Greg Down South

Candified plums

2007-01-29T01:54:00.001-08:00

IMG_2424a
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

A quick coating of liquid sugar makes these an appealing snack for many Chinese. I tried a few but couldn't really get addicted the way most Chinese seem to be.

Chinese Plums

2007-01-29T01:51:00.001-08:00

IMG_2436
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Tons of plums for sale all over the streets.

Outdoor Restaurant

2007-01-29T01:41:00.001-08:00

IMG_2455a
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

I know, it's hard to tell, but this is actually a pretty common place to eat in China. For about 25 cents, you can have a decent soup dish of noodles, onions and other random vegetables and spices. His whole setup is right there, and you can see his coal burning stove over what looks like a 5 gallon tin in the lower left.

Watching the Australian Open

2007-01-29T01:37:00.001-08:00

IMG_0429
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Chris and I caught a couple matches out in the sunshine at the Opera House. AmEx set up a huge screen for everyone to enjoy and it made for the perfect spot (next to Rod Lavers Stadium) to watch the final between Federer and Gonzalez. A huge crowd of Chileans showed up to support their countryman and the Swiss were represented as well. A good deal of flag waving and chanting took place.

Local shepard

2007-01-29T01:34:00.001-08:00

IMG_2193
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

I found Pingyao to be full of great photo opportunites. I caught this shepard with his sheep just inside the city wall leading them towards the field of weeks out next to the highway to feed.

Smoke Break

2007-01-29T01:30:00.001-08:00

IMG_2163
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Caught this guy having a little smoke break: For the three days I saw Pingyao, he probably went through 9 packs of cigarettes, hardly leaving his small spot here across from my hostel.

Pingyao

2007-01-29T01:27:00.001-08:00

IMG_2142a
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

I spent a few days in Pingyao. A small little town about six hours from Beijing, it offers a good look at what an old rural town looks and feels like compared to the modern electric cities that are more traveled.

Out over Hong Kong

2007-01-29T01:22:00.001-08:00

CIMG5907a
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

The skyline of Hong Kong. They have a great light show choreographed to music. Most of the buildings on Hong Kong Island a wired up with neon lights that make the entire skyline dance from this vantage point.

Out on the Great Ocean Road

2007-01-29T01:16:00.001-08:00

IMG_0298a
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

One of the quick stopoffs we made. Can you see the cloud of flies swarming around? I think one of the most annoying parts of traveling in Australia are the flies that have no problem flying right into your eye, your ears, your mouth. You end up looking deranged as you walk down the street with your hands flailing in the air cursing at the flies... I managed to keep my cool long enough for a photo here.

On a mission...

2007-01-29T01:12:00.001-08:00

IMG_0376a
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

The 10-hour drive from Geelong to Sydney, with a pass around Melbourne. This is a about 8 hours in. Can you tell that I'm driving?

Bondi Beach

2007-01-29T01:10:00.001-08:00

IMG_0382
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Our first couple of days in Sydney, Chris and I stayed near Bondi Beach. It's really a beautiful beach with loads of cafes, restaurants, bars, shops and beautiful sand.

Melbourne Street Art

2007-01-29T01:06:00.001-08:00

IMG_0123a
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

A walk down the riverfront of Melbourne, you see the local artists out on the sidewalks with the chalk. Here is one such creation.

The Great Wall

2006-12-15T04:03:00.000-08:00

IMG_2077
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

I climbed nine kilometers of the Great Wall today. It was amazing. Perfect weather, perfect atmosphere and a great hike.

We passed through 31 watch towers, all in various states of disrepair and renovation. Half way through, we stopped for a picnic lunch and soaked in the surrounding country side.

This section of the Wall is at Simatai, built around 600 years ago, and takes about 3 hours to reach from central Beijing. The best part was going in the off season, to a remote section, our minibus of 10 tourists were the only ones we saw all day long. We really had the Wall to ourselves.

Bicycle Accident

2006-12-13T03:34:00.000-08:00

IMG_1707
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

I rented a bicycle in Beijing today and went riding around the city.

I think it was the most dangerous thing I've done all year.

Every road is packed with bikers and cars and buses and trucks. I luckily made it unscathed on the roads but just had one accident.

I made it up to the Temple of Heaven, parked my bike, toured the Park and Temples for a couple of hours and returned to get my bike to grab some lunch, feeling the emptiness of my stomach. I got out of the park and back to the "bicycle parking lot", not unlike the one in the photo, and found my bike blocked by two others. I grabbed the first one and slid it out of the way.

Then, as I grabbed the second, the handle bar of the bike blocking mine got snagged on the spokes of the wheel of the bike next to it. Not seeing this, I still pulled it out, twisting the front wheel of the other bike.

Yeah, I think you know what happened next.

Thump.... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thuuuuuump... ThuThuThump... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thum Thum Thum Thump... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thuuuuump... Thump... Thump..Th... Th ThumThuThump.

Thump.

Must have been fifteen seconds for all of them to come tumbling, crashing down, wheels spinning, handle bars twisted together. I could only just stand there and stare in wild disbelief of what had just happened on this crisp, clear afternoon.

With my stomach growling for lunch, I whisked my bike out and onto the sidewalk in half a second and was pedaling away as fast as I could, looking only over my shoulder once, with the brief thought "Maybe I should take a photo of this..."

Inside the Forbidden City...

2006-12-12T04:18:00.000-08:00

IMG_1633
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

...is Starbucks.

Sad, I know. Actually, the entire Palace Museum (the official name of the Forbidden City) is a bit of a let down. It's one of the highlights of visiting Beijing, but, because if its forbiddenness, you enter expecting more than what you get.

I made it there early today, arriving at 10 o'clock to try to beat the crowd.

However, after about thirty minutes of being trampled by other tourists, cut off by other tourists, my photos being blocked by other tourists, tourist souvenirs being thrust in my face, I could no longer try to imagine this place without tourists.

