Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland

Today we leave for Spain - the long way. Our bus leaves from Braunschweig (about an hour from here) at 2:45, and we arrive in Lyon at 8am tomorrow morning. Not sure how much time we have in Lyon before our next bus to Barcelona. Fortunately, Matthias' mother has provided us with many yummy snacks for the trip. So, armed with food, a few Sudoku puzzles, some crossword puzzles and (the massive) Don Quixote, I should be fine. Matthias says he's happy to just look out the window, but I'm bringing a book for him (the German version of Lonesome Dove - my favorite) just in case. Next update from somewhere in Andalucia!

Back in Town

We had a nice three-week escape at Matthias' parents house in the Harz Mountains. The weather was great - atypical for Germany - plenty of sunshine every day. I should say the weather was great for hiking and sitting outdoors; it was less than optimal for gathering mushrooms (which, I have learned, requires the damp conditions more typical this time of year.) Fortunately, it had rained quite a bit before we got there, so we had a few good days of mushroom hunting. Here is a picture of Matthias preparing some stein pilz (Stone Mushrooms) considered (at least by his family) as the "gold standard" of 'shrooms. You can click on the picture to enlarge and get a better look.

Besides looking for mushrooms, we spent lots of time hiking to nearby towns and sights and firing up the backyard bbq. Matthias even used some hickory wood and sawdust (from a tree his parents chopped down) to smoke some spare ribs for a real southern American-style treat. Pictured here is a dam (we actually drove to) by a fish restaurant where we celebrated our third anniversary over a yummy meal. And, Matthias' parents came up for part of the time to enjoy the great weather in the wild.

Now we are getting ready to head to Spain for the winter. We couldn't find any of those cheap flights the Europeans are always boasting about (maybe because of Octoberfest or something.) so we decided to travel via bus and train. Now I'm thinking we were a little crazy to do that, but at least I'll get to see the part of France (albeit from the highway) that I didn't get to on the bike ride. Also, we'll be able to take more luggage this way (those discount airlines hardly let you take anything with you!) And, well, we do have the time.... So, we leave on Friday from Braunschweig (about an hour from here) and take the bus to Lyon, France, and then change buses for Barcelona, where we catch a train to Malaga.
 

Ho Hum

So, now I have plenty of time to write, but not a whole lot to write about. We have been staying with Matthias' family for about two weeks, mainly getting ready for Matthias' father's 60th birthday party, which took place last Saturday. The party was great - about 40 people, good weather, and lots of delicious food and drinks. It was held on their property, which used to be a brewery and beverage distribution center, so we were well-equpped for the festivities. Add to that Matthias' mother's decorating and cake-baking skills, catering by the local restaurant, and a cool DJ and we were ready to party! I think we are still recovering. (top left: photo of Matthias, his father, and grandmother before the party. Bottom left: later in the evening.)

Tomorrow, Matthias and I leave for the nearby Harz mountains, where we are going to spend some relaxation time in his parents' vacation home. No family, no obligations, and no access to internet (so no updates for a few weeks.) There is a telephone, though. Feel free to call us at 011-49-39454-43663. And speaking of phone calls, it has been great speaking to folks back home. And special thanks to Steve, Viv, and Eleanor for their call and update - it was great to talk to them! I really miss hearing about stuff back home so please email, leave a comment here, or call!

3,650 Kilometers by Bike - a recap

I finally found a way to trace our route on a map and upload it here, for those that might be interested in our route. Now that I look at it on the map, it doesn't appear all that impressive to me, but 3,500 kms (not including trains) is nothing to sneeze at, I guess. You can click on the map to see a larger image.

Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

Well, I thought I had seen most that there was to see in Central Europe in terms of natural beauty, but it turns out that I missed a spot not far from Matthias' parents. This week, Matthias' father took us to the Elbesandgebirge (Elbe (river) Sandstone Mountains) for a three-day
hiking holiday in these beautiful hills not far from Dresden and the Czech border. The mountain scenery was awesome, and now after all that biking, I was just about able to keep up with the guys. We spent a couple days hiking (or wandering, as they say in Germany) along some great trails, took a ride over to the Czech Republic to take a walk and boat trip through a pretty gorge, and stopped in Dresden on the way back to visit the newly (re)completed church. Not that Matthias and I needed to get away or anything, but it was a wonderful trip. Now we're back in Gommern ready to catch up with folks.

Warm Bed

We are now back at Matthias' parents' house for a much appreciated rest. We made it as far as Düsseldorf on the Rhein and then decided to end the trip and take the train back for a variety of reasons. First, the damn rain just wouldn't stop. Not to say that we didn't have many sunny and nice afternoons, it was just that every morning and most evenings it rained, which didn't make campsite living very comfortable. Also, our stuff started to break down - our coffee cups, the camp stove, little things on our bikes - and it didn't make sense to buy new just before finishing. Plus, with our weekend ticket, it cost the same to go all the way across the country to Magdeburg (40 Euros for us and our bikes) as it did to go a short distance. So, here we are. Now I have time to write, load pictures, and catch up with things.

