Chile: Arica. From the top of the world to the Pacific coast.

Have you been wondering why there have been no updates recently? Well, it´s been pretty hectic around here. I wouldn´t know where to start from or where to end. But I am ready to tell you a bit more about this exciting adventure that is exceeding my own expectations.

The moment I am writing this text, I am in the town of Arica, in Northern Chile. I am just chilling in this town of surfers and fishermen by the Pacific Ocean while preparing for my imminent departure for the highest capital in the world, La Paz. The main reason why I got here was the issue with Peruvian farmers demonstrating against a Canadian mining company who wanted to start business in the area, that has kept the Peruvian-Bolivian borders closed for almost a month now. In principle, I was planning to cross via Puno and Desaguadero but I had to divert my route to Chile to ensure I could get into the country (legally).

I could tell you all about bombs at the airport in Cusco, protestors taking over the Peruvian border and blocking the country, the uncertainty to make plans down here and their laid back attitude that makes things slow and sometimes difficult, etc. These are things that spice up and make my travels more exciting, but far from being unusual, they are part of daily reality in this part of the planet. It is really inspiring to see how real life can be for people in this continent. We are usually too focused on the image that the Western news portrait of the world around us, and we tend to forget how different life is for some people all around the world. The political situation is really agitated and there are some serious ongoing issues around here that we hardly hear about in Europe. Instead, Bin Laden´s killing keeps the spotlight for several weeks as if nothing more important was happening around. Not that his death will change the life of any of us though...well, wait, I heard some people were actually claiming they should be able to carry shampoo when travelling by plane now that he´s dead.

During my last days in Peru, I´ve had the chance to visit the Sacred Valley and some really ancient Inca ruins, the city of Arequipa, with its beautiful colonial architecture and a really impressive main square, and the Colca Canyon, with its 3400m at its deepest part. I could write a long text to describe them all, but I prefer to leave you with some images to show you one of the most precious corners of the planet, and I will keep the literature for all that this place is inspiring in me.

It has been difficult to bid farewell to Peru, and I will keep some really fond memories of this country. Despite the mess it is, it has made me feel at home from the very first day. The warmth of its people, the most incredible sights, the power of nature, crazy karaoke nights (errrmmm, well yes, why not?)...and of course, all the people that have contributed to make this experience unique: my new Scandinavian, Dutch, Mexican, Australian, Israeli, Spanish, Argentinian friends, whom I´ve met on the road, and that I hope to see soon around. You cannot imagine how many people travel alone until you actually take the initiative to do so. But I can say now that, in this part of the world, you never travel alone. There is always someone to share all these unforgettable experiences with you and make them feel real. I was there, it wasn´t a dream.

I have seen fascinating mountain ranges, a stunning canyon not as known as Colorado but way deeper and populated by the one of the most inspiring animals in the world (the magnificent condor), staggering rainforest immaculately kept unique by the most mysterious fog, though annoyingly humid and full of insects, ancient towns that keep their charm despite centuries of violent history, wars and human nonsense, conquers and civil wars, the insanely long Panamerican highway, crossing southwards the Western side of the South American continent through endless deserts only seen in movies.... I have seen misery yet smiling faces and the will to live. Peru will definitely keep a place in my heart, and I hope I can return one day to visit all those (several) places I couldn´t visit this time.

Today I am in Chile, where all of a sudden drivers stop to let the pedestrians cross the road instead of making them wait forever to cross in a risky and suicidal mode, where shops are all around and things seem to be more organised. Arica is a nice quiet town that, despite not having much to see, serves perfectly well its purpose as a resting place before I head for the main core of my travels: Bolivia. I have been told of misery and poverty over there, horrible unpaved roads and incredible sights. I cannot wait to set foot there. I will tell you more about it soon. Until then, sleep tight my friends.