What happens when you ask a Chinaman to take your photo.

2006-12-11T03:55:00.000-08:00

IMG_3319
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Um, yeah. Thanks a lot. It's perfect.

No no, really.

Me? I'm from America.

What's that? Oh, Seattle. Yeah. Anyway, thanks again!

(sigh)

Jack it up

2006-12-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

IMG_3311
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Changing tracks. Once you hit the Mongolian-Chinese border, the line ends, and you've got to switch your wheels.

Here you can see the car next to us being lifted up to remove their bogeys and replace them with ones for the Chinese narrow gauge.

The whole process took us about five hours at the Chinese border, both with customs and immigration and then changing wheels.

Lake Baikal

2006-12-08T04:12:00.000-08:00

IMG_1599
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

I made it down to Listvyanka today, a small village on the shore of Lake Baikal.

Here's one of the ferry docks. Completely frozen over. One week ago and I would have been able to reach a small island to the north, but now there is too much ice up there for the ferries to be running.

Baikal is huge. It contains 20 percent of the worlds unfrozen fresh water, and, volume-wise, is larger than all of the American Great Lakes combined. It's also the worlds deepest lake at 1620 meters at its deepest.

I spent just the afternoon here today, walking along the shore, stopping for some coffee, then some lunch, before catching a minibus back to Irkutsk. I'd really love to return in the summertime and do some trekking around the shoreline.

Kul Sharif Mosque

2006-11-28T03:51:00.000-08:00

IMG_3166
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Kazan is 1001 years old. Incredible. For their 1000th birthday, much renovation was done around the city center and the kremlin and historical centers. Walking around town, though, you can definitely sense its age and power.

The Tartarstan people are very proud of their capital, culture, and history. I can’t tell you how many people I met here who were adamant that Kazan and Tartarstan was the best of Russia; and everything else was a waste of time!
sense its age and power.

From Moscow to Kazan, Tartarstan

2006-11-27T06:58:00.000-08:00

IMG_3158
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Finally deciding to leave Moscow (since my visa expires Dec 9th), I made a plan to get to China: Kazan to Yekaterinburg to Tomsk to Irkutsk to Ulan-Ude and finally to Harbin, China.

The train left Moscow for Kazan from the Kazansky Vokzal (station), and my friend Sarah (whom I met in Tallinn as well) came along to see me off in the Russian tradition. We met Andrew from Ukraine there who was with a lady he met only 15 minutes before on the Metro also going in my direction and we shared some beers and stories before I departed.

I slept in the "platscart" Wagon #1, seat 24. The platscart is the open carriage where about 50 people all sleep in little divisions of 6 people in 3 bunkbeds. Only the older man sleeping across from me spoke a little English. And with my little Russian phrasebook we had a nice evening and morning trying to converse.

The oddest part was being awoken at seven in the morning by the bright lights of the carriage and a mix of Justin Timberlake, Madonna, and Eminem on the radio in the wagon. Maybe the carriage stewardess was a fan? Maybe that's the only station they can get here? Maybe they just like American pop in the morning. I have no idea...

Thanksgiving in Moscow

2006-11-23T06:54:00.000-08:00

IMG_3016
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

"Well, we looked." The only Turkey Dinner me and the other Americans could find in Moscow was 1000 rubles, or 40 bucks.

Sorry, but I don't trust the Russians enough to make me a Turkey dinner that's worth that much. We ended up at an American bar & grill and I had a Turkey Club with fries instead, and watched the Miami Dolphins beat Detroit. Not too bad of a Turkey Day.

Lenin and the Bolshoi

2006-11-20T06:58:00.000-08:00

IMG_1226
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

The two sites in Moscow I wanted to see didn't happen. Apparently, Lenin has grown too much gooey stuff again, and he's out for cleaning until January. And the Bolshoi theater is closed for renovation until 2008. There are still Bolshoi shows going on, but I never managed to find a ticket or work out the details. Besides, it just wouldn't have been the same in a different theater, I thought.

But I moved on. The museums of modern art in Moscow have amazing collections. I was mostly impressed with the Russian Cubist and Avant-garde painters, filling their canvases with imagery of soviet icons and Russian artifacts.

By the way, this is Lenin's Mausoleum behind me, and he'd be inside if he weren't so gooey...

Moscow

2006-11-18T06:52:00.000-08:00

IMG_3147
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Moscow is really big.

It's hard to describe with words, but maybe a few numbers: 14 million registered inhabitants, 150 Metro stations, the metro moves 9 million people everyday, more that London and NYC combined.

Moscow is really big, but wonderful at the same time. It may not have the asthetic charm that St. Petersburg does, but I really enjoyed all of the museums, the sites, the Kremlin, wandering and barhopping in Katai Gorod.

St. Petersburg, Russia

2006-11-11T03:13:00.000-08:00

IMG_2926
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Incredibly, I had 5 days of snow in St. Petersburg. Everyday, starting around 11 in the morning, the fall would begin. Big, wet flakes coming from every direction, rendering my cheap polish umbrella worthless.

Walking the streets of St. Petersburg in the snow was great. Beautiful edifaces every direction you look. Towering spires of the churches, beautiful bridges across canals. You can really fall in love with this city, even in the winter.

The only site I really wanted to see was the Hermitage, the art collection that's probably larger that the Lourve in Paris. It is located in the Winter Palace along the river and truly does have a great collection. I was disappointed to see the state of disrepair the palace was in however. Carpets faded and torn up, walls with chipping paint and electrical sockets of dangling wires. I found a lot of the lighting above the artworks so disruptive that you cannot even appreciate the paintings in some rooms.

