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:: Mike Steel :: In South America ::
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| Hasta pronto, sudamerica |
[Feb. 18th, 2005|10:44 am] |
One final entry on here: I'm now back in London.
The last two weeks in Brazil were crazy, trying to keep up with Jamie, Kulsoom and Al in the caipirinha stakes, and also trying to get by in portugese; I initially felt like my tongue had been cut out so my spanish cant be all that bad. Met up with the lovely Tarliza, friend of Ross's, and after all the public schoolboys moved on, met some sound people in the Rio hostel. Rio really is in a spectacular setting. It did rain a fair bit there though, but when it was nice, Ipanema Beach was fantastic.
Carnaval in Salvador was incredible. We had a fairly crazy first night of pickpocketing and a nice shiner for me, but after that had the hang of it and had a great time with the Olodum massive.. will try and post a pic of us all dressed up as Egyptians. Our friend Paulo was a fantastic host, and took us to some beautiful beaches and steak restaurants. After carnaval though we went on to Olinda, which was much more chilled and relaxed, more like the south america I'd grown to love, and very friendly - Al met his future wife on the beach within an hour I think - ask him about that one!
Flew back through Rio, popping back to the beach for the afternoon, and despite things like the taxi breaking down on the way to the airport, and Al's bag being lost, we're now all back. I came back to a fantastic christmas dinner with clan McSteel, and finally met my niece Becky! But Monday was very depressing, unpacking my room, and trying to adjust my life for the return to mundane 9 to 5. Plus its freezing here! Anyway, I guess I'll try and sort out some sort of trip later in the year to look forward to and keep me sane.
Hope you enjoyed reading these posts. Once I've got my photos done you're welcome to a slide show sometime (don't worry, only the best few) and eventually I'll update/redo www.mikesteel.co.uk
chau :-) |
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| Isla del Sol: Cold |
[Jan. 24th, 2005|07:13 pm] |
Last day in La Paz today, fly to Rio tomorrow, for last 2 weeks of trip. Have left Chris and James who went to London and Peru respectively, and about to meet up with Al, Jamie and Kulsoom. Last weekend went to Lake Titicaca, and visted the Isla del Sol there. It was all very nice, all slightly weird, just standing around you feel strange because its pretty cold at this time of year, yet the sun is really hot... so I managed to pick up an evil cold... I´ve been snivelling for long enough now, my nose is now destroyed, as Bolivian toilet paper isnt very soft.
La Paz today has excelled itself in terms of being crazy... what was as busy city today is jammed, gridlock on streets and roads as a festival (which i cant remember the name of) has started... this involves even those streets which werent markets becoming markets, and selling everything in miniture... the idea is you buy something in minature, get it blessed (a lot of incense involved), and give it to someone and then they should achieve that thing. Am trying to find a miniture super 11 footy players I can post to Leyton.
Final, most important news, I finally found the Orientes shirt. Had to go for a retro one, as didnt want to be walking round advertising cooking oil. I am now advertising: beer |
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| Bolivia: large, and far away |
[Jan. 17th, 2005|10:11 am] |
Latest from Boliviar. From the Atacama we headed to the Salar de Uyuni. 3 day jeep ride with the finest of bolivian music. The altitude was interesting and lead to special moments like watching flamingos, with snow and lightening around, coca leaves by your gum and a lollipop... beautiful.
Had an interesting bus journey to Sucre, got the last seats on the bus, 15 hours sitting bolt upright with a small child lying across our laps on a rollercoaster of a bumpy road, makes the N8 nightbus a distant utopia. But Sucre was very nice, and La Paz full of character, its like the city in Bladerunner. No real problems with the altitude here, and I'm also grateful for my obviously cast iron stomach... Chris and James havent been quite so well, but i'll save you the poo jokes. Drinking at altitude is not recommended so we had a big night out on arrival, vodka and coke all round. La Paz is very picturesque, but the locals arent too keen on having their photos taken... in the market yesterday i nearly got pelted with onions by an old lady who thought i was trying to sneek a photo... my spanish must be improving to talk my way out of handbag situations.
