Message to 'Anonymous'

Just a quick update for the person who sent me a message claiming this trip wasn't 'Eco' as we've used planes and buses to get around and slept in hotels. I think he/she has misunderstood the aim of this trip and focused too hard on the newspaper article title and not the content.

Apologies if it came across that this was specifically an 'Eco' trip, but this is not the case.

It was never planned to be an 'Eco' trip in the sense that everything we do will be on an 'Eco' level and it was never mentioned in the newspaper article that everything we would be doing would be 'Eco' at all. We wouldn't even be here if we hadn't got on a plane so that's obviously unavoidable.

We are volunteering in four of the countries we're visiting, and we're backpacking our way around inbetween projects. It's about volunteering while also travelling, learning a few things and helping at the projects, whilst having a fun adventure at the same time.

We went to visit an 'Eco-Park' and planned to volunteer there for two weeks to learn about how they lived in an environmentally friendly manner, but the website was a lie and the place was horrific, and it certainly wasn't planet friendly! So unfortunately that didn't work out as planned. We were pretty angry about how misleading the website was.

The only way to get around here is by public transport as the continent is so huge. Using public transport is better than flying to each idividual country, which a lot of travellers do, and we are not.

The newspaper headline included the term 'Eco-theme' as the Eco-Park was our first port of call. It's just unfortunate that turned out the way it did, we couldn't have predicted that. The headline probably should have read, "Couples Adventure with a Volunteer Theme". I didn't get to choose the title, but I imagine as the Eco-Park was still on the cards at that time it seemed relevant to include it in the title.

The whole thought process behind this trip was never intended to be 'Eco' in everything we do at all, but to offer our time volunteering while we travel and to learn about certain issues (such as animal trafficking), and that was made clear in the article, and that is what this trip is about.

Of course we're going to have fun along the way, we've worked hard to save the money for this adventure, and also we've only been here for two weeks! We've barely even begun. It takes time to get to these places where we plan to volunteer, and in the meantime we're enjoying ourselves, as any traveller would.

We plan to get involved in projects such as animal rescue, of which we have a few lined up. The one in Ecuador, Ecudaor Eco Volunteer is an eco-tourism project that not only rescues abused animals but also creates jobs for those in the local community as guides and so forth, so we will see!

Our way of promoting the idea of 'eco-tourism' is by going to these places that say they are 'eco-tourism' projects, getting involved, and reporting back via the blog for others to see.


If we find some of the projects are doing really good things (which I'm sure we will) then we will be sure to let people know about them and to encourage anyone planning to travel to also consider volunteering along the way.

The next volunteering project on our itinerary is in Chile, where we'll be helping to preserve the natural habitat of the wild Chinchilla. We will hopefully be there late January 2012.

Bikes and Bugs!

Ahhhhhh, what a lovely week we've had here in Bariloche, and now we are nearing the end of our time here *Sob Sob!*

We've loved this little hotel we've been staying at, Hosteria Selva Negra, we've pretty much had it all to ourselves :) Vegging out to films in bed after dinner and enjoying the living room area when blogging, it's so homey :)

Jack full after dinner

Lovely little lounge

These last few days we've been bike riding, trekking, visited a Hippie town called El Bolson, taken a ski lift up to an incredible vista point called Cerro Campanario and frequented various yummy restaurants :)

The day of the bike ride was really fun, but within mere moments I was screeching for Jack to come and help me as I didn't understand the gear system (I've never known a bike to have gears on BOTH sides!) Oh and then my chain fell off. Jack spent most of the time laughing at me and looking over his shoulder to make sure I hadn't been squished by a passing truck. 

I was the one laughing later on that day however as Jack tried a 'cool-man' move and almost catapulted himself over the front of the handlebars! I was not the only witness either. Classic! He managed to fall off the bike without actually falling on the ground himself, but the bike went flying. I just stood there saying "What ARE you doing!?!" 

He claimed the brake was on the wrong side to what he was used to and that he'd managed to lock the front wheel. I'm somewhat skeptical about that story I must admit.

We had been shown various cycle routes that we could take around the mountains and lakes, and one led to a little waterfall (nothing will ever compare to Iguazu Falls now though of course). We cycled along the main road for a while and then headed over dirt tracks until we came to a forest. It looked enchanting, light filtering in through the branches of the trees casting sun spots upon the forest floor. Just beautiful. 

Picture perfect forest

Until that is, we cycled a little further in. BUGS!! Jack hates bugs as it is and I can't say I'm their biggest fan. We got chased all the way by big ass flies! Big buzzers, some of which I swear nipped me! They wouldn't leave us alone, I think they liked our sweat, nice. We squawked and squeaked all the way to the waterfall, with Jack getting steadily angrier. We had to navigate over huge knobbly tree roots on a narrow sandy path, while trying to escape the wrath of the bugs!

