Pingüinos

               As the title might suggest, and as you all have been wondering, yes i saw Penguins :)
As my lovely sister pointed out, i'm giving you too much information, and despite how interesting it may be, its kinda hard to get through in one sitting. So....i'm changing it up.
           
          Callie and i booked a trip out to the penguin island. It was a full day trip including: pick up and drop off, canoeing in the Beagle Chanel, lunch, two hour trekking and seeing the penguin colony. The canoeing was fun aand mellow, i saw jelly fish, a bunch of seaweed, and a couple different kind of sea birds.

This is what really awesome canoe-ers wear...yeah. 

     After canoeing was lunch and then onto the zodiac to go out to the penguin colony. I was a little disappointed because we couldn't get off the boat and walk around with the penguins but it was ok because the boat got right up on shore and the penguins were pretty curious so a bunch of them came closer. And oh they are just too cute!! All awkward trying to waddle around. However, they are very graceful and quick in the water...just not on dry land. It was kind of frustrating, i really wanted to touch one but i could even get close!!!

So they don't really lay down...they just sort of flop onto their tummies.

In case you were wondering,...it was freezing that bad.

aren't they just the cutest things ever??? I was explicitly told not to steal one.

    I didn't take any pictures from the trekking on Gable Island but it was a really nice hike. We walked along the shore line for a little bit, then into the forests and on the hill side. They have this weird type of edible mushroom that grows on trees, it is neon orange, and they just grow on the side of the trees...the trees create a knot to try to get rid of the mushroom ans as the mushroom falls it releases spores that create a new mushroom and the cycle continues. So, many of the trees are covered in weird spongy, neon orange ball things. Actually kinda freaky looking.
    Also during the trekk we saw some beaver dams and two beavers....and i found a bunch of sea Urchins....which when i brought a shell back for Alex he tried to eat. Best look on someones face ever. Chomp. "what is this?!" yeah...not candy.
But i digress... And after all this we went saw the famous sideways tree. Cool story right?

To the End of the Earth

       Well here goes round two...I'm in the chair preapring to write vollume two of Book One: Adventures in the South... I never thought I would have so much to say until i sat down and tried to write it all. At one point I looked at it and thought, "maybe I should just write a book, for real" but who am i kidding I'm too busy adventuring. In case you haven't gotten the point yet, I LOVE IT HERE....and I am extremely happy. I know some people are sceptical about S.America, the culture, the location, blah blah but honestly, I love my life here. Anyways, so I rudely left you all in El Calafate...

       So...we had just about finished our time in El Calafate and i was loathed to go, honestly I could have stayed for months there and been perfectly content. I have come to discover how much I love being away from the big city, must have something to do with where I was raised. But anyways, we got up on the 17th (I think) and got into the taxi to go to the airport, and halfway there Alex realizes he left his iPhone at the hostel...and for the record this isn't even the most important thing he has forgotten somewhere (passport, cough on the plane, cough...) so our driver called in a favor and arranged for another driver to go to the hostel and pick up his phone and bring it to the airport.  And it really worked out!! Anyways no one cares about airports and airplanes so....we made it to Ushuaia!

       Landing in Ushuaia was crazy, you look around and there are grey skies and clouds, grey water and humungous black mountains covered in blankets of pristine white snow. Hello El Fin Del Mundo... So of course the airport is about 20min from town, so in we go, sharing a taxi with a guy from Spain, and got to our hostel, which would be home for the next 5 days. We were staying at Antarctica Hostel a few streets above the main street in downtown Ushuaia. The hostel had a lovely view of three nightclubs from the front down, and an actually lovely view of colorfully painted houses and the water from the front door of our room. The main part of the building was a big open lobby and bar with a hall down the the showers and bathrooms. Up the stairs was a nice big kitchen with a door leading off to the open air hall to the dorm rooms.

