Carnival in La Paz, Bolivia

While Brazil is most known for Carnival, it is celebrated throughout South America spanning the weekend before Ash Wednesday, to the weekend after. However most of the celebrations are the weekend before and up to Ash Wednesday. 

I didn't originally think I was going to see Carnival at all since I was forgoing Brazil on this trip, but once I realized Bolivia also celebrated, I wanted to make sure I experienced their version. Every town celebrates with some version of decorations, parades, blessings and fun, but their are epicenters and Bolivia's big celebration city is Oruro. My plan was to go to Oruro for the biggest day of celebration, but it is 3-4 hrs from La Paz and I had spent most of the previous 24 hrs in a car or bus with a tour, so after arriving back in La Paz, getting back on a bus didn't seem that appealing.

Instead, I decided to partake in the La Paz celebrations. Saturday was the children's parade, but adults participated as well. All the kids were in costume like it was Halloween. They all had water guns and water balloons, soaking us. I didn't dress appropriately but quickly put on a rain poncho and bought eye goggles. They also spray shaving cream on you. I quickly purchased a bottle so I could hold my own. It was hilarious, and fun, and at times hard to see when someone bombed you eyes. We were the only tourists which made it awesome and it felt like we were really living the culture. However, I think it also made us desirable targets!

The BEFORE picture - my friend Raquel from my hostel and I went to take on 8 year olds

Costumes and Water guns

AFTER picture (and this was an early after picture)

What I didn't realize at the time, was that Saturday at the parade was NOT going to be the only time I was bombed with water balloons and shaving cream. For the next week, I could be walking down the street or ending a hike and little kids would bomb we from roof tops or store entrances. Being a tourist made me a fun and new target for them! I didn't get to see any elaborate costume parades like I was hoping for, but it was fun and refreshing to participate in such wholesome fun!

La Paz, Bolivia

La Paz is a big city built within a valley and with lots of hills. All the buildings are made of red bricks and cascade up the hills. It is also poor and still has a very large indigenous population  A lot of the women wear the traditional dress with big skirts and ponchos, and some wear awesome little top hats.

The streets are lined with stands, each selling something different and random. There are stands for just toothbrushes, and toiletries. And ones for locks. There are juice stands that make amazing smoothies for $1. And a lot of stands selling little sandwiches, empenandas or even full hot dishes and soups. I went to the big Lanza market, which is set up in a concrete maze that is like a parking structure. There are stands for everything imaginable. I had an amazing vegetable soup for lunch for $1.

I spent the first two days I had in La Paz walking around the town and exploring the markets. I also took a funicular up the hills, which offered great views of the town and allowed me to see a lot more of La Paz.

The altitude here is no joke!!! It took a bit out of me. It made me a little woozy but thankfully didn't completely take me down. It did slow my speed though. I had plans for an excursion outside of La Paz, but between my energy and the rain, I thought against it and stayed close to the hostel before my bus to Uyuni.

I didn't love La Paz, and spent more time there than necessary or that I enjoyed. It's a big, poor, busy city that lacked charm for me.  

Uruguay Part 3 - Punta del Diablo and Punta del Este

As I mentioned, in Uruguay, I was traveling with my friend Lauren.  She also has a blog, and hasn't procrastinated like I have, so I'm gonna use her words for a lot of this update so I can be a slacker an not do this whole thing myself. So anytime you see something in italics, it's where she is "guest writing" and I was being lazy drinking mojitos or laying on a beach ;)

Our next town was Punto del Diablo, where we planned to reunite with some friends we'd met in La Paloma and Cabo Polonio. We picked a place to stay right on the beach, so again, our room was overlooking the ocean and we could hear the sounds of the waves from our beds. With the set up, we didn't feel guilty catching up on emails from the windowsills of our room, looking out at the beach. 

Our group reunited for dinner and we were the only Americans in town, all together in one restaurant. Go figure. Sandy and I introduced our La Paloma California couple (Karolina and Sanders) to our Cabo Polonio California roommate (Jay) and as it turns out, they all went to the same university years back, not only that but Sanders and Jay were in the same fraternity. What are the odds?? At the stroke of midnight we sang happy birthday to Sandy and the chefs prepared Moscow mule shots for us all. 

It was a full moon, so Lauren led us in a full moon ceremony. 