Finally reaching the waterfall, which failed to impress due it's little trickle compared to Iguazu, and due to our irritance, I snapped a photo as quickly as I could, screamed (again!) and then we jumped back on our bikes and flew outta there! It seemed the water made the bug situation SO much worse. Jack almost encountered a swarm I'm sure! He swore at them at kept yelling at them to F*** off!

Little waterfall

All in all a fun day and some nicely tanned shoulders. Even if it did increase our fear and intolerance of flies!

Views from the lake we cycled around

Happy and Relaxed in Bariloche!

After the unnerving and disheartening disaster of the 'Eco-Park' we fled back to Buenos Aires (ugh) to book a

21 hour bus ride to Bariloche.

Now, this place was not on our itinerary but it looked so amazing that once we realised the 'Eco-Park' was a total no no, we found ourselves with some extra time on our hands :)

On the way to Bariloche, nature made us smile again :)

The city of San Carlos de Bariloche is situated in the Nahuel Huapi National Park on one of the banks of the lake Nahuel Huapi. In the winter it is a ski resort popular with Europeans and Canadians I believe. In the summer, which is now, it is great for hiking and camping. 

The Town Centre

We found ourselves deposited near here, stepping off the long-haul bus tired, worn out, down-spirited (even considering jacking it all in!) The bus took 21 hours from Buenos Aires and munched into our budget by about 100 (unanticipated). But all we wanted to do was find peace, relaxation and cleanliness! Everything so far had been so scuzzy :(

We wandered around in the afternoon sun, totally clueless as to where to go. We found a taxi, and then found a Tourist Info centre, finally some help! We found maps and leaflets and all manner of information, it was like Christmas had come early! The lady, who spoke some English (amazing!) pointed out the hostels and we trucked off to find a bed to rest our weary heads and bodies. 

The Andes in the background

We actually ended up finding ourselves a double room in a hotel for 11.50 squid each, not bad! It's so quiet, so clean and just perfect for us right now. We spent forever showering, washing away all the previous few days filth and disappointments. We were so happy to be clean! To not be afraid to use the toilet! To be able to lie down on a clean, comfortable bed and relax, finally!

Happy!

Peace

I've actually spent the afternoon in the lounge area catching up on all this online stuff, which previously had been a killer pain in the arse, tallying up fees in internet cafes with computers as slow as slugs! I've had this computer all to myself and for free in the comfort of a cosy living room with a Christmas tree, I can't describe how luxurious it feels, even thought it's just nice and simple.

So today we got some errands done (and met a dog), laundry is next on the list! We wandered around the area and enjoyed our time here in South America for the first time since Iguazu Falls (which up until now was the only day we have enjoyed!).

To be fair though we've been adjusting, planning, changing ideas, learning, pulling ourselves out of bad situations and also we've travelled on buses ALOT! We're a lot more savvy to things now, we have the rest of the month planned and nearly booked, so it's all good. Ok so we've gone over-budget because of the (neccessary!) change of plans, but the rest of the countries we'll be visiting are smaller and much cheaper so we should be ok. Also this hotel we're in is the same price as the Eco-Park would have been! So we're not massively over-spending by skipping out on that diastrous cess-pit of a place.

"Pleased to meet you Human, my name is 'The Protector'."

A man and his dog :)

This dog came trotting down to us on the pebble beach and took an instant likening to Jack. He sat, then shook his paw and then lay down with us. Only problem was that he then followed us everywhere! Chasing and barking at any passing car, nearly getting himself run over! Jack named him 'The Protector' as we think he was trying to protect us. 


We didn't want to get him into any mishap though so we had to keep running away from him in the town, but he kept finding us! Barking at us from acorss the street and swiftly galloping over to trot alongside us. We eventually managed to lose him by running down a street and hiding around a corner.

Good dog though.


We think we'll stay another day or two here and go on one of the excusrions on offer, rafting or kayaking perhaps, and then we're going to go camping in the mountains for a few days :) Another way to save the pennies. 


A brief trip to the Hippie town of El Bolson and then it's onto El Calafate where we have our hotel and Glacier Trek booked for Christmas! We're booking the 3 day bus trip tomorrow, it will stop off at hostels and takes the famous Route 40! The longest route in Argentina and one of the largest in the world! No toilet stops pour moi, eeeeeek! If we've hacked 21 hours on a bus (with a rancid toilet might I add) I'm sure we can hack this.....

Route 40

Eco-Park My Arse!

Ok so already we hit a bump in the road and in our first week too! Booooo. When people say 'Your plans will always change once you get out there!' They're telling no lies. 

