TravelStream™ news feed for member peacefrog on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/peacefrog en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:32:18 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peacefrog/5/1249910454/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peacefrog/5/1249910454/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peacefrog/5/1249910454/tpod.html Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:32:18 -0400 Sedentarization... in Nomadism

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Paris, Île-de-France, France

The 12 hours flight from Buenos Aires to Paris had an agreable side: my right side, where was sitting Argentinian Cecilia, a very nice lady with whom we found having lots in common.The less agreable side can be summarized in: I had a bloody fakin' back ache, really painful, and in addition I could not sleep at all. Great, and I had to work on the next morning in London.Upon leaving Buenos Aires, the sun was getting low on the Rio del Plata, giving a magnificient view as we flew over Colonia and Montevideo. Arriving above Brazil though, we were caught in the strongest perturbations I've ever experienced... my neighbourgh was so stressed I could only be calm, but looking at the way the wing and reactor were moving, and how you could bang your head if you did not take care, I felt a bit intimidated... these events led us to talk about the latest plane dissapearance over the Atlantic, of course, as this was our way too...Arrived in Paris, I had planned to go into town to drop my bag at a friend's place, but I was so shaterred I decided it would be better to go directly to london and try to get into a BED !!!!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peacefrog/5/1249541439/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peacefrog/5/1249541439/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peacefrog/5/1249541439/tpod.html Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:16:06 -0400 Sedentarization... in Nomadism

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La Paz, Bolivia

After my second despedida (goodbye party), which left me with little sleep and a lot of alcohol in the blood, we woke up at 8 with Ricardo and Lucia, as thursday is the day for visits at Chonchocoro prison. First we went to the market to buy a few things the inmates had asked for, and then we took the jeep up to El Alto, and then further on the plateau. A beautiful day, the snowy mountains in the distance, with an incredible sky and air pure and cold as always.Chonchocoro two years ago: look hereChonchocoro is the high security prison of La Paz, with people having commited murders, rapes, etc... Everyone wanders freely in there, and we spent our tile chatting with the guys, visiting the small chapel some of them had decorated, drinking mate or getting invited for lunch in their cells.I had already been going with the volunteers two years before in the prisons of La Paz. While you are in there you feel just normal, but once you leave there's something that hits you. It's a strange feeling, but overall you feel you are doing something which makes sense over something which has no sense.As we were not too far, after exiting Chonchocoro we went to Qalauma, which is the prison for youth, under construction. Two years ago I had come here to help a bit the three Italians who were doing the masonry there. One of them, Ricardo, was here too this time, and it was impresive how the works had progressed (given that we were expecting a completion over 10 years, not 3). Qalauma two years ago: look hereIn Qalauma we could take photos and walk around. Strange to think this place will soon be a prison. At the same time happy that the youth we were visiting in Chonchocoro or San Pedro prisons could soon come here in an educative environment.Driving on the plateau, and then through the streets of EL Alto, and then down to La Paz, I was feeling that cold air, this lack of oxygen, the distinct blue of the sky, the smell of the altiplano, the smells of Bolivia, the sound of life, and my heartbeats talking to me.This is a chaotic place where I feel in PeaceWhy leave?
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La Paz, Bolivia

more news soon... we went to see a wrestling/catch/lucha libre match in El Alto. Very funny
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Buenos Aires, Capital Federal District, Argentina

Arriving in Buenos Aires, totally shaterred, and my heart shrinkened from having left La Paz.I went to the office, as I had promised the guys there to help with a few things for a couple of hours.That night I could not sleep, and then I slept too much. I am a bit lost in fact. Feeling alive for sure
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La Paz, La Paz, Bolivia

Altitude sickness hit me less hard than I had expected...I am in the casa giavarini, only one bottle of wine got broken in my suitcase, so all is goodMore news soon
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Aguada Pinchana, Neuquén, Argentina