It is said that the full moon is a time when you can release things from your life that you no longer need (whether that be a relationship, negative thoughts you have about something, a reoccurring worry, a bad habit, food addiction, anything). 

I thought this would be perfect timing, since it was also the eve of my 30th birthday - a milestone that also can symbolize change. And since I'm already changing so much in my life with my move and realizing new things with the perspective of this trip, the ceremony sounded perfect. 

We each privately wrote down on paper some of the things we were ready to release from our lives. We walked onto the beach and the 5 of us crammed into a small wooden box which was a changing station. We took turns and one by one looked at our words on the scraps of paper, looked at the moon, and then lit each paper on fire. The wind was extremely strong and made it nearly impossible to use a lighter, we all cupped our hands together, shoulders and bodies pressed together as well since the space was so small. We made it work. It's a good practice to do and makes you aware of things you do and do not need in your life. Also great to use the new moon (no moon) to write down things you would like to bring into your life. Best not to burn these though, you can place the paper(s) under your pillow and sleep on them. 

The next was my official birthday and the day started off by relaxing on the balcony and in the hammock overlooking the ocean. Around lunch time, a group of us ventured out on a mountain biking adventure through the nearby Santa Teresa state park, visiting the fort there and a secluded beach. 

The plan was to bike on a flat-ish road for 20 minutes, arrive at a fort, then a beach, and head back. We began the trip and quickly learned that 20 minutes on a flat road actually meant 1.5 hours on a mostly uphill dirt/sand track. Surprisingly we all finally made it to the fort and then the beach and laid our stuff down in the shade of a lifeguards' stand. 

Part of the fort

the fort

The lifeguards came over to us and explained where to swim and where not to swim because of the rip tides. Jay, Sandy, and I nodded, we understood riptides, after all- we're from Florida and California.

We sprinted into the water and were hit by a series of constant waves, the waves were so strong! We swam further and further out so the waves would be more forgiving. We made it out past where the waves were breaking and found ourselves near all the surfers. We were treading water and it was fine for a while until we realized we were in their way. "Okay, time to head in", we decided. We body surfed wave after wave. We were having so much fun! All of a sudden Sandy realized not only were we near the lifeguards' rip tide flags, we were way past them! The rip tide was sweeping us so quickly across the beach that we couldn't even grip our feet in the sand to fight it. My thought was to swim parallel to the beach, that's what I've always been told...except this rip was sweeping us parallel across the beach, it was impossible to swim against, and if we allowed the rip to take us, soon we'd all be swept into rocks!

The three of us grabbed hands and clawed our toes into the sand as we made our way to shore. It felt like a battle against a category 5 hurricane. Without us all holding hands, we wouldn't have made it. The lifeguard, of course, was waiting for us on the beach with his hands on his hips, shaking his head with a disparaging look on his face.

Yup, we did exactly what he had told us not to do, and we knew it. We immediately apologized and said in Spanish how quickly the waves took us! -"El mar es muy rapido!" He guessed that we were too busy having fun in the waves and didn't notice where we were. We agreed. Sandy commented how we're from Florida and California (meaning that we know the water well so that's how we could get out). Obviously he didn't know those two places since he replied with "oh, so that's why you can't swim". We just smiled. Touché lifeguard.

The 15 miles back wasn't as bad, all pretty much downhill. We dropped off the bikes from where we rented them and hopped in Jay's rental car to catch the sunset at the nearby lagoon. It was another brilliant lightshow. 

After saying our goodbyes to Jay, who was heading off to Argentina, Lauren and I went to an amazing dinner at Pesce Pesce. The restaurant was again so sweet, bringing me out a birthday cake. 

The next day in Punta del Diablo was more relaxing and less adventurous. We walked around the town and I spent some time reading on the beach. That night, we indulged ourselves with fresh churros and ice cream for dinner. 

fresh churros

outside our hotel….very true

view of town from the point

Our next and last stop in Uruguay was Punta del Este. It is known for being a lot like Miami, so we were hesitant to go at first, but we ended up enjoying it. We were told to stay in La Barra, but since it was past season, not much was going on there. It did have more character though, which was nice to walk around in. We stayed at a nice relaxing place, and had a chill night, which we really needed after a more intense travel day than we imagined. The next night we moved to Punta del Este proper. While this apparently isn't the best area during the height of season, it was the only area where anything was still going on and we wanted a big night out for our last night in Uruguay (and to celebrate my birthday in a party way). We had a great day walking around, going to the beach, and seeing the famous hand sculpture. 