We hated being in Buenos Aires (reasons why stated in previous post) and desperately wanted to find some peace, so we headed to the 'Eco-Park' a day or so early, thinking we'd stay there for up to two weeks, allowing us to spend little money and relax. 

SOOOOOOO not the case! 

On their website (which by the way I went over with a fine tooth comb in the months leading up to our departure) they state they are a 'Retreat' and the photos looked so great on their shite, sorry I mean site. Take this description for example...

"Organic vegetarian/veg restaurant (excellent food),Breakfast included (see full board option),Common room,Internet access free of charge in the common room,Library (english and spanish),Cinema with big screen, digital sound,DVD’s,Daily Hatha Yoga and Meditation class taught in the ¨Truli¨ dome, an impressive architectural design and acoustics,Vegetarian cooking workshop,Lectures and art room with wood stove,Parking,Wheelchair Accessible ,24 Hour Reception ,Currency Exchange,Towels,Laundry,Airport Transfer,Bus stop transfer,Luggage"

The entrance....if only we knew what lay ahead!

The REALITY of the situation was NOT an 'Eco-Park' but a small community of Hare Krishnas living in what Jack and I could only describe as squalid conditions :s

Now on the website it says nothing (unless I missed it) about it being in any way religious, I thought it was going to be more about detoxing and relaxing, learning about growing your own food and living in an environmentally friendly manner. I honestly thought it was the kind of place people would go for a genuinely Eco but truly desirable retreat. Cleanliness and relaxation being of the upmost importance when you conjure the word 'retreat'.

Now, we were aware that yes there may be some kind of religious under-tone, but that we would just choose to remain distanced from it and just enjoy the parks 'relaxing' facilities and dig up a few vegetables, perhaps even learn to cook a few new 'organic' dishes. Which if we'd stayed longer than one night may have been the case. BUT it was pretty unbearable, and it wasn't even bloody Eco!

The education centre, the only OK building that didn't smell!

We had little problem with the Hare Krishna side of things, each to their own of course! They didn't push anything on us or assume we were into it, so that's the only credit that can be given. It was the rancid conditions that were the problem and the fact that the website is one big lie!

The only thing 'Eco' about the place was that they grew their own vegetables and fruit. But did they have composting toilets? Nope! Did they use candle light or use wind turbines? Nope! Did they live in a rubbish free, 'at one with the earth manner'? Nope!

The only good thing about this place: The Vegetable Patches

The 'restaurant' was just a kitchen, which from a glance didn't even seem very clean! There were always flies everywhere! The common room was a shack and I didn't see any computer there for communal use, only the on-site people who seemed to live there sat around on chairs with their own mini-laptops. The Library was literally a shelf! I didn't even SEE this 'Cinema with Big-Screen' that they talk of, though I did hear a TV somewhere behind one of the cabins, not that anyone bothered to show us it however. Hot showers were none existent and buzzing with flies and the smell was enough to make you ill on the spot.

Jack and I were so grossed out we refused to wash with anything but babywipes. The toilets were normal flushing toilets, BUT you couldn't put anything down them so next to the loo sat a plastic basket full of dirty arse-wipe toilet paper. Jacks first visit to the toilet greeted him with a giant turd that had sat there for god knows how long unflushed. Now how's about that for a photo! (If only we'd thought to take pics of all this stuff, but it really doesn't occur at the time to photograph the awful stuff).

They mention they have towels!? What a joke! Laundry?! Well if they had a washing machine then that sure ain't Eco! 

Certain areas of the 'park' really stank of sewage, so we rekon their bad toilet system, which again I must note was NOT 'Eco', mustn't have been taking the waste very far away at all. There was also a cluster of trees in the middle of the 'park' which seemed to hide an array of junk and rubbish.

We made our excuses as to why we had to leave so suddenly, and the guy seemed a bit peeved as we'd said we'd volunteer for the week, however the place was a complete joke so we didn't give two hoots!

Problem was that it had been a long holiday weekend and apparently in Argentina the banks can literally run out of money! We arrived on a Sunday and there was no way we would be able to get hold of any money until noon on the Monday! Literally TRAPPED! Arrrgggghhhhh!! We had tried to get money before we arrived there but even in Buenos Aires the cash machines were empty :(

We had no choice but to stay the night, which then meant we'd have to pay for it, so we couldn't even make a quick exit first thing in the morning. We had to trek into the local town walking 1km down a dirt track and then taking the most local of local buses into a hot, humid, busy, scummy town. We had to que for an HOUR in the street with the locals to finally get some cash.

