just me and my mochila (backpack)

So it's been a while since my last entry...mainly because I have been so incredibly busy with my project at the clinic, but yes, I am safe and sound in South America. After possibly the most impactful four months of my life, my time in La Plata has (successfully) come to an end and I have taken to the ways of the backpack...

Last week, my buddy from Clemson, Drew, flew down to BA to meet me for what has definitely become an adventure. After fighting off the rain, seeing some sights, and partying like rock stars all night long at the open-air DJ thiesto show, we boarded a flight (with little more than a tiny nap) for salta (in Argentina's NE corner)...from there we explored some of the regions finest landscapes and wine (although the wine tour part of the excursion wasn't what we were really hoping for)...and then we moved north through Pumamarca and Humahuaca. I think the highlight of this leg of the trip may have been being dropped off on the side of the road next to a sign that just pointed the direction for Pumamarca...so we started walking with a little Argentine family until a couple of teenagers in a pick-up truck stopped and gave us a ride the rest of the way into town...yes, i understand that hitchiking in south america is not the brightest of ideas, but lets be honest, i was a) with friends and a family and b) not in south compton.

so now, after a day of travelling across the Bolivian border (not nearly as scary as we were preparing ourselves for), and rickety, randomly-syopping, barely crawling 12 hour train ride (in a cabin filled with people we had met along the way, randomly enough) from the border town to Uyuni (where we showed at 2 am up with a hostel booked at apparently the worst one in town, so decided to follow th Irish girls to their hotel to see if there was space...luckily there was!) to see the salt flats (which were AMAZING)...and ANOTHER bolivian traveling experience (an overnight bus from Uyuni to La Paz- characterized by a) the first 5 hours being on unpaved "roads" and b) bathroom breaks meaning "get off the bus and find an open area to start peeing")...we are finally in La Paz...

Due to a slight iteneray set-back, we'll be here a day longer than originally hoped, but we'll move on to Copocabana and Lake Titicaca on Tuesday morning and then on to Cusco and Machu Picchu by the middle of the coming week...

Stay tuned for more traveling adventures (if I get around to updating this thing again before its all over!)...I can only imagine that, with Drew and I living the lives of South American nomads, the stories will only continue to pile up!

un abrazo grande...