Nueva Helvecia, URUGUAY

Nueva Helvecia -- otherwise known as Colonia Suiza, was founded in 1862 by Swiss settlers and it soon became Uruguay's first interior agricultural colony churning out wheat for the mills in capital city Montevideo. It still retains a very distinctive European ambiance and produces the bulk of the country's dairy products.

Half-horse town, sharing a horse with nearby Rosario. Nice pizza restaurant (Don Juan) with extremely friendly staff right at the main square. Yip, nothing else but Uruguayan charm. After a pizza and a local Pilsen beer, time to move on. See you back in Colonia del Santiago this evening for the boat trip back to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Never throw your garbage over your shoulder -- nobody wants to live in your dump!

Carmelo, URUGUAY

A pleasant drive past the dairy farms of western Uruguay took me from Colonia de Sacramento to the sleepy town of Carmelo. This is cowboy town with all the cowboys being shot dead the previous day. Architecture is reminiscing of the old western cowboy movies. The preferred mode of transport is the bicycle and very tiny and old motorcycles. Oh....and the horse cart is still very much loved. I have never ever seen so many cars from the 60´s and 70´s on the road -- Morris, Chevy´s, Studabaker -- they´re all still running. Not as antique shiny collectors items, but as rusty and tired vehicles which have to keep moving as there is no money to buy modern cars. After one night sleeping here I´m off to Colonia Suiza, also known as Nueva Helvecia.

Freedom is a universal right -- don't take it away from each other or even from the smallest creature.

Colonial del Sacremento, URUGUAY

A three hour ferry ride across the Rio de la Plata took me today from Buenos Aires to the small town of Colonia del Sacremento in Uruguay .

Founded in 1680 by Portuguese settlers from Brazil, Colonia del Sacremento was an important base for smugglers (into Argentina) through most of its existence. The historic centre is built on a peninsula that juts into the Rio de la Plata. ....with some very interesting architecture and pretty streets. I´d say a little gem of a town not yet discovered by hordes of tourists. The town was extremely calm today (probably like every day) which allowed me to take pictures standing right in the middle of the main street during "rush hour" without having to worry about the traffic.

Colonia del Sacremento is charming and lively, with some beautiful old colonial buildings and good beaches nearby. A couple of good restaurants to keep me happy....where you can find Parrillia (BBQ) at about US$4 for a nice succulent steak with wine.

From Colonia I am going up north tomorrow to the town of Carmelo and the next day to Nueva Helvicia. Then back to Buenos Aires for the weekend and then I fly to the far far south to the town of Ushuaia...the most sourthern town in the world (and hopefully on to Antactica). After a week in the mountains and glaciers, I come back to Buenos Aires and then up to the far north to the swamps at Esteros del Ibera (to hopefully photograph the Anaconda and Capybara) and then later onwards to the northern provinces of Salta and Jujuy near Bolivia.

We live in a beautiful world with beautiful people -- when was the last time you appreciated our world?

Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA

I absolutely love Buenos Aires (BA or BsAs) but will leave my full report for another few days once I have experienced more. Tormorrow (Tuesday Aug 29) I´m taking a 3 day trip to Uruguay and will be back in BA on Friday.

Will write more later
Adios Amigos

Santiago, CHILE...third time..

Ok, today was my 3rd time arriving at the international borders of Chile (this time by bus from Mendoza, Argentina). I think the immigration officials are getting slightly itchy about my moves. This time he took my passport to a next door colleague and returned later with an OK, Amigo. In less than 2 weeks I have now entered Chile for the third time. Well, that was the last time. After tonight's sleep in Santiago I am leaving this city for good (or at least for a long while)...back to Argentina...this time to the capital, Buenos Aires. Argentina is significantly cheaper than Chile....so budgets go for a real stretch on the other side of the border. In my opinion, food is much better in Argentina...but I still prefer Chilean wine.

Again, crossing the snowy Andes Mountains from Mendoza to Santiago is an experience to treasure!

Have I mentioned...Santiago must have the most number of clowns per capita than any other city I have visited. I have found a painted white face around every 10th corner (real clowns, no kidding....). And, this is a city where you need to walk for miles witout finding a box to send off your postcards -- go figure -- more clowns than post boxes!

Adios
Live life as if tomorrow will never be yesterday!

Mendoza, ARGENTINA

A 6 hour bus ride across the high and snowy Andes mountains brought me from Santiago, Chile to the wine growing valley of Mendoza, Argentina.

This is the wine capital of Argentina and with lots of Argentinian steak houses at rock bottom low prices, my three days here look very promising. Crossing the mountains was an unforgettable experience. Really impressive to say the least. Lots of snow and the ski resorts are in full swing. Some ski lifts go above the roads...as the winding road crawls through the mountains. If I only had some time to spend in the mountains skiing, I´ll be even happier! On Thursday I´m going back to Santiago to catch my plane on Friday to Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina.

Life is beautiful -- its beauty in your eyes depends on you!

Santiago, CHILE

I arrived safely from Lima, Peru, and is now back again in Santiago, Chile. Tomorrow by 5 hour bus to the wine producing area of Mendoza, Argentina. Will write more later.