I found a groovy college bar with a group from the Hostel I was staying at: a Scot, Swede, Aussie, two Germans, a South Korean, and an American (me). Later a group of about 12 russian mountain bikers showed up a the bar with all of their gear and bikes, some even had full-body protective armour... like it was the normal thing to do for them on a snowy Thursday night. (For the humor, you must understand that St. Petersburg was built on a swamp: There isn't a mountain, or hill, in sight...)

Tallinn

2006-11-06T03:11:00.000-08:00

IMG_0971
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

And so Tallinn became my entrypoint to Russia. I had planned on taking another ferry to Helsinki, Finland, but time was running short: My letter of invitation to Russia was for November 10th, and it was already the 5th.

Getting a Russian visa there proved to be straightforward as well. They have next-day service for 110USD, and my invitation cost 40USD, so getting into Russia can cost quite a bit.

Anyway, Tallinn is a great little city. The heart of the old town has some great churches, a huge town hall, and plenty of great restaurants and bars. I even found a couple of microbreweries that make some tasty ales.

I stayed the Tallinn Backpackers Hostel, and pretty much everyone there was either going to or coming from Russia. And the majority that were coming from Russia were also coming from China. It was great to share stories and pictures... and also to share my pictures of South America and stamps in my passport of Antarctica. "You went to bloody Antarctica? You're crazy mate!"

I also met an Austrian kid named Rob working there who had been traveling for 18 months. He left Austria on his bicycle, went through Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, to India, all in nine months on a bicycle. He sold his gear in India to another Westerner and continued backpacking by bus back through the 'Stans to Russia and found this hostel job in Tallinn.

Enough of Tallinn. I finally got my Russian visa on the 8th, and at 6AM on the 10th, caught a bus to St. Petersburg.

Overnight Party-Boat to Tallinn

2006-11-04T03:09:00.000-08:00

IMG_0959
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

I took the overnight Tallink ferry from Sweden to Estonia. It's pretty ridiculous, actually.

The ferry is really a cruise ship, with about 8 floors, a pub, a disco, a tango danceroom, a concert arena with a live show that started at 9pm. The works. I met a bunch of college students from Stockholm who "just like to go cruising". They were headed over to Tallinn just for the day, then catching the ferry back home the next night. They get cheaper drinks and stay up all night in the disco and bars.

I don't have a picture of it... but I like this one of the cellar in Tallinn.

Chinese Visas and Reindeer Stew in Stockholm

2006-11-02T03:07:00.000-08:00

IMG_2851
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

I found the Chinese Embassy in Stockholm and thought I'd make an appearance and try my luck getting a visa. It's pretty easy here: You can show up with $100, wait about 40 minutes and walk away with a
visa. The Swedes have an agreement with China that makes visa payment optional. A sign on the wall attempts to encourage them to pay for their visa, but it seemed that few do, and those that do get a
little faster service. My perception, at least.

I met up with my friend Patrick, whom I met in Lviv, Ukraine, a few weeks earlier, and he showed me a few of the sites around the center and we went out for reindeer stew later and drinks with some of his friends discussing variants of visas and chops of reindeer meat.

Karlskrona

2006-11-01T03:05:00.000-08:00

IMG_2805
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

A storm blew over the Baltic Sea as we sailed from Gdynia to Karlskrona. I was hoping to get a good few hours to see some of Karlskrona, but ended up in the Maritime Museum, and then a bar for the afternoon as the winds blew the snow completely horizontal all afternoon. With the windchill it must have been 10 below.

I was supposed to have a direct train at 2:30 to Stockholm, but ended up in a bus to Alvesta, waiting there another two hours for a different train to Stockholm. Apparently the high winds had been blowing trees left and right over all the tracks in Sweden. Any of the trains that were still running were surely late.

It was interesting to see a country laiden in snow for almost half the year coming to a halt so easily.

Gdansk

2006-10-31T03:04:00.000-08:00

IMG_0921
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

After a few days of regrouping in Warsaw, I made my way to Gdansk, hoping to catch a ferry across the Baltic Sea to Sweden to see Stockholm at least for a couple of days, before staging my trip to Russia.

Gdansk, almost completely destroyed in the War, has been beautifully restored. The old town is quite pleasant to wander through, and I happened to catch it on a nice fall day which also happened to be Halloween. Found these funny clowns wandering around too...

Minsk Hammer and Sickle

2006-10-30T14:00:00.001-08:00

IMG_2744
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

The subway in Minsk is almost identical to Kiev, with three exceptions: It's directly beneath city-level (Kiev's is a 5-minute escalator ride beneath the riverbed); it's much smaller. Okay...two exceptions.

By the way, you commies out there can get all your paraphanalia online now: http://www.hammersicklestuff.com/ Happy Hammer shopping!

Inside the Brest Fortress

2006-10-30T13:54:00.001-08:00

IMG_2756
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

The Brest fortress was the largest defensive fortress against Eastern Europe of the Russian Empire, constructed from 1836 till 1842. It was heavily bombarded by the Nazis in 1941 and not much of the original remains standing today.

The Belarus Visa

2006-10-30T13:44:00.001-08:00

Belarus Visa
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

It was a slight headache to get a visa for Belarus in Kiev Ukraine. A bunch of legwork to get an invitation, get the invitation sent to the right embassy, get all my papers in order and get to the Embassy at the right hour of the day, but in the end (and 90 bucks later) I made it to Belarus.

You'll notice that it's valid only from October 25th to November 11th.

Interesting story.

I decided to take my chances and catch the 18:30 train on the 24th from Kiev to Minsk, arriving the next morning (the 25th) at 6:05, thinking that I'll cross the border sometime in the night, and hopefully AFTER midnight.

Well, we reached the border at 11:15. Ukrainian police came through, collected my registration card, stamped my passport and left atound 11:25.

