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So we finally landed yesterday in Israel after having a great 5 months trip in South America - Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. After leaving the city we liked sooo much - Lima, we flew to Madrid and stayed there for 1 night in an apartment. We were surprised to get an apartment cause what we ordered over the net was a double room in a hostel but who cares? The apartment was muuuuch better.

We couldn't enjoy Madrid on that day cause we got there at around 22:30 after a 12 hour flight from Lima - Peru. What we did was just get something to eat and go to sleep. I wouldn't call it sleeping. I had a jet lag and couldn't sleep at all. I laid there in bed all night waiting for the alarm to go off so we could get up and go to the airport.





The next day we took the subway to the airport which ended up being not as comfortable as we thought. Full of people crowded on all the trains. It was 08:30 and everyone was on their way to work while we were trying to find a way to get in with all of our bags. A little sweat here and there but we managed to get to the airport on time.

ISRAEL
17:45 on the 26.4.2007 we finally landed in Tel-Aviv. My parents, grandma, Shiran, Assi, Ophir, Hillas parents and her sister came to pick us from the airport. It was a great feeling to be back home. The trip was great and we were so happy to go to South America and enjoy the great continent.

This was our trip in Peru:


and this was our entire trip in South America:

Life in Lima

We got to Lima 6 days ago and enjoyed it a lot with Shlomi and Rakefet who left 2 days ago to Huaraz. We have another day before we head to the airport to catch our flight to Madrid and from there a day later back home to Tel-Aviv. Lima as i already said is a lot different than the rest of Peru. It is not only me who is saying that but also one of the huge signs we saw on the road on the way to Lima that said - LIMA, SI ES DIFFERENTE.

All we do all day is not much other than walking up and down the main street and eating in different restaurants every day. At the end of the day, we head back to our small and cozy room in ORO BLANCO hotel ( A small one with 3 other guests staying there ) and watch TV. Yesterday we even watched an Israeli movie in Hebrew called HAUSHPIZIN which was screened on prime time on one of the main movie channels. Really cool watching a movie in Hebrew feeling at home for a moment.

Nir if you are reading this you would totally love this place. There are loads of casinos here. One next to the other. We have been to a couple just to watch. Haven't played yet. Maybe tomorrow. We still have a day left.
Adios

Sand Boarding in Ica

It was fucking awesome. Kraus you would have loved it and Eliran, you would have thrown up all the ride.

We are in Ica staying in an oasis. Yes an OASIS. Ica is in a desert just like the Sahara.

It is surrounded by sand dunes all over with a lagoon in between. There is not much to do here other than relaxing and going a buggy ride for 2 hours on the dunes. It was fucking cool. The coolest attraction we have done. 8 people in the buggy speeding on the dunes like i don't know what. Jumping up and down just like in a theme park on a roller coaster. In addition to that we did some sand boarding which was fucking cool. Just like on snow.






Today we are taking the bus back to Lima to the same hotel we were staying at the last time. We have 8 more days for our flight and are going to stay there with another Israeli couple we met in Cuzco.

Peru

I haven't written in a long time and there is a lot i have to say. First of all we are in Peru. We got to Puno - Peru a week ago where we went to see the floating islands. Puno was a small place with not much to do other than going to the floating islands. Two days were enough. We met a nice Israeli couple - Rakefet and Shlomi that stayed with us in the same hostel and went to see the floating islands. It was nice although too touristic. We took pictures here and there and from there took a bus and finally got to Cusco.





Cusco is a city in the middle of Peru 3300m above sea level. It is the place you go to the Machu Pichu from. Full of Israeli restaurants and other good places to eat. It was the first time i started eating meat again after almost 3 weeks. Man was i hungry for that. I was happy to get to Peru cause Bolivia is not the place you would like to eat meat. It is totally different than what we are used to. Once you go to the market you find meat on the ground standing there all day long not being refrigerated. A paradise for salmonella and other... Supermarkets just don't exist and if they do, you find milk products not being refrigerated. I think i lost a few KG in Bolivia after eating only Spagetti, Pizza and bread.

Cusco was nice. We went to the viewpoint which was great. You could see the whole city in between the mountains. The small houses with red rooftops were like from a fairy tale.




The day after we went to the Machu Pichu - the city of the Incas. It was amazing. We traveled for 4 hours by train with the most amazing views until we got to Aguas Calientes - the closest town to the Machu Pichu. From there we took another 30min bus up the mountain to around 3800m. AMAZING...





