Waterfalls

I have a confession. I didn't want to go to Iguazu Falls. Waterfalls are always anticlimactic. I grew up 45 minutes from Niagara Falls, and went to school in upstate New York, swimming in gorges. It seemed crazy to travel such a long way.  But I went anyways and I had fun.

Good Air?

The air ain't so bueno in Buenos Aires.  I'm ready to breathe some fresh Rocky Mountain air and drink water (drum roll, please) directly from the tap without fear of retribution!

Dogs, Dogs, Everywhere!

Turkey had cats everywhere you looked.  Better yet, Argentina has the most dogs of any country we've visitied.  Oftentimes (at least this time of year) they wear sweaters.  They are clearly loved.
Maybe its just that I miss my hound dog, but these are couple of my favorite pictures of the trip.

The meaning of "Mara"

News flash:  Mara has an interesting name! Here's the story.  We saw a big rodent running around the jungle today and decided to figure out what it is.  Well, turns out it is a "Mara".  Along with everything from Guatemalan gangs to Scandinavian specters to a Romanian supermarket chain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mara

I particularly enjoyed this section of the Wikipedia article.  Describes the Mara we all know so well.
"She is the patroness of all feminine duties (children, cattle), patroness of all the economic activities ("God made the table, Māra made the bread"), even money and markets. Being the alternate side of Dievs, she takes a person's body after their death while Dievs is taking the soul. She is the goddess of land, which is called Māras zeme (Māra's land)."

According to folks we have met on our travels during the last year it also means the following:
Hebrew - Bitter
Latvia - Mother Earth
Laos - Demon King
Kenya (Masai'i) - Many Beauties (As in Masai'i Mara - Land of Many Beauties)
Turkey - Deep Cave

I'm not sure what the hell my name means.  I think there was a couple popes named that (and maybe an actor or something).

Summary Stats - Mara posting

Old habits die hard, and I would feel unfulfilled if I couldn’t summarize our trip with some statistics.  So here they are:

By the end of this week, and since November 1, we will have taken 34 flights (>160 hours of flying time, not including layovers), 13 long distance trains (78 hours), 12 ferries, 26 long distance buses (190 hours of transit), and used public transportation in more than 22 cities. We’ve dealt with 16 currencies, and even more languages and countries.  We’ve stayed in 85 hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and friends’ houses.

Singapore, Spain/Portugal, and Scandenevia (even though we were lucky enough to stay with friends almost the entire time in Sweden and Finland) were the most expensive countries of our trip, with Argentina and New Zealand next in line.  Malaysia and the Phillipines were the cheapest, less than half as much per day as the most expensive countries, followed by Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Samoa.  Morrocco, Turkey, Eastern Europe, and Kenya were in the middle (but we stayed with friends almost the entire time in Kenya).

We didn’t win the lottery, inherit anything, or go into credit card debt for this adventure. So, how did we pull it off?  A lot of planning, starting long before the trip.  The biggest factor of long term travel is how quickly (or slowly) you spend your money.  We spent a longer time in cheaper countries so that we could travel for a longer period of time.  We also avoided spending about $10,000 by getting our around the world airline tickets for free, using frequent flyer miles on Delta (I started unknowingly saving miles more than 10 years ago!).  We only had to pay taxes for the tickets.

We rarely stayed in American-style hotels, and often stayed in small boutique hotels or guesthouses. In general, I found that hostels were rarely the best deal in town (small guesthouses and hotels cost about the same or a few dollars more per night, but often were more comfortable and cleaner).  If I made a reservation for more than two nights, the hotel/hostel/guesthouse almost always negotiated with us, whether it was giving a discount, a night free, or a free pickup from the airport.  I am not ashamed to say that I heavily used tripadvisor and booking.com (and the consensus of reviews are usually correct). I also found that we could get a lot more for our money if we stayed outside the hotel zones discussed in guidebooks (with usually just a 5-10 minute walk). And we thank the Starwood hotels credit card perks, for providing us with at least 2 weeks of free stays at luxury hotels!

A lot of countries included breakfast with the hotel/guesthouse/hostel stay (it usually was little more than bread, jam, and instant coffee, but some places were incredible).  We often ate at street stands, small restaurants or cafes, and regularly bought snacks and food from grocery stores.  When a kitchen was available, we sometimes cooked our own meals.  I am sure that we could have eaten more cheaply than we have, but food is a huge reason why I travel, so I didn’t want to miss out!  In general, we were able to eat amazing meals and rarely spent more than $10-15 for a meal for both of us.  We usually didn’t buy water or something to drink at meals, and we kept instant coffee and tea with us so if a hotel didn’t include breakfast, we could make our own.  It seems silly, but over 8 months, a few dollars a day adds up!  I have to admit, I am REALLY looking forward to cooking at home again. It Is very hard to consistently eat healthy while on the road.