         Honestly, I can't remember everything in chronological order anymore but the first few days there we did a whole lot of nothing special: sleeping, resting, cooking, exchanging money, getting rained on, exploring the town. Then we decided to get out of the hostel and go hike Glacier Martial, so we took a cab up to the base and started trekking...I would just like to clarify something. What may be a surprise to you, as it was to me, there was no glacier. This was where a glacier used to be, and carved out part of the mountain side, got it? great. So we trekked up a rather steep dirt and rock road to get to the actual trail. The trail wound around the mountain side over streams, snow banks, moss, mud, rocks, and some insane inclines. We decided to go as far up as the trail went, so by the time we got to the top...ish, we were in tank tops and huffing and puffing. We met a group of...15? Israelis taking a hooka break on an out cropping of rocks, man these guys are friendly people. They ALL wanted pictures with the blonds and the black guy. Hahha we are all some kind of novelty to someone everywhere we go. So after this they left and we continued up the snow. There was a small pass you could climb up, but I had a puddle in my running shoes and somehow that just didn't seem like fun. So i sat on a rock outcropping and talking to a guy from BsAs as Callie and Alex disappear over my head into the snow. I sat there for maybe 15 minutes slowly turning into an ice cube when I hear giggling and Callie is slipping/running/walking back down the pass sans Alex. When she gets to me she tells me Alex is going all the way to the top. By now I'm freezing and cant feel my toes an inch, so Callie trades socks with me, this is the mark of true friendship; giving your warm, mostly dry SmartWool socks in trade for wet, smelly, cotton socks. But I'm usually the least prepared so I wasn't going to argue. Let me tell you though, those Alpaca sweaters we bought in Cusco saved our freezing skins.

         Eventually, we see Alex, on his butt sliding down the pass and that was no slight incline either. Man this is a long story....ok so we all start our way back down, which due to the cold mainly went we ran down the side of a snow covered cliff, Alex slid and Callie and i just ran. Even back on the trail Callie and I kept up a steady trot, one to keep warm, two to help cushion our knees and three because it was getting to be evening. When we finally made it down to the road, we decided that, despite the wet feet, and fatigue we were going to walk the 7k back into town....college students you know, gotta save the money!!! So off down the road we go taking every short cut we could find. One short cut lead to Alex cutting his figure open and me falling down twice. But we finally made it back...it only took us...what? Like 2 hours of something. And I would just like to say that Callie and I have never gotten lost, we have impeccable directional sense...Alex on the other hand gets lost....go figure. And in case you are wondering, I'm allowed to rag on him, it all comes around in the end :P 
     Well this is already monstrously long....so looks like there might be a part three, heck maybe even a part four.....Keep your eye out!!

This is the view from outside our room door at the hostel.

Looking back towards town from on the outskirts.

In case you wanted to know how far it is...

I bring out the hippie in everyone.

Looking up at Glacier Martial

At the trail head.

Only half way there...

That little spit of land down there, that's Ushuaia.

Glacier water stream.

Look at how far we have come!

We found part of a snowman...

It just doesn't get better than this.

Thats Alex trekking up the pass

Wish you were here?! I do.

Waiting for Alex...gotta stay warm somehow!

