I think that we can all agree that John Farnham is the greatest living Australian. By a long way. He has single handedly taken the pressure down, identified us as a (collective?) voice and has broken the record for Last Time, Final Tour concerts, a record previously held by Lazarus.
But, undoubtably, his greatest work is the 1986 hit "A Touch of Paradise"1, a song no doubt inspired by his little known visit to the Galápagos Islands.
Almost on the equator, the Galapagos are known for, primarily, their association with Charles Darwin. Darwin's observations of the Galapagos Iguanas, which in contrast to their continental counterparts had evolved to swim, set in motion his Evolution of the Species and changes the lives of creationists everywhere.
But for most of us, the Galapagos Islands are best known as a magical tropical paradise off the coast of Ecuador.
There's simply no good words that will adequately describe just how beautiful the "Enchanted Islands" are. Semi-arid and unbearably hot for most of the day, this archipelago is nonetheless something stuck in a time warp - indeed the whole experience feels a little like living in a 1960s era Bond movie. People walk for the most part, not that there's much end for a car as the capital, San Cristobal's, total road length is measured in the tens, not even hundreds.
Here, the boat is king. Food is by and large caught in the sea, and grilled on a coal BBQ. Beans and rice are also staples, like the soup that seems distributed before every meal. Yes, even breakfast.
And it's easy to see why. A boat ride away are some of the most fertile free-diving areas imaginable. At shallow depths, the most beautiful fish can be spotted - tiger, sea-lion, turtle and shark all glide past you or stop for a play.
And the action is not limited to the sea, above cormorant's dive for their meals while pelican's gracefully swop on unsuspecting fish. Even the famous marine iguanas bask in the sunshine.
Two days in and we're already contemplating opening a cafe and staying. Good coffee and John Farnham isn't a bad way to spend your life.
Cam
1. Not actually a hit.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
City of Contrasts
I'm going to start this post by stressing that Quito is a truly beautiful city and that the people are, so far, incredibly friendly and helpful.
Now, with the disclaimer out of the way, Quito is also a city of massive contrasts.
The airport is by far one of the most beautiful - given that any airport is going to be a frustrating and essentially boring place. It's only about four years old and everything is still incredibly new, clean and easy. The immigration folk by far the nicest I've experienced and even the military style uniformed customs people were friendly.
The drive out from the airport was also along the newest freeway we've been on for a while - so smooth and lined with Palm trees. But then the first of the contrasts, the road ran out after 6 kilometres and it was then the last 20 kilometres on pot-holed, cracked and broken roads, old bridges over cavernous gorges and winding hillclimbs.
This morning brought a walk down into the valley (everything is down into the valley) and lunch (it was a late start, sue us we're on holiday) at a really cool cafe. The best coffee I've had in a while and an amazing double-decker sandwich - which was apparently an Ecuadorean sandwich.
Down town (in the New Town) there is a beautiful park full of artists, volleyball players and musicians, and is like a small paradise. But we were determined to walk into Old Town, just over the hill.
Next contrast, once out of the park it was a different world. Not just the chaos of the city, but the hawkers, beggars and crumbling buildings of any other major city in a developing nation and so far removed from the paradise park (not its actual name).
Old Town itself is beautiful - a UNESCO world heritage site and a trapped-in-time replica of a colonial Spanish city. The pink and yellow buildings with balconies (topped with flowers) make the entire district picture perfect. Beautiful churches and cathedrals abound in a state/nation that is still poverty stricken - which highlights the already much discussed priorities of the Catholic Church during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. It is still amazing to see such history, and the obvious faith of the people, as shown in the religious iconography both small and impressively large throuout the city. We visited no less than four before deciding that we'd had our church quota.
However, we wanted to walk to he nearby El Panecillo, a statue of an angel overlooking the city. From the bustling Plaza Grande we walked towards a picturesque set of steps leading to the hill's summit, only to be stopped before long by a local woman who pointed out the "tourists beware, this area is dangerous" sign... It was eerily quiet - too quiet? - so we turned around and, while heading to a more populated area, were verbaled by a group of men. I've been in some dodgy parts of dodgy cities before, but this was the first time I'd been unnerved by a part of a city. Another contrast.