We only rented two cars for two weeks during 8 months.  Other than in southeast Asia, where we often used tuk-tuks and tricycles, we rarely used taxis. Otherwise, we used local buses, metros, trams and walked many, many miles.

Ruta Nacional 40, Argentina

RN 40 in Argentina makes Route 66 in the US look like someones driveway.  We drove KM4500 to about KM3800 in the Northwest of Argentina in the last week and it has been incredible.  Can't image what KM1 in Tierra Del Fuego looks like.  Even better, KM5000 plus near Bolivia.  Definitely going to come back down here someday!

Some thoughts as we wait for a replacement rental car to come from a city 5 hours away…. - Mara Posting

How do you judge a place?

It’s scenery or lack thereof? The material and size of buildings? The number of bars, stripclubs, or libraries? How clean the parks are? The existence of sidewalks or street trees? The cost or form of public transportation? If trains run on time? The number and type of cars, mopeds, and bikes?

It’s people? The frequency with which they smile (and does a smile guarantee their friendliness or happiness)? How people dress? Walk? Talk? How often they exercise or drink coffee, wine, beer, or tea?

The cost of a bigmac?

In the Philippines, almost everyone has a rooster, and there are more beauty products than I have ever seen. Every store has a floor-too-roof wall of whitening creams, cleansers, slimmers, and moisturizers. Yet, I could not find a bottle of shaving cream anywhere!  In Buenos Aires, there seems to be at least one bookstore per capita.  In Germany, every park brims with people in athletic shorts… drinking beer from 1 liter mugs.  In Vietnam, minibuses are truly mini (I couldn’t fit my knees behind the seat in front of me), and drivers prefer to use horns instead of brakes.  In Argentina, city bus drivers don’t use horns or brakes; they accelerate at intersections and then slam to a stop at the bus stops. 

In Turkey, fruit carts are at every corner – fresh squeezed orange juice for less than $1. In parts of Samoa, fruit is ironically scarce.  In Turkey, men move the hand carts; in Vietnam, women do. In Morocco, mules pull the carts, as they froth green at the mouth, trying to spit out their bits.  In Spain, you go out for pre-dinner snacks no earlier than 10pm.  In Laos, everything shuts down by 9pm, and the streets are empty.

Samoan dogs have hard lives and are kicked constantly. In Thailand, they are aggressive guard dogs. There are only cats in Istanbul; Turkish dogs live in the countryside, and some are the size of a small bear.  In Europe, they ride the subway with their owners.  The most playful dogs are in northern Vietnam, but they might not be around long. Several strays have adopted me in Argentina.

Kids in Finland wear safety vests while playing in a double-fenced playground. In Kenya, they carry siblings slightly smaller than themselves. In Thailand, I heard a “crack” and turned my head to see an immobile motor-biker lying in the street in front of a pickup truck.  In Budapest, I heard a “crack” and looked across the street as a store alarm went off, and a man next to the store window put something in a plastic bag and slowly walked away, glancing over his shoulder.

Everywhere, there are a lot of gun-wielding guards in front of banks. There are too many double-doored (triple-locked) apartments with narrow stairs and no lifts, and even more dirty bathrooms (and usually the dirtiest are the ones you pay to use). But unlike what the guidebooks say, most people are not out to get you, and most vendors will smile even if you don’t buy anything.  

Have I judged or observed?

Valle de Calchaqui - Mara posting

I feel sorry for the Grand Canyon.  It doesn’t seem so grand anymore. The 150 km dirt road between Cachi and Cafayate, Argentina, is possibly the most scenic drive that I have done. It’s an endless, colorful landscape of canyons, eroding mountains, condors, 10 foot cacti, rivers, reds and blue, and flocks of desert parrots. (Yes, parrots. In the desert.)  There are a few small enclaves – sleepy towns with impeccable plazas and dozens of dogs laying in the shade.  In 6 hours, we passed four cars, a few dozen burros, a handful of churches, two groups of school children walking miles home from school, and countless jaw-dropping scenes. 

Sure, there are further, harder to reach places in the world. But here, you end the dusty drive in a well-kept town of 10,000 and complete the day with an affordable supper of steak and world-class wine.  It is one of the few places in the world where Google maps doesn’t have towns and town streets mapped (although you can get a map once you are here)!  I’m happy to be out of the cities for a while!

The Route Part 2 - Mara Posting

Five months after my infamous 18-hour bus ride through Laos (http://gregandmara.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/route-mara-posting.html), I found myself on another long distance bus. This time, it was a 20 hour ride, and I was on the top of the bus; in front, where I could see all of the scenery and our near-accidents.  It was a double decker bus, with 3-in-a-row, 180 degree reclining seats instead of a wheel well, wooden seats, and plastic stools up the aisle with people hanging their heads, trying to sleep. Instead of a roadside stand for a dinner of fish noodle soup, an attendant served me a tray of meats and cheeses (and a glass of champagne).  There was a bathroom on board (so if anyone needed to vomit, they did not have to use a plastic bag and through it out the window). A DVD played, followed by music videos.  And there were no live chickens (or roosters) on board.