Then came the Belarusians. Kept looking at my watch... 11:32.... 11:38... they were getting closer, in the same wagon now, but my couchette was at the far end. 11:55: "Passport!" Now, this guy couldn't have been older than 24. Really. He takes my passport and starts flipping the pages. (Luckily I've been on the road long enough that most of the pages are full.)

11:57. Come on... This has to be the 25th by now.

I see him examine my visa. He then, get this, pulls out his stamper, turns it upside down, depresses it and stares at the stamp to see what the date is. Apparently he's not the type to a) carry a watch or b) remember the date.

So, I'm sitting here thinking, "Cool, the longer this joker takes trying to figure out what his job is.... and it'll be midnight." But no. This guy actually pulls out his radio and (what I find out later) calls his supervisor. They chat for a bit (it's now 12:01) and then he says to me "One moment".

12:08. The supervisor shows up, gets the story, looks at his watch and tells the guy to stamp my passport.

So in the end, sometimes bureaucracy works in your favor!

Palats Republiki

2006-10-30T12:47:00.001-08:00

IMG_2710
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Here's the Palace of the "Republic" in Minsk Belarus, right off the main drag through town. I saw a couple of ballet performances here at night, which some say can be better than bolshoi in Moscow.

And.... I've got video!

2006-10-29T09:36:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this clip is actually pretty poorly shot, but the meaning was just to figure out the process of getting a little video from my Canon SD450 to gootube and into that little box on the right.

So, this is a little bit of a ballet performance in Minsk, Belarus, at the Palats Republiki, Palace of the Republic. I have no other information as I couldn't understand anything on the ticket other than 'балет' (ballet), and if I did, I already threw out the ticket!

Warsaw

2006-10-29T03:03:00.000-08:00

IMG_0803
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

What a shock coming to Warsaw. After spending over two weeks in Ukraine and Belarus (and the last two days in crumbling Brest), getting off the train and seeing the hustle and bustle of Warsaw, its
skyscrapers, influence of western culture (almost every newsstand sells the british tabloids) is eyeopening. Definitely back in the E.U.

Beyond this hustle and bustle, I didn't find too much to see in Warsaw. I found Chopin's heart buried in the Church of the Holy Cross, and there is an interesting museum also dedicated to his life and work here.

The old town has been restored, but isn't the heart of the city, like it is in Krakow or Wroclaw.

Brest to Terespol

2006-10-29T03:02:00.000-08:00

IMG_2767
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Finally, my last day in gloomy Belarus. There are some nice sites to see, but it is definitely a trying experience here without much Russian under my belt and dealing with Soviet attitudes.

I got my ticket from Brest to Terespol and arrived at the train station half an hour early. I found cup of coffee and planted my rear end in the waiting room watching a few minutes pass before trying

to find my train. The departure board said track 1, but for the life of me, there was no track 1 anywhere in the station I could find. Finally, with ten minutes left, I showed an older man my ticket and he led me around a corner, through some double doors, down a corridor, then through some more doors, which opened up to customs and passport control.

What?

Well, unbeknownst to me, it happens before you get on the train here. The two cops looked at my ticket and gave me a simple "Nyet", pointing me to the door I just came in.

Two hours later I finally made it through. It was really a trip back in time. These old Belarussian carriages have a coal burning furnace in each one for heat. As you walk in the car, you pass it and feel the open flames pushing the hot air out at you as you find your seat.

During the final ten minutes of the 20 minute ride, two older women came running through the car with about 15 boxes of cigarettes each. Usually two in each leg of a pair of panty hose cut in half. Blazenly, the took all 30 or so, and managed to cram every last one under either the tiling in the ceiling of the car (not unlike a classroom ceiling) or some of the broken sideboards behind the seats against the walls of the carriage.

Somehow, they've got a good racket of getting cheap cigarettes into Poland through the Polish checkpoint. Either they're in on it, turn a blind eye, or have a gaping hole in their security. Thought it rather interesting.

Peleş Castle

2006-09-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

Peles Castle
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

In Sinaia you'll find the Peles Castle. It's about an hour south of Brasov.

I’ll have to say that this is by far the most extravagantly excessive palace I’ve seen. Built between 1873 and 1888, some say it has one of the richest art collections inside than of all European Castles. I wish I could have taken interior photos, but it's not allowed.

The castle is actually being returned to King Michael this year, and will be open to tourist for 3 more years, but its future is unknown after that.

2006-09-11T04:33:00.000-07:00

IMG_8353
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

A view from the mountain at the edge of town. Brasov is the gateway city for a lot of backpackers wanting to explore Transylvania.

I spent some time at the hostel talking with other *real* backpackers who were headed out, or just got back, from long hiking trips in the Carpathian mountains. This is definitely something to come back for. Especially in the fall. I miss my tent and sleeping bag....

2006-08-19T03:59:00.000-07:00

IMG_7426
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

The Castle Village of Mesta on the Greek island of Xios was originally built as a medieval settlement to protect the local mastic farmers from pirates. Today it’s mainly an hour stop for the tour buses, but I managed to spend two nights inside in one of the old homes.

Next to the town square in the middle of the fortress, I found a souvenir saleslady who spoke English and asked if she knew where I could rent a room. “Of course!” After a couple of calls on her cell phone within a few minutes I met this old Greek lady who spoke no English but had a key to a room in exchange for some cash. No passport, no registration, no receipt. Decent place and it gave me some time to absorb the Mediterranean landscape and trails around the town.

2006-08-16T04:08:00.000-07:00

IMG_7374
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

This really is one of my favorite things. I love finding the markets, butcher shops, fish markets, looking at the foods for sale and taking some photos.

Here in Turkey, the butcher was more than happy to have his photo taken in front of his display.

2006-06-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

school children off the rio napo
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Jared and I had a good time entertaining these school kids in the afternoon. Can you spot the girl with the baseball cap on? Yep, that's Jareds. A little gift.

