00

Some brief history… that I learned. J Well… it is a little different… things are old here. They found tools here from 9000BC. But pretty much the known history is with the Incas. Basically much of the area was inhabited by the Shyri (Shuari) people in 1200 BC. In the mid 1400’s the Inca empire was in the north, the Canari people in the south. But us usual everyone wants to expand. The King Huayan

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1125602420680031382005-09-01T12:17:00.000-07:002005-09-05T08:42:33.470-07:00

Ummm. Wow. Okay right now it is about 7:30 at night and I am in the middle of the Ecuadorian jungle in the midst of the Amazonia with 3 twenty-something Ecuadorian jungle men. Only 1 speaks English and the other two are attempting to learn. One of them is making me dinner and another is making me tea… things are good. There are only three candles that are lit in the canopied area and I am sitting

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1125012427079645562005-08-25T16:27:00.000-07:002005-08-25T17:09:01.346-07:00

HPIM0253Originally uploaded by hcobb.I am sitting at this weird little ice cream shop type thing. Hard to explain, as is this all. My days have been packed and I should begin where I left off. Let´s see... finished my 20 hour bus ride in 24 hours with our little midnight switcheroo of buses. I slept a bit on the bus, but not much. I then got off the bus in Tumbes and was bombarded by taxi

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1125007812086749732005-08-25T15:10:00.000-07:002005-08-25T15:10:12.133-07:00

HPIM0247 Originally uploaded by hcobb.Okay, I am journaling on the freakin bus. Right now, I have absolutely no idea where I am…. Somewhere on the coast of Peru. As I was drifting off asleep thinking of really that once you peel away the overwhelming state of poverty that this country is in… the people are very warm and friendly. As the bus went through the city of Lima, and you look up into

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1124649770931803342005-08-21T11:42:00.000-07:002005-08-21T11:42:50.936-07:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Circle of Flags - Parque de Central de Miraflores, originally uploaded by hcobb. Okay so... it is Sunday afternoon in Miraflores... and yesterday I spent the whole day walking around getting pictures... got

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1124648777680331712005-08-21T11:26:00.000-07:002005-08-21T11:26:17.683-07:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } The English Navy hard at work, originally uploaded by hcobb. This was supposed to go with the last blog... but I couldn´t get it to post. :)

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1124562150033826392005-08-20T11:08:00.000-07:002005-08-21T11:24:39.860-07:00

Izzy told me that time goes slower when you are a kid because you are constantly exposed to new things. That habit collapses memories and thus time feels as if it goes faster as we get older. Don't know how true it it... but it feels true. I feel like I've been here forever... so does my body though... already a bit damaged. I have blisters all over my feet, and I stabbed myself with a pencil

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1124482031780624562005-08-19T13:07:00.000-07:002005-08-19T13:07:11.786-07:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Ana, Izzy and me, originally uploaded by hcobb. Sorry... I have to do one more entry today. This photo finally got uploaded. These are two girls that I met up with at the Southamerican explorers club.

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1124480862894374142005-08-19T12:47:00.000-07:002005-08-19T12:47:42.936-07:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Downtown Lima... Welcome to Peru!, originally uploaded by hcobb. Okay... so here is downtown Lima. This was a picture outside my hotel room the first day. I downloaded my photos that I have currently, so

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1124417190176894302005-08-18T18:48:00.000-07:002005-08-18T19:06:30.183-07:00

ooohhh... good lord. I know, I dont want to hear it... shouldnt of drank the water. I didnt even drink it... I brushed my teeth with it. But... oooh lesson learned. Am currently in Miraflores, a little beach community outside Lima... much more sane than Lima. Went to the South American Explorer club... so I should be able to download photos tomorrow... should be nice.. they have wireless...

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1124343106048008322005-08-17T21:43:00.000-07:002005-08-17T22:35:55.860-07:00

Okay... just ventured out to the city. Took like an hour to get "tarjeta para llamar por telefono"... a freakin phone card. But you know those phone cards are labrynths to use in English... try it in Spanish, internationally. It´s crazy here though.. people stay up hella late... it´s like midnight here and it´s like rush hour. The whole city is filled with these horrible little hatch backs

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1124336066766961092005-08-17T20:26:00.000-07:002005-08-17T21:42:22.163-07:00

Buenos Noches. OKay. So last night was a bit of a panic. I got 12 hours of sleep, had a hot shower, got my batteries for my laptop and my iPod charged... and am feeling a little bit better. So I was recommended by Jeffrey (air travel guy) to get a hotel for the first few days and not plan on leaving... just get acclimated and get a game plan. It was good advice. It has been a whirlwind to get

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1124266344866917942005-08-16T23:47:00.000-07:002005-08-17T16:52:17.586-07:00

Okay... I had this beautiful idea for my first post... something regarding all the wonderful people who have helped me get here and all that jazz. But at this point - I will need to begin with my first catharsis. I am here in Lima, Peru... I just paid $20. US dollars for 2 phone calls, both under 5 minutes each. Basically driving home the point that this will need to be my form of

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14928058.post-1122646670667035192005-07-29T07:17:00.000-07:002005-07-30T15:20:22.170-07:00

This is an initial post. Thank you.

hattiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07522604794085629737noreply@blogger.com7