Stop 8: MOROCCO!!!!!!

I have now offically been to AFRICA!!! After Peru, Daniel and I met up in Morocco. All I

can say is WOW. It was a wonderful culture shock and our experiences

there are irreplaceable.

I met Daniel in Rabat where we stayed in a janky little hotel. We tried our first tagines (stewed meat & veggies cooked in ceramic bowls), and that night Daniel had what I think was snail kabab put in a sandwhich, haha. The next day we took the train to Meknes, one of the other five Imperial Cities. It was fairly small and we stayed in a nice little hotel in the Ville Nouvelle (new/modern part of the city). We experienced our first medina (old city composed of narrow pedestrian walkways jammed with little shops and street

vendors). We wandered through the craziness, sampling a plethora of treats and traditional Moroccan foods (a recurring theme in our travels). I gained a few pounds as we embarked on an incredible culinary adventure of Moroccan delicacies, not wanting to miss anything. We ate at little food stalls and street vendors and some nicer restaurants, trying everything from lamb tagines and cous cous to snail soup and fresh oysters. One highlight of our trip was wandering through the ruins of an ancient Roman city called Volubilis (above left).

From Meknes we continued on to Fez, the original religious capital of N. Africa, where we saw one of the oldest universities in the world! The medina in Fez is an incredible maze of shops and it's nearly impossible to not get lost. Several times we had to pay someone a dollar or so to lead us to a

sight or bring us back to our riad. We certainly got our shopping fix there, buying leather products, silver jewelry, some clothes, argon oil lotion and lots and lots of food and mint tea. My

favorite meal of the entire trip was there, on the rooftop patio of

this restaurant that only offered a few meal choices- a few choices that they did extremely well. We split one order of the set menu ($11) and just our first course was an entire table full of different Moroccan salads, like cumin-spiced beans, tomato & onion salad, eggplant caviar, several Moroccan-style ratatouilles and different varieties of olives (see left). Our main course was beef and vegetable tajine, and lastly sliced oranges spiced with cinnamon.

From Fez we decided to take an overnight bus to Marrakech to save the day. Moroccans must have super-bladders, since there are no bathrooms on any of the buses and we were on this one for almost 8 hours! The bus stopped only once after the first few hours, but not for people to go to the bathroom.. Daniel and I had to beg the bus driver to wait while we sprinted across the street to a cafe. No one else even got off the bus! We arrived to Marrakech at 6am and went to a cafe for a few hours to use the internet and find a hotel. We finally checked in and had a relaxing rest of the day laying by the rooftop pool and drinking one of the bottles of Wilson I gave to Daniel to bring with him. We wandered the Ville Nouvelle that evening- very hip and nice. The next day we went to the big square at the medina, where we sat and watched an entranced cobra and held snakes. It was so cool! And looking back on it, kinda freaky, but we were in Morocco action mode to see and experience it

all... in a sense we were like the cobra. We wandered through the medina there, going to Badi Place and Bahia Palace. The latter was stunning... intricately carved wooden inlays, mosiac designs and detailed paintings covered every wall of this hundred room palace filled with courtyards and fountains (see right). In the afternoon we went for another roof-top meal at Earth Soup, where we got fresh flavorful and earthy meals. Unfortunately, Daniel didn't get to enjoy his meal like he usually does, as something from a previous meal/snack attacked his stomach and we had to head back to our hotel. Lets just say its a good thing this place had its own bathroom... on the upside, it purged Daniel of the enormous amounts of food he had been consuming (nope, not all of it healthy) and I got to eat the rest of

his lunch for my dinner.

