Fim do viaje no Brazil

What happened since Peru? Where was I? Lost in translation? I think the travel just stopped and melted into life.

In the facts, I crossed Bolivia to meet my sister in Sao Paulo and we went to a nice trip around Brazil for 1 month (Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Manaus, Salvador da Bahia). For different reasons I stayed in Salvador, just living, I would say, meeting people and doing a lot of music. Brazil is music and Salvador is so lively!

In another way, I just stopped moving, I wanted to settle down, build something, not only passing by to go and see, smell and eat a bit of the next place. Now I want to belong to something, to somewhere, be part of something and not always being the guy who comes, says "Oh that's nice, that's amazing" and goes his way to say the same at the next point. That's the main downpoint I would give to the nice job of traveler.

This travel was amazing experience in all senses, in all memories, in all learnings, I changed a lot. Maybe some people don't see it "Oh you are still the same!!" but I feel it inside. And I had to come back home to accomplish this travel, this was down in december 2009, after a bit more than 2 years. Thanks to everybody who participated in this adventure.

Perou, Cachora, Choquequirau, Machupichu

All started with a message on facebook (at least its useful sometimes!), a friend from highschool, who is living in Peru now, invited me to pass some days in Huancayo. I met her peruvian boyfriend who is mountain guide and was just about to go organize a trekking. Its like this that I was in this bus a sunday evening, going to Cusco (the touristic capital of Peru, and starting point to go to the Machupichu) and far away to imagine the richness of the next 8 days.

The bus trip, imagine the bus full, not much space, all the luggage on the roof, people who step in, step out, the road is earth and rocks, on one side nothing, on the other the mountain, driving fast, the night, crossing trucks and buses on a one way large road, sometimes driving backward to let pass the vehicules and and the landscapes, the landscapes I can't discribe in words. A village in the middle of the mountain, agriculture by hand on slopes you can't imagine. After one and a half day we arrived in Cusco, did some last shopping for the trekking, met the belgian couple and went to Cachora, the depart point of the adventure. Cachora is a little village, at the end of a 1 hour earth road, in an agricultural valley. We spent a day there, waiting for the 2 missing french girls. The situation was a bit complicated because there was an ongoing national strike. Finally we could start the trekking the next day, 5 tourists, 1 guide, 1 helper and his 3 mule and 1 horse.

The first day was quite difficult, with about 25 km with very steep slopes, going down to the river Apurimac and up to the campsite. The second day, we visited "Choquequirau", an old inca city, discovered not so long time ago, a great place for its geography, history and vibrations. From the third to the sixth day, we walked accross mountains and valleys, with nice weather, sometimes rain or hail, it was hard, the landscapes were wonderfull, we spent time with families who live there, isolated, they have their animals and plantations.

It was really a very nice adventure, out of the civilization and when we met again cars, music, shops... the big shock, I just wanted to come back to the mountains. After that, a very nice night, camping in a hot water terms site, and the road to the Machupichu, who is litteraly a touristic industry but it keeps its mystic and vibrations as well.

The Atacama

From "La Serena" to the north, start the region of Atacama, who is well known for its desert, the world most dry desert. I spent some time in Vallenar, the principal city in the Huasco Valley and I had a very nice adventure up the valley in the village of "Alto del Carmen". Behind a petrol station, in an empty yard is the bus station for the valley, I see only rural people, they probably came to the city to buy sone stuff, see the doctor or do some administrative tasks, mostly olderly people. The bus did a first stop at a local supermarket, local tradition, the people can buy there last things and some food for the trip.

In the valley a lot of people live isolated and need to buy provisions for the whole week. For exemple in Alto del Carmen, 1500 people, a polyclinic since 3 years, television since 10 years and before no electricity, still today there is no system to collect waste water. The place is very quiet, of course the is very few cars, and the landscapes are amazingly strong. Stepping down from the bus, I ask an older man where I could go to eat something. "Come to my house" he said. Well good idea, and we had lunch together with his wife, it was just incredible how they were welcoming. Ricardo, its his name, grew up here in this village, today he is living from little things and some fruit trees he has in the backyard. After lunch he tooked me to see the village, the factory of Pisco, the Polyclinic, the School, the Bibliotheque, the Municipality, the church and its painting.

