.JPG)
Po 3h ve vlaku strojvedouci ohlasi - 40m trati pred nami bylo zniceno sesuvem pudy. Lokomotiva jede pro tezkou techniku aby trat bylo mozne opravit. Druhy den v poledne se nam budou snazit poskytnout vice informaci o pokracovani cesty. Stojime v pustine mezi par rozpadlymi budovami. Dobrodruzstvi je nekdy pekne na ho...Za 13h je lokomotiva zpatky a veze za sebou 2 bagry. Jeste upravit vyhybku kladivem, zacouvat se servisnim vozem, po vykolejeni ho nahodit zpet na trat a muze se jet spravovat. No a za dalsi 3h jsme na ceste. Jedine co nas tesi je, ze za par dni potkame Izraelce z busu do Tupizy a ty potkalo to same. 15h v buse je horsi nez 20 ve vlaku.
V pondeli vyrazime na 3denni vylet po JZ cipu Bolivie. S nami v Toyote Landcruiser je kanadsky par, 2 holky ze Svycarska a ridic, kuchar a pruvodce v jedne osobe. Prvni zastavkou je hrbitov vlaku. Na vecny odpocinek jsou zde ulozeny 10ky lokomotiv. Nektere jsou zde jen par let, ale mistni podminky uz z nich stihly vytvorit zrezla monstra s konturami vlaku.
Po dalsich 5ti km vjizdime na Salar de Uyuni. A hned po par metrech sledujeme vsichni sledujeme okoli se spadlou bradou a dohadujeme se, jsme ve snu, v nebi, zhalucinovani nabo se jen pohybujeme na hrane 2 svetu? Toho nahore a toho dole? 2000km ctverecnich hladke plochy soli s centimetrovou vrstvou vody vytvari dokonale zrcadlo. A tak hory, ostrovy a oblaka na obzoru vytvari dokonaly zrcadlovy svet pod nami. Nas pohyb nam pripomina let prostrojem k mezihvezdnym lodim plujicim v oblacich. Cele 2h se jen kochame nez dojedeme k ostrovu Pescado, nasi dalsi zastavce. Ostrov je posypan az 12m kaktusy. Nejstarsi ma pres 1200 let! Jdeme na pruzkum ostrova a nez se vratime ceka na nas dole kralovska hostina. Jidlo je vyborne a zachutnalo i mistnimu pstrosovi co se pres Jancu vyskrabal k jejimu taliri a ukradl ji syr se salatem :) Pak uz nas ceka jen povinne foceni, kdy se da vyuzit jednolite pozadi a vytvorit fotografie na kterych je vse mimo proporce. Dalsi 2h a jsme na ´hotelu´. Jak jinak, je cely vcetne nabytku ze soli. Vecer se rozhodnu provest ocistu tela a pouzit deodorant co jsem koupil v Uyuni na trhu. Zadna Nivea, ale obal Nivey naplneny neuveritelnym smradem (vydrzi podstatne dele nez Nivea :)
Dalsi den v 7 odjezd, jedeme dlouho nez dojedeme k sopce Ollague. Je ale v mracich a tak neni videt. Je presne na hranicich s Chile a tak jsou tu videt vojenske posadky. Ale nastesti staci kousek cokolady a vjezd je povolen Toyota Landcruiser i ridic si ziskavaji nas obdiv. Teren je hodne narocny, az 0.5m balvany nebo 1m bahna - vse projedeme. I kdyz v bahne uz jsme doufali jestli ma hodne vysoke holinky az budeme tlacit. Pote nas cekaji 4 ruzna jezera se 4 ruznymi druhy plamenaku. Jeste nas prekvapuje jake je tu v noci vedro. Spim v 3700m bez prikryvky a zima mi neni. Dalsi noc ma byt ve 4300..
Jeste jsme si oproti vcerejsku privstali a v 5 uz sedime v aute. Rano je podstatne chladnejsi nez vcera a louci se s nami pro dnesni noc i Jizni Kriz nad hlavou. Za rozbresku stojime v 4800m u gejziru. Bublajici bahno v obrovskych prirodnich kotlich a smrad metanu. A za dalsi hodinu uz se koupeme v termalnich laznich - absolutni balzam na chlad a hlavne 3denni spinu. Tahle vyska v kombinaci s horkou koupeli zpusobuje pekne motani hlavy. Po ceste dale jeste zastavujeme u mensi pouste kde jsou pravidelne rozesety balvany, neni divu ze inspirovala S. Daliho. Pote nasleduji jeste par mensich atrakci a predlouha 9h cesta zpet. Misty je silnice tak spatna, ze mistni vyjeli radeji koleje mimo...Pri navratu do Uyuni zjistujeme, ze 4 dni nepotece voda v celem meste...Pozehnej termalni lazne.
Fotky:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54462&id=1344786025&l=c310d82ab3
After 3hrs in the train comes an announcement - 40m of rails were washed away by landslide. Our locomotive goes back for heavy machinery. Next day midday more info should be available. We are stuck in the middle of nowhere among few rotten buildings. Adventure sometimes sucks.
In 13hrs is our locomotive back and pulls 2 heavy diggers. Just to fix a rail-switch with a hammer, reverse with service wagon, after derailing put back on the track and repairs can start. And in 3hrs we are continuing again. The only thing that makes our day later in the week is that we meet Israeli guys from the Tupiza bus same thing happened to them. 15hrs in crappy bus is worse than 20 in decent train.
On Monday we head for a 3day trip over SW part of Bolivia. 2 of us, 2 Swiss girls, Canadian couple and driver, cook and guide in one person. First stop, train cemetery. There are 10s of locomotives left here for eternal rest. Some of them are here only couple of years but local conditions turned them into a pile of rust.
Next 5km and we enter the Salar de Uyuni. All of us with hanging jaw wonder, are we in heaven, dream, hallucinate or are we on the edge of 2 worlds? The one above and the one below? 2000sq km of flat salt surface with 1cm of water on it creates perfect mirror world below us. Our movement reminds us of floating in the space towards intergalactic ships hanging in the clouds. The whole 2hrs we just watch and enjoy before reaching island Pescado. Island is full of up to 12m tall cactuses.
The oldest one is over 1200 years. When we come back from the island hike a feast waits for us. The food is great and even the local ostrich likes it so much that he crawls over Jana to her plate and steals cheese and salad :) After that compulsory pics taking. Where the solid background can be used to make everything out of proportion. Last 2hrs and we are at the ´hotel´. Using the most handy material is all built from salt, including furniture. In the evening I decide to do a bit of the hygiene stuff and use the deo I bought at the market. Forget Nivea, the package is filled with an unbelievable bad smell (at least the fake deo lasts much longer than normal Nivea :)
Next day we leave at 7. Long drive and we are at the volcano Ollague. A lot of clouds so no show. It lays on the border with Chile and so there are military posts around. Fortunately piece of chocolate and we are left alone.
After that 4 different lakes with 4 different kinds of flamingos. We are surprised how hot it is at 3700m, no duvet and we are fine. Next night should be at 4300..
We got up even earlier next day and at 5 are already sitting in the car. Over our head Southern Cross says good bye too. Dawn and we are at 4800m checking out geysers. Bubbling mud and huge natural pots and a bad smell of methane. One more hour and we sit in a thermal baths - absolute delight in this chilly morning, not mentioning washing away the 3day dirt. The altitude with combination of hot bath causes us dizziness. We continue and stop at the small desert with regular boulders, no wonder this place inspired S. Dali. And after that we head back, long 9hrs journey. In some places the road is so bad that the locals created another track along it. Back in Uyuni we find out the town will be without water for next 4 days. Bless the thermals.
Pict.:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54462&id=1344786025&l=c310d82ab3
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Villazon/Tupiza (Bolivia)
Kopce potazene zelenym sametem kolem Salty rychle vystridaji modrosede hory posypane 4m kaktusy. Prijizdime na hranici s Bolivii 3650mnm, prechod je trochu zmateny, ale probehne bez problemu. I kdyz si myslime ze jsme pripraveni, tak kulturni sok se dostavi okamzite. Nepresli jsme jen hranici z jedne zeme do druhe, ale do jineho sveta! Chaos, neporadek a celkove nizka zivotni uroven zacina hned par metru za carou. V autobusovem ´terminalu´ stojime uprostred mistnosti a misto aby jsme si kancelare obesli a zjistili co a jak na nas z 5ti okynek krici at jedeme prave s nimi aniz by vedeli kam presne chceme. Toto se jeste vystupnuje, kdyz se u prvniho okenka poptame na prvni bus do Uyuni a ostatni slysi kam chceme. Do Uyuni primo nejede nikdo, musime nejdrive do Tupiza, vsichni odjizdi ve stejny cas a za stejnou cenu. Vyborne konkurencni prosredi. Vybereme si tu spolecnost kde je videt na plakatu bus a nevypada jako absolutni troska. Nez nastoupime jeste se seznamime s Izraelci co jsou na tom uplne stejne jako my a tomu bordelu se spolecne zasmejeme.
Cesta jak jinak nezpevnena, dobre ze uz je noc a nevidime na svahy kolem nad ktere se kazdou chvilku naklonime. Sem tam zastavime a indianky v burinkach a 5ti vrstvach pestrobarevnych sukni vybehnou ven, pridrepnou pred bus a vykonaji potrebu. Obloha je tmave fialova a vsude kolem nas krajinu bez prestani bicuji blesky. Docela dramaticke privitani.
Uprostred noci dorazime do Tupizy, prekvapeni najdeme anglicky mluvici informace. Doporuci nam ubytovani a tak byly nase obavy z pulnocniho prijezdu do prvniho Bolivijskeho mesta zbytecne..
Rano vstanu a jdu hledat neco k snidani. Nikde nic nenajdu a jeste ke vsemu se po ceste zpatky v tomhle meste co vypada jak z divokeho zapadu ztratim. Potkavam indianky a ptam se na cestu, ale 3 v rade ani nezvednou oci a uplne me ignoruji. Naopak mistni jsou moc ochotni a snazi se pomoci. Plan dne je koupit listky na vlak a vecer je do Uyuni. Cesta trva pulku co busem a hlavne ma byt spolehlivejsi. Vime, ze pokladna otevira v 10. V pul 8 uz stojim ve fronte. Janca mezitim jde sehnat penize do banky, protoze tu neni bankomat (v bance videla jak od indianky co neumi psat berou otisky prstu:).
V 10.30 jsme rozhodli jit na bus pokud listky na vlak nedokazeme sehnat. Pocitame s tim, ze to stihneme protoze tu nikdy nic nejezdi na cas. Tak nejak vykomunikujeme, ze fronta ve ktere stojim je ta spravna, prodava listky jak na dnesek tak na pondeli (vlak nejezdi kazdy den). Priblizne za hodinu se objevi pani v brylych a cernych teplacich a lidi kolem me mi ukazuji, ze mam jit za ni a nechat si vystavit kartonek s poradovym cislem ve fronte. Je to jen propiskou nacmarane na kusu utrzene krabice, pan prede mnou ma uz listek s cislem 41. Tak jdu a reknu si o 42. Pani kouka a rika, ze az do 60ti je to rozebrane. Nastesti prijde pan co jsem za nim a potvrdi ji, ze tam opravdu cekam hned za nim. Po chvilce dohadovani s ostatnimi ve fronte me priradi k tomu panovi. Za dalsi hodku se otevre pokladna a zjistuji, ze poradi ve kterem stojime je jen poradi na dalsi poradnik. Dostaneme novy listecek a to je cislo ktere urcuje kdy mame jit ke kase. Mam cislo 22 a zacina se od 78. Vydat jizdenky 10ti cestujicim trva presne pul hodiny. Dohadovani, kontrola dokladu, kontrola pravosti penez, natukani veskerych info 2ma prsty a na vse dohlizi policista. Za dalsi 2 hodiny drzime v ruce listky hodnoty zlata. Strhne se prekrikovani a mensi zmatek, kdyz pokladnik oznami, ze listky dochazi a pokud nekdo chce jet musi si priplatit za vyssi tridu...
We arrive at the border with Bolivia at 3650m, crossing is a bit confusing but without any problems. Even when we think we are ready for the change the cultural shock hits us immediately. We didn´t just cross border between two countries but between two different worlds. Chaos, disorder and poverty can be seen only few paces behind the border. We stand in the middle of the room in a bus ´terminal´ - people from 5 small windows scream and shout at us to go with them not even knowing where we want to go. This increase even more when they find out where we want to go. There is no direct connection to Uyuni so we have to go to Tupiza first stay over night. All the buses leave at the same time for the same price - great competition environment.
The road is unpaved (we didn´t expect otherwise), good that it´s dark and we cannot see the slopes around us as we swing above them. Once in a while we stop and local women in bowler hats and 5 layers of colourful skirts run out squat and make what they have to do. Sky is dark violet and landscape everywhere around us is whipped with lightning without stop. Quite a dramatic welcome.
In the middle of the night we arrive to Tupiza and surprised find open English speaking information.
I get up in the morning and go to buy something for breakfast. Cannot find anything and get lost on the way back in this town that looks like from a western movie. I ask the indian women for a way but none would talk to me. On the other hand the locals were very nice and willing to help.
Plan of the day is to get a ticket for an evening train to Uyuni. The journey is supposed to take half the time than the bus and the service is more reliable. We were told that the ticket office opens at 10am. At 8 I am in the queue with 40 people in front of me. Jana goes to get a cash advance as there is no ATM here (and she saw how people that couldn´t write were giving their fingerprints to access their account).
After a while I find out that the queue I´m in is the correct one - tickets for tonight and for Monday (train doesn´t go every day). After an hour a lady in black tracksuit appears and people around me tell me I should go to her and ask for a piece of paper with a number scribbled on (waiting number). The guy that was here before me has number 41. So I go and ask for 42 - she looks at me and says not possible, she handed out 60 already. I am saved by the guy in front of me who confirms I was really there and just didn´t know I should ask her for a number. After a moments of haggling I am assigned same number as the guy who helped me. Ticket office opens in 1 hour and I find out that the number I was assigned is just a number for another queue to get another piece of paper (this time printed). Now I get number 22 and the count starts at 78...To issue a ticket to 10 people takes exactly half an hour. Haggling, control of documents, control if the currency is not fake, typing with 2 fingers and all of it double checked by policeman. In next 2 hours we hold a tickets worth the gold. Outcry rises as the guy issuing tickets announces that the tickets for lower classes are running out...