Really, despite the lousy weather at the end, the bike trip was fantastic, surpassing my expectations (which were high in the first place.) I just got my first glimpse of the photos, and realize that we have seen a lot. Since I wrote last, we rode along the Main river to the Rhein, where we spent time in Rudesheim, a lovely and touristy town in the wine country. Then we rode along the Rhein past all the famous castles and hills to Matthias' aunt's house near Bonn, where we spent two nights. We rode two more days past Cologne to Düsseldorf, a surprisingly nice city (I had heard it was all industrial.) We spent our last night on the town and then took the train to Magdeburg, where it was a short (25km) ride to Matthias' parents'. (Photo at Tanta Inga's house)

Photos are loading as I write this, and I'll try to upload some to the entries that I have written as well as the Yahoo Photos website (link to the left.) And as we spend the two weeks between now and Matthias' fathers' 60th birthday party, we'll be researching our next steps. Will it be winter in Spain? A bike ride to Greece? Asia? Stay tuned!

Back where I came from

We are now in Offenbach, having biked a total of 3233 kilometers. It's raining again, which is why I have time to write now. We decided not to pack up the wet tent and ride today because of the rain, and because we are staying close to Frankfurt, which has good Apple Wine. The weather for the past week has been on-and-off miserable, with some good sunny and cool afternoons. We only have about two weeks to go before we have to be back, and we have been wondering if the weather had been like this the whole time (as it can be in Germany), whether we would have made it this long.

Despite the weather, the Romantic Strasse was lovely, and we visited some beautiful medevial towns, including Rothenberg, which was almost fairy-tale like (pictures to follow in a few weeks.) Then we followed the Tauber River Valley, which was beautiful and green (probably from all the rain) all the way to the Main River. Then we rode through the Bayern Spessart region, which was also nice. We soon found ourselves near Aschaffenburg, where my grandfather's family is from, and it was a short ride from there to Offenbach, where my grandmother was born (I think) and which is next to Frankfurt.

Tomorrow, rain or shine, we are off to Mainz on the Rhein. We plan to travel along the Rhein valley and then make our way back across the country with a combo of train/biking. Weather forcast is not promising, so I better stop looking at those forcasts!

The (not so) Romantic Street

Donauwörth, 2,829 kms

We are now back on the Danube for a night after traveling over the Romantische Strasse bike route from near Munich. The ride is nice, but the weather is crap. It has rained for the past three days, and yesterday it rained so much we could never even pack up the tent and go, and we had to spend all day at a campsite with nothing to do and nowhere to get out of the rain (oh, did I envy those people with campers, or even big tents!) Fortunately, there was a restaurant nearby, where we could warm up with cold beer.

We can´t really complain about the weather...we have had uncommonly good weather for the whole trip so far, and have done lots of swimming, as I may have mentioned. And I guess this rain is typical for Germany, so we´ll just deal with it.

Our plan now is to head up to the Main river, and then over to the Rhein and back toward Matthias´hometown of Gommern for his father´s birthday at the end of the month. We´ll see how far we can get without needing to take a train, but it´s good to know that the train is there for the taking.

Hope everyone is staying cool!

Chiemsee Cowboys

Munich, 2,699 KMs

We are now in Munich after riding along the foothills of the Alps, through some beautiful Bavarian countryside. On of our first stops there, was the Chiemsee, or the biggest lake in Bavaria. We stayed an extra day to ride around the lake and go to the Country-Western festival they had there. It was fun, and the band, the Chiemsee Cowboys were really good (and much better than the Elvis impersonator.) So, on the eve of my 21-year high school reunion, I got to relive those days listening to 80s rock...the Eagles, ELO, Billy Idol and more. It was all I could do to keep from yelling "Freebird!"

The ride after Chiemsee was probably the most beautiful, and the most challenging, that we experienced. We passed beautiful Alpen villages and great scenery. We are definitely going back to the Alps! (Photo below is the view from our room in a local pension.)

Swimming with Swans

We are now back in Passau, Germany, having biked from Budapest along the Danube bike trail. The journey is great - I highly recommend it. In Hungary, the riding was not the best...we had to ride a lot on busy streets, but the countryside was lovely, and we spent a few days in a small town where we could swim and relax in the Danube. We also rode two days in Slovakia, which would have been nice (the bike path was pretty good most of the way) except for an incredible headwind. That was tough...like riding uphill all the time.

Back in Austria we stopped for one night in Vienna - the campsite was pretty international, and pretty expensive (20 Euros). We had fun in the city, though, visiting Matthias´favorite restaurant - in an historic keller (cellar). We also spent two nights in a campsite in Feldkirchen, a small town with a nice swimming lake, where we were able to cool off. The weather has been great - hot during the day and cool at night.

When we got to Passau yesterday, there was a festival, so we helped ourselves to some Maß (1 liter beers) and snacks and met some nice Bavarians. Now, we are trying to figure out where to go next. We will probably head up the Inn river back toward Austria and then head off to Munich at some point.

We have had our share of gear problems. The tune-up we wanted to get in Budapest did not work out (they wanted us to leave the bikes for 7 days just to fix a spoke! It reminded Matthias of the Communists.) So, Matthias had to ride with a broken spoke until we could find someone to fix it, but who then messed it up worse, so we had to go to another bike store in another town to get it fixed. Then, the day before yesterday I got a flat, and broke a spoke as well. So, our bikes are now in the bike shop getting new back tires that should be able to better handle the weight of our gear.

And, in Hungary, our tent broke, so we went out to buy another. The new tent was really cheap, but we should have known that it would not keep us dry. So, we tossed that one and went on a search for another, better tent, which we found in Slovakia. Once we figured out how to build it up, we were quite happy with it. Hopefully, this one will last until the end of the trip.

