So, we have been home for about 2 weeks now and boy does it feel strange. We had a great new year with a bunch of friends in Chicago. We went to the Umphreys mcgee/keller williams show.
Okay, well some people have been requesting an ending blog so here goes. Well, the last 4 months seem to me to feel like a dream. Let’s see, starting in Buenos Aires the tango capital of the planet with huge steaks, soccer games, and partying until the sun rises is all normal on a Tuesday before Katie had morning classes and whit was able to sleep until her classes began at noon. Heading north to the waterfalls of Iguaçu we found so much water that it really just frightened us to the point of goose bumps. South to Ibera we discovered mosquitoes, extreme temperatures, tornadoes spinning 50 miles away while we just snoozed away in our tent. Cutting across to Uruguay where we walked around the streets of Montevideo and headed to cobble stone streets of Colonia. Further south where we met up with our great friend jess we saw penguin colonies, whales breaching, found the largest recycling park in the world, and Whitney began the first of her many illnesses.
As we traveled south we found unparalleled landscapes all throughout Patagonia. Watching the Puerto Marano glacier crash, knowing how strange it is for being the only glacier on earth actually getting larger. Then we headed across the border to Chile to backpack through glacial lakes, torre’s, huge peaks, for 4 days while people told us “You guys sure are strong, especially since your girls.” (those assholes) From Chile we showed off our dance moves for Halloween and then hopped on a bus to the southern most city in the world and Tierra del Fuego.
We then got on our first flight back to BsAs and promptly got on a bus to Mendoza to do some rafting, wine tasting, and crazy nights on the town. Heading a little farther north we finally began to discover what South America really is about. After cruising through Salta we finally stepped foot in Bolivia. Here we found surreal landscapes consisting of 1200 year old cactuses on huge salt plains. Also, red lagoons, volcanoes, steaming geysers, thousands of flamingoes, and not to mention Whit’s 24th birthday. Then we were off to the worlds highest city called Potosi which is a bustling city with people working horribly intense jobs under ground, but yet were nice enough to teach and show us all about it (not to mention showing us explosions with dynamite). Classes in Sucre, partying in La Paz, biking down the most dangerous road, very scary bus rides, and then the Bolivian Amazon for thanksgiving. Taking boat rides searching for pink dolphins, monkeys, and the always hidden anacondas, not to mention the long awaited SLOTHs in Rurrenabaque. After lots of bug bites and a flight to La Paz, we deterred some robbers and caught a bus to Lake Titicaca where Katie had an insane allergy attack.
We thought after Bolivia our stomachs would be better but NO welcome to Peru. Flipping a coin we ended up in Cusco for another week of classes, before starting our trek into Machu Picchu on the Salcantay trail. 3 days of walking, sleeping in peoples yards, crossing rivers in sketchy baskets, and getting rides in garbage trucks, we finally made our way to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. After staying for Katies birthday and being there for a few more days than anticipated we made it back to cusco where we had a few nights out with our new friend Pilar. Our last long bus ride together we heading to Arequipa and the Canon del Colca which is one of the deepest canyons in the world to see thousands of people dancing and condors soaring. Ica was our next town where we went on dune buggies, attempted sand boarding, laid in hammocks, and drank those damn good pisco sours. We spent our last days at our friend Pilar and Joshuas house in Lima going to frightening catacombs and nice dinners.
Whit then got on her plane while Katie headed north for a few days of relaxation on the beach. Then I headed north to Ecuador to catch my plane back to the states, but the border had been closed. So I had to bribe a few people and run like crazy and finally made it through, so I could spend Christmas with my family. After 40 hours in a bus, 2 plane rides to Miami, a train and bus to Fort Lauderdale, and a flight to Cleveland I found new cloths, clean toilets, safe food, and a need for a job very quickly.
Thanks everyone for reading and responding to our blogs, it was a lot of fun to know people were actually following what we were doing. Make sure to keep us posting if you go on any fun adventures and start one of your own. Love, Katie and whit
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