Instead of leaving a herd of elephants in a small town, I left a city seething with 15 million people: 18 lanes of traffic on a main road, followed by pedestrian malls of shoulder to shoulder, gray and black jacketed businessmen.  I watched endless streams of people pass by in both directions as I sat at the station. Every 5 minutes, at least 3 buses departed. A line of computer screens indicated which of the 50-some gates my bus would leave from. It was slightly different from the single ticket booth with 50 passengers waiting quietly outside in Laos!

La Linda, Salta!

Who needs amusement parks and malls when you have the Plaza de San Martin in Salta filled with kids, dogs, pigeons and sun. My first experience with Catholicism where I felt the real energy of the religion and appreciated it. The bells began to ring around three, and almost as loud as the Muslim call to prayer. Within minutes that beautiful old Spanish Cathedral in the ciudad centro was like a magnet. First came the groups of young people with local prayer flags. Then the blue-white-sun of the national symbol in large crowds. You’d understand why it looks that way after you see a “buen dia” out west here. Next the monks and nuns in brown robes and the familias. The music, full of the organ, echoed through the entire plaza like a grand outdoor cathedral. Then a beautiful old Argentine couple sat down next to us and introduced themselves. They treated that same bench we had sat on for hours like a church pew. He sang with outstretched arms and half-closed eyes, did the sign of the cross at the exact moments, and relaxed in the winter sun. I’ve always thought that religious experiences should be outdoors. Near what I consider the finest gifts of our maker. And so did they. Affirming and lovely. I will never forget it.

Baths and Baritones in Budapest - Mara posting

Hundreds of people, all colors, shapes, sizes, and hairiness, relaxed together in the sun. Every one of them had the same reaction to the 35+ degree celsius mineral baths: "Ahhhhhh!" (as they slowly lowered themselves). And every one of them had the same reaction to the 15 degree celsius cold plunge: "Ahhhhhhh!" (as they laughed and either dunked or hesitated, depending on the competition).

Old Hungarian men played chess in chest-high water with an entourage of tanned onlookers. Shower-capped women swam laps. British bachelors drank beer and retold stories from the night before. At the Szechenyi Baths in Budapest, everyone was equal. We spent an entire day in the 16 different pools, some surrounded by marble pillars. Two men tied as "best dressed": One man wore a speedo under his enormous midriff and a tiny white "gone fishin!" t-shirt (wet, of course), which barely came past his nipples. The other wore a pair of white tighty-whities as his swimsuit.

That night, we paid $5 each to attend "Tosca" at the State opera house. Our seats were the first row of the highest balcony, all the way to the right (so I could see the cellos and a sliver of the stage), but it didn't matter. The sound was incredible. In fact, it was so good, I went to a ballet the following night!

Northwest Argentina Road Trip

Here's a map of our plan for northwest Argentina with a rental car for the week of June 11th-18th, 2012

http://www.tripline.net/trip/Argentina_2012-51235266127410058800971AB7E392ED

Chinesischer-Turm-Biergarten

Not a half bad looking beer maiden

The Englischer Garten (German for "English Garden") is a large public
park in the centre of Munich stretching from the city center almost to the city limits. With an area of 1.4 square miles (910 acres), the Englischer Garten is one of the world's largest parks, larger than New York's Central Park 

Mara and I were particularly interested in about 4 acres of this park.  The Chinesischer-Turm-Biergarten (German for ""Chinese Pagoda Beer Garden", duh!).  We had a nice, cold beer and a massive pretzel while a big, loud  "Oompah" band provided the entertainment on a warm Sunday afternoon.

Case of the Missing Jacket

A copy of this sign is going up in my bathroom when I get home!

Justin Walley, this one is for you.  We're standing out in front of a typical Riga nightclub after a couple of drinks, waiting for the girls who have lost their jacket (again!).  Its been a long night of traditional Latvian dancing and good local beers.  Justin and I are ready to head back to the apartment for some shut eye.  I jokingly point to the jacket hanging on the lamppost behind Justin (who is ranting on about getting old for this sort of thing) and suggest that maybe we trick her into thinking that this one is hers.  Its dark out and everyone is a little schnockered. He turns and decides that this is, in fact, a good idea.  He runs it down to the bar and pretty soon everyone comes out in an uproar.  Somehow, someone had taken her jacket out of the bar and then left it hanging out front!  A deliberative thief, a confused drunk, no one will ever know.  Certainly not something that happens every day.  Thanks again for the hospitality, Justin.  We really enjoyed our time in Latvia and hope to visit again someday.