Peru: Back from Salkantay Trek and Machu Picchu

So here I am again, back in Cusco after having had one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life. The Salkantay Trek was incredible and Machu Picchu is definitely a place to visit at least once in a lifetime, if not more.

The trek started last Saturday morning. Several preparations had been made during my time in Copenhagen and Madrid and this was the time to put all the equipment to test. No doubt it was going to be a really tough one.

The trek started on Saturday morning in Cusco. After a really early wake up at 4.00 am, we were picked up by a minivan that would take us to the small town of Mollepata, where the trek would begin. The first day was almost the hardest one, not as much for the length of this stage or the actual climb, but because of the extreme weather conditions we suffered. After a lovely beginning, enjoying a slow but constant pace, we were caught up in the middle of a merciless storm after lunch. The skies opened up and torrential rains washed us up for over two hours, which made finalishing the first stage really hard, struggling with a steep climb and the annoyance of the rain that certainly left me in really bad spirit. Shame there was nobody to cry to, and had to put all my strength together to get to camp at around 5.00 pm, completely wet, cold and grumpy. Luckily enough, the sleeping bag and the several layers of clothes played their part and kept me warm through a long cold night at the camp in Soraypampa, over 3500m above sea level.

The second day was the toughest one in terms of real climb. Leaving the camp behing, the initial part of this stage seemed already hard, but nothing compared to what it would later turn into. As we started climbing with the Salkantay peak in front of us, and while hearing the sound of an avalanche in that same mountain, the path became steeper and steeper until we reached a higher area all covered in snow. You could really see the suffering in people´s faces and the need for more frequent (and longer) pauses became a fact for all of us. At midday, and after having struggled for like four hours in the hardest part of the whole itinerary, we reached the highest point of the trek (a bit over 4600m above the sea level). The rest of the day would be a really steep descent that would put us down again to some 2900m, after passing a beautiful valley first and then a rainforest area with the most difficult stone path to descend. After nine hours of a long and complicated trek, we reached the Challway camp in a moisty and foggy valley. Our knees were really strained by this stage, but there is nothing that couldn´t be cured by a nice dinner in good company and a long night of sleep, only to be awaken early in the morning by the chicken in the camp. These are the incoveniences of nature.

The third day wasn´t a hard one. After all, it was only four hours of hiking along a dusty road and through a long valley that would end up in Sahuayaco. From there, we were taken by a tiny minivan, loaded with 17 people and our bags on top in the craziest South American style, to Santa Teresa. I thought I would avoid the Death Road in Bolivia, but this was not much less scary, with deep cliffs on the sides and a driving style that reminded me to that of my brother in law. The landscape changed completely to some jungle like area and we could see some really weird species of trees and vegetation I had never seen before.  The great reward of the stage was a lukewarm shower at camp, followed by a nice dinner cooked by the best camp chef ever, Benigno, and some beers around the bonfire. We had some laughs and enjoy the chat with a funny Brazilian character whose mission in life is to travel in bicycle around the world. He started in 1994 by travelling through different part of Africa and Europe, and has been travelling from 2005 non stop in a trip that led him to cross the American continent all the way from South to North, and ending in Alaska. This fellow has visited something like 60 countries in the last 5 years of biking. Impressive.

The fourth day was a long but enjoyable one. This was the stage that would end up in Aguas Calientes, from where we would visit Machu Picchu the day after. The trek was split in two parts: first, a long trek along another dusty road with some wonderful views of waterfalls on the side of the road, and then, after a stop at Hidroelectrica and a nice lunch, a long walk by the train tracks from where we would get the first impression of Machu Picchu terraces from the foot of the mountain. No great remarks about this day that, despite its length, finished with a team dinner celebration in a restaurant in town. No time for many drinks though, as another early day was waiting for us the day after in order to ensure we got tickets to climb to Waynapicchu mountain (the famous peak that can be seen in all postcards just behing the ancient town of Machu Picchu).