Cesta jak jinak nezpevnena, dobre ze uz je noc a nevidime na svahy kolem nad ktere se kazdou chvilku naklonime. Sem tam zastavime a indianky v burinkach a 5ti vrstvach pestrobarevnych sukni vybehnou ven, pridrepnou pred bus a vykonaji potrebu. Obloha je tmave fialova a vsude kolem nas krajinu bez prestani bicuji blesky. Docela dramaticke privitani.
Uprostred noci dorazime do Tupizy, prekvapeni najdeme anglicky mluvici informace. Doporuci nam ubytovani a tak byly nase obavy z pulnocniho prijezdu do prvniho Bolivijskeho mesta zbytecne..
Rano vstanu a jdu hledat neco k snidani. Nikde nic nenajdu a jeste ke vsemu se po ceste zpatky v tomhle meste co vypada jak z divokeho zapadu ztratim. Potkavam indianky a ptam se na cestu, ale 3 v rade ani nezvednou oci a uplne me ignoruji. Naopak mistni jsou moc ochotni a snazi se pomoci. Plan dne je koupit listky na vlak a vecer je do Uyuni. Cesta trva pulku co busem a hlavne ma byt spolehlivejsi. Vime, ze pokladna otevira v 10. V pul 8 uz stojim ve fronte. Janca mezitim jde sehnat penize do banky, protoze tu neni bankomat (v bance videla jak od indianky co neumi psat berou otisky prstu:).
V 10.30 jsme rozhodli jit na bus pokud listky na vlak nedokazeme sehnat. Pocitame s tim, ze to stihneme protoze tu nikdy nic nejezdi na cas. Tak nejak vykomunikujeme, ze fronta ve ktere stojim je ta spravna, prodava listky jak na dnesek tak na pondeli (vlak nejezdi kazdy den). Priblizne za hodinu se objevi pani v brylych a cernych teplacich a lidi kolem me mi ukazuji, ze mam jit za ni a nechat si vystavit kartonek s poradovym cislem ve fronte. Je to jen propiskou nacmarane na kusu utrzene krabice, pan prede mnou ma uz listek s cislem 41. Tak jdu a reknu si o 42. Pani kouka a rika, ze az do 60ti je to rozebrane. Nastesti prijde pan co jsem za nim a potvrdi ji, ze tam opravdu cekam hned za nim. Po chvilce dohadovani s ostatnimi ve fronte me priradi k tomu panovi. Za dalsi hodku se otevre pokladna a zjistuji, ze poradi ve kterem stojime je jen poradi na dalsi poradnik. Dostaneme novy listecek a to je cislo ktere urcuje kdy mame jit ke kase. Mam cislo 22 a zacina se od 78. Vydat jizdenky 10ti cestujicim trva presne pul hodiny. Dohadovani, kontrola dokladu, kontrola pravosti penez, natukani veskerych info 2ma prsty a na vse dohlizi policista. Za dalsi 2 hodiny drzime v ruce listky hodnoty zlata. Strhne se prekrikovani a mensi zmatek, kdyz pokladnik oznami, ze listky dochazi a pokud nekdo chce jet musi si priplatit za vyssi tridu...
We arrive at the border with Bolivia at 3650m, crossing is a bit confusing but without any problems. Even when we think we are ready for the change the cultural shock hits us immediately. We didn´t just cross border between two countries but between two different worlds. Chaos, disorder and poverty can be seen only few paces behind the border. We stand in the middle of the room in a bus ´terminal´ - people from 5 small windows scream and shout at us to go with them not even knowing where we want to go. This increase even more when they find out where we want to go. There is no direct connection to Uyuni so we have to go to Tupiza first stay over night. All the buses leave at the same time for the same price - great competition environment.
The road is unpaved (we didn´t expect otherwise), good that it´s dark and we cannot see the slopes around us as we swing above them. Once in a while we stop and local women in bowler hats and 5 layers of colourful skirts run out squat and make what they have to do. Sky is dark violet and landscape everywhere around us is whipped with lightning without stop. Quite a dramatic welcome.
In the middle of the night we arrive to Tupiza and surprised find open English speaking information.
I get up in the morning and go to buy something for breakfast. Cannot find anything and get lost on the way back in this town that looks like from a western movie. I ask the indian women for a way but none would talk to me. On the other hand the locals were very nice and willing to help.
Plan of the day is to get a ticket for an evening train to Uyuni. The journey is supposed to take half the time than the bus and the service is more reliable. We were told that the ticket office opens at 10am. At 8 I am in the queue with 40 people in front of me. Jana goes to get a cash advance as there is no ATM here (and she saw how people that couldn´t write were giving their fingerprints to access their account).
After a while I find out that the queue I´m in is the correct one - tickets for tonight and for Monday (train doesn´t go every day). After an hour a lady in black tracksuit appears and people around me tell me I should go to her and ask for a piece of paper with a number scribbled on (waiting number). The guy that was here before me has number 41. So I go and ask for 42 - she looks at me and says not possible, she handed out 60 already. I am saved by the guy in front of me who confirms I was really there and just didn´t know I should ask her for a number. After a moments of haggling I am assigned same number as the guy who helped me. Ticket office opens in 1 hour and I find out that the number I was assigned is just a number for another queue to get another piece of paper (this time printed). Now I get number 22 and the count starts at 78...To issue a ticket to 10 people takes exactly half an hour. Haggling, control of documents, control if the currency is not fake, typing with 2 fingers and all of it double checked by policeman. In next 2 hours we hold a tickets worth the gold. Outcry rises as the guy issuing tickets announces that the tickets for lower classes are running out...
Saturday, 20 February 2010
Salta (Argentina)
Salta je pekne mesto - kolonialni architektura, v okoli kopce huste porostle neprostupnou zeleni. A suche stepi vystridaly lany cukrove trtiny. Na hostelu mame sraz s Keironem, nasim kamaradem s Irska. V planu je jen odpocinek. Dlouho jsme se snazili sejit v Dublinu a konecne to vyslo az v Argentine. Stastlivec ma 3 roky placeneho volna a tak ho cekaji jeste 2.5roku cestovani a bere to peclive. Nejdriv pul roku v centralni americe, ted pul roku v jizni.
Cely den stravime potulovanim po meste a vymenovanim zkusenosti z predchozich destinaci (jedeme zrovna opacnym smerem). Vecer zajdeme na par piv a k tomu si dame pecene kuzle do restaurace se zivou hudbou a latinskymi tanci. Kuzle jime poprve a chutna nam. Druhy den jdeme koupit jizdenky a vyjedeme lanovkou na mestskou vyhlidku. Navecer uvarime, popijime a hrajeme karty.
Poprve zvladam velmi lehkou konverzaci ve spanelstine s taxikarem. A pozdeji v noci rozumim vsemu co nam rika recepcni o koncerte jeho kamaradu. Ze bych se zacal do spanelstiny dostavat? Nebo maji v Salte vyslovnost ktere rozumim? No, spis to vidim na 1.5litru vina co jsem vypil...alkohol jednoznacne bori jazykove bariery :)
Nejvetsi vzruseni co v Salte zazijeme je setkani se svycarkoceskou Janou, ktera umi hodne dobre cesky, tak ji s ni trochu procvicime.
Pristi prispevek bude uz z Bolivie a bude se na co tesit. Je to narez!
Salta is quite nice town - colonial architecture, surrounded by hills covered in thick greenery. And dry landscape changed into fields of sugar cane.
The main plan for Salta is rest and meeting up with our Irish friend Keiran. We tried to meet up in Dublin for quite a long time and finally managed in Argentina..Lucky man has 3yrs time to do whatever he wants.
We spent the whole day just wandering around town and exchanging experiences and tips for next destinations as we head in opposite directions. In the evening we go to the restaurant to listen to some local music and watch latino dances and try a goat for the dinner (quite nice!). Next day we just buy tickets for the buses and take cablecar to town viewpoint. Evening is full of cooking, wine and cards.
For a first time I manage to have an easy conversation with taxi driver. And later in the night I understand to everything our receptionist says about a concert of his friends. Looks like I start to get into the Spanish? Or is it the Salta accent? Well, probably it´s down to the fact I have already 1.5litres of wine in me...alcohol definately erases all language barriers :)
Probably the biggest excitment of the trip comes when we meet Swissczech girl that speaks nearly fluent Czech.
Next post will be from Bolivia and there is a lot to look forward to. It´s mindblowing!
Cely den stravime potulovanim po meste a vymenovanim zkusenosti z predchozich destinaci (jedeme zrovna opacnym smerem). Vecer zajdeme na par piv a k tomu si dame pecene kuzle do restaurace se zivou hudbou a latinskymi tanci. Kuzle jime poprve a chutna nam. Druhy den jdeme koupit jizdenky a vyjedeme lanovkou na mestskou vyhlidku. Navecer uvarime, popijime a hrajeme karty.
Poprve zvladam velmi lehkou konverzaci ve spanelstine s taxikarem. A pozdeji v noci rozumim vsemu co nam rika recepcni o koncerte jeho kamaradu. Ze bych se zacal do spanelstiny dostavat? Nebo maji v Salte vyslovnost ktere rozumim? No, spis to vidim na 1.5litru vina co jsem vypil...alkohol jednoznacne bori jazykove bariery :)
Nejvetsi vzruseni co v Salte zazijeme je setkani se svycarkoceskou Janou, ktera umi hodne dobre cesky, tak ji s ni trochu procvicime.
Pristi prispevek bude uz z Bolivie a bude se na co tesit. Je to narez!
Salta is quite nice town - colonial architecture, surrounded by hills covered in thick greenery. And dry landscape changed into fields of sugar cane.
The main plan for Salta is rest and meeting up with our Irish friend Keiran. We tried to meet up in Dublin for quite a long time and finally managed in Argentina..Lucky man has 3yrs time to do whatever he wants.
We spent the whole day just wandering around town and exchanging experiences and tips for next destinations as we head in opposite directions. In the evening we go to the restaurant to listen to some local music and watch latino dances and try a goat for the dinner (quite nice!). Next day we just buy tickets for the buses and take cablecar to town viewpoint. Evening is full of cooking, wine and cards.
For a first time I manage to have an easy conversation with taxi driver. And later in the night I understand to everything our receptionist says about a concert of his friends. Looks like I start to get into the Spanish? Or is it the Salta accent? Well, probably it´s down to the fact I have already 1.5litres of wine in me...alcohol definately erases all language barriers :)
Probably the biggest excitment of the trip comes when we meet Swissczech girl that speaks nearly fluent Czech.
Next post will be from Bolivia and there is a lot to look forward to. It´s mindblowing!
Monday, 15 February 2010
Mendoza (Argentina)
Cesta do Mendozy trva 17h a jizda probehne bez nejakych zvlastnich udalosti. Hned na nadrazi koupime jizdenky do dalsi destinace Salty a jdeme na MHD. Az kdyz vlezeme do busu zjistime, ze to tu neni jako v Bariloche a neplati se u ridice, ale v automatu za nim. Mince a presny obnos. Nemame nic, behem chvilky ridic pochopi, ze jsme mimo, tak jen mavne at sedneme a jedeme zadarmo. Jeste nam pak zastavi mimo zastavku, aby jsme to nemeli daleko.
V Mendoze nastesti neni takove vedro jak jsme cekali, prijemnych 29stupnu bez vysoke vlhkosti. Jak uz si zvykame, v Argentine kazde mesto vypada uplne jinak nez to predchozi, ani Mendoza neni vyjimkou. Prevazuji 1patrove domy pospojovane do bloku a tvorici perfektni ctverce. Navigace je alespon jednodussi. Vsechny ulice lemuji nahusto nasazene platany, tak je tu stin a vse ma nazelenaly odstin. Od 12 do 5 je to mesto duchu, kdy behem siesty nepotkate skoro nikoho. Co ale hned zaujme je mistni ¨kanalizace¨ - kameny vydlazdene skarpy, prekryte chodniky, se spoustou der. Takze v Mendoze se urcite vyplati koukat kam slapete.
Nasledujici den po snidani jedeme do 25km vzdaleneho Potrerillos. Konal se zde posledni JA sampionat v raftingu a tak je jasne co tu chceme delat. Po prijezdu jsme rozdeleni do dvou skupin anglicko a spanelsko mluvici a projdou s nami plan dne a dostaneme vybaveni. Neopren, mikinu, helmu a vestu. Nalozi nas do busu a odvezou 12km proti proudu. V busu je sranda, tym raftaru je mlady a poskladany ze vsech koutu sveta. Prichazi dalsi instruktaz, tentokrat hodne podrobna - co delat kdyz vypadnes z raftu nebo se raft prevrati. Standardni prehnana bezpecnost pro zelenace a velke skupiny rikame si...Pote jsme rozdeleni do mensich skupin po 6. V nasem tymu je krome nas jeste par z Anglie, nemec a novozelandanka. Podstoupime jeste jedno skoleni, tenktokrat o tom jak se na raftu chovat, co ktery prikaz znamena a jak se koordinovat. Vse je vtipnou a zabavnou formou, tak ani moc nevnimame, jak je dole pod nami ta voda rychla.. Nasedame a vyrazime, 8 raftu, 4 kajaky pro zachytavani vypadlych a 2 fotografove. Je videt, ze jsou to profesionalove, vse je perfektne propracovane, pozice, signaly, koordince. Reka je cista, ale voda zbarvena do hneda od okolniho piskovce a cedice. Stav vody je docela nizky, takze pojedeme obtiznost III az lehci IV. Jedna se o maximalni obtiznost povolenou pro rekreacni a komercni rafting, V je jen pro sehrane tymy profesionalu a VI je na hranici sjizdnosti. Kazdopadne z vody vlny vypadaji mnohem vetsi nez ze brehu. Je to parada a misty poradny sesup. Pri prvnich perejich me valec dole jako prvniho malem sunda z lodi, noc a pusu mam uplne plny vody, na pristich se musim vic zaprit. Z raftu za nama to 1. uz sunda, takze zadna prehnana opatrnost... Ve druhych perejich nas kormidelnik s velkym usmevem prizna, ze jsme byli centimetry od prevraceni (vypada, ze by se mu to asi libilo). To by byla sranda. Je to adrenalin a uzivame si to. 1.5h utece rychle jako voda po ktere jedeme. A ke konci nas v mensich perejich nechaji naskakat do vody. Je ledova, stejne jako irske more v lete, preci jen tece z hor. Janca byla z raftingu den predem trochu nervozni a moc se ji nechtelo, ale nakonec se ji to libilo tak, ze by jela znovu. Jeste jsme zazili trochu vzruseni pri vylodeni, voda byla prudka a jedne holcine to ujelo, behem chvilky byla 20m dal po proudu a od delsi vyletni plavby ji zachranilo jen rychle hozene lano.