This painting represents, at the bottom, the mines in a flow of dark things, in the middle the valley, the nature, a peace and quietworld and at the top, god. More than a religious painting it represents the whole problem of the region. Two mining projects from foreign companies are trying to settle downin the valley, with all the consequences it will have on the environment, the traffic, the people ad their living style, health... One project will extract gold, in very high altitud and even want to take off a part of the glacier!!!!!! The treatment to extract gold, uses cyanur and other bad chemical products, who risk to pollute the rivers, the water that the people drink and live from. The other project will extract copper, they are less controversial and did quite a lot of things to adapt to the people of the valley interest as well as ecological interests. But at the end we don't know how much the money can influence things, not only speaking of corruption. I hope that all this people will find the right way to manage this and not harm anyone or destroy this nice valley.

Cueca Brava

 

Vallenar, une fete de village, supportee par le ministere de la culture et le groupe de Cueca Brava de Daniel Muñoz. Qu'est ce que la Cueca Brava, c'est la cueca qui est nee en ville, a Santiago ou Valparaiso, dans les quartiers populaires, c'est la cueca brute, vraie, feline, coquine, gitane, de l'envie dans les yeux, de la malice dans la bouche et de l'instinct, retour a l'etat d'animal, le mouchoir tourne bien sur, mais les gestes sont plus forts, les vestes de costume s'agitent comme des ailes, les drapes des dames laissent s'echapper des cuisses frivoles, tout est suggere et c'est ca qui est genial.

Dans la meme ambience, les musiciens jouent autour d'une petit table, buvant du vin a grandes gorges, amusant le public, les references a la terre, au terroir, un air de famille ou plutot de petit bar d'amis, mais on est sur la place du village, face a une grande scene. La musique s'accompagne de temps en temps par des percussions de vaisselle et des trucage au verre, au fond c'est ca la musique, vivre, partager, danser et passer un bon moment. La musique pour un autre monde? Un autre sujet!

El pisco "Los Nichos"

The fourth region of Chile, after a bus ride, 2 and half hours entering the Elqui Valley, I arrived in "Pisco Elqui" a little village lost in the pre-cordillera. The Pisco is an alcohol made of grapes and going to a process of distillation. The final product has between 30 and 50 degrees of alcohol.

I walked 4 hours from the village more into the valley, until the artisanal distillery "Los Nichos". The Pisco is made from grapes, which are transformed into wine, and then the wine is distilled to get alcohol. This alcohol is then guarded in barrels for 6 months to 2 years and when passing to bottles, mixed with water to bring the alcohol degrees down.

In the cellar, Rodrigoberto Rodriguez Rodriguez created in 1868 little "nichos" (niches)to guard the wine and pisco in a cool an dry place. The legend says that he was meeting with his friends in the cellar to party. His friends had to enter in a vertical position and leave, after howemany drinks it needed, in a horizontal position.

A Week-end in Mendoza

My visa was finishing in Chile on the 12th of May so I had to go out of the country and comeback again. As every foreigner is doing around here, I went to Mendoza in Argentina. Its about 7 hours with the bus and literaly crossing the Andes. I went there by night on friday and discovered the Cordillera for the first time with the only moonlight, I was stunned to discover this big reliefs.

Arriving in Mendoza at 5 am, I walked around the city, sleept a bit, until the day comes and the city wakes up. My first impression was to be back in times, around the 70's, a lot of old cars, french Renault 12 and italian ones, the building give this impression as well. The people are very european looking, there was a very big spanish and italian immigration in the 19th century. The city in itself is very charming, all the streets of the center have big trees planted, giving shadow and a nice atmosphere.