We had a really short night of sleep in the dodgiest hostel by far since I started this trip: no hot water whatsoever, a moisty cave-like room without windows and extremely noisy that made it hard to rest well for the day ahead. Waking up at 2.45am (no coca tea served this time!), we quickly got ready and headed for the bridge where the climb to the town of Machu Picchu starts. We were the first ones to arrive there, but soon a long queue of trekers would be behind us waiting for the race to the top to start. As mentioned before, only the first 400 people to reach the entrance and sign up can get tickets to climb up to Waynapicchu, and it was a matter of principles for us to complete our trek by reaching this peak. Ten minutes before 5am, and after having accepted the bribe of the guard to pay one sol per person, we started an extremely intense and exhausting race towards the top, in the middle of complete darkness and ascending on the most impossible stone steps. Being one of the first groups to reach the entrance, getting the tickets to the mountain was a complete victory with a sweet taste: that was almost the culmination of our trip.

We headed for the watchtower to see the sun rise in the middle of a foggy morning that would later clear up to leave a precious sunny day in the legendary Inca town of Machu Picchu. The town in itself is amazing. The architecture of the Incas was way more sophisticated than many of the civilizations of their time, and the use of thick solid stones to build their houses and temples almost reaches perfection. The town was built at around 1400 ad and abandoned one century later with the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores to the area. The Spaniards never found it and, hence, it wasn´t destroyed like many other Inca sites around. The main theories state that this town was a religious and political centre where a small elite would spend some part of the year here to decide on matter concerning the economy of the conquered regions, supported by farmers who would provide the necessary support with the basic functions. Once abandoned, Machu Picchu was taken over by nature and covered by vegetation. There are indications that the site might have been spotted by different people during the 19th and beginning of the 20th century,  and that its presence was certainly known by the locals, but it was not until 1911 that the American historian Hiram Bingham set foot on it and made it known to the outside world, becoming Peru´s most important tourist attraction.

Today´s only population of Machu Picchu is made of twenty llamas, while the town is completely crowded with flock of tourists during the day, despite the limitations of number of visitors to protect the site. It is a really inspiring place and you can easily spend a whole day wandering around and enjoying the mesmerising buildings and magnificent views of the mountains around. This is, no doubt, a magic place.

Climbing Waynapichu is challenging due to the narrow and steep steps that lead to its top, but once up there one feels like being on top of the world - not recommended for people who get easily scared by heights though.

I can say now that I´ve been on top of the world and I would love to come back maybe doing the Inca Trail next time for a change.

At the moment of writing this entry, I have also completed a one day tour to the Sacred Valley, visiting some other Inca remains in the area around Cusco. I will upload more information in future posts regarding this and my stuck plans of crossing the border to reach Bolivian lands, due to the demonstration of Peruvian miners as a political weapon for the upcoming final round of the national elections.

Also, I just wanted to inform you all that I have made some technical changes to the settings of the blog. I believe the comments section was restricted to registered users but it should be open as of now, so please take a few minutes of your time and leave some comments to keep me company in this journey!

Peru: Cusco. Entering the "New World"

"...Allá donde voy, el extranjero me llaman...." (El Extranjero, by Bunbury)

One of the great wonders of travelling is being able to overcome the fear of the unknown. Depending on the destination, this moment can come at an earlier or later stage. In the very same moment I am writing this words, my second day (or first complete day) in Cusco, and while I peacefuly enjoy the brown sugar melting slowly in my capuccino (I hope Proust doesn´t bother that I use the image of his cake on the coffee), I definitely feel that I have lost that fear of the unkown in this land. But let´s start from the beginning...

The trip from Madrid to Cusco was somehow a tough one. Having to go through two connections (Sao Paolo and Lima) and several hours of wait at the different airports, I was expecting the worst. I must say that delays causing me to miss a plane and lost baggage were mainly the things I didn´t really want to experience. However, the trip as such wasn´t that bad and, despite the fact that the movies and entertainment services on the planes were not working, babies crying in front seats and unexpectedly having to pick up my bag and check in again for the last part of the itinerary (the domestic flight between Lima and Cusco), I enjoyed it pretty much.

