A quick catch up

Resting on my laurels in Santiago and getting ready to head off to the coastal town of La Serena for some much needed beach time. Just wanted to give a quick update on where I´m at and what I´ve been up to. More pictures and posts coming soon...

The first ever Mototaxi Junket went off with a few hitches, but it was still amazing. I got to cross the Andes in a Mototaxi with a great group of new friends all while knowing that with your support I was spreading the word about Operation Smile and helping to support their work down here in Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay. For a blog of the event go to: www.mototaxijunket09.theadventurists.com/wondermoto. General news of the Junket can be found the homepage http://www.mototaxijunket09.theadventurists.com/

A tremendous thanks to everyone for their support in this event!

Before racing to Huancayo for the Junket delay I got to enjoy a wonderful time on Lake Titicaca and Amantani Island (Post coming soon) after finishing the Lares Valley trek to Machu Picchu. I finally have pictures up of both excursions at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622504272671/ - Lares Valley and Machu Picchu
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622726596652/ - Lake Titicaca


It´s been quite the month in Peru - a real planes, trains, and automobiles (buses, minivans, taxis, and mototaxis) experience. I travelled by bus down to Lima from Ecuador, then to Cusco, then rode the train from the end of the Lares Valley trek to Aguas Calientes, took a bus to Puno, boated to Amantani Island, then in one day boated the 4 hours back, caught a minivan to Juliaca, a taxi to the airport, and flew back to Lima so I could catch yet another bus to Huancayo. From Huancayo I rode my mototaxi back to Puno where I then started my voyage southward to Santiago by bus (42 hours worth of bus). Quite the zig zag route back and forth across Peru. Why not fly you say...Well as Paolo Nutini put it, "I´m short on money and long on time, slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine." So bus it is!

Chile so far has been a breath of fresh air (aside from the many hours by bus it took to get here and multiple border and checkpoint strikes). It´s more expensive than Peru and Ecuador, but more modern as well. I´m staying at a shabby little place next to the beautiful Santa Lucia park before hitting the coast. Looking forward to some beach time before heading south into Patagonia for a spell.

Cheers!