During the day I walked a lot saw a flamenco show, watched a folkloric danse course, made some friends, drinked "Fernet Branca" and "Mate", learned about the situation of the country who is not so well because of politics of course. Folkloric danse and culture is quite big in Argentina, sometimes it looks like the chilean cueca, sometimes like flamenco and the people seem to be attached to it very much. "Fernet Branca" is an alcohol made with herbs and it has a strong taste as the "Mate" is a tea of Yerba Mate. You drink the "Mate" in a wooden recipient, you put the herbs, poor hot water, a bit of sugar on the top and you drink it with a kind of strow. The tradition of the "Mate" comes from the gauchos, the cowboys of the argentinian pampa, it contains caffeine and keeps you going!

The food market, like usual, was very interesting and I could try some nice wines (Malbec and others). On sunday, I took the bus back to Santiago, and that travel was really amazing. The first time I discovered the Andes, with a nice weather and amazing landscapes, a bit similar to New Zealand but in 10 times bigger.

L'automne au Chili

C'est le premier jour de l'automne. Pas l'automne lege ou les feuilles tombent, ou le soleil parvient encore a vous rechauffer un peu. L'autonme a la limite de l'hiver, le froid est deja bien installe et sec, le soleil brille moins fort et une bonne brume legere vient fondre les elements en un gris parfait et nuance et transforme les silhouettes en taches vagues.

C'est le premier jour de l'automne et tous mes souvenirs remontent d'un bloc. Toute mon enfance, a vibrer lors de la recolte de mais, les memes atmospheres meteorologiques la passion de l'agriculture, rouler en tracteur, le midi manger des sandwichs au pied de la moissonneuse batteuse, toute les odeurs de l'huile des tracteurs au mais seche du silo, travailler tard et durant la nuit a cause d'un probleme mecanique qui a tout retarde.

C'est le premier jour de l'automne et je suis encore au chili. Je travail toujours dans le vignoble et on est en plein dans les vendanges. A l'autre bout de la terre, je rencontre les memes ambiances, les memes odeurs. Le travail n'est pas vraiment difficile, on s'occupe des cuves en fermentation, en gros on fait tout pour que le procesus du vin se passe bien, verifier les temperatures, rechauffer les cuves qui en ont besoin, ajouter les levures, surveiller la fermentation, transvaser, decuver... Mine de rien les journees s'alongent et les week-end necessitent un peu de travail aussi.

Pendant ce temps je parfait mon immersion dans la societe chilienne qui se revele plus complique qu l'on pourrait le penser. Je travail avec des gens d'age et d'horizons assez distincts. Certains viennent de la campagne, avec tout le mode de vie naturel que l'on pourrait lui attribuer, la connaissance de la nature des remedes, de la valeur des choses et du respect. D'autres viennent de la ville avec tout l'oppose que cela pourrait representer. Certains tiennent une bonne ouverture d'esprit et un amour de l'art du vin, certains sont plus simple et pragmatique. Certains ont pu se payer des etudes, d'autres travail depuis qu'ils ont 14 ans. Certains ont des ambitions, d'autres n'en ont pas forcement et tout ca c'est le chili et il y encore beaucoup de choses que je n'ai pas vu, ni compris.

Santiago dans la pollution

Que paso en Santiago

Ecrire tout ce qui m'arrive, mouais, difficile!!! Dans les grandes lignes, depuis 1 mois, je travail dans un domaine viticole aux abords de Santiago et juste au pied de la cordillere des Andes. Le matin lorsque j'arrive, il fait deja jour mais le soleil joue toujours avec les sommets jusqu'a ce qu'il les depasse pour innonder la ville au fur et a mesure de ses rayons chauds et forts. Mais le matin on ne distingue vraiment que les sommets. C'est la soir avec la lumiere orange de face que l'on se rend compte de toute la splendeur de ses collines allant de quelques centaines de metres a plus de 3000. Plein feux sur les montagnes, on distingue tous les reliefs, les petites crevasses, les differences d'altitude, un jolie spectacle.

Les gens avec qui je travail son vraiment sympa et mon travaiol consiste principalement a effectuer le remontage des cuves en periode de vendange. C'est a dire de melanger les cuves qui sont entrain de fermenter a l'aide de pompes et de differents tuyaux. J'ai aussi effectuer d'autres sortes de travaux comme l'embouteillage, l'analyse de raisins...

