viaje al sur

The beautiful Yosemite Valley.

After a great few days in LA, we left the heat of the valley and headed to the beautiful and cooler Sierra Nevada’s to continue our tour of this nation’s bountiful national parks (we’re up to 20 now).  First on our list was Sequoia National Park, home to the world’s Big Trees – the biggest on the planet.  We were so excited to meet some of these giants as we followed the remote and mountainous road up to the Mineral King canyon.  Sequoias grow between 5,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation, so we were getting into optimal range.  They are not hard to miss.  This gargantuan tree sticks out amidst red pines and cedar trees.  Their trunks are massive and stay that way all the way to the top.  Based on their voluminous trunks, they are the world’s biggest tree.  Not tallest, not widest, but largest.

The only possible way we could fit this Big Tree (aka Sequoia) in the picture.

When we reached our campground (now above 7,000 feet), we started up on a 7-mile return hike up to the beautiful alpine Eagle Lake, passing rushing waterfalls, large sinkholes and even snow patches at almost 10,000 feet.  We witnessed a few kids going for a dip, but we refrained and warmed ourselves by the edge. Later that evening, we did as all other campers do at national parks – attend an evening ranger program.

On our hike in Sequoia National Park through Mineral King canyon.

We reach Eagle Lake – a pristine alpine lake in the park.

Our camp at Mineral King – cooking up some pasta.

After a cool night up in the Sierra, we descended the 35-mile road down to the foothills and entered the most commonly visited section of the park into the big Sequoia groves. We were once again in prime elevation and saw Sequoias jutting out above us next to the road.  We hiked the short distance around the Big Tree loop and spotted a total of 6 black bear that day!  A few cubs here and there, and also a mother bear at a safe distance.

We are also very proud to have visited the biggest tree on earth – the General Sherman – 1,487 cubic meters, 275 feet high, and about 2,300 and 2,700 years old!  A truly impressive sight.  It’s very difficult to grasp the grandeur of this tree (and of all Sequoias for that matter), without looking up at the giant column, impervious to insects and fire.  It has been able to withstand what no other trees (besides the Redwoods) could, and easily dwarfs human existence.

A little bear cub roaming around.

And there’s Momma!

Peering up at the biggest tree on earth - not widest, not tallest, but biggest.

There it is, from top to bottom – General Sherman, the world’s largest tree, by mass.

The world’s second biggest tree – General Grant, also the nation’s official living Christmas tree.

Once our necks became sore from looking up so much, we continued north into the next national park – King’s Canyon. Although we didn’t spend the night, we drove down and back up this canyon along the white water rapids of the King River that seemed to go on forever.  It was breathtaking!

The view from the road going into King’s Canyon National Park.

Next up: one of the most famous National Parks in the United States – Yosemite.  With 3 million visitors a year, we were not surprised to see so many cars on the road, especially during the summer.  But once you ge through the road work and past the main tunnel, and have a first look at the valley, you understand why. You’ve got thousands of feet of granite walls, one of North America’s highest waterfall, beautiful meadows and miles of back country that are barely visited.  We got lucky and headed out north of the valley (mostly because the valley was full and by reservation only) and found a campground tucked in the forests away from the crowds (no running water, only vault toilets – that’s why).  There was a trailhead right there,  and we chose to do a 17-mile round trip hike that took us all the way to the top of El Capitan.  It was a long and tough climb, but gorgeous, and we had it all to ourselves!  And once we reached the top, it was an amazing feeling.  I felt like we were on top of the world.

The great Yosemite Valley behind us.

Starring up in amazement at El Capitan – no wonder it attracts so many hard-core climbers.

At the beginning of our 17-mile hike up to the top of El Cap.

The first sign of El Cap!

A great view of Half Dome as we near the top.

Here we are – on top of El Cap.

We couldn’t see the edge of El Cap yet, so we continued walking down and saw another hiker braving the trek down to the precipice.  We finally arrived at the edge, or at least as far down as we were comfortable going.  It was amazing!  We even saw a helicopter flying through the valley that was hundreds of feet below us.  We were high.