All thats left in this city is to track down the elusive Oriente shirt... and then head over the mountains on the most dangerous road in the world, for some scenery. Chau chau. |
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| Atacama: sandy |
[Jan. 7th, 2005|01:49 pm] |
Hello. Bit nervous about writing this given that people are heading back to work right now... so will try keep it short. I´ve left Richard and Natasha in Valpo (they are heading to Buenos Aires), and Una and Derek too (they were off to Mendoza) and have now gone to the north of Chile with Chris and James. It was a 23 hour bus ride, yes worse even than the N8, quite wiped out when arrived but we´re now in San Pedro de Atacama, in the Atacama desert. Its hot, and very dry. There are places here that have never had any recorded rainfall (for all you hydrologists). This morning we got up at 5 and cycled out to the edge of the Salar de Atacama (salt plain) and watched sunrise - quite amazing. We then legged it back before the sun got up properly and burnt the skin off our backs!
Tomorrow we go on a 3 day jeep tour into Bolivia, and to the Salar de Uyuni. People i´ve met have said this is amazing - its a huge high altitude salt flat (you can see it on maps of south america) so should be interesting. Hope you´re all well back home!- Mike |
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| help |
[Jan. 1st, 2005|08:17 pm] |
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I woke up today at 18.20 |
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| While you all ate more turkey, |
[Dec. 29th, 2004|11:35 am] |
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We went up the 2800m active volcano, Villarica. After four hours zizagging up the snow-covered slopes, with amazing views across nearby lakes, we reached the crater and could look down to see a red, glowing lake spitting lava. We were only 50m from the it, the sulphur fumes were fairly strong and we were hit by small flying rocks. I now know how the little plastic Father Christmas feels on top of a brandy-soaked Christmas Pudding.
The way back was easier - simply sitting down and human toboganning down the mountain, desperately trying to slow with the ice axe to avoid rocks, followed by a snowball fight at the bottom. So, a white Christmas and a very memorable day!
We hope you all had a great Christmas.
love Mike, Richard and Natasha
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| Felices Fiestas |
[Dec. 20th, 2004|11:12 am] |
Happy Christmas everyone!
I´m now back on land in Chile after a 4 day boat trip (my sea legs served me well... which is more than can be said for Richard and Natasha!), about to head of to a Mapuche farm for christmas (here www.kilaleufu.cl/Farm.htm). Should be quite relaxing, but theres also a volcano nearby we can run up.
Finally, having moved up a bit in latitude, its now double figures in terms of temperature, I can break out the shorts soon I think!
Missing mince pies + brandy butter
Mike |
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| Ice Ice Baby |
[Dec. 12th, 2004|08:47 pm] |
Today (Sunday) is my last day in Argentina - it will be sad to leave. Last Sunday, whilst you were no doubt tucking into your yorkshire puddings, I was marching across the Patagonian ice cap in a whiteout. Its the third biggest ice cap in the world (after Antarctica and Greenland) - we did a week long trek/expedition onto it, around the back of Mount Fitzroy and Cerro Torro (famously difficult to climb), it was incredible. We hired a guide (Merlin - yes a wizard) and carried full packs, 4 season tents, snow shoes, crampons, food for a week, and a sledge (to pull the gear along whilst on the ice). It was heavy. Weather ranged from vicious white-out (ice in your face, your typical Dundee mid-afternoon shower) on the day we reached the ice cap, to perfect blue skies and amazing lenticular clouds on the day we left.
So it was very challenging but also very rewarding. Our guide was great, and we were very lucky to find him as he is independant, the companies that organise these expeditions charge a fortune. There was certainly a lot of trust involved as he led us between crevasses on glaciers, and got us across a gorge via the cable that crossed it. Good to find a guide who was quite willing to go first and fall into crevasses with only me and sharon on the other end of the rope to save his life! Also challenging was trying to pay the man; dont be fooled by HSBC/FirstDirect adverts, when I rang them from Chaltén, the guy on the phone hadn´t heard of Buenos Aires...
Anyway, thats all over now, spent the last three days on an estancia (ranch) relaxing/recovering, horseriding and playing football with gauchos (cowboys). Funny how I ache more from the footy than from the ice cap! Sharon left for Buenos Aires this morning, so tomorrow I´m heading to Chile where I´ll meet Richard and Natasha for some nautical fun in the Chilean fjords. |
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