2006-06-11T03:45:00.000-07:00

amazon walking tree
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

These trees have so many roots protruding from the soil that, once the top reaches the canopy around it, it can moving up to 3 meters to find an opening in the canopy to get sunlight!

2006-06-09T03:50:00.000-07:00

river dolphin hunting
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Here's the view from the bow of the ship...uh... canoe, as we approached our landing for a lunch stop in a little village behind me.

2006-06-04T03:37:00.000-07:00

border flags
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

After getting back to Quito, Jared and I arranged a 10 day trip down the Rio Napo from El Coca, Ecuador to Iquitos, Peru. All in a canoe. At least we had a motor.

Here you see the border along the Napo river.

Back to Quito

2006-05-31T18:40:00.000-07:00

So we finally made it back to Quito. The meta plan now is to fly over to Coca, out of the Andes and into the Amazon rainforest. We'll be trying to get a boat from Coca down to the border of Ecuador and Peru, at Nuevo Rocafuerte, and from there get down to Iquitos. From Iquitos we'll have to catch another boat either to the border again at Tabatinga, or maybe all the way down the Amazon to Manaus Brazil. If not, we should be able to catch a domestic flight from Tabatinga to Brasilia and continue our travels from there.

So, if you don't hear from us for a while, well, we're somewhere in the Amazon! Maybe even in a dugout canoe!

Diving at Floreana

2006-05-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

IMG_0502
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Unfortunately, we lost Jared's dive camera, but luckily a Norwegian couple who were on our dive boat to Floreana let me copy thier dive pictures afterwards. They got a good one of Jared and I here. Check out the school behind us.

The pictures really don't do justice to the quality of diving. We swam with Hammerhead sharks, White tipped reef sharks, Galapagos sharks, huge sea turtles, sea lions swimming down to 40 meters, great schools of baracudas and other fish, includes schools so large that when you swim into them, they envelop around you and you can barely see for lack of light!

Puerto Ayora

2006-05-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

IMG_2704
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

After our eight days on the Tip Top II and seeing 9 of the Galapagos Islands, Jared and I headed back to Puerto Ayora with Jeanette and Dave, a great couple from Austrailia on their honeymoon that were also on the Tip Top. We had some great meals, great lazy days on the beach and a couple of great days of diving.

Floreana

2006-05-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

IMG_5725
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Floreana, the island of mystery, was the first inhabited island in the Galapagos. It's the island of mystery, because, well, mysteriously, many of the first inhabitants there disappeared. For the whole "story", you'll have to find Margaret Wittmer's book called Floreana, where she attempts to exhonerate herself from the situation.

By the way, the pink flamingos here are amazing to watch...

Espanola

2006-05-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

IMG_4886
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Surfing sea lions! Wish I could do that!

Santa Fe

2006-05-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

IMG_4487
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

More fun sea lions to tease and photograph. The pups especially are fun to chase around.

Santa Cruz

2006-05-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

IMG_3444
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Home to the Galapagos tortises and also Puerto Ayora. We spent the day here at the Darwin Center where they breed the giant tortise. Then we headed up into the mountains of Santa Cruz where you can still find the wild tortises hanging out in the lagoons or under some shade.

Santiago

2006-05-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

IMG_3148
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Santiago is the home to a large number of marine iguanas. We wandered around here for a day, and also found some white tipped reef sharks swimming in a tide pool with a few sea lions.

Genovesa

2006-05-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

IMG_2689
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Our first stop was north of the equator at Genovesa, home to a number of bird species. As you first step foot on the island, you think you're in Jurassic Park of Birds. Somebody had to have set this up. But really, all of the birds could care less about you and the just carry on with their business of mating, nesting, quarreling, sleeping, feeding the young, all while the crew of us snapped away at our cameras and stared in awe.

The amazing male friggates seen here on Genovesa have an inflatable pouch they use to attract females, along with a song and dance.

The Tip Top Two

2006-05-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

IMG_5532
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

After finding a hotel room for a night in Puerto Ayora, Jared and I got some lunch at a great little spot called La Garrapata, right on the main strip, I think it's called Charles Darwin Road. Well, we had some awesome seafood for lunch and asked the 20 year old waiter if he new of any deals on last minute boats leaving for a tour of the islands. Of course was his answer, and he asked us to give him five minutes and he would personally escort us over to the office.

Elizabeth Wittmer, the daughter of Rolf Wittmer, the son of Margaret Wittmer, greeted us and indeed told us that cabin 6 was free and the boat, Tip Top II, was leaving tomorrow! How much? $1400 per person. 7 nights 8 days. I looked at her with a frown and said we could only pay $1000, and $1400 was way too much anyways
and that cabin six was right next to the engine room. She just looked at me and laughed and laughed. But I insisted, and after about a minute of her laughing, I said, Okay, $1100, that's really all we can
afford. Of course, she laughed even more, but then suddenly she picked up the phone and made a call. After a 10 second conversation, she looks up at us and says, Tienes suerte!, You're lucky!

So Friday morning we headed back to the airport to meet out guide, Angelica, and the rest of our travelling companions, 14 of them, flying in from the mainland. After that, it was a 10 minute ride to the port of Baltra and we headed out for Genovesa.

Galapagos!

2006-05-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

IMG_3162
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

The Galapagos are located about 400 miles west of Ecuador right on the equator. A few islands are north and most are a tad bit south of it. We ended up crossing the equator twice on our boat as we visited them.

Guayaquil, Ecuador

2006-05-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

After Lima, I took a 27 hour direct bus up to Guayaquil to meet Jared and head out to the Galapagos. We had no plan, and Guayaquil was going to be the stop to figure things out. Well, it didn't quite work out that way, and all we ended up doing was buying roundtrip tickets on Tame to Baltra, in the Galapagos.

Don't worry, you're not seeing any photos here since I took no photos. I deemed both Lima and Guayaquil too dangerous to pull out the camera, and plus I needed some downtime from photos.