We had to walk down a ways before reaching the edge – another human soul braving the descent.

On the very edge of El Capitan – terrifyingly steep.

You can see what I mean – holding on for dear life.

After a wonderful tour of national parks, we headed back to civilization to recharge and visit family. We entered the Bay area, and Pat’s cousin Tim, his wife Marlena and their four lovely children Madigan, Daniel, Adam and Cara welcomed us into their home in San Carlos with open arms. We arrived on a Friday and spent a fun-filled weekend together that included picnicking at an open air concert, visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium, biking and playing lots of cribbage (fabulous card game). We had tons of fun with the whole gang and were grateful for their company and hospitality. Thank you Tim, Marlena and co. for hosting us and showing us a great time! We will certainly be back to visit again!

Adam, Daniel, Madigan and Cara trying out the roof-top tent.

Awesome jellies at the Monterey Aquarium.

A cool Sea Dragon.

We left the San Fran area a little before dusk on a Sunday night and had the privilege of driving through Napa Valley as the sun was setting. Although we camped in the Napa Valley State Park that night, we essentially passed through wine country without sampling any. A bit too pricey for our budget these days, so we’ll have to come back another time to do it justice.

We drove through Napa Valley.

We were excited to head back to the coast and follow the famous 101 & Route 1 up the Pacific Coast. Once we reached, we were greeted with creeping fog over a dramatic cliff-side coast with intermittent stretches of beach. It reminded us a lot of the western coast of Ireland. We tried to camp in some of the many California State Parks, but with the fee jacked up to $35 a night (and sometime $45), we settled for cheaper private campgrounds and BLM (Bureau of Land Management) areas for significantly less, much calmer, isolated and right up on the beach!

It was considerably cooler and windier, but much more enjoyable in our opinion. Of course you always have to look out for “sleeper” waves, riptides and such – we stayed out of the 60 degree water. The BLM campground was part of the King Range Conservation Area, which spans over 35 miles of uninhabited Lost Coast. We hiked about 7 miles of it through sand, wheat fields and unpaved roads until we reached a small, abandoned lighthouse. We were met with a whole school of seals warming themselves on the sand. They were a bit shy, so we didn’t get too close.

The striking northern California coast.

Our camp by the beach – remote and wonderful.

Wildflowers lining the hills.

We hiked up to an old light house.

Seals warming themselves on the sand – they were a bit shy so we didn’t get any closer.

We continued our journey north into the Coastal Range, natural habitat for the world-famous Redwood trees. Once again, we were awestruck by these wild trees, though this time not as much for their girth (though they are quite large) as for their height. They are the world’s tallest trees. Unlike Sequoia National Park, they have kept the tallest Redwoods a secret from the public. Although we have read about their general location, there’s something thrilling about walking through the old growth and potentially passing by the world’s tallest tree without even knowing it.

Entering the Redwood forests.

Like Sequoia's, Redwoods can withstand forest fires. Sometimes the fires carve out caves in the bottom of the trees.

We spotted a herd of Elk feeding in the prairie

Redwood trees are the world’s tallest trees.

We found a great swimming hole in the Redwood State Park.

Shortly after, we crossed the border into Oregon and began passing miles and miles of lush forests, as well as patches of devastatingly logged forests. Biggest producer of lumber in the country, makes sense. We arrived at Crater Lake on the very last day of our one year National Park Pass membership – it has served us well. We reached the banks of the steep crater, or caldera, and were blown away by its beauty and size. The lake is 6 miles wide and also the deepest lake in North America. Its blue color is so piercing, because, as we learned, of the untainted water coming only from rain and snow. No rivers flow into or out of it. It was amazing to read about the history of this volcano – Mount Mazama, a 12,000-ft mountain, erupted and collapsed onto itself over 7,000 years ago.

On the steep caldera of Crater Lake.

Learning about the colossal volcanic implosion of Mount Mazama that created Crater Lake.