The approach to Cusco airport amongst the mountains was a slightly scary one. It is usually not a good sign when the plane gets badly shaken by strong winds while approaching an airport with a rather short runway, but it´s even worse when the young Peruvian guy on the seat next row pulls out of his shirt, and hanging from his neck, a crucifix and grabs it like the end is coming. Luckily, it was just the end of my flights as we landed safely and my real adventure was just about to being. One of these days I should promise Lana not to watch any more "Aircrash Investigation" series or the movie "Alive". Anyway, as far as I´ve heard it´s probably more dangerous to drive in these countries than flying considering the poor state of the roads.

From the moment I landed in Cusco, the shock was unavoidable. The view is really dramatic, surrounded by vast mountains all around. Driving through some slums of this once capital of the Inca Empire, it felt like I had come to another planet. The locals must have thought too that I was coming from another planet, as they all kept insisting in speaking English to me despite my constant responses in perfect Spanish. Well, what can I do? I am just another gringo here.

Cultural (and looks!) differences aside, Cusco really looks like nothing I´ve seen before narrow streets,  wild and chaotic traffic (allow 5 minutes to cross a busy road by foot), lots of locals dressed in the traditional Andean costumes, beautiful and small cosy buildings from the colonial times with wooden balconies, and a sky so close you think you could touch it with your fingertips. But if there is one thing that stroke me greatly was the sun. When reaching the main square, Plaza de Armas, I could see the rays of the afternoon sun, showing their presence over the mountains, almost burning my eyes and forcing me to look in a different direction. It is as if the sun had left its divine place in the centre of the solar system and had come to visit us in his shelter among the mountains of Peru. So powerful I have no doubts it could leave me blind if I stared for a few minutes straight (with or without sunglasses). This explains the devotion the Inca culture has always shown towards the God of Sun.

But if there is something outstanding about Cusco is the warmth of its people. Having dropped the initial barriers towards unknown individuals speaking to me on the streets, I´m starting to discover the hospitality of these welcoming people. I´ve probably spent more time talking to strangers on the street in a few days than I would have done in any country in Europe. Whether it´s to learn about a project to help street children suffering from drug addiction, to better understand the ancient civilizations of Peru, have some myths about these same civilizations destroyed or just to learn how to shake hands without causing a collision of energy between two souls (?), it doesn´t matter. People here are laid back and always ready to have a chat with foreigners. Every encounter with locals is a new enriching experience that´s helping me, not only to understand their culture, but also to realise how much we miss on our daily lives back home just because we don´t dedicate enough time to speak to people other than our relatives and friends. We simply don´t have time for or interest in others, and I´m just realising how small conversations can be really meaningful for our own lives.

On another occasion, I was approached by one of the kids selling clandestine art at the square (= not paying the local taxes to be allowed to do so, as opposite to the touristic shops around), and praised for my amateur ink drawing of one of the streets off the square. His appraisal of my sketches was followed by a long conversation about the current political and economical situation in the country, the reasons why they are not allowed to sell openly their art to tourists (of course, it would be better if they stole from them! - please note the irony), and a good exchange of cultural traditions between Peru and the different European countries where I have lived in.

Tomorrow morning I am leaving the hotel to head for the legendary city of Machu Picchu: a five day, four night trek crossing some really high peaks around Cusco that will take me as high as 5000 metres above the sea level, through cold and snow areas as well as hot and humid jungle ones. I have some really high expectations for the views and landscapes that will end up in the most mystical and popular place in the whole Peru. I expect it to be tough but I believe I will be well prepared against the altitude sickness, after having spent a few days at an altitude of 3300 metres in the city of Cusco, drank plenty of non-alcoholic fluids and watched carefully my meals. If all the above doesn´t work, there are always some coca leaves in my backpack that seem to do wonders, or so they say.