Lima, Peru

2006-05-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

Elif and I flew back to Lima after some time on the beach and we wandered around the city for a
couple of days before she had to fly back to DC for work. A lot of travellers have spoken poorly of Lima, but I found it a fun and interesting place to explore for a little bit of time. Miraflores, the newer part of the city south of the Plaza Mayor, has a great vibe and nightlife and a ton of shopping.

Mancora, Peru

2006-05-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

IMG_2400
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

We caught the 6:30am train out of Aguas Calientes and made it back to Cusco to catch a flight all the way up the coast to Mancora, supposedly the nicest beach town in Peru. It was a great place to chill out for a while, read a book, have some ceviche and enjoy some beautiful sunsets.

Don't worry...

2006-05-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

IMG_2377
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

...I was able to pull her up... but only after I got the photo!

The Lost City of Machu Picchu

2006-05-07T17:33:00.000-07:00

IMG_2181
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Following Cusco, we split for the Sacred Valley, first stopping at Ollantaytambo and then onto Aguas Calientes, which is a little tourist village at the foot of Machu Picchu. Off to bed early, we woke up at 430am the next morning to meet our guide at the bus stop to get up to Machu Picchu.

We had a great walk around the city with our guide for a couple of hours, and then she left us at the gate to Waynu Picchu, which is a larger mountain overlooking Machu Picchu. You have to get there early since they only allow 400 people per day to climb up it. And it's not the easiest of hikes. A few times I was actually quite afraid of falling. The photos here don't do it justice.

The village of Aguas Calientes is named so for its natural hot springs which are a 10 minute walk up from town. If you ever end up there, definately be sure not to miss this after a few days of hiking.

Cusco Peru

2006-05-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

IMG_2037
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

We spent three great sunny days in Cusco, having some great meals and getting out to see the local Incan ruins in the mountians.

Cusco is one of the most developed tourist traps I've come across. Almost all the young locals speak decent English, getting around is a breeze, and you can actually find really good coffee. Believe me, this last task has been particularly painful.

Getting to Cusco

2006-05-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

IMG_2116
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

First and foremost, my deepest apologies for not updating this page for nearly a month! Time flies, and we've been busy as bees getting all over Peru and Ecuador. On with the show...

Finally made it to Cusco to meet my friends and Elif. The final leg from Puno to Cusco was by far the worst bus ride yet in South America. The locals have the nasty habit of selling you a local ticket but telling you its express. The local buses leave at 10pm and arrive at 4am, stopping every 90 minutes or so. The bus ends up being packed, even down the aisle, and I even met a guy who said a lady opened up a bag of dead lamb parts and pulled out a machete and proceeded to cut up some chops to sell at the market the next day...

Get your keys made here...

2006-04-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

IMG_1367
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

La Paz is great. Anything you can think of you can find on the sidewalk. This guy has a mobile cart and a hand powered key maker. ¨Se copia llaves al minuto!¨

Minibuses and Trufis

2006-04-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

IMG_0968
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

La Paz doesn´t have a traditional public transport system. Instead, public transport is made up of minibuses, pictured here, which hold about 15 people and a driver and a caller, who constantly yells the bus´ destinations out the window and collects the fares; usually about 1 Boliviano (12 cents).

Trufis, which stands for (T)ransport on a (R)o(U)te (FI)xed, are a little more expensive, but are just regular cars and carry at most 4 passengers. They are a little more expensive, 3.5 Bolivianos.

El Alto

2006-04-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

IMG_1120
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

When travelling in El Chaltén, Argentina, I met a student, Philipp, on the far right, who invited me to his house where he and three other Germans are living and working for a year in El Alto. El Alto is the ghetto poor neighborhood that lies above the valley of La Paz. It´s a very tranquil place, and nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city in the evenings.

This photo is from their rooftop, Julio, Christian, Philipp on the top, and Christoph below (too scared to hop up on the wall, a straight 30 foot drop on the other side!).

La Paz!

2006-04-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

IMG_1357
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Finally made it to La Paz!

A six hour bus ride took me from Salta, Argentina to the border of Bolivia. We left at 12:30am and arrived at the border at about 6:30am. From there we had to wait and hour and a half in La Quiaca, Argentina, for the border to open so our passports could get stamped and cross into Villazón, Bolivia.

The bus terminal in Villazón is a 10 minute walk from the border, and I bought a ticket to La Paz for 80 Bolivianos, about U$S10.

Well, after 20 hours of travelling on dirt roads full of ruts, we arrived at La Paz.

Aconcagua

2006-04-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

IMG_0581
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Mount Aconcagua, at 6960 meters, is the highest peak in the Americas. It is also the highest peak outside of the Himalayas.

Bernie and I headed out with the goal of making it to the base camp, Plaza de los Mulas, but unfortutely the camp was closed for the winter. We could have risked the U$S200 fine and gone anyway, but with temperatures of -35C and high winds forecasted, we decided to just make it out ot Plaza Francia.

At 4200 meters, the top of the mountain pictured behind us here is a full two miles, 10,000ft above us. The normal route of ascension loops around the left side and approaches the mountain from the North. Here you are looking at the house face, which is nearly impossible to climb.

Happy Birthday to me!

2006-04-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

CIMG1313
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

After climbing Lanín, Bernie and I headed back to San Martín to collect our travelling gear and to throw a party for my big 3-0.

We had 8 nationalities represented: Argentina, Austria, Spain, Israel, United States, Germany, Ireland, and, of course, Holland.

After a huge pizza fest, a delicious chocolate cake with dulce de leche, we headed out to Downtown Matias in San Martín for a celebration! What fun!

On the summit of Vulcan Lanín

2006-03-31T12:48:00.000-08:00

IMG_0113
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Lanín, the highest peak of Patagonia, lies about 60 kilometers west of Junín de los Andes, a small town that is host to two military bases to watch the border and keep the Chileans straight.