That´s all the updating for now. Internet places are somewhat scarce on the bike trail so I´m not sure when the next update will be. Until then, hope all is well wherever you are.

Why did Italy wear blue?

Is one of the many questions I have after watching the world cup championship in Budapest. It`s one thing not to understand the game completely, but when watching in a different language, I almost feel lost. Good thing it is a pretty straightforward game, but could someone (Steve Rich, maybe) explain the offsides rules? Matthias doesn`t know, or doesn´t care, or doesn`t care to tell me....

We arrived in Budapest late last night, via train from Vienna (from Tulln, really) Unfortunately Jennifer and Brenda were not able to meet us, due to a family emergency. We were terribly disappointed, but we were ready for the break from biking and camping (at least I was.) We found a cheap and comfortable pension near the train station and are staying for three nights...leaving on Tuesday. Then we are going to bike back along the danube through Hungary and Slovakia to Vienna, and then who knows (any ideas for us?)

In response to my father`s constant questions, we have now travelled over 1,400 km on our bikes. They are holding up reasonably well, but we are taking them for tune-ups tomorrow. We took a ride around Budapest today, to Margit Island, which was quite beautiful. Yesterday, we spent the day in Vienna (the only train we could get to Budapest was late at night.) We really love that city, and plan to spend a few days on the way back. But for now, it is nice to have a place to stay where we don´t have to pack up (the often wet tent) in the morning and start on our way. I have one more morning to enjoy that before we are off again. (photo of odometer reading 1000 kms)

Until next time...

Austria Rocks!

Hello from Tulln, located about 25 minutes by train from Vienna (I think that's their claim to fame!) We are really enjoying biking along the Danube river. The bike trail is wonderful, the scenery is gorgeous, and we are meeting some nice people. We are heading east toward Budapest, but we're not exactly sure how we're going to get there yet (combo bike riding/train). Still, we are enjoying the ride very much. Weather has been great, although it might rain tomorrow.

That's all for now. We actually found a campsite that has free internet, but I think they're closing now.

Course Change

We are now in Passau, Germany, near the Austrian Border. Following the advice of our friends Jennifer and Brenda, who commented on the last post, we decided to ride toward Budapest to meet them. We reached the Danube (Donau) river two days ago and have been traveling east. We expect to be in or near Vienna in about a week, and we will see whether we can keep riding or if we have to take a short train ride.

The Danube bike path is very nice, and a lot more heavily traveled than the others we have followed. It is also much less hilly (so far), which is nice on the legs. We had a few rainy days recently, but the sun is now shining and the weather has been great for biking and camping. And the campsites are wonderful, with clean bathrooms and sometimes even a beergarden.

We did get to watch the Germany-Sweden match in Hof, which was really fun...when Germany won it was as if they had sealed the championship - people partying in the streets, honking horns, waving flags and so on. A few days ago, we watched Germany beat Argentina in a rather young local bar. We felt a little out of place amid the raving and chanting, but it was fun. Too bad about England, though...we watched that match at our campsite in Straubing with a nice English couple. Guess we are going to see the rest of the matches from Austria.

That´s all for now. Perhaps I will be able to do the next update from Jen´s blackberry!

Grüss Gott!

That means hello in Bavaria, or so I'm told. We have been on the road/bike trail now for one week, and Internet connections are scarce. We are now in Hof, which is in Bavaria. We traveled along the Saale River bike trail, from Barby to Hof (rode from Matthias' home town of Gommern to Barby, which wasn't far, first.) The ride is nice, though it has gotten plenty hilly the last few days. I blame the extra weight of the large packs on our bikes as the reason I have to walk my bike so much (but it could also be the extra weight on me!) Actually, we're doing pretty well - about 50-70 km per day. Weather has been terrific. Twice it rained in the evening, just as we got the tent put up, but we haven't had any rain during our ride yet. Strange for Germany.

We have stayed all but one night (plus tonight) in campsites. Once we stayed in a youth hostel, which wasn't bad at all since we were the only ones there...literally! Even the guy running the place left at 10PM! And, the breakfast (included) was fabulous! Tonight we are staying in another youth hostel. It isn't empty, but we have our own room. On the bright side, I get to watch the Germany/Sweden match tonight (Matthias isn't into Soccer at all, so I haven't kept up with the games, although I did get to see Ghana celebrate beating the US two days ago. I can't help but love some of the fans' slogans: "God Bless America and let Ghana win!" Very funny.

I would describe our planned route now, only we don't really have one. We plan to head down through Bavaria toward Munich, and then get over the Alps somehow (most likely by train) to Italy, where we hope to ride through Tuscany. This is all subject to change, however.

Till next time, take care!

A Pain in the Butt

We got back to Germany a few days ago and picked up our bikes and other things we needed for the ride. For the last three days, we've taken quite a few rides around here - there are tons of trails and little roads through pretty scenery. Already put about 100 km on the bike odometer, while our butts get used to riding (ouch!) We set off tomorrow for Barby and the Saale River RadWeg (bike trail) which will take us through Thuringen toward Bavaria. Hopefully, by the time we get to Bavaria I'll be able to handle the hills that we're sure to encounter.