I am disconnecting now for a few days. Actually, it will be the longest time I´ve ever spent without internet connection or even a simple mobile phone network. Looking forward to it, although the communication with Lana will be greatly missed. I will report upon return with some news and experiences to make you feel "just a bit" envious.

Dennis, if you read this and never hear back from me again, make sure you bring back to Denmark my remains when you come to Peru for your summer holidays.

Spain: Madrid, a stop on the way and an imminent departure

It is always difficult to start a post about a place like Madrid. I wonder whether the difficulty comes from the fact that Madrid can´t be described accurately with words (at least by an amateur writer like me, some others might have widely succeed) or because of the nostalgic feeling of my past time living here (that will undoubtly portrait a biased and idilic image of the city). I will try my best though...

Since I landed on Wednesday, I immediately felt this pleasant feeling of being back in a familiar place that has been greatly missed. It is like seeing again a close relative from whom you´ve been away for too long. I wouldn´t be able to say whether it´s the dry and warm air, the vibrant and crowded streets or the astonishing architecture that protects them from above, forcing you to constantly look up on a jaw dropping gesture.

My first steps in the city led me to Gran Vía, the main artery of the city (for those that drive it would probably be Paseo Castellana or Calle Alcalá though), a street full of history that has changed its face (and name, according to the government in power at the time) in a few occasions since its creation in the beggining of the XX century. It is easy to understand why it´s been called "the Broadway of Madrid", with its cinemas and theatres. Here you can find from time to time red carpets and celebrities promoting their new movies or assist to any of the musicals that are played all year long in any of the theatres. If culture is not your thing, you can always do some shopping in any of the multiple huge stores that populate both sides of the street. However, my main preference has always been contemplating people on this street. Coming from smaller towns and landing on Gran Vía can be a shocking experience for some. And my hometown, Zaragoza, certainly gives a feeling of being a small town when you come to a place like Madrid. This is a place that either makes you dream or makes you sick, depending on your degree of attraction to big and crowded capitals.

Walking around, I quickly realised how much I´ve missed the loud sound of these Spaniards. All it takes is entering a café and you will hear them amongst the clinking of the cutlery and the coffee cups, complaining about the weather, football, politics or whatever comes up. Every small issue creates controversy and leads unmistakably to another overheated debate about what´s right or wrong in their eyes. That´s the beauty of it: Spaniards can never agree on the most basic things in life, let alone on how to bring their economically stuck country forward.

After a long stroll accross the main streets of the city centre, I decided to take a well deserved rest in a terrace. For those of you who haven´t been to Spain before, let me tell you that the only time Spaniards don´t spend their social lives in bars is because they are sitting under the sun in terraces outside. Especially in springtime. Springtime is not a season in Madrid, but a lifestyle: crowded terraces, fashion on the streets, bohemian individuals not to be found in any other Spanish city...this is where nobody belongs and everybody blends in. A mosaic of the past and the present times, well stirred up and ready to be served as an explosive cocktail that blows you out of your senses.

It doesn´t matter how many times I leave this city behind, I always have to come back to it. It is hard to live in it, but it´s not easier to live without it. Just like the Facebook relationship status: "It is complicated". Everything you want is here but you might never be able to find it. Keep searching and, if you still can´t find it, you will at least have enjoyed unforgettable sights while strolling in places like Parque del Buen Retiro, with its majestic lake or the almost hidden statue of the Fallen Angel, Lucifer, being cast out of Heaven to become Satan. The statue was built in 1922 by Ricardo Bellver, inspired by Milton´s Paradise Lost (no, no, not the Gothic Metal band), and is said to be the only known public monument dedicated to the Devil in the world.