After Marrakech we headed coastal to get some beach time. Fortunately Daniel had a quick recovery and was back at it by the next day. We headed down to beachy/resorty Agadir which was a great change of pace from the medina madness we'd been experiencing. We stayed at a lovely hotel close to the beach. The first evening there we went for pizza, Daniels first real meal after defeating Montezuma's revenge, and after bought a bottle of French cote-de-rhone and walked along the beach, finally settling down to drink it and watch

the sunset. The next day we had some good ol poolside-beer drinking-laziness, and don't worry mum, Daniel's an avid sunscreener, and insisted on putting multiple layers over my whole body. We went to the beach as well and tried snail soup for the first time. It was...interesting, but definitely not bad! It had sort of cardamom-marjoram spice to the broth and went down pretty easily. We did some more shopping and ate more delicious meals of tajines and Moroccan salads.

After a great stay in Agadir, we headed north to another coastal city of Essaouria. It is a

gorgeous, white-washed city situated on an escarpment overlooking the sea. The first night we had fresh fish, Daniel picked the one he wanted cooked up, and watched an incredible sunset. We stayed at another great little hotel (we're quite the bargainers, and found if we got the cash out for what we wanted to pay, our success rate increased). The following day we went to the beach and took a camel ride! When we were beached-out we wandered the city some more, ending with yet another delicious meal.

We moved along to Oualidia, a little town of 4000 people situatuated above a beautiful crescent-shaped lagoon/harbor. We went out to Oyster Farm # 4 where we ate the freshest, juiciest, best oysters of our lives! The following day we bussed it up to Casablanca, where we spent our last few days of the trip. Casa had some great architecture and the most beautiful, intricate mosque I've ever seen. We wandered the city on foot and found the Museo de Bellas Artes, where they had a temporary exhibit showcasing Yves Saint Laurent's works that were inspired by Morocco. Some of the outfits were great!

It was an unforgettable trip. I would highly recommend visiting Morocco to anyone with a sense of adventure and love for food and culture. Next comes Spain with my best friend Hollie, yahoo!

Stop 7: CUSCO, INKA TRAIL & MACHU PICCHU, Peru

Peru - I am at a lack of words to describe our time there, in a sense that I could write for days

and still feel like I haven't quite said it all or described everything in a way that depicts its true

sublimity. Please forgive/understand the abundance of photos (a picture's worth a thousand words, right?).

From the get-go, Cuzco was awesome. We stayed at a great

hotel, Libertador, where on the first day I learned not to drink coca tea after dinner or more than 10 cups per day, as it makes falling asleep quite difficult. Cuzco itself is beautiful: small cobblestone streets winding through nice buildings, restaurants, stone cathedrals, and plazas with fountains. The food was great, and even better, we never got sick! That was one of our

nightmares: getting food poisoning from the water right before we began our Inka Trail hike...let me just say, at times there are not many trees or shrubs alongside the trail.

On our first full day there we hired a taxi to drive us around to a few of the ruins outside of the

city. The first, Tipon, had these intricate irrigation systems all throughout the city. The next,

Sasquema, was huge, and mum and I could only imagine where the buildings and streets were and how bustling a city it must have been in its time.

The next day we walked around Cuzco and up

to the ruins just outside the city. On our last full day there we got a taxi with our new friend Stephen who we met in the lobby, and did our most impressive day yet. We went out to the ruins of a cliff-top city called Pisaq, which overlooked a lush green valley. It never ceases to amazing me how intelligent the Inka and pre-Inca people were. They created many crop terraces up the hills because as the elevation changes so does the climate, allowing for a large variety of crops to be grown. They also remembered to put large stones sticking out of the walls as stairs to allow them to climb to each level. I certainly wouldn't have thought of that until after I completed construction and the "ah shit" thought went off. I sat on the edge of the ruins, legs dangling over

the side, looking out on the valley and the crop terraces while a wood flute played in the background; it was really powerful. I certainly will notforget that moment. After Pisaq, we drove through the Sacred Valley over to the most of impressive of the ruins in the Cuzco area, Ollantaytambo. The stonework there was incredibly precise, and our guide explained how they moved rocks up to 80 tonnes from the mountain across the valley accross a river and up to their site by rolling them on logs and both pushing, pulling and using ropes and hand grooves. They would sand the rocks to get them perfectly smooth by rubbing them with sand, water and meteorites.