I didn't yet report on the end of the Russia trip, but the two last stops on the river cruise were pretty cool. Uglitsch had an historic monastery - we skipped the tour and headed to the town, where we found the market and mingled with Russians as they shopped for cheese, meat and clothes. Our last stop was Moscow, and though it poured like crazy during our tour of the Kremlin, the weather during the rest of our day and a half there was fabulous. We explored the Metro system, which has some beautiful stations, walked around pretty pedestrian malls and parks, and marveled at the wide array of goods for sale that just 15 years or so ago could not have been bought for any amount of Rubles. Oh, and the beer and vodka weren't bad either!

Links to pictures from my parents trip to Germany and our trip to Russia are on the left.

White Nights

Wow. I'm writing this from the Russian river boat (but transcribing it to the blog from Germany.) It's 11:30 PM and still bright as day outside. I only have to use the light when we go through the locks along the river. I know that it stays light all night, since Matthias won't let me draw the curtians (afraid he might miss breakfast or something!) Last night I woke up at 2AM and could see across the river - pretty awesome!

(Family getting ready to board the boat in St. Petersburg. Not pictured: photographer (me.))

Russia is quite fabulous. I highly recommend a trip, though not necessarily a river cruise. We didn't have nearly enough time in St. Petersburg and our stops along the river were mainly tourist traps, though we did get to see lots of old wooden churches and one pretty "typical" Russian town. The river scenery is nice, too. Matthias thinks it's better than the Chilean Fjords, but I take exception to that. Also, the weather has been pretty grim - cold and wet. So much for bragging that we didn't have winter this year. We're getting it now!

On the family front, we are doing pretty well. My mother taught Matthias' mother how to play Solitaire (I think Sudo-ku is next!) and Matthias keeps busy translating conversations between our fathers. My mother's German is holding up pretty well, and mine is getting better. A good thing, since we didn't realize when we booked the trip that the entire cruise (tours, menus, etc.) would be in German. The Roses are coping well, however, and it's a good experience for us seeing that the world - or at least the tourist industry - does not revolve exclusively around the English language.

St. Petersburg did not disappoint - it was wonderful. We took a couple of tours included with the cruise and although I couldn't understand the tour guide, the sights were terrific, and I taught myself to read Russian (Cyrillic Alphabet) while in traffic on the bus. We saw spectacular palaces and churches, along with the Ermitage, and also spent an afternoon walking around on our own discovering Russian cafes and fast food.

We arrive in Moscow in a couple of days and will have to say goodbye to my parents adn then to Matthias' parents as we begin our bike tour and much needed diets! Pictures to come soon, of course.

And, in case I don't get to say this later...Happy 40th Birthday to Linda on the 19th of June!! Wish I could be there to help celebrate (but just to help celebrate.) Also, a belated 40th birthday greeting to Steve. Geez, we're all getting old!

Gute Fahrt

This phrase, meaning (I think) "Good Journey" or "Good Drive" always makes my mother giggle. We have been driving around Germany for the past week with both sets of parents, with Achim (Matthias' father) at the wheel of the van. We visited Frankfurt and Aschaffenburg, where the Roses explored some family history. Then we were off to the Rhein and Mosel valleys, where we took in the scenery and drank wine from the region. Before heading back east, we stopped in Cologne, to see the famous Dom (Cathedral).

We are now back in Gommern with the whole family for another three days before we start our Russian River Cruise. All nice and cozy. Today, we are going to Potsdam to visit Sanssocci Palace and gardens. Tomorrow we are off to Berlin to (hopefully) get our Russian visas and tour the city. Then a day of rest and off to St. Petersburg.

Guten Tag!

We are now in Germany after a long boat ride and a quick flight. Thanks again to cousin Andrew, we arrived in Europe in style after 14 days on the Norwegian Jewel. Of course, my clothes are much tighter now, and I can barely get my fat fingers to type anymore, but we did beat the jet lag and had a nice and relaxing time. Still, it just didn't feel like a cruise without our friend Stu aboard. Pictures of the ship, and of our stops in Madiera, Italy and France to come soon.

We disembarked in Barcelona, Spain on 14 May and immediately caught a train to Valencia, which was a wonderful city. Beautiful architecture, great food (as if we needed it) and not quite as touristy as Barcelona, which Matthias and I had both visited a number of times before. We walked quite a bit around the city (one could say from tapas bar to tapas bar) and to the beach and port, which is the new home of the 2007 America's Cup sailing race. The weather was delightful and we had a great time there. (Photo of Valencia street scene)

On Wednesday, 17 May, we took an EasyJet flight to Berlin. Well, it would have been easy, but we had to pay 75 Euros (more than the price of both flights together) for our excess baggage (that's how they get 'ya, I guess.) We met Matthias' parents at the airport and they drove us home. Next day, we went back into Berlin to get our visas for our trip to Russia. Not an easy prospect either... aparently, according to Matthias' father, not much has changed with the Russian bureacracy since the fall of communism. They now have our passports and expect to issue our visas by the 2nd of June (two days before we are supposed to leave!)

In the meantime, we are awaiting my parents' arrival in Frankfurt on the 25th. We will spend three days there and then meet Matthias' parents for a family trip through Germany. Then, on 4 June, we are scheduled to fly to St. Petersburg to start the Volga river cruise to Moscow.

We're off again

Time to say goodbye to sunny Florida and hello to the Atlantic and Europe. Our cruise leaves this Sunday, 30 April, from Miami. First stop after five days at sea is Ponta Delgada, Azores (Portugal.) We are busy packing and getting ready. And we are really excited!