Jack named the whole experience the 'Escape from Eco-Traz'

We spent our time at the 'Eco-Park-My-Arse' hiding away from people, complaining, skipping any social aspect such as dinner and sneaking out of the premises for cigarettes! Yes that right, this first week has been so stressful we've both taken up smoking! To top it off we talked with a girl from Australia called Emily who told us lots of people were leaving due to bed-bugs! That suddenly explained why we'd seen people pouring boiling water all over their backpacks and belongings.

That was the cherry on the cake!

She assured us that the cabin we were staying in was the same one she was in too and that it didn't have bed-bugs, she said that's why we were moved, as initially we were in a prison cell of a room which also had water pouring in from the ceiling whenever someone turned the tap on.

Jack hiding from the tons of Mosquitos and possibly even Bed-Bugs!

The main owner of the place had clearly taken a disliking to us when we said we had to leave and didn't inform us of the bedbugs or offer for us to move rooms. Thankfully another guy who tended to look after us moved us regardless.

Now, I WISH I'd taken photos of all this stuff, but at the time I just tried to focus on the positive aspects, such as the vegetable patch! So my photos don't illustrate the true horror of the place!!

If ever any reader of this blog was considering going there, I strongly suggest you DON'T! Unless you like poo stenched, bed-bug ridden and ultimately BORING surroundings!!

The state of us (well, me) after being too afraid to wash there!

Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls

Sooo, we're here in South America!...and have been for 5 days now, even though it honestly feels like weeks, even months! We haven't stopped! Starting off in Buenos Aires, we quickly made the decision to spend only one night there (cities just don't do it for us). As bustling and vibrant as the city is, we're not into the party scene, neither are we here to shop, so a quick get-away was definitely the better option. We'd planned to stay 3 days in Buenos Aires, but the heat, noise and crowds (not shown here in the more picturesque photos) were just not what we'd call fun. Not to mention the constant guarding of belongings in busy places (we'd heard various stories about dodgy goings on regarding backpackers and theft attempts). It all seemed so much more like hard work than fun. So to Iguazu we fled!

Buenos Aires

Iguazu Falls

The heat is immense in Iguazu, and yes we were slightly burnt from a day of trekking around the waterfalls, but it was SO much fun. We were exhausted by the end of the day. Worth it though!

Also in the Iguazu National Park there are lots of different trails you can experience that take you along a guided path through the jungle (quite a tame part of jungle mind you), but nethertheless we saw giant ants, lizards, monkeys, butterfly swarms and Coati (also known as the Brazilian Aardvark).

So, It's Official....

CLICK OR SAVE TO ENLARGE

It was SO windy while trying to get this photo taken, I think we must have had about 15 different attempts to get a photo where I didn't have hair in my mouth! Jack looks the part :) (though we have recently decided that the silver roll-mats will NOT being going with us) Just tooooo much of a faff.

Also please note the title is a little mis-leading as it makes it sound like we're embarking upon a trip that is entirely 'Eco' in every way, which is NOT what this trip is about at all.


 I didn't get to choose the title, but I imagine as the Eco-Park was still on the cards at that time it seemed relevant to include it in the title. 


In hindsight it might have suited, "Couple's adventure with a Volunteer theme." a little better.

Pack, Pack, Un-Pack and RE-PACK!

So, the difficulties of backpacking begin! We haven't even left the UK yet and already we've been having luggage issues, *grumble grumble*. Heaving a backpack onto your shoulders within the comfort of your own home is one thing, "Yup, it's fine, no problem!" ... Job done.

However, upon arriving in London and walking a few hundred meters, it turned out to be a whole different ball game. Not only was it an effort to actually get my bag onto my shoulders, but to keep from bumping into Jack (or any other bystander) due to my off-balance stagger was also pretty tricky. As soon as I stepped off the train I felt uncomfortable, awkward and vulnerable. An instant FAIL.

We planned way ahead with our packing list and 'can't do without' items, or so we thought. After multiple edits we thought we were good to go. A GameBoy and a Laptop are surely essential on a long-haul trip? Yup, keep them in the bag!

One day away actually having to carry our 'well packed' backpacks and already we've had to HALVE what we brought.

ORIGINAL items to be packed

The Laptop is going back to Yorkshire. The GameBoy too :( Along with the roll-mats, the Gilet :( , various tops, books, socks, phrase book (did we really need one each?) and so on. 

Final edited items (minus a wash-bag)

A swift trip to the Post Office and now a rather large package is making it's way back home to The Shire. 

Slightly gutted to have just 'wasted' a tenner on the whole saga, but you really can't put a price on comfort. The thought of lugging a heaving, full-to-the-brim of a bag, for 5 days while trekking through Torres Del Paine was the stuff nightmares are made of. I could already feel the sores on my shoulders, the ache in my back, the incessant complaints and whining that would drive Jack and I to despair. Ok, so probably an extremely well spent tenner then. Panic over. This time anyway ;)