Otherwise, you might end up in Plaza de España, where the statue of Don Quijote will salute you in a funny gesture open to multiple political interpretations. It goes without saying, it will be difficult to get a nude picture of the statue, always surrounded by a flock of tourists that probably don´t know much more of this character than the fact that he is the main protagonist of Cervantes´ masterpiece. 

But if there is a place that I adore (the thing about Gran Vía is pure morbid fascination towards big modern cities and history), is Plaza de Oriente, right in front of Palacio Real and just behind the Opera. Here you can find the most magnificent square in Madrid and, no doubt, the most spectacular sunsets while looking over the colourful gardens by the palace. To me this is a place of relaxation, as suitable for the purpose as Parque del Buen Retiro. I have spent countless Sundays under the shade of one of its trees with the company of a good book, while street musicians played for tourists and the Guards of the palace looked with indifference to all passers by.

Madrid is always a place to meet again with old friends over a few beers and some tasty tapas, remembering funny, and sometimes embarrassing, anecdotes of crazy nights of partying in the city. Meeting up with these friends is one of the reasons why the city remains so vivid in my memory. Maybe, to me, they are the ones that keep the city alive with their own lives and stories. I might have been absent for a while, but the city remains as thrilling and full of activity as it was when I left it behind to start wandering accross Europe. For all of you that I have met again in this visit, thanks for being there, always ready for a nice gathering and a few laughs. I´ve been missing you all.

Aside from sightseeing, drinks and relaxation, I´ve taken the opportunity to finalise the last arrangements before my trip to South America. I visited one of the several trekking and extreme sports stores that populate Ribera de Curtidores street (otherwise well known as the place where El Rastro flea market is set on Sundays). There, I was given advice on what would be the best items that I needed for my travels in the American continent and, in particular, for the 5 day climb to Machu Pichu in Peru. After a pleasant shopping experience and feeling confident about my purchases, I left the store with a proper sleeping bag, trekking pants and shirt and an extremely warm and comfortable fleece. Now I can say I´m almost ready to go! The only missing item is the antimalaria pills, Malarone, that I was unable to buy at the pharmacy as a prescription from a doctor is needed. I´m expecting to buy this in Peru, as I will spend several days in high areas where there is no malaria risk prior to taking part in any expedition into the jungle. The antidiarreah pills are already in my bag. Always expect the worst.

Tomorrow night I will be leaving Madrid and the real trip into the unknown will begin. Already missing my girlfriend and friends, I feel excited, nervous and bit scared about what´s waiting for me. I know for sure I am not looking forward to the three flights and several hours in the air (and waiting at airports!) that will take me to Cuzco via Sao Paolo and Lima. I´m well equipped though, with plenty of literature to keep me entertained, a fully loaded iPod (including many songs from Andes to inspire me) and an excellent and comfortable pillow I borrowed from Lana.

If you want to know the rest of the story, just keep an eye on the blog, I will try to update once I´m down in Cuzco and feel a bit settled with things.

Adiós Madrid....y hasta pronto, amigos.

Denmark: Copenhagen...the beginning

It is difficult to determine when was the first time that the idea of leaving my job and travel to South America for a few months crossed my mind. What I can say for sure is that it was a sum of lack of satisfaction with my working situation and a need for a big change in my life that triggered this decision. For many years, there has been a struggle within me between what I'm supposed to do in life and what I really want to do, between the role of the worker in the financial industry and the more creative and artistic side of me. I must admit that reading the book "Screw work, let's play" by John Williams might have also contributed to gather the strength to take such a risky decision in these times of uncertainty and global economic crisis. John, if you're reading this by any chance, thanks. Same as Don Quijote was poisoned by the ideas of knights' books, I can say I was poisoned by your ideas and the encouragement to try to do what we feel passion for in life.

This decision wouldn't have come true either without the incredible support of friends, colleagues, family and especially the person who is suffering the most imminent consequences of my life changing decision: my girlfriend Lana. Well, thanks to you all guys, I'm confident this decision will pay off (or else I'll go and chase you one by one for not having given me a good shake when I needed to wake up from my dreamy state!).