100th Day on the road

Today is the 100th day of my "2005 Round The World" trip. I am celebrating it in a special way in the Peruvian capital of Lima.

Let me recap where I have been since I left my home town, Hong Kong, on May 11th, 2005:

Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Estonia, Finland, Canada, USA, Chile, and Peru. Not bad...16 countries in 100 days. Still ahead to do over the next 84 days are Argentina (possibly to Antarctica), Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Mexico, and Hawaii. After that starts the next phase...Thailand and South Africa.

I truly enjoyed Eastern Europe...I guess the best was Romania, the wineries of Eger in Hungary, and Berlin....oh, the Black Sea coastal town of Sozopol was a gem!! Rural Bulgaria with the donkey carts were memorable without a doubt! Now for Scandinavia, the winner was Norway, particularly the Lofoten Islands north of the Arctic Circle, but also western Norway's fjords and fresh salmon at the Bergen harbour.. Russia...where I wanted to go since I was a child...St. Petersburg stole my heart...ouch. I really enjoyed the charming canals, cathedrals and churches, the people, and just about everything in St. Petes. Going behind the Kremlin Walls was the best of Moscow. Now for Canada and the USA....was great to be back home to meet up with friends. In South America so far done with Chile and Peru...and while I liked Chile, especially the coastal towns of Valparaiso and Viña del Mer, Peru is THE place to be. The 4 day Inca Trail trek to eventually reach the mystic Inca ruins of Machu Picchu must be one of the best experiences I have ever had!!! I must return to Peru to explore the rest of this magnificant country with its snow capped mountains and rain forrests with an abundance of wild life.

Am I glad I decided to quit my job and travel? You bet!!! I am truly enjoying this experience...investing time in my own self...exploring the world and meeting many wonderful people along my journey.

Can I wait to go back to work? Yip, but not until I'm done with my travels...whenever that will be.

Tomorrow I'm flying from Lima, Peru, back to Santiago, Chile, to catch the bus to Mendoza, Argentina. Wine country!! 70% of Argentina's wine is grown in the valleys of Mendoza. Salute!!

Till later Amigos
Adios from Lima, Peru.

Machu Picchu, PERU

WALKING THE ORIGINAL INCA TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU -- THE FORTRESS CITY OF THE ANCIENT INCA EMPIRE. I am safely back in Cusco after spending 4 days walking the high mountains and some jungle of Peru to eventually on Day 4, arrive at the majestic Machu Picchu. The legendary 'Lost City of Machu Picchu is without a doubt the most important tourist attraction in Peru and one of the world's most impressive archaeological sites. It sits on a mountain site of extraordinary beauty, right in the middle of a tropical mountain forest surrounded by spectacular high mountains. Located on the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains and the upper Amazon basin -- rich in fauna and flora. Built during the 14th and 15 century, the city became depopulated toward the end of the 15th century when the Spaniards arrived to colonize this area. I truly enjoyed this trip very much. In my hiking group were 8 people...a Dutch couple, a (just married) British couple, a German couple, a French guy (who left his wife in Cusco), and myself. We became good friends and had a very enjoyable time together. We hiked with our Peruvian guide (Hipolito) and 6 porters and cooks and waiter and went up very high mountains (up to 4200 meters) and down to tropical valleys. Had 3 meals a day and tea breaks. Slept 3 nights in some interesting camp sites...first night next to a local family´s house....with little piglets, dogs, cat, and chickens (with funny hair-doos) walking under the table while we ate. The first night was extremely cold for me...as my sleeping bag is not fit for the cold weather...was about 5 Celsius and I was very cold all night. Second night we slept at a much higher altitude but I wore 7 layers of clothing at the top and 3 layers at the bottom and 3 pairs of socks. Had some good sleep. The third night was not as cold and I had a good night. Along the way we saw several Inca ruins and our guide told informative stories. Also saw lots of interesting plants and birds....beautiful orchids in abundance. This morning we had to wake at 4am to eat breakfast at 4:40 and leave our camp at 5am to see sunrise over the Machu Picchu ruins....was a fantastic view but quite misty. Spent about 4 hours at the ruins listening to the guide´s stories about life here during 15th century when the Inca Empire ruled this area...and the Spanish invaders destroyed their kingdom to colonize Peru. The afternoon was spent in the nearby town of Agus Calientes for lunch before we returned by train and bus to Cusco...a journey of about 3 hours. Arrived at in Cusco at 8:30pm. I am very tired and need good sleep. Tomorrow morning I am flying to Lima for 2 nights and then down to Santiago (Chile)...again...for 1 night and then to Mendoza in Argentina for 3 nights before returning ...again... to Santiago for 1 night and then fly to Buenos Aires to spend about a month in Argentina (including all the way south to Ushuaia and possibly Antarctica). Peru -- without a doubt now one of my favourite places. The people are nice, very interesting facial features, and nature (fauna, flora, geo) has so much to offer. A very colourful place indeed, despite the rather gloomy red mud brick dusty towns which look so vulnerable to the ever threatening earthquakes in this part of the world. People dress up in the rainbow colours -- cloth woven from the wool of the Llama and Alpaca. No wonder the Inca flag is...the Rainbow Flag. I WILL RETURN TO PERU.

