OH, NOT AGAIN! The Musings of a ‘token sick girl’ in South America.: OH, NOT AGAIN! The Musings of a ‘token sick girl’ in South America.
Jennifer Waters
LIBR 500, Assignment One
waters@interchange.ubc.ca
A Journey to the Southern Hemisphere...: A Journey to the Southern Hemisphere... Date: March 3, 2003
Place: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Mission: To travel from Brazil to Ecuador in 3 months, OVERLAND, in Tucan Travel’s big yellow truck.
Did I know what I was getting into? Not really.
Brazil is alive with plants, animals, and a few bugs …: Brazil is alive with plants, animals, and a few bugs …
With a few bugs come a few bites, and an allergic
reaction.
Who needs Yellow Fever when you have an orange foot?
Foz de Iguacu is spectacular: over 290 waterfalls, as
seen by helicopter, by foot, and by raft right into the
mist itself.
Paraguay is a country of mate de coca (tea), woven handbags, karaoke bars and brothels.: Paraguay is a country of mate de coca (tea), woven handbags, karaoke bars and brothels. On an excursion to the
Asuncion Zoo, we saw
anteaters, capybaras, and
a runaway baboon.
Coming back, we got lost
and ended up in a
shantytown across a field
from Argentina. Luckily, Mr. ‘End of the Line’
agreed to drive us back to
the city.
“Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina…” : “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina…” We went to Buenos
Aires, the ‘Paris of the
South’.
I loved the artistry, the
tango, and the juicy
steaks.
But in a city of 11 million
people, I felt a bit
overwhelmed.
Ushuaia, Argentina: The End of the World.: Ushuaia, Argentina: The End of the World. The world’s most southerly city, Ushuaia had:
Beautiful scenery
Wonderful durazno (peach juice)
Very slow internet connections
A rather cold campsite
Onto Chile, and the majestic Torres del Paine national Park …: Onto Chile, and the majestic Torres del Paine national Park … After 4 days of hiking for 10 hours a day, I had:
Seen spectacular rock formations
Walked through rivers
Fallen face first into a bog
Hurt both my knees
Gotten lost a few times
Had a nervous breakdown
It should have been called The Towers of Pain.
ER, Argentina style (and without George Clooney) : ER, Argentina style (and without George Clooney)
We visited the Moreno
Glacier, the fastest
advancing glacier in the
world.
I hear it’s simply amazing.
I couldn’t tell you myself – I
was asleep in the truck the
whole time.
I spent the night delirious and
coughing in the El Calafate
hospital with a 103
degree fever.
It cost me 40 pesos ($10).
Chile is also home to:: Chile is also home to: The Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world.
Volcano Villarica in Pucon, where my journal (with 6 weeks of complaints) was stolen.
Santiago, a horrible city, but close to some lovely wineries.
I may have sampled a glass or two.
I left my stomach in Bolivia …: I left my stomach in Bolivia … 5000 metres above sea level, life is a bit odd. There is less oxygen, existing ailments seem much worse, and you feel like you’re losing it.
But despite the food poisoning and altitude sickness, I loved this country. The Salt Flats were beautiful …
The Yungas: From the Andes to the Amazon in 10 minutes.: The Yungas: From the Andes to the Amazon in 10 minutes. One day, I took a day trip with two others from La Paz,
Bolivia to a tiny town called El Castillo.
Day trip became nightmare, as the bus went from the
high Andes to the Amazon Basin, very quickly, on a
narrow dirt road.
Needless to say, we were lucky we didn’t become a
foreign bus crash statistic.
Unable to get a bus back, we were stranded overnight
in a town called Chilumani, where the spiders ate my
feet for dinner.
PERU: I Am An Inca Trail Survivor (just barely)…: PERU: I Am An Inca Trail Survivor (just barely)… The 4 day hike was disastrous. The scenery was stunning, the weather was great, but I must have made an Inca god angry (according to the guide), because:
First my stomach hurt so badly, he thought I had appendicitis.
Then I had food poisoning.
Then I somehow touched stinging nettle, which spread as a rash over my entire body.
But still I hiked the trail (with the help of the assistant guides, who practically carried me) and made it to Machu Picchu.
Also while in Peru…: Also while in Peru… I drank Inca Kola.
I ate cuy (guinea pig).
I visited the man made reed floating islands in Lake Titicaca.
I saw condors in the Colca Canyon.
I had my sunglasses stolen in Lima.
I witnessed riots and military intervention in Chiclayo.
I acquired many more nasty bug bites.
Introducing Jungle Jen of the Ecuadorian Amazon Jungle!: Introducing Jungle Jen of the Ecuadorian Amazon Jungle! The Amazon was very hot, very wet, and very muddy.
We saw many birds, plants and insects.
I had to sleep with a mosquito net with holes in it.
And we had our cabin taken over by coatis (raccoon-like animals), who ate our soap, ripped our sheets, and stole my shoe.
While in Ecuador …: While in Ecuador … One of my bug bites from Peru became infected and took up my entire leg.
It was definitely more impressive than my orange foot in Brazil, as this one required antibiotics.
I went and stood on the equatorial line, and then had my third and final dose of food poisoning.
I was in the bathroom for the last day of my holiday.
Slide16:
I know what you’re thinking: the fevers, the food poisonings, the bites, the bruises, the mud, the sweat, the tears – was it really worth it?
Slide17: Yes.