Bernie and I set up out of San Martin de los Andes, which is about 40 kilometers from Junín. After getting to the ranger station and obtaining our permits for the climb, we set out with 4 days of food for the 2 day summit in case bad weather prevented us on the first attempt.

Luckily, after climbing over half way up on the first day, the next morning rose perfectly with no clouds and no winds. We set out for the summit at 5:45am and arrived at 9:15. We were able to make the descent all the way down on the same day as well, arriving at the little camp shop at 4pm, just in time for happy hour.

Off behind me in this shot in Vulcan Villarica in Chile. As we set out in the dark that morning, you could just make out its firey red top of magma. The clouds of ash behind me streched 200km to the south by the northern winds.

Sunrise over Fitzroy

2006-03-25T04:14:00.000-08:00

IMG_9857
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Camping at Lago Capri gives you the best view of the sunrise over Cerro Fitzroy in the entire park. This was a great little spot and I wished I could have spent another week there.

Cerro Torre

2006-03-25T04:12:00.000-08:00

IMG_9752
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Cerro Torre is an impressive piece of rock to look at. Here you see the glaciar crawling down the valley to the left and dumping into Lago Torre.

I found a great book called "Enduring Patagonia" by Gregory Crouch, about his climbing experiences here at at Fitzroy. Check it out if you're a Krakauer fan.

El Chalten

2006-03-23T04:07:00.000-08:00

IMG_9905
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

A four hour ride from Calafate takes me to the little town of Chalten, nestled at the edge of the Chalten river valley.

After arriving at noon, I headed straight up the trail to Cerro Torre, *the* hardest mountain to climb in Patagonia.

From Puerto Natales to El Chalten

2006-03-20T04:03:00.000-08:00

IMG_9749
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

After getting out of Torres del Paine with a complete set of gear soaked solid through with rain water, I managed to dry off, get a load of laundry done, and catch the 6hr bus across the border back into Argentina to the town of El Calafate.

The best part of El Calafate (calafate is the name of the wild berries that grow all over Patagonia) was the beer. On the way to the bird santuary on the north side of town sits a little pub called Whirra. The owner, very nice guy, lived in Philly for a decade before moving back to start this pub. He makes a Pilsner and a Bock and both were the best beers I've had in a while.

Seven days in Torres del Paine

2006-03-12T03:58:00.000-08:00

IMG_9509
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

About 100 km north of Puerto Natales in Chilean Patagonia lie some huge granite massifs called Torres del Paine. I spent a week trekking through the park, watching glaciers, hiking up to the miradors, and meeting trekkers from all over the world.

The weather in Patagonia can be a bastard. In the seven days I was there, we had six days of rain. My last night there, at the Base Torres camp, the closest to the towers, it snowed. Needless to say, I missed the sunrise over the towers.

5 days in the Sierra Valdivieso Range

2006-03-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

IMG_1072
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Just spent 5 days trekking in the Sierra Valdivieso Range about 17km northeast of Ushuaia. The mountains were amazing, the water straight from the glaciers.

At the end of the second day, I found two tents pitched by the river and some folks collecting firewood. There were four total: a couple from Holland, and a brother and sister from South Africa. I camped with them and shared the fire and ended up hiking most of the last three days with them! Some terrific people with great humour!

Look inside the Sierra Valdivieso set for photos of us wading across the Rio Olivia too late. The water came up to our chests and we had our packs above our heads!

All in all, this is an amazing trek with beautiful views and almost no other hikers. In the five days I was there, I saw 6 other hikers besides the 4 I camped with.

Una's Tits

2006-02-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

IMG_8371
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Two high peaks lie hidden behind the clouds here on Renard Island. Early voyagers and explorers nicknamed the peaks Una's Tits after a barmaid working on South Georgia Island.

Vokda with the Ukranians at Vernadsky Station

2006-02-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

IMG_8646
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

The Ukranians here get a cargo ship of potatoes once a year and make some of the finest vodka in all of Antarctica. :) Remember to wear your lifevest while drinking.

Swim anyone?

2006-02-26T09:40:00.000-08:00

IMG_8860
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Can you believe it? I was the only brave soul to take a swim out to the icebergs at Waterboat Point. The water was a balmy 32F.

Napping on the Ice

2006-02-25T10:02:00.000-08:00

IMG_8446
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

This crabeater seal (we saw at least 200 of them throughout our trip) stretches out for a view of the zodiak as the engine wakes him up from an afternoon nap.

Chasing the Minke Whale

2006-02-25T09:42:00.000-08:00

IMG_9818
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Our Zodiac driver caught the interest of this Minke whale with a percussion against the side of the pontoon.

Texture

2006-02-24T09:59:00.000-08:00

IMG_7893
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

The sun peaked out of the clouds as our zodiak cruised past this one.

And more ice

2006-02-24T09:58:00.000-08:00

IMG_7891
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

See the striking contrast of the smooth, beautiful curves on the lower right of this berg with the sharp, raw, rough peak on the upper left. Shadows from the sun dance all over.

More Ice

2006-02-24T09:55:00.001-08:00

IMG_7765
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Created by gravity, the sea and the wind.

Ice

2006-02-24T09:55:00.000-08:00

IMG_7818
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Dramatic views of ice were to be had everywhere.

Glacial activity at Neko

2006-02-24T09:34:00.000-08:00

Watching the ice fall off into the harbour every ten to fifteen minutes. A crack of thunder and a race of waves through the calm of the water.

Kamakazi Skuas

2006-02-24T09:33:00.000-08:00

IMG_7435
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

The skuas at Neko Harbour were extremely protective of their nests. Coming down off the hill gave everyone a chance to get up close and personal with these birds.

