MACHU PICHU

Today we got up at 3.30 AM. Showered & left our hotel, the Eco Inn,  to meet Pablo. Pablo saluted us in perfect SPANGLISH. & drove us from Cusco to Ollantaytambo.

The fog, the narrow streets & the old culture made me shivered. Danger in any corner. Hard to comprehend the ability of Peruvian drivers. Honestly, I believe they are the best in South America.

Polite, yet money orientated.
´´Un poncho, señorita, solo trienta soles.` Their smiles to offer: Agua, gorro, guantes, corta vientos, saumerios, hierbas mejor que Viagra, Aqui la mejor oferta.

Compre, pague para eso Ud es turista. 

Oops

In grand style, the 6.30 AM Perurail train´s guides welcomed us. I was so excited taking photos like anyone else, that for one minute I watched my own image on the shinning train ohhhhh.Tourists starving for adventure. 

At 9.30 Bruce & I followed Darwin - our Machu Pichu guide to the top of the INCAS civilization.
All the way I couldn´t stop wondering about the spiritual ancentors. of this beautiful land.

Magic!

Pathetic.

.

PUNTA DEL DIABLO

A traditional beachside resort ??
More of a fishing village. Lots of stray dogs, dust & murky waves & quaint typical restaurants - eating places with no seats but logs & bricks smelling of fried sea food
Yes, the lot.

Patricia Beer Very Cold on the rock! :)

Our beach houses pretty colourful, pretty exotic, pretty sandy....

No swimming, just strolls over the dunes staring the Atlantic - No blue, gray, murky but at least no wild like the Pacific Ocean... Too sad to think about the horror in Japan ....

Chaoo

MONTEVIDEO!

Sniffing sea salt we jumped out the ferry - the large vessel we´d boarded in Buenos Aires Port, early that morning & Montevideo welcomed us.

Lovely city, homely atmosphere, music the air, scent of just-cut-grass: HOLA!

Map in hand, Bruce directed the taxi driver to Matthew´s place. Bruce is pretty good for desciphering maps & unsual locations. For sure he was born to know where is North, South, East & West, at one blink. Getting used to South American taxi drivers, bus drivers & drivers in general, he just smiled at me. The pleasure of being a tourist....Ohmygod!


Matthew & Fernanda embraced us & off we went for a real feast at Ël Mercado del Puerto
Liz, Garry, Patrick, Rebecca, Chris seemed to be local for the way they ordered ´´parrillada con chorrizo, langostinos, chancho...with lots of  pebre!

And of course ´´cervezas bien heladitas por favor.´´

One sleep before their wedding, we all sang till the wee hours. But my heart bled the following day.

I discovered the horror in Japan.
Mamaaaaaaa

The BIGGGGG DAY

On Friday 11 March 2011 while we were getting ready for Fernanda & Matthew's wedding, Japan suffered one of the biggest disasters. An earthquake followed by a tsunami .... The first images on TV made me cry. I jumped out - left the hairdresser salon. Ran three blocks - facing the Atlantic - in search of a telephone  My hair was half done, nail polished wet.
Called Mum. Chile was waiting for a tsunami too.

Breathing in
Breathing out.

Matthew & Fernanda wedding was FABULOSA.
Yes, faboulous!

Blanca y radiante va la novia
le sigue atras un novio amante

They kissed holding hands in the most tender way while the chorus was singing AVE MARIA!

The priest blessed them in English & Spanish.
A breathtaking fairytale wedding
God Bless Matthew & Fernanda forever.

Amen.

MENDOZA!

La Cordillera de los Andes is magestic - even in summer with no much snow still imposing @ scaring---
Bruce @ I crossed the ANDES in style - a two storey tourist coach, crowded with pretty noisy passengers drinking tea @ emparedados (sandwich) @ cakes, while we were snaking though the mountains up to 4800 metres above sea level!

Now we are in Argentina LAS CALLECITAS DE BUENOS AIRES TIENEN ESE QUE SE YO

Tonight .... Tango, of course.

Chaooooooo

VIÑA DEL MAR!

Fish & chips, woooooo

Paulo Neruda wrote LA ODA AL CALDILLO de CONGRIO  mmmmm such delicious dish I nearly licked Bruce´s plate & everybody´s elses absorbing the aromas mmm YUM!

From the balcony of our dearest friend DR. JAIME FARIAS ! 
Hurray; hurray hurray gracias millones de gracias

Santiago de Chile

MAMA!

Hot-tempered-witty-clever Mum kissed me ¿Y Felix? Meaning where is your brother. He went to pick you up and you are here with Gaby?
Hugging Gaby & Bruce, Mum smiled at me, oh bueno.

Mum is my best-best friend, regardless.
A good shover, a good run along with Pelusa at my heels & Hola que tal?

Afternoon at Felix´s celebrating Cata´s nineteen.

Family & Friends together to the end of time.
OLE, OLE, OLE!

MAORI´s SALUTE

Auckland, our first stop. Hidden in Bruce´s back pocket, little Blotch .... Grrrrr wooof.
Luckily after a couple of shots, we rushed to the airplane!

Leaving NZ, the friendy & absolutaly gorgous neighboard land, our plane, a 330 Lan CHILE, flew over the clouds .... three or four movies, dinner, breakfast, snacks ... sleep? no much - too excited analising luck.  

Seventeen hours later we land in Santiago de Chile & embraced Gaby.
Gaby is my mate since we dreamt-playing-grown-ups!