Brazil

The final leg of my travelling took place in the iconic country of Brazil where I not only visited the beaches, sights and cities, but also my wonderful boyfriend Blake.

Getting to Brazil was somewhat unpleaseant. I was very excited, of course, but I was also missing my Dad. On top of that, all my flights (2) were late, which made me anxious. But it worked out, I got to Rio de Janeiro and had a fun night solo meeting people in the hostel (including a vegetarian from Buenos Aires!) and spending the entire day on Ipanema beach the next day.

Blake arrived the next night, and it was so great to finally see him after not seeing him for 2 months. Our time in Rio was great, we ate Indian food on the beach (surprisingly great!), hiked around Pao de Azucar as well as saw the beautiful sights from the top, and explored. We then went to Sao Paulo for a few days so Blake could attend class. Sao Paulo is essentially a concrete jungle, and I mainly explored his classy neighborhood Perdizes while he was in class. I did attend two classes, it was very strange to be in a classroom again! A highlight was staying with his very nice family. My Portuguese was decent enough that I could actually hold a conversation, it was fun to actually practice, although I spoke "portanol," mix of Portuguese and Spanish.

Then, for the grand finale of our trip, we went back to Rio for Carnaval! We lucked out and were able to rent an apartment in the heart of Ipanema with 7 other people from Blake's program. Carnaval is wild - people are dressed up like Halloween and are partying all day everywhere. We had a grand time, although the crowds were obnoxious at times. An interesting part of our apartment was that on one side we had a stunning view of the ocean, and the other side was close view of a favela, one of the many poor sections of Rio. The economic disparities are so obvious and close together, I have never seen any city like it.

Saying goodbye to Brazil and Blake was sad, I had a wonderful time and I can't wait to go back and see Blake again! There is so much to explore, I truly hope that in the future I can have a trip solely dedicated to the diversity of Brazil.

Mis Viajes con Papa

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. For two weeks in February, my dad and I travelled throughout Chile and Argentina, with the most wonderful stay in Villa Maria, the town where he studied in when he was my age.

We started off in Santiago, Chile. We were quickly enamored with this capitol; its buildings, stray dogs, plazas, food, people... We went on a "free tour" (donations at the end, of course) for four hours, which gave us a great overview of the city. Highlights were eating humitas (google them!), Pablo Neruda's house, and reuniting with my Dad! I was so excited to see him, I could hardly sleep the night before!

Then we went to Valparaiso, a hip port town covered with tasteful graffiti. I am still enamored with this city. It has so much character, it was probably our favorite city in Chile. I even got to eat some Thai food while there :) Then we went to Vina del Mar, an upscale beachtown just 10 minutes North of Valpo. There, we wandered around and had a beautiful dinner in a restaurant on the beach overlooking the sunset, ahhhhh!

The journey over the Andes to Argentina was beautiful, although VERY curvy! I had to down some dramamine after about 30 curves... The Andes are just stunning, no matter what country. And the border crossing was fairly painless, we were both excited to get some new stamps!

In Mendoza we spent a day riding bikes around wine country in Maipu. Just imagine my father and I wine tasting, drinking beer, eating chocolate all day and then riding bikes in the sun! Very fun, although silly due to how dangerous it appears to be. No worries though, we were happy and I felt safe. Argentina has the best wine, and it is very inexpensive for what it is! But I can't say I know much of anything about wine, even after these tours. Hopefully I have some wine cred once I return to the states.

And then to Villa Maria, a small city 2 hours south of Cordoba, very much off the tourist map. Our time here was phenomenal. My Dad's family and friends here treated him as if nothing has changed since he was there 30 years ago. The amount of love Argentines show towards each other and their family is beautiful, and they treated us just like family. The entire time we were there (about 5 days), we spent time with people; going to asados until late into the evening, relaxing at cafes, consuming gigantic lunches... It was wonderful. I feel like I have family there now. Dad's bff Alejandro was hilarious too, it was very entertaining for me to witness my Dad's bromance! Him and Ale would give each other gifts, like Ale's belt, Dad's watch, Ale's jersey, Dad's shirt, Ale's clock... It was hysterical and so sweet! I will never forget my time here. Also, my Spanish vastly improved. I am beginning to have quite the Argentine accent. Saying goodbye was sad, my Dad and I both cried a little. But we both promised each other that we will return in the upcoming years, and we won't allow that much time to pass. I will hopefully visit them during the school year.