Still, the City Museum was a good insight into Ecuador's history - okay be honest, who knew that it was once a state of Colombia - and it was great to look around a former convent and hospital.
Quito is a beautiful, beautiful city, filled with great and friendly people, but you can't go far before you notice the anacronisms that befuddle you, but also add to the city's charm, and despite the contrasts, we're really looking forward to seeing more of this great country.
Cam
Now, with the disclaimer out of the way, Quito is also a city of massive contrasts.
The airport is by far one of the most beautiful - given that any airport is going to be a frustrating and essentially boring place. It's only about four years old and everything is still incredibly new, clean and easy. The immigration folk by far the nicest I've experienced and even the military style uniformed customs people were friendly.
The drive out from the airport was also along the newest freeway we've been on for a while - so smooth and lined with Palm trees. But then the first of the contrasts, the road ran out after 6 kilometres and it was then the last 20 kilometres on pot-holed, cracked and broken roads, old bridges over cavernous gorges and winding hillclimbs.
This morning brought a walk down into the valley (everything is down into the valley) and lunch (it was a late start, sue us we're on holiday) at a really cool cafe. The best coffee I've had in a while and an amazing double-decker sandwich - which was apparently an Ecuadorean sandwich.
Down town (in the New Town) there is a beautiful park full of artists, volleyball players and musicians, and is like a small paradise. But we were determined to walk into Old Town, just over the hill.
Next contrast, once out of the park it was a different world. Not just the chaos of the city, but the hawkers, beggars and crumbling buildings of any other major city in a developing nation and so far removed from the paradise park (not its actual name).
Old Town itself is beautiful - a UNESCO world heritage site and a trapped-in-time replica of a colonial Spanish city. The pink and yellow buildings with balconies (topped with flowers) make the entire district picture perfect. Beautiful churches and cathedrals abound in a state/nation that is still poverty stricken - which highlights the already much discussed priorities of the Catholic Church during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. It is still amazing to see such history, and the obvious faith of the people, as shown in the religious iconography both small and impressively large throuout the city. We visited no less than four before deciding that we'd had our church quota.
However, we wanted to walk to he nearby El Panecillo, a statue of an angel overlooking the city. From the bustling Plaza Grande we walked towards a picturesque set of steps leading to the hill's summit, only to be stopped before long by a local woman who pointed out the "tourists beware, this area is dangerous" sign... It was eerily quiet - too quiet? - so we turned around and, while heading to a more populated area, were verbaled by a group of men. I've been in some dodgy parts of dodgy cities before, but this was the first time I'd been unnerved by a part of a city. Another contrast.
Still, the City Museum was a good insight into Ecuador's history - okay be honest, who knew that it was once a state of Colombia - and it was great to look around a former convent and hospital.
Quito is a beautiful, beautiful city, filled with great and friendly people, but you can't go far before you notice the anacronisms that befuddle you, but also add to the city's charm, and despite the contrasts, we're really looking forward to seeing more of this great country.
Cam
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
The Further We Go, The Closer We Are
No, sorry. The post title is not an existential comment on our relationship, although I am travelling with an awesome travel buddy.
No, the title was an epiphany I had this afternoon at the Pre-Colombian Museum of Art, but more on that later.
Santiago is a city of high contrast. The gap between the wealthy and poverty-stricken is one of the largest in the world - so it is not uncommon on a 20 minute walk to be stepping over rubbish and avoiding Bangkok-style fumes one minute, and then passing schmick residential apartment blocks and up-scale cafes or department stores the next. It's also warm. Very warm.
The language is a challenge, but one that Laurel at least is embracing with gusto. Mia gusto. She's picking up phrases and understanding at least the gist of the locals much faster than I am. While I seem to be the translator of last resort, Laurel is often the first in with a "si" or "gracias", or even short exchanges with ice-cream vendors over specific flavours, while I'm left with the more studied "cafe y te con leche, por favor." Needless to say the both of our Spanish has improved markedly in the 24 hours we've been here.