Hiking the Inka trail was more incredible than I could ever describe, and views along the trail were incredible. The fog rolled in and out unpredictably making the scenery change in a matter of minutes. As the elevation changed so did the vegetation, at times sparse hillsides and other times lush jungles. The highest mountain pass was over 14,000 ft in elevation, and mum and I were certainly glad we had 3 full days to acclimatize before hiking. We chewed the coca leaves for energy and help with the elevation, our cheeck and side of tongue going slightly numb after. On the fourth morning we went through the Sun Gate and entered Machu Picchu. While slightly foggy, overall effect was astounding. Erick

gave us a tour of the place and ended it by lining us up against the wall, first depositing our cameras on a ledge, as he pulled out a bottle of champagne (forbidden in the site) and sprayed us with it, then we passed it around the circle to conclude our excursion together.and mum and I joked that finally arriving to Machu Picchu was anticlimactic after such

a phenomonal 3 days of hiking. Our group(on right) was great, so

much positive energy and determination. Meals were great, interesting conversation, and in our free time we played cards and sang (one guy brought a mini guitar, a Peruvian version of a ukulele). We woke up between 3:30 and 5:30 every morning which was tough but totally worth it, as we were the first ones on the trail, and had the best campsites further along than the rest of the tour groups. Erick, our guide, was great. He was passionate about the mountains where his family is from and woke us up each morning to "room service" of coffee or tea in our tents while we packed up. The

We split from the rest of the group to check into our hotel, the Sanctuary

Lodge, where we happily sipped champagne while waiting for our room to be ready. We relaxed all day and had a jacuzi that evening, then ate a delicious meal in the hotel. The next morning we woke up at 5:30am to get stamps (only 400 per day)

to climb Huayna Picchu, the big mountain next to Machu Picchu

(the nose). It was a good trek up, the path often very narrow and steep, but the views were totally worth it. At the top you are up in the clouds with a 360 degree panoramic view of the mountains, river and Machu Picchu.

The next day we took the train back to Cuzco, stayed one night and then flew to Lima. Mum and I had lunch then she headed back to the airport for her flight home that evening. I stayed 2 nights and did laundry and other chores before my flight to Morocco.

My trip to Peru was the most powerful and awe-inspiring, not to mentionally physically challenging, experiences/trips of my life. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I got to spend with my mom and all the interesting people we met along the way. I couldn't have gotten a better graduation present!

Stop 6: IGUAZU FALLS!!!!

Mum and I made a little excursion up to Puerto Iguazu, where we visited some of the most impressive falls in the world!! The falls are right where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay all meet. We stayed in the national park at the Sheraton. While the hotel didn't meet the 5-star standards it so proudly boasts, the view from our room was incredible! (see right)

The first and third days we just walked the upper and lower trails

of the falls that were accessible by foot from the hotel, which were beautiful (top center). All around the whole area flutter hundred of butterflies with all different patterns and colors. The

second day we walked to the train station and headed over to the heavy-hitting falls called "Garganta del Diablo" translation: "Devil's Throat". IT WAS AWESOME. It is an experience that cannot really be put into words, because in the moment we heard the thunderous roar of the water smashing into the ground and pools below, felt the clouds of mist in our faces in waves, and saw the huge volumes of water rushing forth from 270 degrees around, charging continuously from the rivers above.

Another amusing part of the trip was watching

these little animals, called coatis, wander around everywhere. They are in the raccoon family, but seem more like anteaters...they walk around with their noses pressed to the ground sniffing for bugs and food... the best was when one walked up to a woman's backback while she was eating lunch and began sniffing it ardently. When he finally found the zipper hole into her pack, he ripped it open in a flurry, grabbed her sandwich from inside, and raced off with it! And while it was happening, about 6 other coatis emerged from the surrounding vegetagation and bombarded him to get some of it.

Definitely a trip I will never forget! Thanks Mom!!!

Stop 5: Buenos Aires!!!!