The Adventure Begins--BsAs to El Calafate

           Alright, alright, i'm here, i'm blogging, can everyone settle down!? :) So i know I've been promising to blog about my adventures in the South with my two ridiculous, but loveable travel buddies: Callie and Alex....But it just seems like there is so much to tel,l how could i ever tell you everything?!?! But here i go, i shall attempt to impart my new-found knoweldge, prepare to be jealous....a little.
           So the first day of our adventure started as soon as ACA landed in EZE Buenos Aires, that would have been the 13th, for those who like dates. They piled us on the bus and took us back into BsAs proper because EZE is actually quite far from downtown. We grabbed our respective baggage, said our goodbyes, and then looked around in slight confusion as to where we ought to be going. About 80% of ACA was heading to the bus stop and my little group was heading off to find the first out of three hostels. After some grumbling, walking around, looking confused, and a general sense unsureness (is that even a word?) we got a taxi and found our place, Pax Hostel. It was small and in an obscure neighborhood but it felt safe and it had everything necessary, not luxurious but as far as i was concerned it was great. Anyways nothing exciting happened there so moving on....Next morning we got up early to catch our taxi that we had arranged, and paid for at the hostel the night before. We showed the driver the voucher, put our luggage in and were on the way to the domestic airport to catch our flight to El Calafate. So we get to the airport and the driver tells us that the voucher is no good and we have to pay more. The collective thought at the moment was *&$# that! No! I was still in my morning stupor so Callie, with a surprising amount of venom, informed the cabbie, in Spanish, that paying more was absurd, we had the voucher, he had seen it before we left and if it wasn't good he should have said something then. I couldn't have been prouder. So in the end Callie gave him the hostel number so he could go argue with them and we left without giving him a cent more.
            We got through check-in, which is what they call it in Spanish too, and through security, which isnt very secure, and onto our plane. I have never been so excited to be on a plane. I abhor flying, but this, my own adventure with just my friends and good luck, this was exciting. .....Flight was fine, blah blah blah....we napped blah blah blah....and then as i, having the window seat, saw the first view of Santa Cruz (the province where El Calafate is) and the beginnings of a giant, glacier fed lake. I think i actually wiggled around in my seat for a moment or two in excitement. It was spectacular, the water was opaque, almost creamy looking and oh such a beautiful blue. Pictures really don't do it justice. All the surrounding land was dry and mountaneous and from the plane i could see great plateaus with random pits at the top....land forms so near to familiar and yet so foreign. I loved it. When we finally landed after a very rough decent we were in the middle of nothing next to a big lake.....surprise!!! Apparently Airports should at all times be next to nothing....so you have to take a taxi or shuttle bus to get anywhere useful. But i wasn't going to complain, i was on an adventure!!! So we paid for a bus, hopped in and watched the scenery around us. In about 25 minutes we reached the outskirts of the town of El Calafate where roads are dirt and wind is in abundance. a short minute later we reached our hostel, America Del Sur...it is a long, red, unassuming, building which neither looks fancy nor run down from the outside, but the inside, oh i was pleased as punch. As prompted by the sign we took off our shoes to discover that the stone floors were heated, but thats not all, the staff were all friendly, accommodating, funny and not one man or women unattractive, i think it must have been a requirement or sheer dumb luck. The hostel was full of windows facing Lago Argentino, high ceilings, with exposed natural wood, a open spacious eating area, a common loft, and climbing plants hanging down. Seriously, it was awesome, i would recommend it to everyone. Even our shared dorm room of four, was very nice with a private bathroom and shower, we also happened to get lucky by having a very nice roommate, a Brazilian woman named Angelica...Honestly, i think most of the people i meet and like in S. America are Brazilian...clearly i should go visit, they are so friendly!!
           So after days of waking up at  3am, 4am, 5am and 6am to catch, planes, trains, and cars....literally, we took the first full day to sleep in like a bunch of teenages. Callie and i woke up for breakfast at 9 and then went back to bed until early afternoon...I slept till 12, Callie 1 and Alex slept the most I've ever seen... something like 11pm to 1 in the afternoon without waking up a minute. That day we did a bit of nothing then decided to go down to the "beach" at Lago Argentino....or at least i think that was all the same day....
So we grabbed our gear, it was super cold but man it sure was windy, and hiked about...oh maybe 5k down to the beach, alongside a nature reserve. We passed some funky looking birds, i'll put all the pictures at the end, and i think that was all the interesting wildlife we saw....i had been told there were flamingos but we never found them. So at the beach i just had to get in the water a little, so off went my shoes and i went to stick my feet in...glacier shmacier, it wasn't even that cold. Then the rest the the time we climbed on rocks, took a billion photos and did some gymnastics....Clearly seeing a bunch of young adults do shirtless gymnastics at the side of Lago Argentino is not a common site, at least judging by the amount or shameless staring we got. But for the record, the angel is a move you cannot do with slippery shirts, the guy can't hold on and you get dropped....no bueno. Entonces....by the time the gymnastics bout was over we were all freezing so we bundled back up and jogged back to the main road, and hiked our way to the groceries store.
          See each person in our group has their special uses, i was the primary cook and i cooked for most of the trip, Callie was my sous-cheff, one of the best i might add, and Alex is the most appreciative eat i have ever cooked for. Literally anything i made he munched through with mmms and ahhs and this is amazing, is there more....seriously. Then of course Alex washed the dishes, best trade ever. I made a chunky veggie soup one night, with Callie's special grilled cheese, pasta another night with the best sauce i could muster with next to no spices or herbs and then....i forgot what else i made....but it was good!!!