The lookout from Neko Harbour

2006-02-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

IMG_0893
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Our first (and only) continental landing was at Neko Harbour. A climb up the snowfield gave us dramatic views of the glaciers and the bay. A wonderfully peaceful and dramatic place.

Hot Tub at Deception Island

2006-02-23T09:26:00.000-08:00

IMG_0892
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Deception Island is actually a flooded caldera volcano. It last erupted in 1972, and the rising heat from the magma and gas below makes for a nice hot tub after a cold swim.

Can I help you?

2006-02-23T09:24:00.000-08:00

IMG_6989
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

A curious little Gentoo asking Franz, from Switzerland, what the hell he was doing there.

Hannah Point

2006-02-23T09:22:00.000-08:00

IMG_6765
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Our first landing was at Hannah Point, the point of a little Island with colonies of Gentoos, Chinstraps, Elephant and Fur seals. The young Gentoo penguins are the most curious, and would waddle right up to you, poke at you, and if you were lying down, hop on your lap and take a nap on the heat from your legs.

Punta del Este

2006-02-18T07:58:00.000-08:00

IMG_6488
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Two more hours east of Montevideo lies Punta del Este, where probably more than half of the condos here are owned by portenos, who come here to shop, dine, lie on the beach and party late into the night.

The Point is a southward facing peninsula that has a calm, tranquil bay on the west and the Atlantic on the east, with a five minute walk to get from one side to the other.

About 15 minutes by bus northeast of the peninsula is La Barra, which shouldn’t be missed if you like the nightlife. This time of the year is it emptying out, and some of the bars have already closed down for the winter. Most were still open, though, and I found some live music that started at 1am.

At 6am I got back to the peninsula to take some photos of La Mano, and met a very nice family from Buenos Aires who hosts exchange students from the States. Of course, they had been out all night and were just heading home.

Montevideo

2006-02-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

IMG_6086
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Two and a half hours east of Colonia is the capital of Uruguay: Montevideo. Fine craftsman line the main tourist drag, selling leather goods, Mate cups, jewelry and art. The beaches northeast of the Old Town are very nice, and there is a good biking path up along the coast. Bike rentals are cheap too!

Colonia, Uruguay

2006-02-14T07:59:00.000-08:00

IMG_6051
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Colonia is a quiet getaway and hours ferry ride from Buenos Aires. Its coastline is the eastern side of the Rio de la Plata, the river water slowly mixes with the Atlantic.

What a peaceful sunset this was to watch.

Cuidad del Este, Paraguay

2006-02-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

IMG_0747
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Cuidad del Este is a chaotic mess. I took the bus from Puerto Iguazú, to Foz de Iguassu, and make the 10-minute walk across the bridge-border with Paraguay. Officials don’t stop pedestrians on either side of the border and many Brazilians go up there to get cheap electronics or clothes. You can’t take more than 3 paces without someone shoving merchandise in your face. Needless to say, I didn’t spend much time here.

Itaipú Dam

2006-02-12T07:55:00.000-08:00

IMG_5795
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

One of the seven Modern Wonders of the World, the Itaipú Dam is the largest dam in the world. Its massive turbines provide 26% of all of Brazil’s power needs, and 78% of Paraguay. Paraguay is thus the worlds largest exporter of electricity.

To get there is a 10km taxi ride northwest of Cuidad del Este. The tour is free and consists of a 30-minute on the construction and operation of the dam, and a 30-minute bus drive around and under the dam. The tubes shown here are 10 meters in diameter and funnel water down to the turbines.

The lake created by the flooding caused a huge environmental disaster which both governments inadequately tried to prevent. Now, wildlife reserves exist up the coasts of both sides of the lake.

Moonlit walk to the Falls

2006-02-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

IMG_5472
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

I took the bus back to the park again Saturday night to try and catch the full moon rising over the falls. Unfortunately I missed the moonrise, but some of the night shots turned out okay. The platforms that you walk on are quite unstable and the foot traffic from the crowd made it hard to get a steady shot with the tripod for 12 second
exposures.

Iguazú Falls

2006-02-10T20:39:00.000-08:00

IMG_5425
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Check out the photos of Iguazú Falls from both the Argentine side and the Brazilian side. Both are fabulous and equally dramatic. By far the most amazing falls I have ever seen.

Off to Iguazú

2006-02-09T18:23:00.000-08:00

IMG_5235
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Choas at the Bus Terminal in downtown Buenos Aires on a Friday afternoon. Bought a US$40 ticket on ViaBariloche for Puerto Iguazú, Argentina. The falls here are supposed to rival the largest in the world. 18 hours here I come!

Tigre

2006-02-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

IMG_5194
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

Tigre is a small, slow weekend destination for a lot of folks from Buenos Aires. The Rio Tigre empties into the Rio de la Plata here, which eventually dumps into the Atlantic. Took a short boat ride through the tributaries which are home to wealthy weekend cottages (like the Hamptons). The water isn't too polluted and many enjoyed the day waterskiing.

Spanish!

2006-02-08T17:31:00.000-08:00

IMG_4857
Originally uploaded by gregtaleck.

I was fortunate enough to find a great Spanish class to take this week. Español Andando, http://www.espanol-andando.com.ar, was the name and was a great concept. The instructor, Paula, 26, a native of Buenos Aires, decided that tourists needed a way to learn some Spanish for travelers without sitting in a classroom staring at a whiteboard. Everyday we met at a different restaurant, café or bar, and spent half of the lesson learning some new vocabulary or grammar, and the other half was walking through the neighborhood and practicing our Spanish by working on some exercises in the local supermercados, zapaterias, farmacias or librerias. A great concept, class and bargain! Interestingly, a fellow classmate, Will Hide, 38, from the London Times was on a travel vacation and will hopefully be publishing a piece on this course in the Times (with photos!). You might see it at willhide.com soon!