It will take us two weeks to get to Barcelona, and from there we are heading straight to Valencia for a few days before flying to Germany. I doubt that I'll be updating the blog over the next two weeks, unless I win some kind of on-board trivia game and the prize is free internet access (hey, it could happen!) Anyone interested in really following us, can check out the "bridge cam" on the Norwegian Jewel at http://www.ncl.com/fleet/jewel/index.htm# The link that says "bridge cam" is somewhere toward the top of the page. There are also links to more information about the ship - our room number is 9166, for anyone who wants to look it up on the deck plan (or for anyone who wants to have a bottle of wine sent to our room :-) Hey, that could happen, too!)

As for our month in Sarasota, we didn't do too much other than run errands on our bicycles, but we had a nice and relaxing time. It was great to see family during our time here, and to talk to many of you on the phone. Hopefully we'll be able to keep in touch through the blog and email.

From Florida

We are still in Florida, with about two weeks to go before our cruise to Europe. Lots has happened: My parents put an offer on a house here in Sarasota (looks like they're going to stay...) and they have decided to come to Europe to visit us and Matthias' family in Germany and then join us for a Russian river cruise in June. Should be great fun!

Newsflash! 18 April: Our "favorite cousin" Andrew just informed us that we have been upgraded to a balcony cabin on the transatlantic cruise! (Top that one, Josh!) Not bad having a cousin who's an Assistant Cruise Director with NCL in Hawaii. Thanks Andrew - we're so psyched!!

I didn't realize that some people were waiting for an email update before checking the blog, so those that haven't been keeping up can go back in time to see what we've done. Now that I've sort of figured out how to upload pictures (which only works some of the time), there are photos included in the last few entries. Unfortunately, the entries start with the most recent, so there's no real good way to read them in order, unless you want to go back to December (under "archives" on the left of this page) and start reading from the bottom. That could be quite tedious, however.

Speaking of tedious...I cleaned up the photo gallery (link is to the left) by deleting tons of pictures, but there are still 260 photos in there, making for quite a long slide show.

Hope everyone is doing well. Cheers!

The Return

We are now back in Florida, USA, having completed the first phase of our journey. Overall, South America was pretty great, and now we've got to buckle down, take care of business (taxes, immigration forms, etc.) and plan the next phase of our journey. It's funny, actually, how many people we saw at the airport who were coming back for similar reasons (taxes), including someone I knew from NYC - Keith's friend Emily!

As you can see, I have now learned how to post pictures on the blog, so I may go back and include photos in some of the posts. And, I'll need to weed through the pictures posted on Yahoo to take out the bad ones (for those of you who just can't wait, see the link to Photos 7 at the left). But I suppose business before pleasure..


Buenos Aires was lots of fun. We spent five days there, exploring the city, enjoying good food (Matthias has sworn off meat for the next month - until our cruise, that is...) and taking in the sights.



A highlight of our time in BA was our trip to the Feria de Mataderos, which included a huge crafts market with amazing silver and leather goods, folk music and dance, and horsemanship competitions. Matthias and I just loved the horseys!

Now that we are back, we are looking forward to reconnecting with friends and family. Please write or call when you have a chance, if you don't hear from me first!

The Home Stretch

Hello from sleepy San Antonio de Areco. We now have less than a week to go, and plan to spend the bulk of it living it up in Buenos Aires. We leave for there - just a short journey of about 2 hours by bus - tomorrow. For now, we are in Gaucho-ville, where the horses and bicycles outnumber the cars, and there´s not much to do but walk around and enjoy the quiet, which we are (it helps that our hotel has cable TV!) while we rest up for Buenos Aires.

Rosario was a nice city with a great waterfront (on the Paraná River.) It also wasn´t incredibly touristy, which was nice for a change. We did a lot of walking around there, saw Che Guevara´s first home (rather anti-climactic) and ate some good and cheap food. All and all, a good side trip.


Next update will probably be from Florida. Ciao.

Two weeks

Can´t believe there´s just two weeks to go before the S. America portion of our trip is finished. We have mixed emotions about it - we´re a little sad, but excited to start the next part of our journey (and of course to see the family.) We are particularly excited to be traveling to Europe in style at the end of April. Our (self-dubbed) "favorite cousin" Andrew, who works for Norwegian Cruise Line, was able to get us a great rate on a 14-day cruise from Miami to Barcelona, for not a lot more than it would cost us to fly! Thanks Andrew!

In the meantime, we have spent a week in Mendoza, which is a very nice city in Argentina´s wine country. When we got here, someone approached us at the bus station offering an apartment in the center, which we took for 50 pesos (US $17) per day. It had a kitchen and balcony, and although it was a bit noisy, we enjoyed our time there - sitting on the balcony and watching the crazy drivers somehow avoid hitting each other. We also explored the local parks, wineries and restaurants.

The 12-hour night bus to Mendoza was not bad at all-we got the front seat on the upper level; it was really comfortable and when we weren´t sleeping we had a pretty cool view of the road in front of us.

Tonight we are taking another night bus (and we got the front seats again) across the country to Rosario, which is a bigger city and the birthplace of Che Guevara. We plan to spend five days there and then head to San Antonio de Areco, which is a gaucho town near Buenos Aires. Then, finally, to the capital for the last five days of the trip. I think I have just enough memory in the camera for the photos from this stage, so I won´t be uploading any until April when we´re back in Florida.