As a first post, I would like to tell you all about how difficult it's been to decide about the itinerary (considering it's only three months to visit different countries in South America plus participate in a volunteering project), arrange bookings, vaccinations and ultimate some paperwork that needed to be completed in Copenhagen before taking off. I knew for sure that I wanted to cover some of the Spanish speaking countries in this visit and keep Brazil for another ocasion , amongst other things due to the size of this country and the lack of any Portuguese skills on my side. Not that I'm too pushed back by this, but there's plenty of other countries that I've always been more interested in visiting, and travelling accross the Andes has always been a project I wanted to carry out, so it made more sense to focus on the area of Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. I've always loved mountain landscapes and the smell of fresh air after a long day of trekking. Those crystal like waters, deep forests and steep cliffs...Sorry Denmark, you have never been able to please me with these requirements.

Regarding being part of a volunteer program, this is a natural reaction to the insatisfaction I've been facing in my working situation in the financial industry for some time. Tight schedules, pressure, arrogant types, ambition and attachment to power, they all play a part in the industry these days. Why not take a break in this busy life, grab a backpack, travel to a poor country and try to help those communities that really have a need for our work instead? Why not feel the fulfilment achieved by hard work and paid by the smiles of those around you? Why not leave aside all these items that grant us such "comfortable" lives, all those beeping and blinking gadgets, and try to go back to basics for a while? I decided to go for Bolivia as my target country for such project. Bolivia is a landlocked country in the middle of South America, and the poorest of the region. With a population of about 11 million people, two thirds of them indigenous population, Bolivia seems like a fascinating country to explore and an ideal place to try to make a difference. The project is yet to be decided, but the possibilities are endless.

The idea of the trip is to travel to Madrid for a week before departing for Peru. I will fly directly to Cuzco, from where I will explore the surrounding areas and do the Salkantay Trek to the legendary city of Machu Pichu. I will then travel to Bolivia via Lake Titikaka and spend close to two months travelling accross the country and participating in a volunteer project supporting a local community. The second part of the trip will involve Argentina, Uruguay and (maybe) Chile or the southern border of Brazil. I'm pretty flexible with the itineraries and I will decide according to what I consider interesting in every part of the trip. All means of transportation will be considered, from airplanes to donkeys, to complete my route.

As part of the medical preparation, I got vaccionations for Yellow Fever, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Hepatitis A and B, Cholera, Rabies, Typhoid, plus antimalaria pills, water purifying tables, sun creams, antidiarrhea pills, and a long etc. It seems that now I'll have to take back all those times where I called my girlfriend the "mobile pharmacy" for always travelling around with all sorts of meds. On top of that, I had to make an important purchase of trekking equipment to be on the safe side.

Several books have helped me to get inspired before starting this journey, being one of the most valuable ones "Understanding Bolivia" by Vivien Lougheed, where I could get a good idea of what to expect from this crazy country that has gone through approximately 200 coup d'etats since its independence from Spain in 1825. The Ché diaries have also given me an indication of areas to be visited when following the steps of Ernesto Guevara in his last guerilla fighting days. And, of course, some travel guides will be my companion when figuring out the practical things I should know about when down there. Although, it goes without saying, I'm planning to stay in contact with the locals as much as I can, and absorve all the knowledge that only life and experience can provide.  

Just to finish for today, and for those interested in other sources of information, I strongly recommend checking out some YouTube documentaries about South America and, especially Bolivia. From The Death Road to the Coca Wars or the main political issues of the country, such as the sensitive topic of the autonomy of Santa Cruz. In the era of technology, it's all there. Give up on some minutes of rubbish television and spend some time  discovering a bit about the world around. Your brain will be glad for it. Big Brother will probably not.

Tak for i dag, vi ses på vej....og farvel København!