Kicking back and enjoying the vista.

The electric blue color is due to the its pure and untainted waters.

Wizard Island jutting out of the lake.

A couple of hours north of Crater Lake, we arrived in Bend, Oregon – a place that had been recommended to us many times on our trip, so we had to check it out. We understood why right away. It’s an outdoor mecca, the next Boulder, Colorado, with endless miles of biking and hiking trails, winter skiing only 30 minutes away, and a plethora of parks. We parked ourselves in a nearby RV park and used the bikes as our primary mode of transportation, checking out the suburbs and parks, downtown area and old mill district. Pat went for a fantastic mountain bike ride on nearby single track trails. The weather was fabulous – it was a definitely a place we could see ourselves living in – we’ll see!

Our camp in Bend, Oregon – dryer sheets in my pocket to keep away the mosquitoes.

Once again, we made our way back west and onto the 101 to drive up the Oregon coast. We discovered that the locals love playing on the beach and dipping their toes in the water although it is 60 degrees out, without sun, and the water is even more glacial. But sometimes the sun does shine through and illuminates the rock formations and slick sand. Luckily, there are also a few stretches of beach where vehicles are allowed to drive on. The wet and packed sand makes it relatively safe for Jeep-ing around. Something we don’t get to do on the East coast. Pat was loving it!

Soaking in the sliver of sun in Manzanita on the Oregon coast.

The clouds make for a dramatic sunset.

Driving on the beach!!

Pat loves this stuff.

A natural bridge carved from the rough waters

Peering over the steep coastal 101.

Manzanita beach cleared from the fog.

Next stop: exploring the vibrant city of Portland, Oregon.

Home! Just off the plane after a looong trip.

On the afternoon of June 19th, after about 20 hours of travel and layovers, we were welcomed back to the land of plenty with open arms.  Our parents met us at Reagan/National and took us home to Frederick in their modern cars, on smooth wide roads – with signage in English – that are patrolled by police who don’t take bribes and actually enforce laws.  In short, it was amazing!  The US Customs official that checked us through jokingly asked if there were any countries we hadn’t visited. We assured him that there were a few. Indeed, we’ll have to go back for Brazil someday, there’s going to be a wild party there in about 4 years… maybe check out World Cup 2014?

Our folks were very happy to have us back here in one piece.  I’m sure they worried a bit too much while we were gone, but I must admit, I was greatly relieved to be back too.  The ‘Latin American’ part of our journey was about 7.5 months in total, hace mucho tiempo!  Since returning we’ve had a busy couple weeks visiting with many of our friends and family who we missed dearly.  It’s hard to say we’ve been ‘travelling’ because it’s so easy to get around here!  But we still are.

There was a short trip up to Pittsburgh, Philly, and New York that was tons of fun, but a bit too brief.  A few quick trips down to DC were great, such a beautiful & diverse city.  Of course, our nieces and nephews have grown so much since we were gone, and everyone is doing so well.  It was great to catch up on all the things we missed.  In the end, we are both just very lucky to have loving families and friends.  Thank you all for the quality time together, that’s exactly what we’ve missed and were looking forward to.

Bicycle rickshaws in downtown Frederick?

Pleasant-ville, USA.

SuperBros reunite.

One of many delicious meals with the Han's and Gouin's. Dan moves so fast he's hard to photograph!

Aunt Caro makes up for lost time with Alexandre.

Alexandre is an iPhone fan already.

Uncle Pat met Luke, Grace and Andrea at the train station.

Grandpa and Pat took Luke down to the Air & Space museum, he wore us out.

We eventually wore him out too.

The Digdo's came up to Frederick for a visit.

Morning hike in Gambrill with the Moloney's.

Grace got so big while we were gone, she's a chatty little girl now.