Hasta Pronto

On the road again

Okay, we never made it to the fiesta we stayed an extra day in El Bolson for - we started walking there, and then realized it was about 20 km down a very dusty and somewhat busy dirt road. So, we turned off toward Cascada Escondida (hidden cascades), which turned out to be a very nice hike. It all worked out somehow. (Photo: Matthias picking wild raspberries)
Yesterday, we finally (reluctantly) left our comfortable digs in El Bolson and started heading toward Mendoza. We are now in Neuquen, which is basically a town where everyone changes buses to go somewhere else. Our bus to Mendoza leaves around 7PM tonight and takes 12 hours. Hopefully we´ll be able to get some sleep, and hopefully, Mendoza is as nice as everyone keeps telling us.

R and R - and more photos

More photos are posted on Yahoo photos - see the links to the left of this page.

We have decided to take it easy here in El Bolson, and we found what looks like a nice place for the next few days. We just moved out of the hostel (which was nice, too, but kind of busy) and we are waiting for our "cabaña" to be ready. It´s really more like an efficiency apartment, but it has a kitchen, a counter for eating, TV, private bathroom and a (shared) yard, all for the nifty price of US$17 per night. We decided we could use a little luxury, and Matthias is excited to cook (and I am more than happy to indulge!) There are a number of day hikes that we plan to do, and there is a festival this coming weekend, where we hope to watch some gauchos doing their thing.

Hope all is well back home. Keep in touch!

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As you may have surmised, I have become quite lazy about updating this blog, as well as lazy about grammar, run-on sentences, spelling, etc. Please bear with me.

We have made it to some beautiful places in Argentina. We took the Patagonian Express train (an interesting experience) across the country to Bariloche in the Lakes District. Bariloche, though extremely touristy, is a beautiful ski/summer resort area. We spent five days there, hiking through the area and enjoying the great views (pictures to come hopefully soon, but I´ve been lazy about uploading them as well.) We also enjoyed some fabulous food...Matthias finally had the Argentinian steak of his dreams: a Bife de Chorizo (strip or sirloin, we think) that was out of this world.

We are now in El Bolson - just as scenic (in a different way) as Bariloche, but "crunchier". It reminds me a little bit of Berkeley, with somewhat of a hippy scene, but for the snow-capped mountains in the background and the fact that everyone smokes. So far we´ve hiked around the area to waterfalls and scenic views. We plan to stay another three days.

Tomorrow we plan to take a break from hiking and post some pictures. Really!

Tenedor Libre!

Matthias insisted I include an entry on his favorite Argentine pastime so far - the tenedor libre, or buffet (strictly translated: "free fork") In Ushuaia, a pretty expensive city by Argentine standards, we tried it twice, at 25 pesos (about US $8) each, including parilla, or all the grilled meat we could eat, and it was delicious as well. And, those of you who know how much Matthias can eat know that we got our money´s worth! We heard from fellow travelers that the food gets even cheaper as we travel up the coast, which we are doing now. (Photo: Matthias staring at a lamb roasting in the window.)

We have passed through a number of somewhat crappy Argentine towns on our way up the coast, but an occasional good meal and my tour of a penguin island (which was great) has broken up the monotony. We are now in Trelew, a city founded by Welsh settlers. We plan to stay here a few days and then catch the Patagonian train across to Bariloche, back in the Andes, but I´m having some trouble getting adequate info, so we might end up taking an overnight bus, which we don´t want to do. In the meantime, we´re going to take it easy after so many days spent on buses. And, if I find a quicker internet connection, I´ll upload some pictures soon.

Del Fin del Mundo

Too busy eating to keep up with this journal....but more on that later.

We made it to Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world. A very touristy place, but also very lovely. Also not so easy to get to during the high season (now), unless you want to spring for a flight (which of course, we didn´t.) We had to wait in Punta Arenas for four days before we found a bus with room, and then the trip took 8 hours, including border crossing and a ferry across the Strait of Magellan, after which we stopped in Rio Grande for the night, so we wouldn´t arrive in Ushuaia too late in the evening. Next day, we took a minibus to Ushuaia (another three hours), where we were lucky enough to find a hostel (a REAL backpacker place) that had a room with two beds, in addition to the dorms. Unfortunately, the beds were bunk style, and the room was right next to the common room, which was pretty loud until all hours, thanks to the 10 or so Israeli backpackers staying there. Still, armed with earplugs we persevered, and for only 50 pesos (or $17) per night. And we booked our bus ticket out of Ushuaia as soon as we arrived, so we were all set.

The city is situated on the Beagle Channel (named after Darwin´s ship) and in between glacier-capped mountains. We planned - and even started - to hike to one of the glaciers, but a downpour thwarted our plans (we have become real pansies!) Next day, high winds kept us form walking too far. But we did have a chance to enjoy the scenery, the great Argentinian food, and the company of our fellow travelers in the Hostel.

In Patagonia

The ferry dropped us (eventually) in Puerto Natales, a small village that floods with tourists in the summertime. The draw here is Parque National Torres Del Paine, a beautiful park with mountains, glacial lakes and interesting wildlife. Because of this, it's quite expensive to go (sort of like the grand canyon) and because it is so touristy, Matthias opted out. So, I took a day trip from Puerto Natales and got to see many of the highlights. Pictures are uploaded (see left - photos 4) but there are tons from the ferry ride and the park, totally unedited, so it may be a bit of a hassle to look through.