Early wake up to visit some remote construction site. Desertic desert, then up onto a plateau with huge canyons, everything is just hard rock and dry bushes.We went back to the bridge under construction, but this time on the other side. Got there, first thing was to go talk to the workers, got myself a harness, secure myself and walk up to the end of the bridge. Very funny to be at the very end of a relatively thin metal structure, protruding 50 meters upfront from the canyon side, and with an 80m deep canyon below. On the other side, just 20m away, 4 workers where in the same situation, building the remaining part of the bridge.As soon as I hit firm ground again, I climbed up the bridge tower, getting myself some 30m high, and that was worth it. A fantastic view, unfortunately the pictures won't tell you much.Then we went to a site where they had already drilled the gas wells, and were going to construct everything else around.A guy on a horse with half a dozen of dogs crossed the construction site. He is in fact working for the owner of the land, and patrols on hundreds of square kilometers on his own with horse and dogs.Anywhere we went, the view was each time different and grandiose. As we were contemplating  huge, untouched valley, the dogs appeared around us, the lonely gaucho came to check us out, and a condor flew just above our heads.
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Aguada Pinchana, Neuquén, Argentina

After a day coping with the jet lag in Buenos Aires and a couple of bife de lomo with malbec, off to Neuquen by plane, and then to Aguada Pinchana by car, to reach the place I was to work for a week.Driving anywhere in Patagonia is fabulous, and I had never been to that part. It's very dry, yet there are wetlands created with huge dams, and it's flat but there are plateaus and canyons and sometimes the odd mountain, a lonely volcano and very few animals.Raul was taking me along in his car and was explaining me a lot about the place and its history. Among other things, this canal we were following had been built on public funds... just after le local government had sold all this dry land for almost nothing to a lucky very rich few. These guys used to grow fruits like apples and pears, on fields created in the middle of nowhere thanks to this canal. And the new trends is bodegas (vineyards), which are appearing like mushrooms in autumn.However desertic the place, every few kilometers there is a small red hut with red flags: anywhere in patagonia tribute is paid to El Gauchito Gil, a popular figure protecting these lonely souls.The place we went to was between two ranges of small mountains, it was dry and rocky, although a bit green because of the recent, unusual rain. Ice cold winter air offers unlimited visibility, and we were in the middle of a place where there was nothing for dozens of kilometers. We paid a visit to the petrosaurios, a couple of giant dinosaur figures made with scrap metal from oil&gas installations by an illuminated franco-argentine artist which had secured the help of two female helpers while he was creating his sculptures half naked and constantly complainign about the lack of champagne... and that's only part of the storyWe dropped our stuff and went off for a visit on site, on dirt tracks. The mand is very very rough there, rwith very hard rock everywhere and windy canyons forcing you to go tens ok kilometers to find a way.We visited a bridge passing over a canyon, still in construction, quite impressive: 140m in length, and the 20m in the middle still missing, over 80 meters above the bottom of the canyon. The wind was strong, and I was not allowed to go have a look.As we had been told to expect, we saw a couple of condors, who actually live around this canyon. Magic.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peacefrog/5/1248467899/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peacefrog/5/1248467899/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peacefrog/5/1248467899/tpod.html Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:34:04 -0400 Sedentarization... in Nomadism

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Paris, Île-de-France, France

There's something I had totally forgotten. A few weeks back, I was in terminal 2E in Paris Charles De Gaule Airport, waiting for my flight to Seoul. Going to Korea for the first time, I had nothing to complain about. I was very excited in fact. And then they made the call « Flight 418 to Buenos Aires, Passengers please proceed to boarding gate 41 ». Strange fealing you're having a fag with someone sitting just next to you at one moment, on the next moment you’re in two different planes a few meters from each other, and then after a few hours one is in Seoul and the other one in Buenos Aires. At that time I wondered if I was not taking the wrong plane…I had forgotten all about that, until today. When they called for « Flight 418 to Buenos Aire, passengers please proceed to boarding gate 41 », all that same moment from a few weeks ago came back instantly to my mind. But this time I was going in the right plane (Well, except that a few minutes before, they called for the passengers to Rio de Janeiro… oh dear !)Flying out from Roissy westbound, I had an incredible view over illuminated Paris, and the Tour Eiffel scintillating right in the middle. We flew around Paris, and just before the last turn I had a minute when I was perfectly alligned and could see the succession of the Arche de la Defense, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elisées, and the Louvres, with a sparkling Tour Eiffel on the right. And really, this was seriously beautiful.I am nervous to go back to Buenos Aires over two years after being there. I would never have gone back there without serious plans of staying for a while. But there I am on the plane, for a one week mission all expenses paid. I could not refuse, and so I did not have to make a decision. Not choosing is something I’m not sure I like. Inch’Pachamama !
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Pau, Aquitaine, France

 
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Singapore, Singapore

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