And then we had our final days together in Buenos Aires! I am so excited to live there, it seems amazing. Ale's brother surprised us at the bus station, showed us around, took us out to a delicious dinner, and even let us stay at his house! The Argentina hospitality is so impressive. My Dad and I walked the antiques fair at San Telmo, booming with music and dancing, we strolled through the colorful neighborhood La Boca, took a bus tour to see all the sites, and ate plenty of empanadas and Italian food. A highlight for me was our final dinner on the river, a classy Italian joint where we ate our little hearts out and had the most delicious food and views!

It was really sad to say goodbye to my Dad at the airport. I feel so lucky to have travelled with him! We had the trip of a lifetime :)

Chi-Chi-Chi! Le-Le-Le! ¡Viva Chile!

So this title is the "chant song" of Chile. It's great to experience the pride of both Peru and Chile because it is so strong! I know that I have pride for the USA, but only certain parts, and not enough to sing about it to foreigners.

And Chile has been wonderful so far! In contrast to the Andes in Péru, we have spent quality time on the coast. More importantly, I actually have some color from the sun! It's not too apparent to others here though, as I am still called a gringa. But it has been so tranquil to read, listen to music, and enjoy life on the beaches of Arica and La Serena.

In Arice, the small beach/border town of North Chile, we "couchsurfed" with a policeman and a two other girls from Portland and Germany. Couchsurfing is this online way to travel where people lend their couches to travellers for free. And so far, I have only had the best experiences. (Mom, if you are reading this, i can assure you that it is legit!) In Arica he showed all of us around the city, to the caves, gorgeous coast, lunch in a police officer's club house, a huge Jesus statue... A really great tour. Patricio was an incredibly nice guy. The most humorous part for me though was the dinner... A male, Chilean police officer would cook this for us!
First course: Hot dogs.
Second course: Sausage dogs
Third course: Chorizo dogs
Needless to say, I told him that I would just buy a sandwhich ;) And FYI, finding vegetarian food is not difficult, I have eaten well here! I am very cheap with food though.

And La Serena has lived up to its title, very serene indeed. We have stayed here for a grand total of 5 days because our couchsurfing situation has been so wonderful, as well as the city. We stayed with Cristian, a surfer translator who is so friendly and hilarious. We have gone to beautiful beaches, Pisco Elqui, cooked pancakes, burritoes, cookies and more treats in his house, and have basically had the most vacation-like time during our vacation.

Now I am heading South to meet my Dad in Santiago. I could not be more excited!

Viva Peru

So many exciting things have happened since my last blog here in Peru. I have woken up in the wee hours of the morning to explore Macchu Picchu, bid goodbye to the beauty of Cuzco, and have stayed the night with a family on Isla Amantaní on Lago Titicaca. And now I'm in Arequipa, about to start a 3 day, 2 night trek into Colca Canyon. Some highlights of my past week are...

The Friendly Nature of Cuzqueños
After we got back from Machu Pichu, we took desperately needed showers and did desperately needed laundry. As a result, I was left with my one nice outfit, and a clean appearance. Little did I know that this was a recipe for attention. It was a sunny and beautiful day in Cuzco, so I told my friends that I was going to the Plaza de Armas to read. I don't think I got a page into my book after an hour or more of sitting. Immediately an older, indigenous woman came to talk to me, calling me "linda" and "bonita." As we were talking, two police officers walked over to tell me that I was "linda" and "bonita" and began talking with us. They left after a few minutes, but my amiga Sabina stayed for half an hour. She asked for us to take a picture and gave me advice on life. She was very sweet. Then once she left an older man began talking to me. All the same questions about where I'm from, what I'm doing in Peru, if I have a novio (boyfriend), family... It was a most entertaining time!

Las Cuentas de las Fantasmas
The night that we spent on the island in Lago Titicaca was very memorable. After our family cooked us a delightful meal of pasta and vegetable soup, we spent the night telling each other ghost stories. I told "One Red Eye," or en español, "Uno Ojo Rojo." Peruvians have so many ghost stories and superstitions! We learned of bad shamans who take the place of black animals, cursing people, rolling around as devil heads on people's roofs, of devil mermaids, and of illusions. Telling stories allowed us to get much closer, and learn a lot about Peru. The night was filled with laughing and terror, it was beautiful.