We are now in Punta Arenas waiting for our bus to Ushuaia, Argentina - the southernmost city on earth. We coudn't get a bus until Saturday the 11th, so we are hanging here until then. It's a bit chilly, but could be much worse!

Shipwrecked!

We are now deep in Chilean Patagonia, close to Tierra del Fuego. We had a great time on the island of Chiloe, spending a week in the friendly hostal in Chonchi where we met loads of backpackers of all ages, many of whom were also planning to travel on the Navimag ferry to Puerto Natales, and some of whom had just returned from there, so we got lots of good info. It was great waking up every morning with a view of the bay, watching fishing boats and dolphins go by. A nice time.

The ferry from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales was fantastic (even Matthias didn't hate it, despite the high cost of $355 each for three nights in a dorm room!) The scenery was gorgeous, the weather was fine, and the facilities were pretty good (fairly private beds, for a dorm situation.) We made a few friends there, hanging out mostly with Edurne from Pais Vasco, Spain. And, Matthias helped himself to at least two servings of every meal - gotta get one's money's worth! We also sailed right up to a glacier (pictures to come.)

Then, on the last night, after the corny but hilarious costume party and bingo in the pub, Edurne and I went out for some air and got a great look at a beautiful starry sky. Edurne was sad the boat trip was ending, and said she wished it would last longer. Just then, there was a brief blackout and smoke came up toward us. I thought it was just the wind changing as we turned about, but then we noticed trees VERY CLOSE - I mean, you could throw a rock and hit one. We had stopped in a small cove and Edurne asked the crew what was going on, to which they responded...we are just stopping to get water. (??) A few minutes later they announced that there was a problem with one of the engines and that they were working on it. Soon after (around 1AM) we went to bed. When we woke up the next morning, just before we were scheduled to disembark, we were still in the same place in the middle of nowhere! As it turned out, we were going to be delayed a day. Those with reservations or those who needed to go were picked up by catamaran, but we opted for the extra day, night and meals on the ship! It was a blast! And Edurne got her wish that she made upon a star!

More Photos

No time for an update, but there are more photos on Yahoo Photos. Click the link (under "LINKS") which either appears on the left side of the screen, or (for some reason) at the bottom - you have to scroll all the way down. Once again, they are unedited. Enjoy!

Magical Island of Chiloe

I have to remind myself not to write about what we´re going to do and stick to things we have done. We didn´t go to Puerto Octay as planned - we just got too lazy and decided to stay overnight in Osorno, which was on the direct route to Puerto Montt, where we purchased our tickets for the ferry next monday (30th).

We are now on the island of Chiloe, which didn´t disappoint! In a town called Chonchi, in a room with a view of the bay (but internet that doesn't let me upload pictures! It´s lovely and rural, with lots of things to do, so we may end up staying all week. Yesterday, we went "musseling", gathering mussels on the beach ,which Matthias cooked for dinner! Today, we hiked to the ferry that took us to an even more rural island - very beautiful.

Next update should be from further south, where the ferry drops us off (we are DEFINITELY doing the ferry, as it cost us a bundle!) Take care!

Reflections

We are now in Valdivia, a city in Chile´s Lake District, at a hotel that offers free (if slow and quirky) Internet. Valdivia is a pretty University town at the convergence of three rivers, not far from the sea. Yesterday, we walked to the next town (about 17km) to see an old spanish fort and views of the pacific. The walk was as nice as the destination - through farmlands and along the river, and it was a beautiful day. Of course, I insisted on taking the bus back. Today we walked around town and checked out the local parks, and found out that there´s a farming expo that starts tomorrow. So, we´re going to stay an extra day and check that out. Not like we´re in a rush or anything.

With a month and a half behind us, we are just about two-thirds through Chile, with what we expect is the most interesting part to come - Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Chile is just lovely, but I have to say, so far it doesn´t quite compare to the awesome-ness of Bolivia, which just blew me away.

Chile is not quite as exotic as Bolivia, in that it feels much more like the hemisphere I´m used to. Sure, the aspects of S. America are still here - water flows the opposite way down the drain, no paper (at all) can be thrown in the toilet, and the only coffee available is Nescafe - but many cities and towns resmble places we´ve seen before, particularly on the west coast.

The transportation here is great. We`ve traveled quite a few miles by bus, and have found them to be comfortable, modern and efficient/on-time. And, although the bathrooms aren´t anything to rave about, they put Greyhound´s to shame! They even serve food on most long-haul buses (but by the time they serve lunch, we´re usually so hungry that we´ve bought something from some vendor at a station) and most show movies. Unfortunately, they are mostly horror or action flicks, which we both dislike (although I have to admit, I´m developing a soft spot for Vin Diesel - he´s a cutie!)

The accommodations are also somewhat better than I expected. Though it is sometimes a challenge, we are managing to stay within our budget of $50 per day by finding hostals that cost between $15 and $20 per night. Most times we share a bathroom, but most places have been clean (enough) and some places even have laundry, cable tv and/or free internet, like this one. We save money on food by eating in local places (which we want to do anyway) and sometimes buying food at the supermarket. And we thought we would have to camp out to save money, but that doesn´t seem to be the case, at least not yet. Better to camp when we want to, instead of out of necessity. So what if I´m not living the true backpacker life - I`m too old for that crap anyway.