Mum met me in Buenos Aires, and we certainly ate and drank our way through the city! Overall, BA was like any other big city: different neighborhoods, a diverse food scene, museums and parks, but nothing too spectacular. It's been said that Buenos Aires is the Paris of S. America, but I finally came to the verdict that BA is amazing for those who have never actually been to Europe.

We explored the different hoods, went to Puerto Madera to walk across the really cool bridge there, went to a museum in Recoleta, walked through Palermo, went to the palacio in Retiro. We went running most mornings through the many parks, around lakes and polo fields and gardens. This made us feel better about the multiple bottles of wine and amazing food we were consuming each night :)

We took a little break from the city and made a 2 day excursion up north... see "stop 6"

Stop 4: MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY!

I booked my flight to Montevideo on a whim, noticing how close it was to Buenos Aires, and that it only cost $30 more to fly first to there then BA, from Mendoza. I really didn't know what to expect, I assumed it was just another S.American city where the people have a slightly different way of life. But from the time I arrived I was continually surprised, and in a good way. Despite my bag not making it onto my connecting flight, my stay in Uruguay was truly enjoyable.

In the airport I saw some fellow travelers (we are a very distinct

breed and hard to miss: think backpacks, cameras, scruffiness, beeline for the informacion turistica, sunburns, hangovers and "donde esta el ATM?") These two boys were from Spain and they had just arrived from Brazil. I let them figure out the logistics of how to get to the center and showed them where I was planning to stay. They thought it looked good and we all booked it to the hostel, just in time for beers on the rooftop patio. They lent me shampoo, face cream, a sweater, a toothbrush...the minimums I need to get by, and we all headed out to the Mercado de la Abunduncia for dinner where we ordered Uruguyan wine, fresh fish, and a giant salad. It was great find, as every Saturday night locals come to perform tango and sing in the middle of the market. After drinks and dinner there, we headed out for a night on the town. We met some locals while wandering and looking for a bar and they took us out to a club that plays indie rock music. It was heaps of fun, and we finally made it back

to the hostel at 7am.

The next day Juan-me (still don't know to spell it), and I wandered down to the beach and had lunch. We explored the park and wandered through the streets. The city is well-kept and safe, and the buildings are of European influence. Most people when they hear yerba mate, they think Argentina. Well I can promise you that Uruguyans outdrink Argentinians by far. People there don't leave the house without grabbing their mate cup n straw and a thermos of hot water. The following day we took a bus to a beach city called

Punta del Este, which is a hot vacation spot for many South Americans. When we wandered down to the beach we couldn't stop laughing because even when swimming and sunbathing, people were still drinking their mate! We tanned on the beach all afternoon, then took siestas and wandered the city to find a grocery store and made dinner at the hostel. Down in the recreation room, we all sat around drinking and chatting for hours. It is so cool hearing other people's stories, travels and thoughts and recommendations.

On our final night in Montevideo we went to a Spanish seafood restaurant. We loved our meal (prawn appetizer, specialty salad, fish main and wine) for just about $20! The next day it

stormed in Montevideo, but it was a travel day so it didn't really bother me.

Finishing up my solo travels, next you'll be hearing about Diane and my adventures in Buenos Aires, where my dulce de leche binge will likely continue, the Iguazu Falls, Cuzco, hiking the Inca trail and Machu Picchu! Yahoo!

Stop 3: MENDOZA, ARGENTINA!!

From Santiago I hopped on a bus and ended up in Mendoza six hours later! Crossing the Andes was breathtaking. We wound our way high up into the mountains, and even though it's the end of summer, there was still some snow on the peaks. The 2 photos right and below were taken about 1/2 hr apart...what a contrast!

I'm staying at the Damajuana Hostel and it's awesome: super laid-back and full of adventurous people from all over the world. So far I've been hanging out with a group of Israelis, a few Swiss guys, some Irishmen, an Aussie (who went to MelbourneUni the same time I was there), a Brit, and a boy from Montreal. Everyone is so friendly, it reinforces how much I love travelling!