That night, we rallied, and went out. I learned that I am not one for the South American night out timeline! We started the pre drinks at 1am, and went to the club at 2:30am, which was apparently early! Everything doesn't really get started until 3am or later. The club was OK, but we're not big club people, and the music wasn't great. It was very much like a smaller Miami club and we just weren't feeling it. We headed over to the Marina area were there are bars lining the street. We stayed there until 6 am! I couldn't believe it!!! The guys were really aggressive but we survived, and taught them that not everything they see on MTV Spring Break applies to American girls out at bars in foreign countries. 

After just a few hours of sleep, we needed to head to Montevideo to begin our respective journeys to our next destinations. It was a rough day for many reasons, but a big part was I had to say goodbye to Lauren. She's off to Brazil, and I'm off to Bolivia! 

Uruguay Part 2 - Cabo Polonia

Our next stop was Cabo Palonio, a hippie beach town located inside a National Park. We knew the Cabo Polonia was known for its abundance of sea lions, beautiful beaches, and that it wasn't much of a town. We were expecting no internet, no electricity, and potentially no running water either. We also heard that we would get dropped off on the side of a road and a 4x4 would take us to the community. Most of what we heard was true, but we couldn't have expected what we found. It was better than we imagined!!!

We were dropped off at the entrance to the National Park, which is near the main road. But Cabo Polonia is a 30 minute 4x4 ride away, through the National Park. However, it wasn't the 4 wheel ATVs or Land Rovers I typically equate to 4x4s that took us to town. We were driven into town on these massive trucks!

The town has a main dirt path, with restaurants and artist stands lining it. Everything else is smattered throughout the town, with no rhyme or reason to most locations. The reports of no WiFi were correct, but it felt good to disconnect (at least for the first 36 hrs). Running water existed at most places, including our hostel. Water was sourced from wells or rain water. Plumbing also existed at the hostels, but not at all the bars - which made for an adventure after a few beers. There is no real electricity, but power is provided by solar, wind, gas, or battery sources. They hook up car batteries to ripped out car stereos to provide music - there are so many wires all around it is a fire hazard! Candles are also in heavy use. But there is no light pollution, so at night, the moon and the stars light much of the way. It was like going back in time, and to a simpler place. 

Since there was no internet, we couldn't make a reservation before arriving, and we didn't know what the accommodations would be like. We walked around to a few places, and found our home at the third place we saw. It was little more than a beach shack, but right on the beach. The front porch was shaded with hammocks to lay in. We were given the "attic penthouse" which was cramped, but amazing because it overlooked the ocean and you could hear the waves crashing from your bed. All of this was for 550 Uruguayan pesos ($25 usd) per night, per person. We thought it was pretty expensive given the minimalism of the place. But it so happened that they only charged us 1000 pesos total at check out - after we asked many times "are you sure?!?". So it worked out to about $10 each per night. 

Hostel del Cabo

Our roommate the first night was an American, Jay. The three of us decided to go out to dinner and go listen to some live music. Even though there is little organization and traditional infrastructure in the town, it had one of the better night life scenes in Uruguay. We met a very eccentric guy on the 4x4s, and he was playing that night at a bar were the walls were made out of plants, so we started there. We also ended up at the towns "night club" which really just meant that there were cement walls, a roof, proper lighting, a pool table and a sound system. 

Nes, "like Universe"

The next morning, we met some Chileans and a French guy, and we all made plans to go to the beach together. I spent most of the day laying in the sun reading my book, but I also got in a small surf even though the water was really cold and I didn't have a wet suit. In the afternoon, I walked up to the point to see the sea lions and go up the lighthouse for a view of the town. We ended the day with Sunset. It was another perfect day.

view of town from North beach

view of the town from the lighthouse

in the middle of town

sunset at North beach

moon rise

That night we also went out, this time to a place called the Bunker, which really resembled what a bunker must have looked like!

The next morning we made the hard decision to leave Cabo Polonia. When looking back, Lauren and I said that the only thing we would have considered changing about our time in Uruguay was adding one more night in Cabo Polonia, but not in expense of anything else. Just one more night would have been good. But we were ready for a proper shower, and we wanted internet, a real town, and to not travel for my birthday. So off to Punta del Diablo we went!