Dalsi den je na poradi vinna stezka v Maipu, ktere je od Mendozy kousicek a jezdi tam MHD. Pri nastupovani si Janca dava na cas pri vhazovani minci a tak ji ridic povzbudi "Come on baby, faster". Pri vjezdu do Maipu nas vita cedule - Don´t worry, drink and bike! (Niceho se nebojte, pijte a uzivejte kola!). Hlavni ulici lemuji desitky pujcoven kol, vime ze ty vepredu jsou nejdrazsi a odchytavaji ty nejdychtivejsi turisty, tak jedeme pres mesto az nakonec. Hned jak vystoupime si nas odchyti pani co pronajima kola doma v garazi. Cena je nejlepsi co jsme slyseli, kola vypadaji docela nove, tak uz dal nehledame a jedeme. Vybaveni mapou vinic a vouchery na ochutnavky, objizdime vinice, ruzne specializovane a olivove manufaktury. Hlavni ulice v Maipu za moc nestoji, je prasna a docela rusna. Ale staci odbocit do kterekoliv bocni ulice a jste v uplne jinem meste. Ceka na vas silnice lemovana platany a za nimi hektary vinic a olivovych sadu. Oblast Maipu je vyhlasena pro sva tezka cervena vina Malbec a Cabernet Savignon. Den prijemne utika a ochutnavky vina prokladame ochutnavkami jidla aby jsme uz v poledne nelezeli nekde ve skarpe co tu slouzi zaroven jako stoka. Muj favorit dne je Malbec Rable z rodinne vinice Di Tommaso, vzhledem k tomu ze ma 14%, mame za sebou uz 5vinic, venku je 30st a Jance nechutna a dostanu i jeji, si na dalsi uz netroufam. Obema nam take moc zachutnala olivova pasta s lilkem z tovarnicky Laur. A propadak dne? V jedne manufakture likeru, jamu, past a cokolad se Janca necha bez podrobnejsiho pruzkumu zlakat poetickym nazvem Grapa Mandochina. Dynova palenka v pul 11 dopoledne neni to po cem nase chutove bunky zrovna touzi. Alespon ma Janca plusove body za to, ze se ji povedlo vyvest z miry majitele. Toto od zeny urcite necekal a jen povytahl oboci (v tu chvili mi bylo jasne, ze to bude zly:)
Pri vraceni kol nas jeste pani pozve k posezeni na jeji zahrade a dostaneme misku vina a ledovy domaci melounovy dzus. Skoda jen, ze nase spanelstina a jeji anglictina nejdou dohromady. Alespon si hrajeme se jejimi 3mesicnimi stenaty. Poprve v zivote jsem mel moznost ochutnat hrozny urcene k vyrobe vina a ne to co se da bezne koupit, neporovnatelne...
Jedine co nas pri odjezdu z Mendozy trochu mrzi, je ze jsme se nepodivali pod Aconcaguu (nejvyssi hora jizni polokoule). Ale casove to bohuzel neslo zvladnout.
Foto z raftu:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52167&id=1344786025&l=042afab466
Foto ostatni:jeste nejsou
The journey to Mendoza takes 17h and during it nothing interesting happens. Immediately after arrival we sort our tickets to Salta our next destination and take urban bus to city centre. Only after we get into the bus we find out that this is not Bariloche. So you don´t pay at the driver, but have to put exact amount in coins into the machine behind him. We don´t have any change on us and driver gets it quite fast - we are just waved in and take the ride for free. Then he pulls over nearly at our hostel (off the scheduled stop).
The heat is not so bad as we expected, pleasant 29degrees and acceptable humidity. So far we haven´t seen two similar looking towns in Argentina and Mendoza isn´t exception. Mostly consists of 1storey buildings linked together into blocks making perfect squares. At least navigation is very easy. All streets are lined with big platan trees so everything has a greenish colour. From 12 to 5 it looks like ghost town, during the siesta time there is a slim chance of meeting anybody. One thing that catches the attention is local system of "sewerage" - stone paved ditches covered up by pavements with a lot of unexpected holes. So it pays out to watch your step.
Next day we go to Potrerillos. Last Panamerican rafting championships took place here so it´s obvious what we plan to do here. After short briefing on day plan we get our equipment - wetsuit, jumper, helmet and lifejacket. We get into the bus and are taken 12km up the river. The team running the event is very funny and the instructors from all over the world. We get off and get very detailed instructions on what to do if you fall out of the raft or if it turns over - just standard overcautious safety for big groups of greenhorns we think...Then we are divided into groups of 6. It´s us British couple, German guy and a girl from New Zealand. We get another briefing on what to do and not to do in the raft and the main thing orders and coordination. Everything is done in a very funny way so we don´t even get a chance to notice that the water in the river is very fast..We start - 8 rafts, 4kayaks to pick up people that fall out and 2photographers. We can see the team is very experienced - working perfectly together, position, signals, coordination. Water has a brown colour acquired from the sandstone and basalt that is all around. Water flow is quite low so we will do grade III to easier IV. It is the maximum allowed grade for leisure and commercial rafting. V is only for professionals and VI is considered to be nearly impossible. The rapids looks much bigger from the raft than from the river bank. It´s great adrenalin and the first rapids catch me unprepared and I nearly fly into the water, nose and mouth full of water. Have to brace myself more next time. Guy from the next raft behind us is prepared even less than me and goes for a swim. We take back our words about being overcautious...
In the second rapids our guide with a big broad smile admits we nearly turned over (I guess he would enjoy it). 1.5hrs pass as quickly as the water flows below us. Towards the end we are allowed to jump into smaller rapids. The water is as warm as an Irish sea in summer. Jana was a bit nervous and did not want to go day before, afterwards she enjoyed it so much she would do it again. There was a bit of excitement when leaving the raft. One of the girls slipped in the strong current and within seconds was 20m away from us. Only a quickly thrown rope saved her from a longer cruise.
Wine tour in Maipu is the next on the list. There is a big sign welcoming us to the town - Don´t worry, drink and bike! Well that´s why we are here, isn´t it? There is lots of bike rentals on the main street. We know the first ones are most expensive and only very eager tourists get caught so we go all the way to the end of the town. As soon as we get off a lady comes to us and takes us to her garage where she rents the bikes. Best price we´ve heard about, bikes look good so we take it. Equipped with a map of vineyards and vouchers for tastings we go around the vineyards and various local manufactures. The main street in Maipu is not very nice, dusty and busy. But all you have to do is take any of the side streets, little roads lined up with platan trees and hectares of vineyards and olive parks. Maipu is well known for its heavy red wines Malbec and Cabernet Savignon. The day is pleasant and we inter lay wine and food tastings. We don´t want to end up our trip somewhere in ditch... My pick of the day is Malbec Rable from family run winery Di Tommaso. Both of us liked a olive-aubergine paste from manufacture Laur. And the failure of the day? Jana gets lured by a poetic sounding stuff called Grapa Mandochina without checking first what it could be. Pumpkin spirit at 10.30am is not what our taste buds really want right now. At least I give Jana bonus points for bowling out the owner of the place. The last thing he would expect from Jana was Grapa Manodochina. The moment he raised his eyebrows in surprise I knew this was a bad choice :)
When returning the bikes, the lady invites us to sit down in her garden. Pity our Spanish and her English don´t work very well together. At least we enjoy homemade melon juice, fresh grapes and play with her 3month old puppies. Grapes intended for making a wine and the ones you get in a shop? Incomparable.
The only thing we pity a bit before leaving Mendoza is that we didn´t manage to trek around Aconcagua (highest mountain of southern hemisphere).
Rafting pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52167&id=1344786025&l=042afab466
Rest of the pictures: not available yet
V Mendoze nastesti neni takove vedro jak jsme cekali, prijemnych 29stupnu bez vysoke vlhkosti. Jak uz si zvykame, v Argentine kazde mesto vypada uplne jinak nez to predchozi, ani Mendoza neni vyjimkou. Prevazuji 1patrove domy pospojovane do bloku a tvorici perfektni ctverce. Navigace je alespon jednodussi. Vsechny ulice lemuji nahusto nasazene platany, tak je tu stin a vse ma nazelenaly odstin. Od 12 do 5 je to mesto duchu, kdy behem siesty nepotkate skoro nikoho. Co ale hned zaujme je mistni ¨kanalizace¨ - kameny vydlazdene skarpy, prekryte chodniky, se spoustou der. Takze v Mendoze se urcite vyplati koukat kam slapete.
Nasledujici den po snidani jedeme do 25km vzdaleneho Potrerillos. Konal se zde posledni JA sampionat v raftingu a tak je jasne co tu chceme delat. Po prijezdu jsme rozdeleni do dvou skupin anglicko a spanelsko mluvici a projdou s nami plan dne a dostaneme vybaveni. Neopren, mikinu, helmu a vestu. Nalozi nas do busu a odvezou 12km proti proudu. V busu je sranda, tym raftaru je mlady a poskladany ze vsech koutu sveta. Prichazi dalsi instruktaz, tentokrat hodne podrobna - co delat kdyz vypadnes z raftu nebo se raft prevrati. Standardni prehnana bezpecnost pro zelenace a velke skupiny rikame si...Pote jsme rozdeleni do mensich skupin po 6. V nasem tymu je krome nas jeste par z Anglie, nemec a novozelandanka. Podstoupime jeste jedno skoleni, tenktokrat o tom jak se na raftu chovat, co ktery prikaz znamena a jak se koordinovat. Vse je vtipnou a zabavnou formou, tak ani moc nevnimame, jak je dole pod nami ta voda rychla.. Nasedame a vyrazime, 8 raftu, 4 kajaky pro zachytavani vypadlych a 2 fotografove. Je videt, ze jsou to profesionalove, vse je perfektne propracovane, pozice, signaly, koordince. Reka je cista, ale voda zbarvena do hneda od okolniho piskovce a cedice. Stav vody je docela nizky, takze pojedeme obtiznost III az lehci IV. Jedna se o maximalni obtiznost povolenou pro rekreacni a komercni rafting, V je jen pro sehrane tymy profesionalu a VI je na hranici sjizdnosti. Kazdopadne z vody vlny vypadaji mnohem vetsi nez ze brehu. Je to parada a misty poradny sesup. Pri prvnich perejich me valec dole jako prvniho malem sunda z lodi, noc a pusu mam uplne plny vody, na pristich se musim vic zaprit. Z raftu za nama to 1. uz sunda, takze zadna prehnana opatrnost... Ve druhych perejich nas kormidelnik s velkym usmevem prizna, ze jsme byli centimetry od prevraceni (vypada, ze by se mu to asi libilo). To by byla sranda. Je to adrenalin a uzivame si to. 1.5h utece rychle jako voda po ktere jedeme. A ke konci nas v mensich perejich nechaji naskakat do vody. Je ledova, stejne jako irske more v lete, preci jen tece z hor. Janca byla z raftingu den predem trochu nervozni a moc se ji nechtelo, ale nakonec se ji to libilo tak, ze by jela znovu. Jeste jsme zazili trochu vzruseni pri vylodeni, voda byla prudka a jedne holcine to ujelo, behem chvilky byla 20m dal po proudu a od delsi vyletni plavby ji zachranilo jen rychle hozene lano.
Dalsi den je na poradi vinna stezka v Maipu, ktere je od Mendozy kousicek a jezdi tam MHD. Pri nastupovani si Janca dava na cas pri vhazovani minci a tak ji ridic povzbudi "Come on baby, faster". Pri vjezdu do Maipu nas vita cedule - Don´t worry, drink and bike! (Niceho se nebojte, pijte a uzivejte kola!). Hlavni ulici lemuji desitky pujcoven kol, vime ze ty vepredu jsou nejdrazsi a odchytavaji ty nejdychtivejsi turisty, tak jedeme pres mesto az nakonec. Hned jak vystoupime si nas odchyti pani co pronajima kola doma v garazi. Cena je nejlepsi co jsme slyseli, kola vypadaji docela nove, tak uz dal nehledame a jedeme. Vybaveni mapou vinic a vouchery na ochutnavky, objizdime vinice, ruzne specializovane a olivove manufaktury. Hlavni ulice v Maipu za moc nestoji, je prasna a docela rusna. Ale staci odbocit do kterekoliv bocni ulice a jste v uplne jinem meste. Ceka na vas silnice lemovana platany a za nimi hektary vinic a olivovych sadu. Oblast Maipu je vyhlasena pro sva tezka cervena vina Malbec a Cabernet Savignon. Den prijemne utika a ochutnavky vina prokladame ochutnavkami jidla aby jsme uz v poledne nelezeli nekde ve skarpe co tu slouzi zaroven jako stoka. Muj favorit dne je Malbec Rable z rodinne vinice Di Tommaso, vzhledem k tomu ze ma 14%, mame za sebou uz 5vinic, venku je 30st a Jance nechutna a dostanu i jeji, si na dalsi uz netroufam. Obema nam take moc zachutnala olivova pasta s lilkem z tovarnicky Laur. A propadak dne? V jedne manufakture likeru, jamu, past a cokolad se Janca necha bez podrobnejsiho pruzkumu zlakat poetickym nazvem Grapa Mandochina. Dynova palenka v pul 11 dopoledne neni to po cem nase chutove bunky zrovna touzi. Alespon ma Janca plusove body za to, ze se ji povedlo vyvest z miry majitele. Toto od zeny urcite necekal a jen povytahl oboci (v tu chvili mi bylo jasne, ze to bude zly:)
Pri vraceni kol nas jeste pani pozve k posezeni na jeji zahrade a dostaneme misku vina a ledovy domaci melounovy dzus. Skoda jen, ze nase spanelstina a jeji anglictina nejdou dohromady. Alespon si hrajeme se jejimi 3mesicnimi stenaty. Poprve v zivote jsem mel moznost ochutnat hrozny urcene k vyrobe vina a ne to co se da bezne koupit, neporovnatelne...