Two weeks of visiting home and celebrating the 4th of July had us refueled and ready for the road once again.   We took an early morning hop on Delta over to Phoenix, Arizona to meet up with our long lost friend, the Jeep!  John and Julia (my Uncle & Aunt) have been taking care of the old “treehouse on wheels” since we’ve been gone and they did a wonderful job! The green machine fired right up and was as if we never left it. We put the tent on top with some help from their neighbor Trevor and were on our way in a few days. Thanks again J&J!!

Our first stop on our road trip (round two) was Joshua Tree National Park in the Southern desert of California.  There’s a good reason why most people visit this part of the state outside of the summer, it’s HOT.  We baked at night in the tent but actually really enjoyed the place.  It wasn’t crowded and there’s lots of excellent trails and diverse landscapes to explore.  Also, both of us have become secret desert flora & fauna enthusiasts after spending so much time in the Southwest last year.  We love and can identify so much out here.

Our first night back in the tent at Joshua Tree National Park, California.

Yucca stalks silhouetted against a giant boulder in Joshua Tree NP.

Caro's favorite, a giant Ocotillo! We took off on a 8 mile hike early the first morning before it got too hot.

Little Barker Dam creates a welcome oasis in the middle of the park, it was over 100F this day.

Big horn sheep on the rocks above Barker Dam, these are a very rare sight as a Ranger explained.

Playing on the rocks in the Indian Cove section of the park.

An unidentified but big lizard seen in Indian Cove.

Joshua Tree at sunset.

Camping in the Jtrees.

Relaxing lakeside at Big Bear, CA.

Driving down to LA from Big Bear Lake, there's a cloudy/smog layer covering the valley below.

Only in California: a Smart car passes a Lamborghini Gallardo.

We were heading to LA to hangout with our good friends Brent & Mandy, you might remember them from the glorious Green River canoe trip last year.  After college they moved out to the LA area and recently bought a beautiful home in Burbank.   It’s been awesome to just relax indoors, yeah – we’re definitely getting soft, but the past few days in the desert had us dreaming of AirCon.  While they are both away at work during the day, Caro and I have been checking out Los Angles.  LA is so much bigger than I remember it, and so cool,  it has been a challenge trying to pack it all into a few days.

The Bikes are back too! We had a great ride down the beach front path through Santa Monica, Venice Beach, and Marina del Ray.

Back on the Pacific, just like Peru.

Out to dinner with Brent & Mandy at Ginger Grass.

Noble, one of their French Bulldogs.

We’ve updated the Viaje al Sur Google Map of the whole trip, check it out!

The sweeping views from the Way Inn Lodge.

Having visited and trekked to arguably the biggest landmark in South America – Machu Picchu – it was easy to feel that our trip down here was nearly complete, with only a few weeks remaining in Peru before we head back home. As it turns out, Peru has been an ideal country to save for last with its beautiful landscape, rich pre-Colombian history, friendly people and wonderful food.

As expected, we were a bit tired after our mammoth trek and were looking forward to relaxing.  We had one criterion in mind: finding a place like the Secret Garden hostel from Ecuador in Peru.  Thanks to the Peru Lonely Planet guidebook (and thank you to Andrew and Vicki for leaving it with us), we got lucky.  After a few long bus rides (28 hours in total) we made it to Huaraz, a small city in the middle of the Cordillera Blanca. Huaraz is a mountaineering hub and attracts lots of trekkers and climbers from all around the world.  We were grateful for that as we spent a couple afternoons in the super gringofied Café Andino reading English-language magazines, listening to David Gray as background music, and eating breakfast at any hour.

Part of the Cordillera Blanca mountain range.

Finally we pulled ourselves away and about a 40-minute drive outside of town, we discovered The Way Inn: a beautiful eco-lodge perched up in the mountains with a breathtaking view of the surrounding snow-capped peaks (actually, 3 of the employees had also spent time working at the Secret Garden hostel in Ecuador).  We settled into our bungalow, and passed the time reading in the hammocks, simmering in the hot sauna, gingerly trekking around the property, and eating their gourmet food. It was fabulous, though I have to admit I came down with infectious something or another, probably from some bad bus food.  Unfortunately the elevation doesn’t really help boost your immune system either.