Uruguay Part 1 - Colonia del Sacramento & La Paloma

I was very excited to get to Uruguay! I was ready for relaxing in small beach towns and getting some sun. Also, I was excited to have a friend to travel with. My friend Lauren, who I know from UF, is also on a long term South America trip, and luckily, our plans overlapped for almost two weeks. Our plan was to travel up and down the coast, visiting different beach towns. It was extra awesome to have a travel partner for this part of the trip. It turns out that we were traveling just after the beach season in Uruguay (the season is December & January, even though it is still warm and summer. Most of the action is mid-December through mid-January). Having someone I knew made a difference, especially in the smallest of the beach towns. 

Lauren & I traveled well together. I thought we were a good balance and really respectful of each other's travel styles. She has done a few long term trips before (where I have maxed out at 3 weeks or so), so she's a more experienced traveler and she broke me in a little bit more! I am starting to want to extend my unemployment and travel, so some of her tips and budget sense was good for me to be thinking about. We also joked about all the things that she taught me - from yoga, to using my camera, to making rice that doesn't taste plain. 

Colonia Del Sacramento

I started out in the first Uruguayan town by myself, since Lauren needed to stay behind in Buenos Aires to sort out a visa. After a pretty bumpy ferry ride for 2 hours, I arrived in Colonia first thing in the morning. Colonia is very cute, but the tourist and historic area is very small. There isn't an immense amount to see or do, which is why it is often done as a day trip from Buenos Aires. I think often people go here to to say "I went to Uruguay" - and to also get US$s out of the ATMs to bring back to BA. Others, like us, stay a night to break up the travel to the next town. Colonia's character can be seen quickly and it doesn't warrant more than a day or night here. The historic district is a few cobble stone streets and there are older antique cars lining the road. I heard people say I bet this is what Cuba is like. There are hidden restaurants in the streets and a few along the water. I spent my day here walking around, laying in a park by the water reading, popping into a few artisanal shops, having a long leisurely lunch with wine (much needed treat!), and watching the sunset. Lauren arrived in time for dinner, and we relaxed so we could head out early in the morning and start our trip together. 

La Paloma

Our first stop was La Paloma, a small surf town. Our hostel was amazing and right across from the beach. It had such a chill surf vibe, and great open and outside spaces. 

The town wasn't as lively as we were expecting. Apparently the height of its scene was 10-15 years ago and this year in particular was really low in visitors. There were a lot of young surfers there during the day, but at night, it was mostly families. Apparently, the younger crowd has moved a little north, staying in La Pedrera, which is a small village with only a few places.

The first night, we watched the sunset and explored the town. We befriended a great guy from Montevideo who visits every year, and he took us to an artisanal market. It was unique and different, with each stall having their own types of crafts. 

The second day was a perfect beach day. I started the morning with a run on the beach, and then Lauren and I went and watched an Uruguayan National Surf competition. The waves were messy and blown out, but it was fun and the DJ of the event was awesome, so we really had fun listening to the jams. Lauren is also a certified yoga instructor, so she led me and a new friend from San Diego in an evening yoga session. Then we grabbed mojitos and watched another amazing sunset. Even for being on the Atlantic, Uruguay has amazing sunsets. And no matter where I am, watching them is one of my favorite things to do. We ended the night with the town's best ice cream at Popi's. Perfect day!

After relaxing the next morning, we headed off to Cabo Polonia….an amazing, picturesque hippie town in the middle of a National Park. 

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

I almost didn't go to Iguazu falls, as it is a bit expensive, out of the way, and hard to get to / go somewhere else after. But I am SO glad I did!!! It was so worth it and SOOO MAGICAL!!!! It was definitely a highlight of my trip (so far) and one of the best things I've seen (ever). I completely understand why it is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. 

As soon as I landed, I instantly became happy. The greenery and forest surrounding the airport were so lush. I didn't realize that Iguazu would be a rainforest area (duh - one of the many pictures I've seen should have been a clue for me). It reminded me a lot of Southern Costa Rica, which I love. To get to the city area, you drive through the National Park and it was really pretty. The town is really small, without much going on. But bars and restaurants are not why you go to Iguazu, it's all about the nature, so who cares! 