Jedine co nas pri odjezdu z Mendozy trochu mrzi, je ze jsme se nepodivali pod Aconcaguu (nejvyssi hora jizni polokoule). Ale casove to bohuzel neslo zvladnout.
Foto z raftu:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52167&id=1344786025&l=042afab466
Foto ostatni:jeste nejsou
The journey to Mendoza takes 17h and during it nothing interesting happens. Immediately after arrival we sort our tickets to Salta our next destination and take urban bus to city centre. Only after we get into the bus we find out that this is not Bariloche. So you don´t pay at the driver, but have to put exact amount in coins into the machine behind him. We don´t have any change on us and driver gets it quite fast - we are just waved in and take the ride for free. Then he pulls over nearly at our hostel (off the scheduled stop).
The heat is not so bad as we expected, pleasant 29degrees and acceptable humidity. So far we haven´t seen two similar looking towns in Argentina and Mendoza isn´t exception. Mostly consists of 1storey buildings linked together into blocks making perfect squares. At least navigation is very easy. All streets are lined with big platan trees so everything has a greenish colour. From 12 to 5 it looks like ghost town, during the siesta time there is a slim chance of meeting anybody. One thing that catches the attention is local system of "sewerage" - stone paved ditches covered up by pavements with a lot of unexpected holes. So it pays out to watch your step.
Next day we go to Potrerillos. Last Panamerican rafting championships took place here so it´s obvious what we plan to do here. After short briefing on day plan we get our equipment - wetsuit, jumper, helmet and lifejacket. We get into the bus and are taken 12km up the river. The team running the event is very funny and the instructors from all over the world. We get off and get very detailed instructions on what to do if you fall out of the raft or if it turns over - just standard overcautious safety for big groups of greenhorns we think...Then we are divided into groups of 6. It´s us British couple, German guy and a girl from New Zealand. We get another briefing on what to do and not to do in the raft and the main thing orders and coordination. Everything is done in a very funny way so we don´t even get a chance to notice that the water in the river is very fast..We start - 8 rafts, 4kayaks to pick up people that fall out and 2photographers. We can see the team is very experienced - working perfectly together, position, signals, coordination. Water has a brown colour acquired from the sandstone and basalt that is all around. Water flow is quite low so we will do grade III to easier IV. It is the maximum allowed grade for leisure and commercial rafting. V is only for professionals and VI is considered to be nearly impossible. The rapids looks much bigger from the raft than from the river bank. It´s great adrenalin and the first rapids catch me unprepared and I nearly fly into the water, nose and mouth full of water. Have to brace myself more next time. Guy from the next raft behind us is prepared even less than me and goes for a swim. We take back our words about being overcautious...
In the second rapids our guide with a big broad smile admits we nearly turned over (I guess he would enjoy it). 1.5hrs pass as quickly as the water flows below us. Towards the end we are allowed to jump into smaller rapids. The water is as warm as an Irish sea in summer. Jana was a bit nervous and did not want to go day before, afterwards she enjoyed it so much she would do it again. There was a bit of excitement when leaving the raft. One of the girls slipped in the strong current and within seconds was 20m away from us. Only a quickly thrown rope saved her from a longer cruise.
Wine tour in Maipu is the next on the list. There is a big sign welcoming us to the town - Don´t worry, drink and bike! Well that´s why we are here, isn´t it? There is lots of bike rentals on the main street. We know the first ones are most expensive and only very eager tourists get caught so we go all the way to the end of the town. As soon as we get off a lady comes to us and takes us to her garage where she rents the bikes. Best price we´ve heard about, bikes look good so we take it. Equipped with a map of vineyards and vouchers for tastings we go around the vineyards and various local manufactures. The main street in Maipu is not very nice, dusty and busy. But all you have to do is take any of the side streets, little roads lined up with platan trees and hectares of vineyards and olive parks. Maipu is well known for its heavy red wines Malbec and Cabernet Savignon. The day is pleasant and we inter lay wine and food tastings. We don´t want to end up our trip somewhere in ditch... My pick of the day is Malbec Rable from family run winery Di Tommaso. Both of us liked a olive-aubergine paste from manufacture Laur. And the failure of the day? Jana gets lured by a poetic sounding stuff called Grapa Mandochina without checking first what it could be. Pumpkin spirit at 10.30am is not what our taste buds really want right now. At least I give Jana bonus points for bowling out the owner of the place. The last thing he would expect from Jana was Grapa Manodochina. The moment he raised his eyebrows in surprise I knew this was a bad choice :)
When returning the bikes, the lady invites us to sit down in her garden. Pity our Spanish and her English don´t work very well together. At least we enjoy homemade melon juice, fresh grapes and play with her 3month old puppies. Grapes intended for making a wine and the ones you get in a shop? Incomparable.
The only thing we pity a bit before leaving Mendoza is that we didn´t manage to trek around Aconcagua (highest mountain of southern hemisphere).
Rafting pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52167&id=1344786025&l=042afab466
Rest of the pictures: not available yet
Bariloche (Argentina)
Po Rute 40 jsme docela zniceni, tak jen nakoupime, odneseme pradlo do pradelny, vecere a spat.
Bariloche je prvni opravdu pekne mesto (podle evropskych meritek) co vidime. Vliv spousty svycarskych pristehovalcu je zrejmy jak v architekture, tak ve velkem mnozstvi obchodu s luxusnimi cokoladami. Predpoved na dnesek je spatna, takze nedelame zadne velke plany. Rano projdeme mesto. Po obede se pocasi probere a proti ocekavani je krasny letni den. Na odpoledne je nam doporucena kratsi puldenni tura podel jezera lesem na mensi vyhlidku. A vylet predci ocekavani. Les je krasny, smes ciprisu, vysokych listnacu a misto krovi a malin tu vsude roste bambus. Pres jezero vyhled na okolni dvoutisicovky pokrytymi lesy a snehem...
Jance uz je od predesleho dne od vecera hodne spatne, ale nechce si nechat nic ujit, tak bojuje. Po snidani zajedeme MHD az pod Cerro Campanario. Nahore ma byt podle UNESCO nejhezci vyhled sveta, tak jsme docela zvedavi. Dole pod lanovkou uz autobusy chrli fronty turistu. My jsme se rozhodli jit po vlastnich, neni to daleko, ale zato pekne strme. Po 40ti min se vyskrabeme nahoru. A vyhled opravdu stoji za to. 360stupnu jezer, lesu, ostrovu, kopcu, plazi a vysokych hor se snehovymi cepicemi. Jedine co nam kazi radost je opar ktery brani vyfoceni slusnych fotek. Tak se alespon pokochame a jdeme dolu pod kopec do pujcovny kol. Pujcujeme 2 na cely den a pojedeme okruh toho co jsme zrovna videli. Kolem jezer, pres ostrovy co jsou pospojovany mosty. Neco kolem 30km. Neni to daleko, ale zato poradne zvlnene. Rovinu tu neznaji. Po ceste se nechame zlakat slibne znici ceduli hlasajici Colonia Suiza...6km prachem a na konci jedna kavarna ve svycarskem dome a kolem trhovci s ruznymi kramy. Skoda casu, jednoznacne nedoporucujeme. Zato pristav Panuelo a hotel Llao Llao s drevenym kostelikem nam vse vynahradi. Okruh s prestavkami zajedeme za 5h, vratime kola a jdeme zpatky na bus. Je navecer a mnohem lepsi svetlo, tak se rozhodnu vybehnout jeste jednou na Campanario udelat lepsi fotky (40min nahoru a dolu, vcetne fotek je slusny cas, zase se dostavam do formy :)
Jeste predtim nez popiseme dalsi den je treba zminit, ze tento den je naplanovany Jancou a prsty v tom opravdu nemam :) Jedna se o odpocinkovy vylet na 1 den. Pujdeme hrebenovku nejvyssiho pohori v okoli...
V 10.30 uz jsme ve vesnici Catedral. Nejvetsi lyzarske stredisko jizni ameriky. Koupime listek na lanovku a behem 15min vyjedeme ze 900mnm do 2200mnm. Jeste 20min stoupaku typu krok dopredu, sklouznout pul zpatky a jsme v prvnim sedle. Vyhled je jeste lepsi nez vcera (Campanario je jen maly hrbolek hluboko pod nami). Cil nasi prvni etapy je Refugio Frey. Vzdaleny pouhe 3km, podle mapy chuze po vrstevnici, tak proc pisou vzdalenost 4hodiny?
Behem chvilky zjistujeme proc. Nejedna se o zadnou pohodovou vychazku, ale o steny a balvany 2-5m nahoru a dolu. Ja si to vylozene uzivam, Janca uz tolik ne (spis vubec ne:). Misty by se ujala i Via Ferrata, pod nami 1500m propast a technicky nejnarocnejsi hike co jsme kdy delali. Nekdy je stena hladka a nejblizsi uchyt i 2m daleko. Kazdopadne vyhledy si uzivame oba. V propasti dole se mota ricka a usti do vodopadu, ze ktereho je dalsi ricka ktera mizi v rokline mezi dvema kopci. Janca uz se vicemene smirila s osudem a tak pomalu postupujeme. Ceka nas uz jen poslednich 0.5km do Freye, ale se sestupem 400m na 100metrech vzdalenosti. Je to hodne hodne prikry. Nastesti je kamen suchy a drsny a da se k nemu prilnout jako ve Spidermanovi, nekdy tak jdeme v uhlu popirajici gravitaci. Janci kolenu se to moc nelibi.
U chaty dame obed a pozorujeme horolezce ve vezich vsude kolem. Zbyvajicich 10km vede dolu lesem, podel reky. Celkove prevyseni je jen 400m, ale Janci kolenu se nelibi uz ani to, tak pajda. Urizneme kus bambusu at ma alespon hul. Kdyby koleno vypovedelo sluzbu na pulce cesty k Frey, tak opravdu nevim co by jsme tam delali.
Les je zatim nejhezci co jsme tu videli, opravdu krasne misto. Ciste listnaty les, vsechno velikani od 30m vys. Po ceste jeste zahledneme nejvertikalnejsi louku co snad muze byt. Stromy co na ni rostou jsou skoro rovnobezne se zemi. Janca odbojuje posledni kilometry a v 6 uz cekame na bus zpatky.
Posledni den uz se jen tak poflakujeme po meste a nakoupime nejake cokolady pred cestou do Mendozy.
Zaverem si rikame, ze toto je misto kde se da opravdu bez problemu stravit nekolik tydnu a mit porad co delat. Zaslouzene je to vyhlasene letovisko a zimovisko vetsiny argentincu. Janci koleno je v poradku, bylo to jen momentalni znechuceni nad velkym prevysenim a uz se tesi na dalsi dobrodruzstvi!
Fotky:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51860&id=1344786025&l=be9a38afec
After Ruta 40 we are quite exhausted, so all manage is some shopping, take clothes to laundry, dinner and sleep.
Bariloche is first really nice town (by European standards) we see. Influence of Swiss immigrants can be seen in both architecture and many manufactures with luxury chocolate. Forecast for today is not good, so we don´t plan any big things. We walk around the town in the morning. But the weather picks up after lunch so we decide to take advice at our hostel and go for half a day tour along the lake through the forest to a small viewpoint. And it exceeds our expectations. The forest is beautiful, mixture of cypress, tall broad-leave trees and bushes are replaced by bamboo. Over the blue lake you can see mountains with snow on the tops.
Jana has been feeling very miserable since yesterday evening but don´t want to miss on anything so decides to fight it. After breakfast we jump on urban bus going all the way to Cerro Campanario. UNESCO considers the view from the top to be the best one in the world so we are quite anxious. Down below the cablecar tourist buses bring quite a lot of people creating long queues. We don´t see much point queueing instead of taking short walk even when it´s very steep. 40mins and we are up. The view is breathtaking. 360degrees of lakes, forests, islands, hills, beaches and big mountains with snow caps. Pity it´s bit hazy so the pictures won´t be very nice. So we head down and hire bikes from the rental just below the hill. The plan is to do circuit of what we just seen. Around lakes over the islands connected with bridges. Not too far only about 30km although all uphill and downhill. Along the way we get lured by sign saying Colonia Suiza...6km through the dust and at the end one coffee shop in Swiss style house surrounded by markets with useless junk. Waste of time. Harbor Panuelo and hotel Llao Llao with small wooden church compensate it more than enough. When we finish the circuit the afternoon light is much better so I decide to run up the Campanario hill again to take some more and hopefully better pictures. (40mins up and down, including taking of pics is a decent time. Good to be back in shape :)
Before I start describing the next day I should mention that the whole idea came from Jana and I didn´t participate in the planning :) It is a rest day trip. We´ll walk the spine of the highest mountain ridge in the area...
At 10.30 we start from village Catedral. The biggest skiing resort of South America. We buy a ticket to cablecar and within 15mins move up from 900m to 2200m. Another 20mins of steep scramble 1 step up half down and we reach the first gap. The view is way better than yesterday (Campanario is just a tiny hill far below). The aim of our first part is to reach Refugio Frey. Distance only 3km, map showing it´s all the time on contour line, so why the sign shows 4hrs distance?
We find out very soon. Today we won´t be having any peaceful walk on the ridge but climbing of walls and boulders 2-5m tall. I really enjoy it, Jana not so much (hates it would be the better word :) I think Via Ferrata would be justified in some parts, 1500m drop below us and technically most difficult hike we ever done. Sometimes the wall is smooth and closest hold 2m far. But what both of us enjoy is the views. Far below is a small river with many bends falling further down as small waterfall and disappearing in chasm between two hills. Jana comes to terms with the fate so we can slowly make our way forward. We are only half km away from Frey, but with a drop of 400m on 100m distance. It is very very steep. Fortunately is the rock dry and rough and we can stick to it like a Spiderman. Jana´s knee doesn´t like it very much.