The Way Inn mountain lodge in the Cordillera Blanca.

Our rustic paradise for the next 4 nights.

Colorful sunset skies of Huaraz.

Finishing up work in the afternoon sprinkle.

Although I had to stay close by, Pat was able to get away for a 5-hour trek with some newfound friends Matt and Rory, expats from the UK and Botswana living in Lima. I sadly regret not feeling well, because from the pictures it looks like a beautiful trek up to the pristine Laguna Churup.  The crystal clear water turned out to be a blessing for the guys, since both Matt and Rory had forgotten their water and had to share Pat’s 1-liter Nalgene the whole climb up.  Too much wine and ‘Locale’ (board game about exotic destinations) from the night before.

The trail creeps along on the hike up to Laguna Churup.

Crystal clear water of Laguna Churup, drinkable too.

Rocky outcrops on the banks of the lagoon.

Matt and Rory made it up despite intense hangovers.

Descending the trail in late afternoon light.

Matt and Rory take turns coming down the rocky cliffside.

Old stone walls surround small fields along the way.

After we were fully rested (and I was feeling better), we headed back down and the next day boarded yet another bus – this time up the north coast to Huanchaco, a small fishing town right outside of Trujillo that also poses as a surfing hotspot. Usually the northern coast of Peru is perpetually cloudy during the winter, but the sun came out for us on a few days as Pat did some surfing and I took in some rays.  We successfully managed to eat too much ceviche and were often the only customers at each restaurant.

The luxuriously brown hot springs of Monterey, outside of Huaraz – we opted for a private bath.

Meet the Peruvian dog – black and hairless.

Pat braving cold water and trying to catch some waves.

The famed Caballitos de Tortora – ‘little horses’ fishing reed boats – in Huanchaco.

Sanctuario de la Virgen del Socorro – second oldest church in Peru.

The Caballitos lined up against the boardwalk.

One of our last sunsets in South America.

On a cloudy day (and in between World Cup matches), we visited the nearby archeological site Chan Chan – the largest adobe city in the world.  It was built by the Chimu tribe (pre-Inca) known for their adobe friezes displaying geometric designs of aquatic life.  We visited only one palace –only one out of 9 is excavated – where the royal family and aristocracy lived.  The vastness and intricacies were really impressive, and we hired a wonderful guide named Gustave to show us around.

The ornamental walls of Chan Chan – biggest adobe city in the world.

The fresh water spring of the Tschudi Complex - still there after 500 years.

"Main Street" - the longest corridor in the palace.

The elaborate friezes of the Ceremonial Courtyard – representing the waves of the ocean and the iconic squirrel.

The outer walls of the Chan Chan palace – they used to reach 12 meters (40 feet).

Since then, we’ve made our way back to Lima, and I am happy to say boarded our very last bus in South America!  I counted, we took our 45th bus ride. And as we reflected on this, we booked a room in the same hostel as a French family of 5 (3 children of 12, 10 and 7) with their Land Rover and 2 roof top tents driving across South America and having already driven across Africa and the the Middle East.  With our Jeep safely parked in Arizona, we felt like wimps.

Out 45th and last bus ride in South America – the major thoroughfare in Peru: Panamerican highway.

Reminding us of our beloved Jeep.

We’ve spent the remainder of our time in Lima walking around the city in Miraflores, doing a little souvenir shopping, watching the World Cup and hanging out with some new friends.  These last 2 weeks have been a perfect culmination to our journey down south as we’ve taken some time to reflect on our last 7 ½ months in Latin America and soak in what’s left of it before we hop on a flight (tonight!) northbound for DC!

We are super excited to come home and see family and friends – after being away for over 10 months!  And as Pat said in his last post, although we’re coming home, the adventure’s not over yet since we have another exciting road trip ahead of us…

Goodbye South America – we’ve had a wonderful time down here! We can’t wait to see everyone soon and look forward to the next leg of the journey!

On the edge of the cliffs of Miraflores, Lima.