Today was walking in Santiago day. We discovered yesterday that many public places are closed on Mondays, and so made the most of the only full day we have in Santiago. Our suspicions seem to be confirmed - that Santiago itself is like any major city, with a number of tourist attractions, but that the best sights our outside of the city itself. Southern Chile especially seems to get a good rap, but that may have to wait until another trip.
The highlights of our days walk were both cultural and natural. One the cultural side the first stop was the National Museum, set in an old colonial building and covering the nation's history from a brief description of pre-European civilisations to the more recent Spanish - and Catholic - conquest, the independence movement and finally democracy, notwithstanding the 1973 military coup. The undoubtable, if dubious, highlight of the National Museum was the artwork accompanying many of the exhibitions, best described as "postmodern." Our particular favourite, to paraphrase what must only have been the Spanish titles, were the famous postmodern works "Video of Iguana on Scale Model Couch" and "Commemorate Our Nation with Boobs."
Far more interesting, and relevant, was the Museum of Pre-Colombian Art. A fantastic journey through Chile's 60,000+ year history, the museum showed the artwork, and therefore culture and society, of the many indigenous peoples of the Americas, in the context of modern Chile. Peoples from as far north as Mexico and east as Brazil were described pre-Incan Empire.
It was in this museum that I had my epiphany. Looking through the pre-Incan art, and reading of Chile's history, it struck me how similar the cultural, religious and societal symbols were to those that we are more familiar, i.e. Anglo-European. For instance, a person's position in most pre-Incan societies was determined by their headdress, with many wearing animal skins or furs on their heads to denote a high social standing, like western Justices. Similarly the use of four points on a compass and even the hindu "swastika" are replicated in the artwork of cultures so geographically removed from our own ancestors. These, and other similarities, I couldn't help but feel connected to the people of the Americas, in a disconnected way. Surely, despite an 11 hour flight, there are too many similarities to feel as though we are completely removed. How would the original conquistadors have felt when experiencing these cultures for the first time. Probably not much, they were too busy killing and spreading Christianity.
The natural attractions were no less stunning. The top of the Castillo Hidalgo, a small but dramatic rise more or less in the dead centre of town gave us beautiful views towards the Andes and past the Parque Metropolitano, another rise, this time more dramatic and marking the northern border of the city centre. The latter we scaled courtesy of the funicular, or as Laurel described it, the fun-kiler. The top gave us more remarkable views over the whole of Santiago and to the Andes, which tower over the city so close you can almost see them through the smog.
The food and drink was the final experience of the day. The coffee is strong and black and served to you while standing at a bench, three machines working on raised platforms. Sandwiches are more complicated than our Spanglish allows and dinner was served with a litre of beer. In other words, fantastic.
But it's now 10.30pm, or 12.30pm in Australia, and and we're buggered, so it's definitely jet-lag time.
Until we can get internet access next, adios muchacho.
Cam
No, the title was an epiphany I had this afternoon at the Pre-Colombian Museum of Art, but more on that later.
Santiago is a city of high contrast. The gap between the wealthy and poverty-stricken is one of the largest in the world - so it is not uncommon on a 20 minute walk to be stepping over rubbish and avoiding Bangkok-style fumes one minute, and then passing schmick residential apartment blocks and up-scale cafes or department stores the next. It's also warm. Very warm.
The language is a challenge, but one that Laurel at least is embracing with gusto. Mia gusto. She's picking up phrases and understanding at least the gist of the locals much faster than I am. While I seem to be the translator of last resort, Laurel is often the first in with a "si" or "gracias", or even short exchanges with ice-cream vendors over specific flavours, while I'm left with the more studied "cafe y te con leche, por favor." Needless to say the both of our Spanish has improved markedly in the 24 hours we've been here.
Today was walking in Santiago day. We discovered yesterday that many public places are closed on Mondays, and so made the most of the only full day we have in Santiago. Our suspicions seem to be confirmed - that Santiago itself is like any major city, with a number of tourist attractions, but that the best sights our outside of the city itself. Southern Chile especially seems to get a good rap, but that may have to wait until another trip.