I dropped off my luggage, and headed to the park for the afternoon. There are two main areas of the Argentinian side of the falls, and I started out by heading to the biggest fall, Gargantuan del Diablo ("Devil's Throat"). You can either walk, or take a train there. I decided to take the train, and I met great people because of it. That's the thing with traveling - you are never really alone, you are always meeting people and striking up conversations. I met an elderly couple from Northern England, who were on a tour group. The wife applauded my decision to travel, and said that they finally have the funds and flexibility to travel, but she's old now and not physically able to enjoy everything, given all that traveling physically requires. Her advice is to travel while you can, and as much as you can! Guess I'm following it! I also befriended their tour guide, who is a very energetic lady from Brazil. (Travel tip: seek out the tour guides and get the tips for free! eavesdrop, become friends - whatever is needed!) She was so interesting to talk to, telling me all about the people she meets on the tours, how fun her days are getting to go to the falls every day, and telling me how to make the most out of my time in the park. 

The walk up to the falls are so pretty, but nothing compares to the actual sight and sound of the gushing water. The sound is LOUD and the volume of water is astounding. It is really unbelievable and SO MAGICAL!!! 

What I didn't expect, was how wet you got from being that close to the falls. I'm talking soaked! It's hilarious. Sometimes so much water comes rushing out and plumming up, you can't really see the falls or take pictures. 

Next, I went to the Upper Trail. I LOVED the views from here. It is so beautiful to see so many waterfalls, all together. I could have sat here all day long. 

After a relaxing night, I went back to the park the next day early (which tickets for the park are half price on the second day if you get the ticket validated on day 1). I started with the Lower Trail, which provided a different perspective of the wall of falls you see in the Upper Trail. 

I finished it quickly, so I made a beeline to my favorite lookout point on the Upper Trail before my boat tour. 

Then I took the wrong entrance back, so I ended up doing the Lower Trail again! 

The boat tour was cool, but I would not consider it a mandatory. It is a great perspective of the falls on the walk down. I liked the views from the boat, but if you didn't have a great seat on the boat, it was hard to take it all in. Getting drenched in the water from the falls was great, especially on a hot and humid day, but you don't have a visual of going under the water - its not like you get inside to a cave. Sometimes there is a shuttle boat to the Island in the middle of the falls, and I would recommend this over the boats that go into the water, if the island is open. 

Throughout the park, there is also a TON of wildlife. I saw more Coatis than I can count. They are a raccoon like animal which travel in packs of 20-30 and are really not afraid of humans. 

I also saw monkeys, both up in the trees and going right up to tourists and taking food. 

There were also gorgeous butterflies, crocodiles, turtles and birds. 

I enjoyed the falls immensely. The visit solidified that I enjoy my time in nature better than my travels to the cities. It reminded me that I am extremely fortunate to be able to see the world, and all these sights that are such a privilege to experience. And it energized me - I left wanting to see more of the world. 

Here are some travel tips for visiting Iguazu Falls…..

I decided to fly due to limited time (...because of poor timeline planning). And because the cost difference wasn't a lot for me, since I would get full cama bus seat for the 17 hour trip - it was about $100 more to fly. Another thing to consider is with the bus arrival times, it's hard to get to the park with enough time to make a visit worth it on the travel days. I spent two half days at the park, doing the Argentina side only, but I would have spent 2 mostly full days on the Argentina side if I could have, plus the Brazilian side (if I had gotten a visa). But I really loved the falls! I've had friends see it and check it off in a day, flying in early in the morning and out later at night. I think walking around the park is nicer and faster than the trains, if you are physically fit. I would suggest starting at Devil's Throat, at the top, then doing the Upper Trail, then the Lower Trail. I also did the boat ride, but didn't think it was as cool as it seemed - you get similar views as to the lower trail, and you just get SOAKED with water dumped on you. It is cool, but it blinds you so it isn't what I expected. I rushed and was able to do the Upper and Lower trails twice, but I would have loved to go and see Devil's Throat a second time after having the perspective of the falls from the other area. The morning is packed with tour groups, so the afternoon is more enjoyable to get around. I have also heard that while expensive, staying at the Sheraton hotel offers early access to the park, plus evening tours (plus views from the hotel!). Also, the surrounding National Park offers a ton of beauty and hiking trails that I would have explored if I would have realized and given myself more time in Iguazu. There are easy day trips to Paraguay as well, but the Visa is $160 and Paraguay doesn't offer a lot I've heard. Getting a Brazil Visa is easy in Iguazu and can be processed in a  day, maybe two, which is 1-2 weeks shorter than in Buenos Aires or USA.