On my first night in the city, I went and ate dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant, getting babaganoush, pita, a selection of different salsas, mineral water, and a jug of the house wine

(terrible!) all for around $10! (guess that explains why the wine was so awful!)

On my first full day in the city I met up with Juan Pablo Lupianez,

who I was put in touch with through Nick Goldschmidt, ("it's not what you know, but who you know" said

someone smart who probably knew a lot of people). We met for

breakfast, un cafe con leche and una medialuna (their clever word for un croissant), and then he swept me off to the number 1

winery in Argentina, Catena Zapata, whose wines continually get 95-98 points in Wine Spectator. I took a tour of the place while Juan Pablo went for his business meeting, and

after the tour, the guide informed me they had set up a private tasting for Juan and I. For not being a Chardonnay lover, I have seen the light...honestly one of nicest whites I've tasted in a long time, well-balanced, fruit-forward (for a chard), slightly minerally, with just a lovely finish! (I should be a wine writer, I know) Their

Malbecs were equally as impressive, and they even brought out the grandaddy bottle, the most expensive and renowned of them all (woot woot!). For all their highest quality wines (reds and whites) they use barrel fermentation. They also brought us out 2 types of quesillo de cabra,

young dry goat cheese (delish!) and very flavorful olive oil and warm bread, which we made our lunch. After, Juan Pablo took me to another winery that has an art gallery and restaurant, that produces 6 MILLION liters of wine annually. WOW.

The next day, St. Patrick's Day, I visited the winery Fabre Montmayou, had a little tour then

went out with the winemaker to a bunch of their vineyards so they could collect grape samples and I could snap some pictures. Mendoza is awesome because the Andes are so close and the

snowy mountain peaks peek out from the clouds. During the evening, I ate dinner with the Irish couple who were staying in the same room as me at the resto-bar attached to the hostel, proceeded to have drinks there and then we went out to the Irish pub for more drinks. The following day the entire hostel was moving a little slow...we decided skydiving was not the ideal activity for that day so instead we went for hr massages...ahh!

Next stop, Montevideo Uruguay!

Stop 2: SANTIAGO, CHILE!!

I've only been here in Chile for 3 days but I love it!! I'm staying at my friend Jose's apartment in an awesome area of the city with his brother Juan and their other roommate Jorge. Last night all their friends came over for drinks, I had forgotten how friendly and generous everyone is here.

The weather is absolutely gorgeous, mid-70's to low-80's and hasn't been a

cloud in the sky since. I arrived. Yesterday Jose (on right) and I went for coffee then I laid by the pool and read. Late afternoon we went to the Mercado Central and ate bowls of fresh seafood. Some of it was pretty weird, but I at least tried everything. The strangest was probably the picoroco, the only edible barnacle, or the orange squishy inside of a sea urchin. We then explored the really cool neighborhood nearby filled with colorful and interesting architecture, little alleyways and sidewalk stands selling books, antiques and random items. We had drinks and dinner later at the apartment and then had my first night out on the town in Santiago. Of

course, doing it the Chilean way, we didn't even leave for the club until 1am. We were on the guest list because Jose works in television and has a radio show.

Today I did a little housekeeping (gotta earn my stay somehow!) and then went over to the Bohemian neighborhood called Bellavista. They sell all sorts of great jewelry and artisan creations. I bought a few gifts while there and got myself some great little stud earrings that I got last time I was here but eventually lost and could never find in the US. Everything there was very reasonable, I bought a few pairs of the studs, one turquoise and

one lapis-lazule (famous to Chile). I had lunch at Cafe Istanbul, ordering falafel and salad and a beer (I've had one with lunch every day, I'm taking full advantage of my vacation status). Another very Chilean detail I noticed was that the yogurt sauce was mayonnaise-yogurt sauce, haha, they loooooove the mayonesa! Tonight we are going out for sushi and drinks, the city has a good diversity of restaurants compared with the other cities in the country.

This weekend I might go out to the coast for a night just to change things up and give the boys a break from me, and on Tuesday I leave for Mendoza! More to come later...

Much love!