Hello Everyone:
Having returned from our trip to South America for a wee while now (3 months
geez!), I have suddenly fallen upon the urge to tie up some loose ends. As life gets back to normal, and conversations with friends seem to turn into hour-long sessions of "
and
so ... blah, blah, blah," the memories of our ten months in El Sur consistently return to my mind. In those memories, I find some solace in the reminder that there is more to life than the mundane "blah-blah-blah" of our humble Canuck city of Edmonton: there's a world for the individual to discover and ponder (not plunder!).
Obviously, what sticks out most are the people and the places: the long political discussions, the marathons of Shithead and Yanif, the daily searches for the cheapest vegetarian "menu" in town, the hours of waiting for buses in terminals and on roadsides.
I have taken it upon myself to put together a few lists of highlights and lowlights from my own, personal perspective, of course of our trip for your entertainment, in the hopes that you, too, can join me in those moments of fond recollection when the daily grind gets you down. They're not "top-ten"-style, just parts of the trip that I think about most often.
Of course, I have to give a shout out to all the really cool people we met along the way. Che Guevara once said something like "if you letthe world change you, you can change the world." Certainly, from my little corner, I feel my world changing everyday, thanks to the placesI've been on one hand, but especially thanks to people like you, who happened to change me as our paths intersected, no matter how briefly. Thank you all for that!
And thanks to the graceful Jess for being my best friend and companion, my Sam Gamgee. Although we've chosen separate paths, I'll love you forever as my pal!!!
By the way, come to Canada and stay with me for free! If you happen to be gay, you could even get married here now!
Places Highlights:
1) Salento, Colombia (best little town in SA!)
2) Ciudad Perdida Trek, Colombia
3) Machu Picchu (at 6am)
4) World Social Forum V, Porto Alegre, Brazil (Otro mundo e possivel!!!)
5) Buenos Aires, Argentina
6) Ceramica Zanon (worker-occupied factory in Neuquen, Argentina)
7) Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
8) Iguazu Falls, Argentina side
9) Potosi Mine, Bolivia (especially after reading Eduardo Galeano's
The Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent)
10) Choquequirao trek (do this one instead of the "Inca Trail" to Machu Picchu, but make it 5 days, not 3)
Latin American Bummers:
1) Machismo (sexism)
2) "Gringo"-haters
3) Corrupt Police
4) "Gringo" prices
5) Internet
6) Chicken and Papas Fritas (c'mon, everyday???)
7) Colombian Consulates (manana, manana)
8) Bus/Tour/Street Touts (feck off!)
9) False Friends
10) XL poop-rejecting toilets and their smelly companions, the filled baskets of soiled toilet paper, emanating their turgid funk into your dreams as you sleep.
My Favorites:
1) Buses (convenient but charmingly clunky)
2) Fresh Fruit
3) Spanish
4) Scenery
5) Music (cumbia, reggaton, andino)
6) Politics (revolution in the air? Well, tear gas at least!)
7) Nature (monkey urine)
8) Coffee (Yungas, Bolivia, and Colombia not Nescafe!)
9) Organic Everything
10) Mate (a far more nutritious laxative than coffee and smokes)
People Along the Way:
Peru: Julia (Canada), Patty, Amparo, Jose (UNICEF), Hermana Olivia, Adriana, Padre Dieter, Jackie, Victor, Hermano Freddy, Miguel Rodriguez, Don Solomon, Julie (practicante), Hermano Paulino, Judith (CH), Asaf (Israel), Peter Slarke and Jess (Oz, UK, Nick (US), Adam's Family (Ricardina and Rosalino), Colin (UK), Luis Alberto, Marie-Eve and Julie (Montreal, Quebec), Dr. Gail Silverman (US), Sra Ibarra (Pension Ibarra, Lima lovely), Uda (Germany), Puquio Kids (Danny, Daisy, Lucio, Wendy, Walter, Lucero, Victor, Nieves), German and Ezekiel (Argentina), Igor (Pais Vasco), Minda (Oz), Paul (Vancouver), Sue and her friend (Canada), the three Irish girls in Mancora (Slan go foill).
Bolivia: Silvo (Slovenia thanks for talking us into Colombia!), Don Rodrigo Caballero (Villa Tunari best chat ever!), Kevin and Cathy (Calgary, Cda.), Parag (Millwoods, Edmonton, dude!), Dave "the (famous) Canadian," Dominique (France), the Aussie Blokes (Andy, Dave, Chris), the Aussie couple on the Uyuni trip (Propagandhi, man!), Pighead (the miner).
Argentina: Dany (plus his mom and Hostel Sol), Nicolas, Jasmine, Donna, Ana ("te gusta el mate, Mike?"), New Jersey Justin and his daily stirfry (I can still taste it!), Nir (Israel), Juan (Chile), Dennis (Communist Party of Canada), Eugene (Swiss), Daphne (US), Jenny (US), Rosio, Laura, Lucia, Ladron de Guevara brothers in Cafayate, El Caracol (Salta), the courageous and inspirational women and men at Ceramica Zanon, Lorena and Christina (Mexico), Ish the coughing gaydar (Singapore).
Brazil: Samai and "uncles," Malika (Swiss), Analu (PoA), Nose, Hamilton Pinto and his lovely wife.
Ecuador: Alain (crazy Quebecois boozer-biker), Lee, Carolyn (Denmark), Pierre and Centro del Mundo staff, Zoe Savage and Lisa (Quito female prison), Katie (UK), Consulado Colombiano Dr. Juan Carlos Cala (F*@% you, man!).
Venezuela: Gary (tree-planting Canadian), Ben Dangl (US -- www.upsidedownworld.org new article soon, I swear!), Liam (Eire), Juan Carlos and the Bumgirl (couldn't cover her ass at the beach).
Colombia: Archie, Andrew (UK), Cora, Rin (dame mas gasolina!), Rudger (all Dutch), Joe and Emily (NZ and US), Alfonso, Leticia (Uruguay), counterculture Amir (Israel), Charmaine (UK), Felix and Anthony (Quebec), Aureliano, Tigre and Hans, Rosario (UK), Johnny (Can), Sean (Eire), Tim and Cristina (Salento lento), Carolina (France thanks for the music!), Aidan (Eire), Lina and Carlos, Saad (Iraq-Sweden a true brother), Jason (UK inspirational to have met you), Natalie (Oz keep writing!), Guillaume (Quebec), Vincent (Quebec), German (Platypus = best hostel because of you!), Ben (Oz), Maria Teresa, Julian, Organizacion Nacional Indigena Colombiana (ONIC).
Slan, Salud, Solidarity,
Mike
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