La Virgen del Candelería
So in Puno there is a huge celebration of some sort where groups of people from different districts in Peru come and have a parade, dances, etc. It is a huge deal, and I'm afraid that I don't know enough to give it justice, but the point is that many people were dressed up and practicing the parade while we were in Puno! It was such a treat to see so much culture and national pride, spontaneously! Zoe and I awkwardly walked through the parade trying to find an ATM though, we stood out as obvious gringas.

I could write more, but I'll leave it there for now. The more I am here the more excited I am to see more and more of South America. Peru has been wonderful.

Exhuastion.

Sí, I pushed myself too hard and am now exhuasted. I think that it's lack of sleep, but unfortunately I have spent the past 36 hours being absolutely tired. I'm now spending my time playing my gameboy (I always bring it when I travel, it provides hours of entertainment and is compact! Zoe makes fun of me, but she's just jealous that she's not a Pokémon Master like myself. She claims to be a Mario spy).

But on a more fortunate note, the Andes are stunning. This could possibly be the most beautiful place I have ever been, although I keep on comparing the beauty of the San Juan Islands... Regardless, I am constantly having my breath taken away from me, which is not conducive to breathing in the high altitude!

Another aspect of Peru that strikes me is my privilege. I'm aware of how privileged I am, but seeing poverty makes it that much more obvious. I have thought more about how to be more conscious socially, here and in the US, and am slowly contemplating how I impact the people and their economy here. Tourism is huge here, and since we're travelling independently we have more choices as to how to use our money. Do we eat at the restaurant with English menus or street food? Do I hire a guide to the nearby ruins or wing it? Should I haggle in the market or accept the already inexpensive prices? Money fuels into the economy all ways, but how much am I willing to spend and is it all good?

This adventure is great, and I can't wait to be in top health so that I can truly put myself out there!

Bellingham.Seattle.1 Night in LA. 1 Night in Lima. CUZCO!

Yes, my travel itinerary went from a long day of travel to 3 days and 2 nights worth of long travel! Although this was initially upsetting, I knew that everything was out of my power so I just laughed, made the most of it, and met plenty of interesting people! There was the Jewish graduate from law school who bonded with me over travels, the pre-school teacher from Boston who I had dinner with, two young (and dashing) Australian surfers, an older couple from Spokane, a London couple on their honeymoon in South America, a flamboyant Peruvian man living in LA, and the Orange County couple who I actually ran into in Cuzco! I find that travelling on my own makes it far easier to meet people, I rarely found myself lonely.

And when it comes to flying, I completely lucked out Alaska Airline miles and flew first class! This was my first time experiencing the luxury of full reclining seats, three-course meals, and puffy blankets on a flight. I felt like royalty, thanks Mom!

And now that I am in Cuzco, I am so happy! Seeing my friends (Zoe, Kelly and Kristen) was fantastic. Even though I have hardly been here a day (most of yesterday was dedicated to resting to avoid altitude sickness...) I can tell that I am already captivated by the city. The Andes are gorgeous, along with many of its inhabitants. The paralells to Spain are more obvious than I had imagned, sometimes I think that I am there. The food is cheap and delicious (my lunch from the market consisted of an avocado, bananas and a loaf of bread for 33 cents American). And the stray dogs are happy and roam around in groups.

Well, Zoe just came to retrieve me! I had a late start to the morning thanks to being exhausted last night (taking sleeping pills, using an eye mask and ear plugs helps too), so now I am about to Explore Cuzco!

Tchua!

Goodbye US, Hola Peru, Chile, Argentina y Brazil!

Tomorrow I embark on my journey. My bags are packed, passport is filled with the proper documents, and my stomach is full of my last dinner at home: vegan burritos.

At this point, I can barely believe that I am actually on going on the trip of a lifetime! I have been dreaming of this for such a long time, and now it is happening. One aspect that makes me exceptionally excited is that I am travelling with people that I love and adore, even though I am leaving so many loved ones for 6 months.

Mark Twain wrote "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." These are the wise words that I hope to live by while exploring.

So here I go! Please keep in touch,

Tessa