I don´t know if I mentioned this before, but there is a great deal of German influence in Chile. Apparently, many Germans immigrated here (no, not after WWII, as I`ll bet many of you would guess) in the 1800s. We don´t know why they came here, but we´re about to visit a town - Puerto Octay - that has a museum focusing on German ¨colonization¨ that should answer our questions. The influence is becomming much more evident in the southern part of country, where many of the houses look like they belong in Matthias' hometown, kuchen is available at every cafe, and the beer of choice is Kunstmann.

After Puerto Octay, we´re heading Puerto Montt, where we will make reservations for the ferry to Puerto Natales - a four day trip through the Chilean Fjords. Before we take the ferry, though, we´re planning to visit the island of Chiloe, which is supposed to be beautiful. Clearly, we´re excited about the next leg of our journey.

Hope everyone is well. And please, email us with news/updates about life back home or elsewhere. We miss you!

Chillin in Chillàn

We had a great time camping and then blew through Santiago. Saw some of the major sights, but it was HOT and we were tired, so we decided to take a train through the wine region to Chillàn, a nice sized city with a great market scene. We are staying here a few days to rest, and then moving on toward the lake district, where there are sure to be more hiking and camping opportunities.

The market here is really great - tons of frest fruits and vegetables, a meat market that doesn´t smell bad (that is something around here) and of course lots of artisan/touristy stuff. We have refrained from buying any souveneirs, mainly because we don't want to carry them.

And, South American politics seems to follow us wherever we go. This Sunday, Chileans are voting for president (a run-off election), and it seems they are most likely going to elect their first female president. Posters, signs, and marchers with flags are everywhere. Should be interesting.

Well, I wanted to write more, but I'm almost out of time on the Internet. The real reason for going online today was to put more pictures up. I haven´t had enough time to edit them (or even really look at them,) so you´lll have to look sideways at some. The link to them should be on the left side of this page (or sometimes, for some reason, you need to scroll down to the bottom of the page) under "LINKS"

Until next time....

Baby steps up the Mountain

We are finally camping! Found a nice national park near Viña del Mar with lovely camping facilities and good hiking trails. Yesterday, we hiked up a mountain for some nice views of the valley, and then sat around the fire (while Matthias barbequed) at night. After a few weeks of walking around towns and cities, we (especially Matthias) are happy to spend some time in natural settings. The climate here is still quite dry - sort of Mediterranean-ish, but with cacti all over.

So, what does the Internet have to do with camping? We walked into town today to buy supplies and call Matthias´grandmother (her 91st birthday is today.) Then we´re heading back for a little more hiking and a little more grilling. Tomorrow we are off to Santiago and then points south.

The Cool Green Pacific

After La Serena, where we spent three nights, we took a short trip up the Elqui Valley to celebrate my birthday (yes, I´m 39!) It was a pretty town, and also pretty boring, but I got to visit a Pisco factory, where they process and bottle the regional beverage (sort of the Chilean version of Grappa.) We also got a little "extra" for a hotel--our own bathroom and cable, and had a nice dinner in town. Woo hoo.

We then landed in Viña del Mar, which was a lovely Pacific resort city right next to Valparaiso (which Lonely Planet also lists as Chile´s second biggest city.) We visited the hills of Valparaiso and the Beaches of Viña. The weather was great, but the ocean was quite rough, and very green (I have to read up on why this is.) The beaches were full, but no one could really swim - they just walked to the edge of the water and let the huge waves splash them. It´s not like it was really hot anyway, with the cool ocean breeze and all.

Also in Viña, we discovered our favorite Chilean food - or bar stack - so far. It´s called Chorillana, and it´s basically meat, eggs, onions and cheese piled on top of french fries. Delicious, cheap, and it hasn´t made us sick yet! We´re looking forward to some good seafood in the south (up here, they always want to fry everything!)

Zooming through the desert

We are now in Antafogasta, the second largest city in Chile. We leave tomorrow for Chañaral, a small town close to Parque National Pan de Azucar, where we hope to camp and hike for a few days (even the stadtfrau has had enough of the city for a while.) The climate is nice here, but we´ve about had it with sand and sun (no pity, please) and are ready to move on to the forrest. Our next stop is still in the desert, but more of a mediterranean climate (so says Lonely Planet) and soon after we´ll be in wine country. Hmmmm, wonder what we´ll do there....

The ride between Iquique and Antafogasta was particularly beautiful - the whole way along the coast. We have had fun visiting fishing ports and watching the sea lions and pelicans eat the fish guts thrown out by the fishermen. Yum.

Update: We didn't go to Pan de Azucar - it seemed too much of a hassle just to find a campsite in the desert. So, we have landed in in La Serena, where all the fresh seafood has started to catch up with Matthias (he has quite an upset stomach) I wonder if he's faking it so he doesn't have to go to the beach for the New Year's festivities or even stay up until midnight. Anyway, the nice people at our hostal are having a barbeque, so I won't be alone either way. La Serena is probably the nicest Chilean city we have seen so far; we haven't been to the beach yet, but the town has a lovely plaza and some great colonial architecture. And, it's not as run down as some of the cities we've seen - probably because it's a top tourist destination.

On the 1st or 2nd, we're heading to the Elqui Valley, where they are supposed to have some nice camping and hiking areas, so probably no internet updates for a while.

Hope everyone has a happy new year

Pictures!

For some reason I was having trouble uploading photos to this website. These are from Lake Titicaca and Isla Del Sol. Until I figure it out how to do this better, the pictures are in Yahoo photos...

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jrosenyc/album?.dir=55fb&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jrosenyc/my_photos