Aside from that we arranged our flight back home. We called Air Comet and reserved a ticket from Lima to Madrid. We were told to go to their office in Lima to purchase the ticket by the 13.4.2007. That is what we did. We took a flight from Cuzco to Lima a couple of days ago, got here on the 11.4.2007 and bought the tickets (Lima-Madrid on the 25.4.2007). Then we called ELAL in Madrid and arranged our tickets from Madrid to Tel-Aviv. Now it is final. We are getting back home on the 26.4.2007 at 17:30 after having to stay 1 night in Madrid. By the way, SKYPE IS THE BEST. PHONE CALLS TO MADRID FOR ALMOST FREE. KRAUS START TO LIKE SKYPE. DON'T BE STUPID.

We are in Lima and it is really nice. It is like getting back to civilization after leaving Brazil. We are staying in the rich part of the city where you have shopping centers and restaurants, something you don't miss when you are at home but DO miss after being in Bolivia and all the other places in Peru which are close to the boarder with Bolivia. It is hard to explain but suddenly we feel like at home. Getting back to reality. Once we crossed the boarder from Bolivia to Peru we thought we were going to see a huge difference between the 2 countries but nope. All the same except for Lima. It is like a totally different country.

We are going to stay here for a few days and then decide what to do. For now we are enjoying Lima and are relaxed after having our tickets back home.

By the way, this was our trip in Bolivia:

La Paz and LEL HASEDER

La Paz is a market city. Every where you go you see people selling everything. The city is not as nice as Sucre but its fun just to wonder between the stands and buy loads of things, mostly presents.
We are staying on a street just like the Kawasan in Bankok. Almost everyone is Israeli here and it is rare to see a tourist from another country. All we do all day is wonder around between the rain drops and try to buy as much as possible.

Yesterday we did LEL HASEDER with 600 other people in BET HABAD. It was a big balagan. We were the first to get there so we could get the best seats. The Rabbi asked us to help him. We took care of all the people giving them a bottle of wine, HAGADA and telling them where to sit. Hilla got to meet a childhood friend that she didn't see since she was 10 years old.
Although it was loud and a total mess, it was a great experience. Ophir, you would have loved it. We dont have a lot a pics because cameras were not aloud.

Fucking Salar

Wooooow is all i can say. The 3 day jeep trip we did with 2 other couples to the salar was one of the most amazing things we have ever seen. First of all so you will all know, the Salar is the highest and biggest salt desert in the world (12000km squared). We were in places as high as 5000m. The highest place we have ever been to (and will ever be i guess).

The first day was nice. We started from Uyuni and drove south through the desert with beautiful lagoons and mountains all over. The amazing thing is that everything is dry like the NEGEV and on the mountains you can see snow. We were 6 people + a driver that also cooked for us. The deal was 3 meals a day and a basic place to sleep. When we got to the camp at night i had a little flashback of the army. The generator that worked until 22:00 and the freezing weather
(-3 degrees), pissing outside... We had to wake up every day at 04:15 in the morning to make it to the sunrise. Hilla and Rotem didn't like the idea but it was worth it. Look at the pics:



The best day of the trip was the last one. The Salar itself. The great salt desert which looked like ice. It is 12000km squared and is totally cool. You can make the greatest pictures. All the pics we made were with the camera and no photoshop.








After the 3 day jeep trip, we took a bus to La Paz where we will make the LEL HASEDER in BET HABAD with 600 other Israelis.
For OPHIR - We are staying in a hotel with Bet Habad a floor under us. There is a huge picture of Rabi Milubaviz.

After LEL HASEDER, we will be on the way to Lake TITIKAKA which is suppose to be cool and from there to Peru.
Chau

A little taste of Sucre

Sucre is one of the two capital cities of Bolivia and is old and really beautiful. The other one is La Paz which we will get to see in about 5 days from now.

First of all i have to say that it is really hard to breath here because of the alltitude. After walking a couple of blocks you start breathing like hell. We are 2790m above sea level which is nothing compared to Putusi (4000m) where we will stop for a while with the bus on the way to Uyuni. Yup we are going to Uyuni tomorrow for a 3 to 4 day jeep tour in the Salar. The Salar is a huge salt desert with lagoons and cactuses at around 3700m which is suppose to be amazing. We cant wait to see.

Bolivia is really fascinating up until now. The views are amazing and the two cities we have been to are great. Sucre is an old city that lies in the mountains with houses not taller than 2 floors. It is suppose to be more beautiful and modern than other places. Look at the pics:





We cant wait to see the Salar. The main attraction we came to Bolivia for. Adios