        The other exciting thing we did in El Calafate was the Cabalgata....horse backing riding in the national park close to the giant glacier Perito Moreno. That was a blast....in the beginning i was saddled with a punk horse who i couldn't control to save my life, so Callie, the horse whisperer, traded me for a much calmer horse named Estrella. After that we all had fun. We were allowed to move around the line, trot and do as we pleased. We saw a bunch of bunnies and a relative to the alpaca, which i forgot the name of....and saw in the distance the glacier. But the views were incredible, it was cold and windy but we all loved it...probably about 5 hours of horse back riding and a simple but delicious lunch; wine, stake and bread sandwiches and an apple. Near the end of the ride we were allowed to do a small canter/gallop...oh gosh Estrella was itching to run and run she did...in face i'm fairly certain my spine compressed a little, i was so out of rhythm with her, then my foot came our of the stirrup and i was sure i was going to go flying....thankfully i didn't but it was close. After we all got back, we got to play with the puppies and hang out for a little before our driver came to pick us up. It was truly an awesome day, i even napped in the car on the way back...this napping thing is really new for me but i like it!

    So here are some pictures and i'll get the rest of my adventure into blog form shortly, so don't miss out!!!
       

Here are the funky bird things i mentioned earlier

Wildlife reserve/park on the way to the beach

This was right outside the hostel

See out in the middle how blue it is? It looked that blue in person...this doesnt make it look as pretty but oh well

A lake of glacier water? No big deal

This is the lake....as you can see.

My ears were freezing so my scarf became a good option....might start a new trend! haha

And today we shall conquer the world....

"Quick, look epic!"

We work out!!!

The angel how its supposed to look...

I'm still new to this and learning.

The camel

On the way out to the Estancia, in the national park

This place was unreal...even better in person

Half chaps for riding horses...

All three of us traveling buddies

Me and Estrella....

Callie riding the punk Thomas, me on Estrella and Alex....i forgot the name of his horse
Anyways in the background is Perito Moreno

My little girl puppy i found at the Estancia

A Little Piece of Heaven

     So...despite my great displeasure we left Cusco today and flew to Lima, Peru....and really it doesn't even compare, especially after the hike to Cristo Blanco and to Machu Picchu. But here we are, leaving tomorrow morning for BsAs at the god-forsaken hour of 5am.

     Anyways, yesterday we all got up at 4:30am (see a trend?!) ate another incredible breakfast and hopped on a bus, to get on a train, to get on a bus, to go to Machu Picchu....now in case that was confusing....we had to take a bus from Cusco to a neighboring village where the train station was. From there it was about a 3.5 hour train ride to the village of Aguas Calientes, where we took a bus up the mountain to the entrance of Machu Pichu....Callie and i had been hoping we were actually going to hike up to the ruins but with nearly 50 ACA who may or may not be in shape for such a hike, much less not affected by the altitude, i can understand why we took the bus. But man, there is a reason this place is so famous, it is truly incredible!!! Its beautiful, mysterious and just...the effort it took to create it is awe inspiring. It rained almost every 15 to 5 minutes and it was very misty for about half the tour, but i think it made everything so much better. The grass looked brighter and i was just happy that it was not hot. But really the pictures say it all.... enjoy!

My train buddies....we are pretty cool, no?

Little huts I saw on the train to Aguas Calientes

This was our table setting on the train for snack time :)

I found a Llama!!!

My first look at the ruins :D

My awesome stamp!!!

The Llama i found didn't like me

Beautiful right?!?

Smart Incas, made the door to frame the mountain.

So i saw this little rock and said it looked like the mountain right before the guide said it was a model of the mountain in the background, made by the Incas. :)