At the Refugio we have a lunch and watch climbers in the towers all around us. The remaining 10km is all easy walk through the forest. Overall descent only 400m but Jana´s knee doesn´t like even that so she limps. We cut a bamboo so she at least has a stick to support herself. If the knee went out of order on the half way to Refugio I really don´t know what would we do. Forest is the most beautiful we´ve seen here so far, great place. Only a monoculture of broad-leave trees all 30m tall and higher. We also see the most vertical meadow there can be, trees grow nearly in parallel with the ground. Jana fights the last kms and at 6 we catch the return bus.
The last day we just wonder around the town and buy some chocolates for the bus ride to Mendoza.
Bariloche is definitely a place where you can spend couple weeks and have plenty to do all the time. That is why it is well known summer and winter resort for most of the Argentinians. Jana´s knee is all well now, it was just a momentary disgust over the steep descent, so the knee is looking forward to the new adventures!
Pics:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51860&id=1344786025&l=be9a38afec
Bariloche je prvni opravdu pekne mesto (podle evropskych meritek) co vidime. Vliv spousty svycarskych pristehovalcu je zrejmy jak v architekture, tak ve velkem mnozstvi obchodu s luxusnimi cokoladami. Predpoved na dnesek je spatna, takze nedelame zadne velke plany. Rano projdeme mesto. Po obede se pocasi probere a proti ocekavani je krasny letni den. Na odpoledne je nam doporucena kratsi puldenni tura podel jezera lesem na mensi vyhlidku. A vylet predci ocekavani. Les je krasny, smes ciprisu, vysokych listnacu a misto krovi a malin tu vsude roste bambus. Pres jezero vyhled na okolni dvoutisicovky pokrytymi lesy a snehem...
Jance uz je od predesleho dne od vecera hodne spatne, ale nechce si nechat nic ujit, tak bojuje. Po snidani zajedeme MHD az pod Cerro Campanario. Nahore ma byt podle UNESCO nejhezci vyhled sveta, tak jsme docela zvedavi. Dole pod lanovkou uz autobusy chrli fronty turistu. My jsme se rozhodli jit po vlastnich, neni to daleko, ale zato pekne strme. Po 40ti min se vyskrabeme nahoru. A vyhled opravdu stoji za to. 360stupnu jezer, lesu, ostrovu, kopcu, plazi a vysokych hor se snehovymi cepicemi. Jedine co nam kazi radost je opar ktery brani vyfoceni slusnych fotek. Tak se alespon pokochame a jdeme dolu pod kopec do pujcovny kol. Pujcujeme 2 na cely den a pojedeme okruh toho co jsme zrovna videli. Kolem jezer, pres ostrovy co jsou pospojovany mosty. Neco kolem 30km. Neni to daleko, ale zato poradne zvlnene. Rovinu tu neznaji. Po ceste se nechame zlakat slibne znici ceduli hlasajici Colonia Suiza...6km prachem a na konci jedna kavarna ve svycarskem dome a kolem trhovci s ruznymi kramy. Skoda casu, jednoznacne nedoporucujeme. Zato pristav Panuelo a hotel Llao Llao s drevenym kostelikem nam vse vynahradi. Okruh s prestavkami zajedeme za 5h, vratime kola a jdeme zpatky na bus. Je navecer a mnohem lepsi svetlo, tak se rozhodnu vybehnout jeste jednou na Campanario udelat lepsi fotky (40min nahoru a dolu, vcetne fotek je slusny cas, zase se dostavam do formy :)
Jeste predtim nez popiseme dalsi den je treba zminit, ze tento den je naplanovany Jancou a prsty v tom opravdu nemam :) Jedna se o odpocinkovy vylet na 1 den. Pujdeme hrebenovku nejvyssiho pohori v okoli...
V 10.30 uz jsme ve vesnici Catedral. Nejvetsi lyzarske stredisko jizni ameriky. Koupime listek na lanovku a behem 15min vyjedeme ze 900mnm do 2200mnm. Jeste 20min stoupaku typu krok dopredu, sklouznout pul zpatky a jsme v prvnim sedle. Vyhled je jeste lepsi nez vcera (Campanario je jen maly hrbolek hluboko pod nami). Cil nasi prvni etapy je Refugio Frey. Vzdaleny pouhe 3km, podle mapy chuze po vrstevnici, tak proc pisou vzdalenost 4hodiny?
Behem chvilky zjistujeme proc. Nejedna se o zadnou pohodovou vychazku, ale o steny a balvany 2-5m nahoru a dolu. Ja si to vylozene uzivam, Janca uz tolik ne (spis vubec ne:). Misty by se ujala i Via Ferrata, pod nami 1500m propast a technicky nejnarocnejsi hike co jsme kdy delali. Nekdy je stena hladka a nejblizsi uchyt i 2m daleko. Kazdopadne vyhledy si uzivame oba. V propasti dole se mota ricka a usti do vodopadu, ze ktereho je dalsi ricka ktera mizi v rokline mezi dvema kopci. Janca uz se vicemene smirila s osudem a tak pomalu postupujeme. Ceka nas uz jen poslednich 0.5km do Freye, ale se sestupem 400m na 100metrech vzdalenosti. Je to hodne hodne prikry. Nastesti je kamen suchy a drsny a da se k nemu prilnout jako ve Spidermanovi, nekdy tak jdeme v uhlu popirajici gravitaci. Janci kolenu se to moc nelibi.
U chaty dame obed a pozorujeme horolezce ve vezich vsude kolem. Zbyvajicich 10km vede dolu lesem, podel reky. Celkove prevyseni je jen 400m, ale Janci kolenu se nelibi uz ani to, tak pajda. Urizneme kus bambusu at ma alespon hul. Kdyby koleno vypovedelo sluzbu na pulce cesty k Frey, tak opravdu nevim co by jsme tam delali.
Les je zatim nejhezci co jsme tu videli, opravdu krasne misto. Ciste listnaty les, vsechno velikani od 30m vys. Po ceste jeste zahledneme nejvertikalnejsi louku co snad muze byt. Stromy co na ni rostou jsou skoro rovnobezne se zemi. Janca odbojuje posledni kilometry a v 6 uz cekame na bus zpatky.
Posledni den uz se jen tak poflakujeme po meste a nakoupime nejake cokolady pred cestou do Mendozy.
Zaverem si rikame, ze toto je misto kde se da opravdu bez problemu stravit nekolik tydnu a mit porad co delat. Zaslouzene je to vyhlasene letovisko a zimovisko vetsiny argentincu. Janci koleno je v poradku, bylo to jen momentalni znechuceni nad velkym prevysenim a uz se tesi na dalsi dobrodruzstvi!
Fotky:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51860&id=1344786025&l=be9a38afec
After Ruta 40 we are quite exhausted, so all manage is some shopping, take clothes to laundry, dinner and sleep.
Bariloche is first really nice town (by European standards) we see. Influence of Swiss immigrants can be seen in both architecture and many manufactures with luxury chocolate. Forecast for today is not good, so we don´t plan any big things. We walk around the town in the morning. But the weather picks up after lunch so we decide to take advice at our hostel and go for half a day tour along the lake through the forest to a small viewpoint. And it exceeds our expectations. The forest is beautiful, mixture of cypress, tall broad-leave trees and bushes are replaced by bamboo. Over the blue lake you can see mountains with snow on the tops.
Jana has been feeling very miserable since yesterday evening but don´t want to miss on anything so decides to fight it. After breakfast we jump on urban bus going all the way to Cerro Campanario. UNESCO considers the view from the top to be the best one in the world so we are quite anxious. Down below the cablecar tourist buses bring quite a lot of people creating long queues. We don´t see much point queueing instead of taking short walk even when it´s very steep. 40mins and we are up. The view is breathtaking. 360degrees of lakes, forests, islands, hills, beaches and big mountains with snow caps. Pity it´s bit hazy so the pictures won´t be very nice. So we head down and hire bikes from the rental just below the hill. The plan is to do circuit of what we just seen. Around lakes over the islands connected with bridges. Not too far only about 30km although all uphill and downhill. Along the way we get lured by sign saying Colonia Suiza...6km through the dust and at the end one coffee shop in Swiss style house surrounded by markets with useless junk. Waste of time. Harbor Panuelo and hotel Llao Llao with small wooden church compensate it more than enough. When we finish the circuit the afternoon light is much better so I decide to run up the Campanario hill again to take some more and hopefully better pictures. (40mins up and down, including taking of pics is a decent time. Good to be back in shape :)
Before I start describing the next day I should mention that the whole idea came from Jana and I didn´t participate in the planning :) It is a rest day trip. We´ll walk the spine of the highest mountain ridge in the area...
At 10.30 we start from village Catedral. The biggest skiing resort of South America. We buy a ticket to cablecar and within 15mins move up from 900m to 2200m. Another 20mins of steep scramble 1 step up half down and we reach the first gap. The view is way better than yesterday (Campanario is just a tiny hill far below). The aim of our first part is to reach Refugio Frey. Distance only 3km, map showing it´s all the time on contour line, so why the sign shows 4hrs distance?
We find out very soon. Today we won´t be having any peaceful walk on the ridge but climbing of walls and boulders 2-5m tall. I really enjoy it, Jana not so much (hates it would be the better word :) I think Via Ferrata would be justified in some parts, 1500m drop below us and technically most difficult hike we ever done. Sometimes the wall is smooth and closest hold 2m far. But what both of us enjoy is the views. Far below is a small river with many bends falling further down as small waterfall and disappearing in chasm between two hills. Jana comes to terms with the fate so we can slowly make our way forward. We are only half km away from Frey, but with a drop of 400m on 100m distance. It is very very steep. Fortunately is the rock dry and rough and we can stick to it like a Spiderman. Jana´s knee doesn´t like it very much.
At the Refugio we have a lunch and watch climbers in the towers all around us. The remaining 10km is all easy walk through the forest. Overall descent only 400m but Jana´s knee doesn´t like even that so she limps. We cut a bamboo so she at least has a stick to support herself. If the knee went out of order on the half way to Refugio I really don´t know what would we do. Forest is the most beautiful we´ve seen here so far, great place. Only a monoculture of broad-leave trees all 30m tall and higher. We also see the most vertical meadow there can be, trees grow nearly in parallel with the ground. Jana fights the last kms and at 6 we catch the return bus.
The last day we just wonder around the town and buy some chocolates for the bus ride to Mendoza.
Bariloche is definitely a place where you can spend couple weeks and have plenty to do all the time. That is why it is well known summer and winter resort for most of the Argentinians. Jana´s knee is all well now, it was just a momentary disgust over the steep descent, so the knee is looking forward to the new adventures!
Pics:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51860&id=1344786025&l=be9a38afec
Friday, 12 February 2010
Ruta 40 (Patagonia)
Oficialni odjezd do Bariloche 23.20, skutecny 0.30, nic zvlastniho se nedeje. Mozna jsme dalkove busy tady puvodne trochu prechvalili. Sluzba SemiCama evidentne znamena neco jineho na severu a neco jineho na jihu zeme. Sedime v obycejnem busu s lehce sklopitelnymi sedackami. Cele predni sklo je skryte za mrizi a po 100km vime proc. Ruta 40 v teto casti zeme je sice legendarni, ale to znamena, ze jsou to tisice kilometru ujezdeneho prachu a sterku s hluboce vyjetymi kolejemi. A tak misty doslova plaveme jak na snehu 40km rychlosti na sever. Planina a pustota kolem je neuveritelna - vsechny smery kam dohledneme jsou jen zlutohneda placka s trsy travy. Hodiny a hodiny ubihaji, vyhled je absolutne nepozmenen a je to presne tak nepohodlne jak si dovedete predstavit. Celou noc se vsichni snazi najit idealni pozici vhodnou ke spanku, ale nic takoveho neexistuje...
Po prvnich 16hodinach zastavime na 2h v osade Perito Moreno, kde nas i se zavazadly vylozi aby pro nas po prestavce zase prijeli. Smysl to moc nema..? Osada je par zaprasenych baraku s benzinkou a smeckami psu. Chvilku si povidame s tlupou americkych motorkaru co to tu brazdi na endurech. To musi byt silena makacka...
Pokracujeme dal. Kolem 11vecer prijde na radu zavada motoru. Vypada to na tekouci chladic, kazdych 30min zastavujeme a ridici lezou do motoru a snazi se to spravit. Neustale dolevaji vodu, i za jizdy.. Pri jedne delsi oprave vyndaji na podlahu kusy motoru a jdou mezi cestujici hledat nejake tesneni. A najdou - kondom zachranuje situaci. Pokracujeme a uprostred noci prijde dalsi zavada, ale tentokrat asi neco jineho. Ja spim, ale Janca to videla asi takto:
Jeden ridic lezi v motoru zevnitr, druhy zepredu a treti zespoda. Po 2h vytahnou nejakou trubku s krabickou na konci ktera je plna malych soucastek a hraji si s tim. Bonusova otazka, co to bylo?
Ridici uz nevypadaji jako ridici, ale jako mechanici co se rozhodli polit olejem a vyvalet v patagonskem prachu. Predpokladany prijezd misto v 8.00 ve 14.00. Takze ne 32h ale 38h na ceste! Tusime, ze tenhle rekord v jizde busem budeme prekonavat tezko. Ale jak se rika co te nezabije to te posili...
fotky jsou k dispozici na:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51859&id=1344786025&l=15c68228df
Official departure for Bariloche is at 23.20, real one 0.30, nothing special. Maybe we overpraised long distance buses. Servise SemiCama apparantly means something different in the north and in the south of the country. We sit in an ordinary bus with seats that go down only tiny bit. The whole of front screen is behind fine bar and after first 100km we know why. Ruta 40 in this part of the country is legendary, but that means dust and gravel with deep tracks for thousands of kilometres. And so sometimes we drift like on a snow reaching max speed of 40km/hr. Desolate plateaus all around us are overwhelming. All directions are just brown-yellow flat surface with bits of dry grass. Hours and hours pass, view unchanged and the seats are as uncomfortable as you can imagine. The whole night is everybody trying to find the perfect position to sleep knowing that nothing like that exists...
After first 16hrs we stop for 2hrs in a place called Perito Moreno. We get off together with our luggage and then the same bus collects us. What is the sense...?
The place consists of few houses, gas station and packs of dogs. For a while we talk to band of American bikers that cruise this part of the world on enduros. It has to be a tough trip...
We continue, around 11pm defect on engine..It looks like a leaking cooling unit, every 30mins we stop and driver look into the engine and try to fix it. They refill the water all the time, even while driving..During one of the longer repairs a lot of engine parts lay on the floor and the drivers go and search for a gasket among the passangers. And they find - condom saves the day.