Les journees sont un peu longues, entre l'heure de trajet aller, le boulot de 8h a 18h avec une pose de 1h pour manger, puis 1h de trajet retour. Mais le travail me plait beaucoup et je suis oblige de parler espagnol toute la journee, a ce niveau la, j'ai bien progresse. Apres 2 mois, j'arrive vraiment bien a me faire comprendre, je comprends les conversations lorsque les gens parlent doucement. Mais c'est bien connu, les chiliens sont le peuple de langue espagnol le plus difficile a comprendre. Ils utilisent beaucoup d'argot et n'articule pas correctement.

Que de plus, avec les semaines bien chargees, je suis content d'avoir eu l'occasion de decompresser le week-end, et notamment aller a la campagne plusieurs fois, pour les fetes des vendanges, un peu different des fetes des vendanges en Alsace. Ici ca ressemble plus a une grande foir avec beaucoup d'artisanat, beaucoup de stand de nourriture (le barbecue est roi ici), des stands de degustation de vin bien sur et une scene avec musique et artistes locaux. Une chose que j'adore ici, c'est danser, en general ca ce limite a la cueca, cumbia, merengue et reggaeton, des danses sensuelles et tres chaloupees.

Voila pour les dernieres nouvelles, la suite des operations, continuer de travailler ici pour 2 mois de plus jusqu'a la fin des vendanges et puis aller voir un peu de pays.

Parque Forestal

Le son de la clarinette me rappel dimanche apres-midi. Tous les dimanches au Parque Forestal s'organise un rassemblement "illegal", un genre de gros marche au puce ambulant. Les gens, plutot jeunes, surtout boheme, viennent des 4 coins de la ville pour y vendre toute sorte de trucs surtout des habits, des cds pirates, des glaces, des hamburgers vegetariens, pour faire de la musique (ma raison a moi), jongler et toute sorte de cirquerie!!!

Donc la clarinette, parce qu'il y avait un tres bon groupe, melange entre djembe africain et clarinette gypsy, qui a amasse les foules avec la meme vigueur que la police l'avait disperse au paravant. "Illegal" ce rassemblement, c'est pourquoi la police veut le stopper, d'abord 2 motards patrouilles, ca commence a siffler de partout pour faire passer le message et chacun repli son grand bout de tissu sur lequel etait pose les choses a vendre et fait mine de passer un dimanche apres-midi tranquille dans le parc (avec quand meme des sacs de voyage rempli de choses ou en trimbalant un gros baluchon), d'autres s'assoient pres du theatre de marionette, l'air de s'y interesser vraiment fortement. Au final un camion de policier debarque, chope quelques personnes, repart et tout le monde ce reinstalle jusqu'a la nuit ou il n'y a plus que la musique qui va bon train et les cirqueries. Un dernier coup de police et tout le monde est disperse. Au final, une bonne experience, l'impression de faire partie de quelque chose de fort, je me suis fait des amis, "que bueno la musica" et j'y serai dimanche prochain, c'est sur.

Santiago - Chile

I arrived in Santiago in Chile, last week after about 15 hours of travelling from New Zealand - Argentina to Chile. Buenos Aires, I just saw the city from the sky, is huge, the Cordillera des Andes from above is amazing. I arrived around 19h00, the sun was soft and an orange color was spreading over everything.

Where are the customs? Hola Seniorita, bam, bam the stamps, is that it? Gracia, see you later! The luggage and than a rush of people and voices : ''taxi, taxi Senior''. Few people help me to find my way in the city until the flat of a friend where I can stay. Santiago is huge as well, about 6 million people, but for the moment it is the summer vacations, a lot of people went to travel. In march everybody should be back. It has a little taste of crowdy Paris when the people tell me about the metro in peek hours!!

Its good to be in another country, other culture, other people after so long time in New Zealand. And now, how long I gonna stay here? Find a job? Take spanish lessons? volunteer work?...