Cusco, PERU

Greetings from the mountains of Peru, from the beautiful town of Cusco. The flight from Santiago via the capital city Lima was rough at times due to clouds but we crossed these amazing mountains and landed very high up in the town of Cusco. I could immediately feel the low levels of oxygen and get tired quick and feel dizzy at times. This old town is just amazing with many old buildings, a lovely old cathedral, houses built up along the mountain hills, and many Peruvian people still wearing their colourful clothes. Indeed feels like a very different life out here.

I am staying in a very quaint little B&B managed by a friendly ex-South African woman...who quickly took me to her "Nelson Mandela Bar" for a few drinks and a nice lunch -- overlooking the old town from the rooftop. I got to get out and take tons of pictures!!

After 3 nights here I am going on 4 day (3 nite) trek to the Machu Picchu Inca ruins.

Till later, Adios!

Viña Del Mar, CHILE

After Valparaiso I traveled further north to Viña Del Mar along the Pacific Coast. Really nice beaches and I am lucky to have a lot of sunshine and encountering nice and friendly people....all trying to teach me Spanish. I am truly impressed with Chile and the Chilean people, Chilean food and ....hmmmm...the Chilean Pisco and Wine. "Pisco" ...I hear you say....go figure. Pisco will make you squirm for either more....or never again! Tomorrow I´m off to hiking in a nearby national park.

UPDATED WEDNESDAY AUG 10TH
Today walked 6 hours non-stop up the 1,880 meter mountain in the nearby National Park. Did the climbing trip with my B&B owner (local Chilean guy) and had a really good time. Learnt more Spanish, saw foxes, snake, and fantastic views of the Valparaiso Valleys and all the way to the snowy Andes Mountains. I had a great 4 day trip to the West Coast of Chile. Tomorrow (Thursday) I am returning to Santiago for 1 night and then Friday I fly up to Peru to start my 7-day visit to the Inka trails and mountains.

Valparaiso, CHILE

Hola from Valparaiso, Chile. What a nice town, spreading over seven hills along the Pacific Coast. Quite a peaceful town and very Chilean I would say. This does feel quite different from the big city of Santiago. See links below for 2 (poor quality) pics I found on the web.

Till later

http://www.hoteleschilenos.cl/turistica/imagenes/valparaiso_1.jpg
http://www.wundsch.com/images/estrellaimages/Valparaiso.jpg


A nice pic by René Olivera: http://us.f3.yahoofs.com/users/42938885z7579c12a/81bc/
__sr_/4785.jpg?pht0.9CBNtxGh.Ku

Santiago, CHILE

I arrived safely in Santiago, Chile, at 11:30 this morning -- 60 minutes late due to baggage loading problems in Toronto. Smooth flight all the way and cloudless skies as the plane approached the northern tip of the South American continent. Very rugged mountains in Colombia and Ecuador. As we approached Santiago, the snowy Andes Mountains were spectacular -- to say the least. It is mid winter here in Chile with lots of snow on the Andes. No snow in Santiago but a cool 9 Celsius this morning and 12 degrees by 3pm. A lovely city with lots of pedestrian walks and street entertainers. Safe city as I was assured by locals not to worry about crime -- day or night.

So unlike me --- I left my South America Lonely Planet Guide on the plane and had to replace it at USD64...twice what I paid in Toronto -- ouch!! So unnecessary.

UPDATED AUGUST 7
Its cool, very cool in Santiago especially when the breeze blows from the snowy mountains. Wow...and the towering Andes mountains are really spectacular. Skiing is apparently very good but Im not on a skiing vacation...so I am heading for the west coast in an hour...to the town of Valparaiso and later north to Vina Del Mer. Will stay there for 4 nights before returning to Santiago for 1 night and then up to Peru on Friday Aug 12th.
Night life in Santiago is surprisingly good. Lots of outsides cafe packed with wine and beer drinkers..even though the evening are a chilly 10 celsius. Also lots of street entertainders...especially clowns. Went to a local disco last night (Saturday) packed with a young trendy...very trendy crown of Chileans. Dancing does not start until midnight and ends around 7am. I had a great time and felt 10 years younger! I went home at 12:30 am as I have a lot a exploring to do during the day. Wine is gooood and cheap. Seafood is wonderful too ...and cheap too.

Till later...Adios Amigo!

Toronto, CANADA

I had a really good time in Toronto and thanks to my friends John, Janet and little Joel for harbouring me for several days up in the town of Sharon, north of Toronto. Thanks also to my other friends and ex-colleagues who made my stay in Toronto, Montreal and New York very pleasant!

On Thursday night, August 4th, I will leave for Santiago, CHILE -- provided my flight is still leaving after the Air France crash yesterday at Toronto International Airport. I look forward to my 2.5 months in South America. Chile, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil -- here I come!!

Will write again from Chile on Friday or Saturday.