Again we hit the road and another defect happens in the middle of the night. Something different. I am asleep, Jana saw it this way:
One of the drivers is laying on the floor looking into the engine, second doing the same from the front, and third the same from the bottom. After 2hrs they pull out a tube with a box at the end full of small parts and play with it for a while. Bonus question, what was it?
Drivers don't look like drivers any more, more like mechanichs that decided to swim in an oil and than roll out in the patagonian dust...
Expected arrival changes from 8am to 2pm. So it won't be 32 but 38h in the bus! We reckon, this record will be hard to beat. But as it's said what does not kill you makes you stronger...
For pictures please go to:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51859&id=1344786025&l=15c68228df
Po prvnich 16hodinach zastavime na 2h v osade Perito Moreno, kde nas i se zavazadly vylozi aby pro nas po prestavce zase prijeli. Smysl to moc nema..? Osada je par zaprasenych baraku s benzinkou a smeckami psu. Chvilku si povidame s tlupou americkych motorkaru co to tu brazdi na endurech. To musi byt silena makacka...
Pokracujeme dal. Kolem 11vecer prijde na radu zavada motoru. Vypada to na tekouci chladic, kazdych 30min zastavujeme a ridici lezou do motoru a snazi se to spravit. Neustale dolevaji vodu, i za jizdy.. Pri jedne delsi oprave vyndaji na podlahu kusy motoru a jdou mezi cestujici hledat nejake tesneni. A najdou - kondom zachranuje situaci. Pokracujeme a uprostred noci prijde dalsi zavada, ale tentokrat asi neco jineho. Ja spim, ale Janca to videla asi takto:
Jeden ridic lezi v motoru zevnitr, druhy zepredu a treti zespoda. Po 2h vytahnou nejakou trubku s krabickou na konci ktera je plna malych soucastek a hraji si s tim. Bonusova otazka, co to bylo?
Ridici uz nevypadaji jako ridici, ale jako mechanici co se rozhodli polit olejem a vyvalet v patagonskem prachu. Predpokladany prijezd misto v 8.00 ve 14.00. Takze ne 32h ale 38h na ceste! Tusime, ze tenhle rekord v jizde busem budeme prekonavat tezko. Ale jak se rika co te nezabije to te posili...
fotky jsou k dispozici na:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51859&id=1344786025&l=15c68228df
Official departure for Bariloche is at 23.20, real one 0.30, nothing special. Maybe we overpraised long distance buses. Servise SemiCama apparantly means something different in the north and in the south of the country. We sit in an ordinary bus with seats that go down only tiny bit. The whole of front screen is behind fine bar and after first 100km we know why. Ruta 40 in this part of the country is legendary, but that means dust and gravel with deep tracks for thousands of kilometres. And so sometimes we drift like on a snow reaching max speed of 40km/hr. Desolate plateaus all around us are overwhelming. All directions are just brown-yellow flat surface with bits of dry grass. Hours and hours pass, view unchanged and the seats are as uncomfortable as you can imagine. The whole night is everybody trying to find the perfect position to sleep knowing that nothing like that exists...
After first 16hrs we stop for 2hrs in a place called Perito Moreno. We get off together with our luggage and then the same bus collects us. What is the sense...?
The place consists of few houses, gas station and packs of dogs. For a while we talk to band of American bikers that cruise this part of the world on enduros. It has to be a tough trip...
We continue, around 11pm defect on engine..It looks like a leaking cooling unit, every 30mins we stop and driver look into the engine and try to fix it. They refill the water all the time, even while driving..During one of the longer repairs a lot of engine parts lay on the floor and the drivers go and search for a gasket among the passangers. And they find - condom saves the day.
Again we hit the road and another defect happens in the middle of the night. Something different. I am asleep, Jana saw it this way:
One of the drivers is laying on the floor looking into the engine, second doing the same from the front, and third the same from the bottom. After 2hrs they pull out a tube with a box at the end full of small parts and play with it for a while. Bonus question, what was it?
Drivers don't look like drivers any more, more like mechanichs that decided to swim in an oil and than roll out in the patagonian dust...
Expected arrival changes from 8am to 2pm. So it won't be 32 but 38h in the bus! We reckon, this record will be hard to beat. But as it's said what does not kill you makes you stronger...
For pictures please go to:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51859&id=1344786025&l=15c68228df
Monday, 8 February 2010
El Chalten (Patagonia)
Prejezd z El Calafate do El Chalten je kratky, jen 3h, ale i tak mame sanci okusit poprve neco z Patagonskych plani. Mame pred sebou 200km otevrenych prostor s kopci v pozadi, silnice je sem tam videt az 20km daleko nez zacne splyvat s pozadim.
Pred prijezdem do mesta musi kazdy povinne zastavit na centrale spravcu narodniho parku kde kazdemu durazne vysvetli co se tu smi a nesmi. Je videt, ze si tu prirodu umi branit - zadne cigarety, zadni psy, nahodne se pri prichodu z tury kontroluje jestli si kazdy nese zpet vlastni odpad. Odskocit na toaletu je mozne minimalne 100m od vodnich zdroju, atd. V pripade poruseni pravidel jsou pokuty vysoke (100-3000USD) a vyhosteni z parku jiste.
Mestecko je stejne jako vetsina mest co jsme zatim v Argentine videli postavene bez jakehokoliv uzemniho planovani. Ruzne styly a druhy budov splacane dohromady, zadny system, zadne chodniky, zadne centrum. Jsme uz dost daleko od civilizace, takze spojeni tu ma jen ten kdo ma satelitni telefon nebo internet, je to hodne pomale a drahe. Sami jsme na telefonu nemeli signal uz 7 dni.
Oba jsme ze vsech tech teplotnich zmen nakraply. Janca ma zablokovanej nosohltan a ja k tomu jeste bolest v krku. Ale prece nam nejake nachlazeni nezkazi vylet, ne?
V 9 rano slapeme do kopce a jde to ztezka nez se rozdychame. Po 1. stoupani vchazime do prastareho lesa (100ky let). Stromy jsou male a zkroucene, ale je vide, ze jsou hodne stare - vegetacni pasmo subarkticke. Po 1.5h dojdeme na 1. vyhlidku. Pod nami je siroke udoli s lesy, rekou a balvany vytvorene ledovcem. Cil cesty je uplne zahalen v mracich. Po dalsich 2h uz stojime u ledovcoveho jezirka Laguna Torre. Nalevo cerna hora Cerro Solo s lesy a vodopadem, pred nami ledovec Grande a zbytek je v mracich. Sedame si na breh jezera a jime obed. Behem necele hodiny se obloha uplne vycisti a hned nad ledovcem se tyci v plne parade spicata Cerro Torre (3102m) + 6 mensich bratricku. Je krasna hodne tenka a ostra s vyskou steny kolem 2km. Nechapu jak na to muze nekdo vylezt. Od 70tych let to bylo hodne dlouho povazovano za nejtezsi vystup sveta. Na rozloucenou nam jeste spadne jedna mensi lavina. Po ceste zpatky jeste zahledneme vrcholek Fitz Roye. Ve 4 jsme zpatky na hostelu, v nohach na rozcviceni 22km lehcim terenem. Zitra nas ceka 25 tezkym...
Na dnesni turu se k nam pripojuje nemka Konnie, mela jit uz vcera, ale nebylo ji dobre. Prvni hodinu opet stoupame, pak narazime na les ktery kdyby byl vetsi tak reknu, ze je to Fangorn z Pana Prstenu (temny a stary) a po 2h prijdeme na prvni vyhlidku. Tady nas dohoni ir Brian co jsme se s nim seznamili vcera (je z Coolmine, ctvrt kde jsme posledni 2 roky bydleli - svet je maly) a dal jdeme ve 4. Fitz Roy je stale v mracich a neni z nej videt skoro nic. Potkavame dalsiho znameho z Calafate, americana Johna, Brian ho zna z Bariloche! (svet cestovatelu je jeste mensi:) Posledni hodina je strmy stoupak suti a pak uz na nas ceka Patagonska klasika, jezero, ledovec, kolme steny. Nadhera, sedime a jime obed, ale Fitz Roy porad beze zmeny pritahuje vsechny mraky v okoli a neni z nej videt vic jak 0.5km. Po hodine jsme zmrzli a tak jdeme zpatky dolu. No nic, neni kazdy den posviceni...
Jsme zpatky na predposledni vyhlidce, otacime se a je tam! Obloha se behem 30min na chvilku vycistila a Fitz Roy, mohutna vez, splhajici do 3405m sviti v plne krase.
V 6 dotapeme zniceni na hostel, dame rychlou sprchu a jdeme na spolecnou rozluckovou veceri. Mam hlad tak si objednam biftek, zbytek sahne po tradicni stew. To co mi za pul hodky prinesou je neuveritelne. Nejvetsi kus masa co jsme kdy na jednom taliri videli. Kazdemu odkrojim 2cm platek, ale porad mi tam jeste pul kila zbyva. Nechapu jak nekdo muze takovy kus masa takhle vyborne pripravit, je to krehke a stavnate. Kdo nemel argentinske hovezi, tak v zivote hovezi nejedl! Rozdil mezi nasim a mistnim hovezim je jako kdyz si koupite hoskovy knedlik v lidlu nebo nechate udelat od babicky...a to vse jen za necele 200kc. (Krome hoveziho je, ale Argentina docela draha, 3tinka piva tak 40kc, salek caje 30). Navecer jsme domluveni s argentincema, ze jeste nekam zajdem, ale uz v 9 spi! (Normalne se tu zacina veceret kolem 10). Dali si dnes kurz ledoveho lezeni, 12h na nohou...
Posledni den je od rana hnusne, prsi a fouka a az ted nam poradne dochazi jake jsme meli stesti videt obe veze. Nedavno tu byla svycarska expedice co mela lezt na FR, TV stab, sponzori, atd...sedeli 6tydnu v base campu a horu ani jednou nevideli! Americani co jsou tu s nami ji zahledli jednou na pul minuty a nemci vubec.
Vecer uz se jen tak poflakujeme na hostelu, hrajeme posledni hru karet s argentinci nez se rozloucime a v 11vecer jdeme na bus do Bariloche.
Fotky jsou na link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51857&id=1344786025&l=47f3a11229
Transfer from El Calafate to El Chalten is short, just 3hrs. Despite that we get a first taste of Patagonian plains. 200km of open spaces with small hills on the horizon, you can see up to 20km of the road before it starts to blend with the visibility line..
Before entering the town everybody must stop at park rangers hut and listen to a presentation of what is allowed and what not in the park. Rules are very strict - no smoking, no dogs, random checks of backpacks to see that you have your rubbish with you, go for a pee at least 100m from water, etc. Fines from 100-3000USD and certain banishment from the park.
Both of us have blocked nose and sore throat from all the extreme temperature changes, but that is not something that could stop us from seeing the park! Early in the morning we are already going uphill (only direction from the town) and enter old forest(couple hundreds yrs). Trees are small and very crooked, forest is dark, it reminds us of Fangorn from Lord of the rings movie. After 1.5h we reach the first viewpoint. Below us wide valley with forests, glaciar river and boulders. Objective of our hike is completely covered by clouds...After another 2hrs we stand at the glacier lake Laguna Torre. On the left huge black mountain with trees and waterfall, in front of us glacier Grande and the rest is still in clouds. We sit down on the shore to have a lunch. Within an hour the sky clears completely and right above the glacier we can see pointed Cerro Torre (3102m) in full beauty altogether with it´s 6 smaller brothers. It is gorgeous very slim and sharp with wall length about 2km (that is about 20 Dublin Spires). For a long a time in 70´s it was considered to be the toughest climb in the world. As a farewell small avalanche falls down...At 4 we´re back at hostel, bit tired but it was a good 22km stretch in easy terrain before our tomorrow´s 25 in difficult one..
Next day we start early again and our German friend Konnie joins us. First hour we go uphill again and reach different forest and walk through it for 2hrs before reaching first viewpoint. Irish guy (Brian from Coolmine, are where we lived - world is small) from our hostel catches up with us and we continue in 4. Fitz Roy is from the morning still in clouds. Soon we meet another guy we know, American John and we find out Brian knows him from different part of the travels as well - world of travellers is even smaller :) The last hour of the hike is very steep uphill through gravel and boulders. And then Patagonian classics - lake, glacier, vertical walls.
Magnificence, we have our lunch and wait for Fitz Roy to show up. But after an hour it still looks like all the clouds are attracted by this piece of rock even more than us. We start to get quite cold so decide to return. Well life is not all cakes and ale...
We are back on the second last viewpoint and turn around and here it is! The sky cleared in last 30mins and we can see this massive tower reaching up to 3405m. Fitz Roy is looking at us from it´s forever frozen pedestal!
At 6 completely out of energy we come back to the hostel to have quick shower before our last dinner together. I´m starving so go for the steak while others choose traditional local stew. The thing that lands in front of me in half an hour is the biggest piece of meat I´ve ever seen on one plate in my life. After sharing an inch with everybody still over a pound is left for me to cope with...how can anybody prepare such a big meat that it´s so tender and juicy? And all of that just for 7EUR (on the other hand Argentina is quite expensive and we find it impossible to fit into our budget)
We planned to go for a beer after the dinner with Argentinian lads but when I come to their room at 9 they are all sleeping already (normally at 10 they start eating their dinner and go out around 2am)! Later we find out they had a day tour of ice trekking and climbing - 12hrs, good they managed to get back :)
Last day is miserable weather all day and only after talking to other people we realize how lucky we were (Lucky Irish they say:) Recently Swiss mountaineering expedition with TV crew, sponsors, etc sat for 6 weeks under the Fitz Roy and didn´t manage to even see it. American couple we share room with saw it for 30seconds and Germans didn´t see it at all in last 5 days!
After last game of Truko with Argentinians and farewell we head for our bus to Bariloche.
For pictures please use the below link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51857&id=1344786025&l=47f3a11229
Pred prijezdem do mesta musi kazdy povinne zastavit na centrale spravcu narodniho parku kde kazdemu durazne vysvetli co se tu smi a nesmi. Je videt, ze si tu prirodu umi branit - zadne cigarety, zadni psy, nahodne se pri prichodu z tury kontroluje jestli si kazdy nese zpet vlastni odpad. Odskocit na toaletu je mozne minimalne 100m od vodnich zdroju, atd. V pripade poruseni pravidel jsou pokuty vysoke (100-3000USD) a vyhosteni z parku jiste.