The highlights of our days walk were both cultural and natural. One the cultural side the first stop was the National Museum, set in an old colonial building and covering the nation's history from a brief description of pre-European civilisations to the more recent Spanish - and Catholic - conquest, the independence movement and finally democracy, notwithstanding the 1973 military coup. The undoubtable, if dubious, highlight of the National Museum was the artwork accompanying many of the exhibitions, best described as "postmodern." Our particular favourite, to paraphrase what must only have been the Spanish titles, were the famous postmodern works "Video of Iguana on Scale Model Couch" and "Commemorate Our Nation with Boobs."
Far more interesting, and relevant, was the Museum of Pre-Colombian Art. A fantastic journey through Chile's 60,000+ year history, the museum showed the artwork, and therefore culture and society, of the many indigenous peoples of the Americas, in the context of modern Chile. Peoples from as far north as Mexico and east as Brazil were described pre-Incan Empire.
It was in this museum that I had my epiphany. Looking through the pre-Incan art, and reading of Chile's history, it struck me how similar the cultural, religious and societal symbols were to those that we are more familiar, i.e. Anglo-European. For instance, a person's position in most pre-Incan societies was determined by their headdress, with many wearing animal skins or furs on their heads to denote a high social standing, like western Justices. Similarly the use of four points on a compass and even the hindu "swastika" are replicated in the artwork of cultures so geographically removed from our own ancestors. These, and other similarities, I couldn't help but feel connected to the people of the Americas, in a disconnected way. Surely, despite an 11 hour flight, there are too many similarities to feel as though we are completely removed. How would the original conquistadors have felt when experiencing these cultures for the first time. Probably not much, they were too busy killing and spreading Christianity.
The natural attractions were no less stunning. The top of the Castillo Hidalgo, a small but dramatic rise more or less in the dead centre of town gave us beautiful views towards the Andes and past the Parque Metropolitano, another rise, this time more dramatic and marking the northern border of the city centre. The latter we scaled courtesy of the funicular, or as Laurel described it, the fun-kiler. The top gave us more remarkable views over the whole of Santiago and to the Andes, which tower over the city so close you can almost see them through the smog.
The food and drink was the final experience of the day. The coffee is strong and black and served to you while standing at a bench, three machines working on raised platforms. Sandwiches are more complicated than our Spanglish allows and dinner was served with a litre of beer. In other words, fantastic.
But it's now 10.30pm, or 12.30pm in Australia, and and we're buggered, so it's definitely jet-lag time.
Until we can get internet access next, adios muchacho.
Cam
Thursday, March 20, 2014
The Final Day of Work for Two Months
82 days seems like a long time. That's only 22 percent of the year, but it's also 1968 hours, 118080 minutes or 7084800 seconds. So take it from me, staring down the void of all those seconds, it seems like a long time.
Laurel and I are standing on the ledge together, holding hands and about to bungee jump into the abyss of a semi-sabbatical two months off work to travel through South America and the USA. The Americas 2014 is only a couple of days away!
There's no socialism discovering long-distance motorbike trips, no wide open roads in a convertible Corvette but this trip, two years in the planning, is definitely one of those life defining moments that we can't wait for.
So, for the next 82 days we'll be doing our best to keep this blog updated - but not too up-to-date - with the experiences that we experience and the adventures we... adventure?
Of course, there's every likelihood that we'll blog once more, at Sydney airport, and then again, two months later at Sydney airport, but we promise to try.
See you at the slide night at our place in June!
Cam and Laurel (the Cavenfords)!
Laurel and I are standing on the ledge together, holding hands and about to bungee jump into the abyss of a semi-sabbatical two months off work to travel through South America and the USA. The Americas 2014 is only a couple of days away!
There's no socialism discovering long-distance motorbike trips, no wide open roads in a convertible Corvette but this trip, two years in the planning, is definitely one of those life defining moments that we can't wait for.
So, for the next 82 days we'll be doing our best to keep this blog updated - but not too up-to-date - with the experiences that we experience and the adventures we... adventure?
Of course, there's every likelihood that we'll blog once more, at Sydney airport, and then again, two months later at Sydney airport, but we promise to try.
See you at the slide night at our place in June!
Cam and Laurel (the Cavenfords)!
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