Mestecko je stejne jako vetsina mest co jsme zatim v Argentine videli postavene bez jakehokoliv uzemniho planovani. Ruzne styly a druhy budov splacane dohromady, zadny system, zadne chodniky, zadne centrum. Jsme uz dost daleko od civilizace, takze spojeni tu ma jen ten kdo ma satelitni telefon nebo internet, je to hodne pomale a drahe. Sami jsme na telefonu nemeli signal uz 7 dni.
Oba jsme ze vsech tech teplotnich zmen nakraply. Janca ma zablokovanej nosohltan a ja k tomu jeste bolest v krku. Ale prece nam nejake nachlazeni nezkazi vylet, ne?
V 9 rano slapeme do kopce a jde to ztezka nez se rozdychame. Po 1. stoupani vchazime do prastareho lesa (100ky let). Stromy jsou male a zkroucene, ale je vide, ze jsou hodne stare - vegetacni pasmo subarkticke. Po 1.5h dojdeme na 1. vyhlidku. Pod nami je siroke udoli s lesy, rekou a balvany vytvorene ledovcem. Cil cesty je uplne zahalen v mracich. Po dalsich 2h uz stojime u ledovcoveho jezirka Laguna Torre. Nalevo cerna hora Cerro Solo s lesy a vodopadem, pred nami ledovec Grande a zbytek je v mracich. Sedame si na breh jezera a jime obed. Behem necele hodiny se obloha uplne vycisti a hned nad ledovcem se tyci v plne parade spicata Cerro Torre (3102m) + 6 mensich bratricku. Je krasna hodne tenka a ostra s vyskou steny kolem 2km. Nechapu jak na to muze nekdo vylezt. Od 70tych let to bylo hodne dlouho povazovano za nejtezsi vystup sveta. Na rozloucenou nam jeste spadne jedna mensi lavina. Po ceste zpatky jeste zahledneme vrcholek Fitz Roye. Ve 4 jsme zpatky na hostelu, v nohach na rozcviceni 22km lehcim terenem. Zitra nas ceka 25 tezkym...
Na dnesni turu se k nam pripojuje nemka Konnie, mela jit uz vcera, ale nebylo ji dobre. Prvni hodinu opet stoupame, pak narazime na les ktery kdyby byl vetsi tak reknu, ze je to Fangorn z Pana Prstenu (temny a stary) a po 2h prijdeme na prvni vyhlidku. Tady nas dohoni ir Brian co jsme se s nim seznamili vcera (je z Coolmine, ctvrt kde jsme posledni 2 roky bydleli - svet je maly) a dal jdeme ve 4. Fitz Roy je stale v mracich a neni z nej videt skoro nic. Potkavame dalsiho znameho z Calafate, americana Johna, Brian ho zna z Bariloche! (svet cestovatelu je jeste mensi:) Posledni hodina je strmy stoupak suti a pak uz na nas ceka Patagonska klasika, jezero, ledovec, kolme steny. Nadhera, sedime a jime obed, ale Fitz Roy porad beze zmeny pritahuje vsechny mraky v okoli a neni z nej videt vic jak 0.5km. Po hodine jsme zmrzli a tak jdeme zpatky dolu. No nic, neni kazdy den posviceni...
Jsme zpatky na predposledni vyhlidce, otacime se a je tam! Obloha se behem 30min na chvilku vycistila a Fitz Roy, mohutna vez, splhajici do 3405m sviti v plne krase.
V 6 dotapeme zniceni na hostel, dame rychlou sprchu a jdeme na spolecnou rozluckovou veceri. Mam hlad tak si objednam biftek, zbytek sahne po tradicni stew. To co mi za pul hodky prinesou je neuveritelne. Nejvetsi kus masa co jsme kdy na jednom taliri videli. Kazdemu odkrojim 2cm platek, ale porad mi tam jeste pul kila zbyva. Nechapu jak nekdo muze takovy kus masa takhle vyborne pripravit, je to krehke a stavnate. Kdo nemel argentinske hovezi, tak v zivote hovezi nejedl! Rozdil mezi nasim a mistnim hovezim je jako kdyz si koupite hoskovy knedlik v lidlu nebo nechate udelat od babicky...a to vse jen za necele 200kc. (Krome hoveziho je, ale Argentina docela draha, 3tinka piva tak 40kc, salek caje 30). Navecer jsme domluveni s argentincema, ze jeste nekam zajdem, ale uz v 9 spi! (Normalne se tu zacina veceret kolem 10). Dali si dnes kurz ledoveho lezeni, 12h na nohou...
Posledni den je od rana hnusne, prsi a fouka a az ted nam poradne dochazi jake jsme meli stesti videt obe veze. Nedavno tu byla svycarska expedice co mela lezt na FR, TV stab, sponzori, atd...sedeli 6tydnu v base campu a horu ani jednou nevideli! Americani co jsou tu s nami ji zahledli jednou na pul minuty a nemci vubec.
Vecer uz se jen tak poflakujeme na hostelu, hrajeme posledni hru karet s argentinci nez se rozloucime a v 11vecer jdeme na bus do Bariloche.
Fotky jsou na link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51857&id=1344786025&l=47f3a11229
Transfer from El Calafate to El Chalten is short, just 3hrs. Despite that we get a first taste of Patagonian plains. 200km of open spaces with small hills on the horizon, you can see up to 20km of the road before it starts to blend with the visibility line..
Before entering the town everybody must stop at park rangers hut and listen to a presentation of what is allowed and what not in the park. Rules are very strict - no smoking, no dogs, random checks of backpacks to see that you have your rubbish with you, go for a pee at least 100m from water, etc. Fines from 100-3000USD and certain banishment from the park.
Both of us have blocked nose and sore throat from all the extreme temperature changes, but that is not something that could stop us from seeing the park! Early in the morning we are already going uphill (only direction from the town) and enter old forest(couple hundreds yrs). Trees are small and very crooked, forest is dark, it reminds us of Fangorn from Lord of the rings movie. After 1.5h we reach the first viewpoint. Below us wide valley with forests, glaciar river and boulders. Objective of our hike is completely covered by clouds...After another 2hrs we stand at the glacier lake Laguna Torre. On the left huge black mountain with trees and waterfall, in front of us glacier Grande and the rest is still in clouds. We sit down on the shore to have a lunch. Within an hour the sky clears completely and right above the glacier we can see pointed Cerro Torre (3102m) in full beauty altogether with it´s 6 smaller brothers. It is gorgeous very slim and sharp with wall length about 2km (that is about 20 Dublin Spires). For a long a time in 70´s it was considered to be the toughest climb in the world. As a farewell small avalanche falls down...At 4 we´re back at hostel, bit tired but it was a good 22km stretch in easy terrain before our tomorrow´s 25 in difficult one..
Next day we start early again and our German friend Konnie joins us. First hour we go uphill again and reach different forest and walk through it for 2hrs before reaching first viewpoint. Irish guy (Brian from Coolmine, are where we lived - world is small) from our hostel catches up with us and we continue in 4. Fitz Roy is from the morning still in clouds. Soon we meet another guy we know, American John and we find out Brian knows him from different part of the travels as well - world of travellers is even smaller :) The last hour of the hike is very steep uphill through gravel and boulders. And then Patagonian classics - lake, glacier, vertical walls.
Magnificence, we have our lunch and wait for Fitz Roy to show up. But after an hour it still looks like all the clouds are attracted by this piece of rock even more than us. We start to get quite cold so decide to return. Well life is not all cakes and ale...
We are back on the second last viewpoint and turn around and here it is! The sky cleared in last 30mins and we can see this massive tower reaching up to 3405m. Fitz Roy is looking at us from it´s forever frozen pedestal!
At 6 completely out of energy we come back to the hostel to have quick shower before our last dinner together. I´m starving so go for the steak while others choose traditional local stew. The thing that lands in front of me in half an hour is the biggest piece of meat I´ve ever seen on one plate in my life. After sharing an inch with everybody still over a pound is left for me to cope with...how can anybody prepare such a big meat that it´s so tender and juicy? And all of that just for 7EUR (on the other hand Argentina is quite expensive and we find it impossible to fit into our budget)
We planned to go for a beer after the dinner with Argentinian lads but when I come to their room at 9 they are all sleeping already (normally at 10 they start eating their dinner and go out around 2am)! Later we find out they had a day tour of ice trekking and climbing - 12hrs, good they managed to get back :)
Last day is miserable weather all day and only after talking to other people we realize how lucky we were (Lucky Irish they say:) Recently Swiss mountaineering expedition with TV crew, sponsors, etc sat for 6 weeks under the Fitz Roy and didn´t manage to even see it. American couple we share room with saw it for 30seconds and Germans didn´t see it at all in last 5 days!
After last game of Truko with Argentinians and farewell we head for our bus to Bariloche.
For pictures please use the below link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51857&id=1344786025&l=47f3a11229
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
El Calafate (Patagonia)
Ve 4 rano uz sedime v taxiku a jedeme na letiste. Po chvilce zkoumani odletovych tabuli nic nevidime a tak se jdu zeptat na prepazku co je s nasim letem...mensi problem, v El Calafate je porucha na kontrolni vezi a budeme mit 8h zpozdeni. Parada, vyndame spacaky a dospime v hale mezi ostatnima nestastnikama...venku je poradna bourka.
Priletame pozde odpoledne a vita nas krasne pocasi a pohled na tycici se veze Fitz Roye. Letiste je hodne male, ale pekne. Mesto tvori domy, sruby a boudy roztahane po udoli u jezera. Zahrady tu neznaji, asfalt jen na hlavnejsich ulicich. Centrum tvori jedna vetsi ulice. Hostel je na kopci ma prosklenou predni stenu a tak je z nej krasny vyhled na mesto, jezero a hory. Personal je neuveritelne prijemny a ochotny. Behem pul hodky mame vyrizene tury na dalsi dni dokonce i autobus do El Chalten a Bariloche. Pozdeji vecer nam na pokoj prinesou amika co byl 'rybarit' a usnul na silnici pred hostelem. Nastesti hned rano jede pryc tak ho ani nepotkame.
Rano v 7 nas, 4 argentince a nemku vyzvedne transport a doveze do pristavu kde uz ceka velky moderni katamaran. Jezero je ohromne, voda barvy tyrkysove-zeleno-mlecne, pry nazyvana ledovcova mlecna. Je slunecno a vyhledy jsou paradni. Vysoke tmave steny poskrabane ledovci a na vrcholcich snih a led. Postupne se objevuji prvni kry. Jsou modre, tak modre, ze modrejsi uz byt nemuze. Cesta k ledovci Upsalla je zablokovana hradbou ledu ktera se pred nekolika mesici utrhla a tak se na nej podivame jen z dalky a jedeme pryc. Dalsi zastavka je ledovec Spegazzini. Nejvyssi ledovcova stena narodniho parku, az 125m ledu nad vodou. Kdyz zasviti slunce je hradba modra a za ni se desitky kilometru tahnou ramena ledu plneho vezi a trhlin. Parada. Posadka lode vytahuje mensi kus ledu pro whisky clenu kapitanova klubu a jede se dal. Pokracujeme k hlavnimu tahaku parku ledovci Perito Moreno. Celych 50km stojim na uplne pridi zabaleny do 3 vrstev obleceni a uzivam si vitr, vodu a vyhledy.
Samostatna kapitola vyletu jsou japonsti duchodci. Pani 150cm vzrustu jsou ovesene fotaky a kamerami, ta nejmensi vytahne z kabelky TV kameru velikosti lodniho dela a snima kazdy krok. Dokonce i pruvodce je mirne vyveden z miry :) Japonky jsou male a seschle, ale maji ostre lokty a kdyz posadka vytahne led na palubu nadsene vykrikuji, tleskaji, poskakuji a snazi se uloupnout kousek pro sebe. S tim se pak foti. Nakonec jich cela rada jako na povel vycerpanim usne a vypadaji fakt smesne.
Vecer stravime s argentinci z vyletu. Pri ritualu popijeni mate probereme rozdily zivotni urovne a stylu tady a v Evrope. Moc zajimavy vecer, kluci toho o Evrope a CR vedi dost a je videt, ze si opravdu uzivaji kontakt s nekym odjinud.
Pravidla piti mate: Kdyz pri kolovani predas hrnek dal a podekujes, uz ti stacilo. Vzdy musis dolit vodu co jsi upil pro dalsiho v rade, ale nikdy ne varici, jen horkou. Dokonce pro pripravu mate existuje specialni sloveso...A chut? Podobna silnemu sypanemu caji ktery se nechal nekolik hodin louhovat.
Jsme uz hodne na jihu a je videt od 5 do 23h. Take jsme si vsimli, ze mesic dorusta a couva naopak nez u nas...
Dalsi den vyjizdime na novy vylet. Je nas jen 6 + pruvodce a hned z mesta jedeme po nezpevnene ceste oklikou k narodnimu parku. Za chvilku nam nad hlavou krouzi kondori. Jsou krasni a i z dalky je videt jak jsou velci (az 3m). Dozvidame se, ze ji jen 1x tydne a proto hlavne plachti aby usetrili energii. Pristi zastavka je ranc kde chovaji ovce, husy a lamy. Janca se rychle s jednim mladetem skamaradi a krmi ho z flasky. Mlade pak porad leze dovnitr do srubu. Pobliz jeste potkame hejno plamenaku a mistni dravce.
Nakonec dojedeme opet k ledovci Perito Moreno. Tentokrat se muzeme kochat ze brehu a je jeste uzasnejsi nez z vody. 30km dlouhy, 5km siroky a 60m vysoky. Stena kolmeho ledu se spoustou vezi a krevas a nejakou tou jeskyni. Led neustale pracuje (popojede o 1.7m za den) a je slyset jak praska. Nejdrive rany jak pri honu, pote jak pri strelbe v lomu, nasleduje silne hrmeni a za chvilku napul sklouzava napul pada vez velikosti 12patroveho domu. Zvedne se velka vlna ktera narazi na breh a vyhazuje ven mensi kry. Po pul minute se vytvori gejzir a nova kra se vyhoupne nad vodu! Tohle uzasne divadlo vidime behem 3h 2x a jeste spoustu mensich (mensi=velikost nakladaku s privesem).
Vecer znovu stravime s argentinci a nemkou. Uci me jejich karetni hru Trruker (mozna se to pise jinak), ktera je hodne slozita, kombinace mariase a pokeru, po hodine se do toho dostanu a mame fajn vecer u piva a karet.
Fotky jsou zde:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50823&id=1344786025&l=b4c578746d
It´s 4am and we are in the taxi going to the airport. After checking departure schedules and not finding our flight we go to the desk and check what is going on...small problem, control tower in El Calafate is broken and we´ll be 8hrs delayed. Great, we spread out our sleeping bags and continue our sleep with other unfortunate ones on the floor...there is a big storm outside.
We arrive late in the afternoon and are welcomed by great weather and view on the Fitz Roy towers. Airport is tiny but nice. There is not much to the town - houses spread in the valley on the lake shore. No gardens, asphalt only on main streets. Town centre = one street with couple buildings. Hostel is on the hill with great view over the town, lake and mountains with really nice and helpful staff. In 30mins all our tours and buses to next town are booked. Later in the evening a US guy is brought to our room - he went ´fishing´ in the morning and was found sleeping on the dusty road in front of the hostel. Very funny.
At 7 in the morning we get collected together with 4 Argentinian guys and German girl and head for the port where big modern catamaran is waiting for us. The lake is huge, water of turquoise-green-milk colour, called glacier milk. It´s sunny and views are great. Tall dark walls scrapped by glaciers with snow and ice on the top. It doesn´t take long and we see first icebergs. They are blue, so much blue that you cannot get it any bluer. The way to glacier Upsalla is blocked by the wall of ice that fell of couple months ago so we turn and go to see next glacier Spegazzini. It´s the highest ice wall of the national park, up to 125m above the water surface. When the sun shines on it, it turns blue and you can see tens of kilometres of ice shoulders spreading into the far, they are full of high towers and deep crevasses. Cool!
The crew lifts a piece of iceberg up to have some ice for whisky of captain´s club members...and we continue to Perito Moreno glacier, the main attraction of the park.
The whole 50km I stand on the top of the boat with 3 layers of clothing and admire the wild nature.
Chapter on its own are Japanese old ladies that are on the boat with us - 150cm tall, behung with cameras and video cameras. The smallest one pulls out from her handbag video camera size of boat cannon and films every step she makes. Even the guide looks bowled out :) Ladies are small and old but have sharp elbows and get everywhere. And when crew pulls up ice from the water they shout with enthusiasm, clasp their hands, bounce around the deck and try to peel of bit for themselves. Then they take thousands of pics with it. In the end the whole row falls asleep with exhaustion at the same time and look very funny.
We spend the evening with Argentinian guys and talk about life here and in Europe and sharing their ritual of drinking mate. They know a lot about Europe and Czechs and are very eager and enjoy talking with someone from there.
The rules of mate drinking: When you thank and pass the cup it means you don´t want next round. You always fill in the water for next person but never use boiling water, just hot. They even have a special verb for making of mate...and taste? Similar to strong green tea that was left in the cup for couple of hours. Our book guide says the taste is similar to ´steephorse shit´, I never tried one so cannot compare...
We are very far to the south so the day is long, light from 5 to 23. We also noticed the moon grows in the other direction than back home.
Next day we take another tour. There is only 6 of us + our guide. We leave the town and take unpaved back roads. In a little while couple of condors are floating above our heads. They are beautiful and big (wings up to 3metres). We learn from the guide that they eat only 1x week that is why they just float and don´t use wings. So they can save the energy. Next stop is a small farm with sheep, goose and lamas. Jana becomes a friend with one of the baby lamas and feeds it from the bottle and cuddles with it. Closeby we also see flock of flamingos and local birds of prey.
As the grande finale of the tour we go the the Perito Moreno glacier. This time we can enjoy it from the shore and it´s even more magnificent than from the water. 30km long, 5km wide and 60m tall. Wall of vertical ice with thousands of towers, crevasses and some caves. The ice moves all the time (travels 1.7m a day) a you can hear it. In the beginning it sounds like a hunt shooting, then like a dynamite in the mine and that is followed by noisy thunder. In a short while huge tower big like 12storey building falls into the water, makes a big wave that throws small icebergs on the shore. After another 30s there is torrent of water and new iceberg swings up on the surface! We see this great natural theatre 2x in 3hours and a lot of smaller ones (smaller=size of a truck with a 40´container)
We spend the evening with our new Argentinian friends again and learn their card game caller Trruker, it´s quite complicated with a lot of bluffing and team work.
So another great evening - cards and local beer.
You can find pictures here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50823&id=1344786025&l=b4c578746d
Priletame pozde odpoledne a vita nas krasne pocasi a pohled na tycici se veze Fitz Roye. Letiste je hodne male, ale pekne. Mesto tvori domy, sruby a boudy roztahane po udoli u jezera. Zahrady tu neznaji, asfalt jen na hlavnejsich ulicich. Centrum tvori jedna vetsi ulice. Hostel je na kopci ma prosklenou predni stenu a tak je z nej krasny vyhled na mesto, jezero a hory. Personal je neuveritelne prijemny a ochotny. Behem pul hodky mame vyrizene tury na dalsi dni dokonce i autobus do El Chalten a Bariloche. Pozdeji vecer nam na pokoj prinesou amika co byl 'rybarit' a usnul na silnici pred hostelem. Nastesti hned rano jede pryc tak ho ani nepotkame.
Rano v 7 nas, 4 argentince a nemku vyzvedne transport a doveze do pristavu kde uz ceka velky moderni katamaran. Jezero je ohromne, voda barvy tyrkysove-zeleno-mlecne, pry nazyvana ledovcova mlecna. Je slunecno a vyhledy jsou paradni. Vysoke tmave steny poskrabane ledovci a na vrcholcich snih a led. Postupne se objevuji prvni kry. Jsou modre, tak modre, ze modrejsi uz byt nemuze. Cesta k ledovci Upsalla je zablokovana hradbou ledu ktera se pred nekolika mesici utrhla a tak se na nej podivame jen z dalky a jedeme pryc. Dalsi zastavka je ledovec Spegazzini. Nejvyssi ledovcova stena narodniho parku, az 125m ledu nad vodou. Kdyz zasviti slunce je hradba modra a za ni se desitky kilometru tahnou ramena ledu plneho vezi a trhlin. Parada. Posadka lode vytahuje mensi kus ledu pro whisky clenu kapitanova klubu a jede se dal. Pokracujeme k hlavnimu tahaku parku ledovci Perito Moreno. Celych 50km stojim na uplne pridi zabaleny do 3 vrstev obleceni a uzivam si vitr, vodu a vyhledy.
Samostatna kapitola vyletu jsou japonsti duchodci. Pani 150cm vzrustu jsou ovesene fotaky a kamerami, ta nejmensi vytahne z kabelky TV kameru velikosti lodniho dela a snima kazdy krok. Dokonce i pruvodce je mirne vyveden z miry :) Japonky jsou male a seschle, ale maji ostre lokty a kdyz posadka vytahne led na palubu nadsene vykrikuji, tleskaji, poskakuji a snazi se uloupnout kousek pro sebe. S tim se pak foti. Nakonec jich cela rada jako na povel vycerpanim usne a vypadaji fakt smesne.
Vecer stravime s argentinci z vyletu. Pri ritualu popijeni mate probereme rozdily zivotni urovne a stylu tady a v Evrope. Moc zajimavy vecer, kluci toho o Evrope a CR vedi dost a je videt, ze si opravdu uzivaji kontakt s nekym odjinud.
Pravidla piti mate: Kdyz pri kolovani predas hrnek dal a podekujes, uz ti stacilo. Vzdy musis dolit vodu co jsi upil pro dalsiho v rade, ale nikdy ne varici, jen horkou. Dokonce pro pripravu mate existuje specialni sloveso...A chut? Podobna silnemu sypanemu caji ktery se nechal nekolik hodin louhovat.
Jsme uz hodne na jihu a je videt od 5 do 23h. Take jsme si vsimli, ze mesic dorusta a couva naopak nez u nas...
Dalsi den vyjizdime na novy vylet. Je nas jen 6 + pruvodce a hned z mesta jedeme po nezpevnene ceste oklikou k narodnimu parku. Za chvilku nam nad hlavou krouzi kondori. Jsou krasni a i z dalky je videt jak jsou velci (az 3m). Dozvidame se, ze ji jen 1x tydne a proto hlavne plachti aby usetrili energii. Pristi zastavka je ranc kde chovaji ovce, husy a lamy. Janca se rychle s jednim mladetem skamaradi a krmi ho z flasky. Mlade pak porad leze dovnitr do srubu. Pobliz jeste potkame hejno plamenaku a mistni dravce.
Nakonec dojedeme opet k ledovci Perito Moreno. Tentokrat se muzeme kochat ze brehu a je jeste uzasnejsi nez z vody. 30km dlouhy, 5km siroky a 60m vysoky. Stena kolmeho ledu se spoustou vezi a krevas a nejakou tou jeskyni. Led neustale pracuje (popojede o 1.7m za den) a je slyset jak praska. Nejdrive rany jak pri honu, pote jak pri strelbe v lomu, nasleduje silne hrmeni a za chvilku napul sklouzava napul pada vez velikosti 12patroveho domu. Zvedne se velka vlna ktera narazi na breh a vyhazuje ven mensi kry. Po pul minute se vytvori gejzir a nova kra se vyhoupne nad vodu! Tohle uzasne divadlo vidime behem 3h 2x a jeste spoustu mensich (mensi=velikost nakladaku s privesem).
Vecer znovu stravime s argentinci a nemkou. Uci me jejich karetni hru Trruker (mozna se to pise jinak), ktera je hodne slozita, kombinace mariase a pokeru, po hodine se do toho dostanu a mame fajn vecer u piva a karet.
Fotky jsou zde:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50823&id=1344786025&l=b4c578746d
It´s 4am and we are in the taxi going to the airport. After checking departure schedules and not finding our flight we go to the desk and check what is going on...small problem, control tower in El Calafate is broken and we´ll be 8hrs delayed. Great, we spread out our sleeping bags and continue our sleep with other unfortunate ones on the floor...there is a big storm outside.
We arrive late in the afternoon and are welcomed by great weather and view on the Fitz Roy towers. Airport is tiny but nice. There is not much to the town - houses spread in the valley on the lake shore. No gardens, asphalt only on main streets. Town centre = one street with couple buildings. Hostel is on the hill with great view over the town, lake and mountains with really nice and helpful staff. In 30mins all our tours and buses to next town are booked. Later in the evening a US guy is brought to our room - he went ´fishing´ in the morning and was found sleeping on the dusty road in front of the hostel. Very funny.
At 7 in the morning we get collected together with 4 Argentinian guys and German girl and head for the port where big modern catamaran is waiting for us. The lake is huge, water of turquoise-green-milk colour, called glacier milk. It´s sunny and views are great. Tall dark walls scrapped by glaciers with snow and ice on the top. It doesn´t take long and we see first icebergs. They are blue, so much blue that you cannot get it any bluer. The way to glacier Upsalla is blocked by the wall of ice that fell of couple months ago so we turn and go to see next glacier Spegazzini. It´s the highest ice wall of the national park, up to 125m above the water surface. When the sun shines on it, it turns blue and you can see tens of kilometres of ice shoulders spreading into the far, they are full of high towers and deep crevasses. Cool!
The crew lifts a piece of iceberg up to have some ice for whisky of captain´s club members...and we continue to Perito Moreno glacier, the main attraction of the park.
The whole 50km I stand on the top of the boat with 3 layers of clothing and admire the wild nature.
Chapter on its own are Japanese old ladies that are on the boat with us - 150cm tall, behung with cameras and video cameras. The smallest one pulls out from her handbag video camera size of boat cannon and films every step she makes. Even the guide looks bowled out :) Ladies are small and old but have sharp elbows and get everywhere. And when crew pulls up ice from the water they shout with enthusiasm, clasp their hands, bounce around the deck and try to peel of bit for themselves. Then they take thousands of pics with it. In the end the whole row falls asleep with exhaustion at the same time and look very funny.
We spend the evening with Argentinian guys and talk about life here and in Europe and sharing their ritual of drinking mate. They know a lot about Europe and Czechs and are very eager and enjoy talking with someone from there.
The rules of mate drinking: When you thank and pass the cup it means you don´t want next round. You always fill in the water for next person but never use boiling water, just hot. They even have a special verb for making of mate...and taste? Similar to strong green tea that was left in the cup for couple of hours. Our book guide says the taste is similar to ´steephorse shit´, I never tried one so cannot compare...
We are very far to the south so the day is long, light from 5 to 23. We also noticed the moon grows in the other direction than back home.
Next day we take another tour. There is only 6 of us + our guide. We leave the town and take unpaved back roads. In a little while couple of condors are floating above our heads. They are beautiful and big (wings up to 3metres). We learn from the guide that they eat only 1x week that is why they just float and don´t use wings. So they can save the energy. Next stop is a small farm with sheep, goose and lamas. Jana becomes a friend with one of the baby lamas and feeds it from the bottle and cuddles with it. Closeby we also see flock of flamingos and local birds of prey.
As the grande finale of the tour we go the the Perito Moreno glacier. This time we can enjoy it from the shore and it´s even more magnificent than from the water. 30km long, 5km wide and 60m tall. Wall of vertical ice with thousands of towers, crevasses and some caves. The ice moves all the time (travels 1.7m a day) a you can hear it. In the beginning it sounds like a hunt shooting, then like a dynamite in the mine and that is followed by noisy thunder. In a short while huge tower big like 12storey building falls into the water, makes a big wave that throws small icebergs on the shore. After another 30s there is torrent of water and new iceberg swings up on the surface! We see this great natural theatre 2x in 3hours and a lot of smaller ones (smaller=size of a truck with a 40´container)
We spend the evening with our new Argentinian friends again and learn their card game caller Trruker, it´s quite complicated with a lot of bluffing and team work.
So another great evening - cards and local beer.
You can find pictures here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50823&id=1344786025&l=b4c578746d
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