Distance Traveled!

Why hello friends! I hope this post finds you all doing well. I'm currently in Córdoba, Argentina for the weekend (you know, when I don't have classes Mondays or Fridays it seems to facilitate the traveling process somewhat!). I was thinking (because I myself was curious) how far have I traveled in this trip since I left the US? Well, if you were curious too, here's your answer. I "ran some numbers" and got a pretty good estimate. Feast your eyes on the data!

South American Distance Traveled:

From the dates July 11 to August 18

Dburg->St.Louis->Miami->BsAs 11/07 5806

BsAs->Asunción 13/07 628

Asunción->CDE 18/07 217

Iguazú->BsAs 21/07 654

BsAs->Montevideo 23/07 412

Montevideo->Porto Alegre 24/07 442

Porto Alegre->Florianópolis 27/07 234

Florianópolis->Curitiba 30/07 156

Curitiba->Rio de Janeiro 30/07 417

Rio de Janeiro->São Paulo 3/08 220

São Paulo->BsAs (thru Montevideo) 06/08 1106

BsAs->Santiago 07/08 702

Santiago->Valparaíso 10/08 65

Valparaíso->Santiago 14/08 65

Santiago->BsAs 18/08 702

TOTAL = 11,826

Or, if you like to know what the miles really mean, here are some distances:

Buenos Aires->Beijing, China

Nashville->Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (+2,000 miles)

Philadelphis->Jakarta, Indonesia (+1,750 miles)

Quito, Ecuador->Bankok, Thailand

So yeah, I've traveled a few miles on this adventure :p Thanks for reading ~~ Benjamín

Santiago, Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, and home to BA!

Hello all my faithful readers! Picking up where I left off, I believe I arrived to Santiago, Chile! During the trip, stop at customs, and arrival, I met a girl from Ohio named Alex Moore. She had a friend in Santiago and just so happened to be on Couch Surfing--what are the chances!? (Well, pretty well, because there are currently 1,338,006 people in the network, so not too bad :p I decided to join up with her. We arrived to her friends house and I immediately left for the futbol match that was that afternoon! Colo Colo was a team in Santiago, but they lost to S. Morning :( Nonetheless, the event was a lot of fun! I met up with Oscar, the guy from CS, and we had a terremoto, or a very famous drink in Chile with Piña and ferment. There was another ingredient but I forgot what it was...we chatted and finally I headed back with Oscar. I hit the sack tired but content!

Sunday was a relaxed day. I got up and spent some time doing devotions (with the Bible on my iTouch) and was ready to see some sites! I met up with Alex and her friend and we wented to the Palacio de la Moneda--a very important building! Unfortunately, the main building was closed so I couldn't see the inside, but a nice museum was available underneath. We spent some time there and then went to eat dinner. We later met up with friends, spent some time, and before we knew it it was 1 a.m. Alex and I were planning to go to Valparaíso (the 2nd largest city in Chile) the next day), so I slept at the friend's apartment so we could get up and go!

Monday we got up, got packed, and headed out! We arrived to Valparaíso in 2 hours in the early afternoon. We saw some sites and stopped at a cafe for a snack and to rest. I called a CS friend and we met up with him. He and his friend (both were from Germany, spending 8 months in Valparaíso for school) invited us for dinner, so we obliged! We spent the evening at his apartment enjoying Chinese food (a funny thought--2 Americans and 2 Germans eating Chinese food in Chile) and conversing. I was supposed to stay elsewhere, but due to a complication stayed with Hannes.

I met up w/ Alex to explore Valpo Tuesday! We met at a cafe for breakfast, and headed out through the city. We spent a good amount of time walking and exploring, and found La Sebastiana, the house of Pablo Neruda (Chile's most famous poet) in the afternoon. It was a very interesting house with many funny details about it! We headed to the bus station because Alex was going to San Pedro de Atacama (driest desert in the world, 24 hours north of Valpo) and got her ticket options figured out. We then decided to head to Viña del Mar, the illustrious glitzy sister city to Valpo. We saw the famous flower clock and headed to the casino for a little Roulette! I got back to Valpo and after getting lost stayed with Hannes again.

Wednesday I was changing CS venues to a lady across town. I headed out around 10 and found her place without any problem. There were also 2 Colombians and a Peruvian guy there surfing as well. We relaxed and had lunch, and then headed out to see some more of the city--some local spots if you will. We came back and had dinner, and then went to the CS Viña del Mar meeting :) I met some fun people--a girl from Reunión, a French island off the coast of Madegascar (Coach Durbin didn't teach us about that place, did he Hannah? :p) as well as a girl from Galicio, a northwestern province in Spain! Of course there were Chileans there too. After conversation and drinks we headed back.

Thursday I decided to head back to Santiago, see some things, and leave on Saturday. I got back around 6, but Oscar had some complications, so I had to find another CS fast! I got on and almost immediately found someone. I met up with Christian, got to his place, and met 2 other CSers from Thailand and Germany. We had dinner, hung out, and I talked to my wonderful girlfriend Laura before going to bed!

Friday I went out with Thy (the Thai girl) around the city! I took my things because I was staying with Oscar and leaving Saturday. We saw some more cool sites, a nice artesan shop, as well as Santa Lucia lookout point. Very pretty :) I got to Oscar's place, and hung out for a while, before watching Gladiator and The Godfather Part II with his roommate. I went to bed with plans of heading to Mendoza, Argentina for a day, then returning to Buenos Aires by Monday morning. However, the weather didn't find that to be a good idea..Saturday I woke up with cold Santiago rain, but didn't think anything about it. I got to the bus station and was told my trip to Mendoza was delayed until further notice. So I returned to Oscar's, hung out a while, and went out to lunch with him and some friends. We had a wonderful seafood lunch! I came back, watched some Harry Potter, and took a nap. Later I went out with Oscar's roommate for drinks, and went to bed.

Sunday we called and the people said the pass was closed, but it would be open Monday. Yay! I hung out with Oscar, watched tennis and had some pasta. I went with Oscar's roommate Cristian, to another Colo Colo match. They won this time 3-0! I got back and relaxed in the house. We watched Gladiator and Godfather II before going to be. Monday I headed to the bus station, only to realize that the Mendoza pass was closed--probably for a week. 6 feet of snow stopped us from crossing. Sheesh! I hit an internet cafe and searched solutions, and after a while found a ticket for a good price. It happened that the round trip ticket was cheaper than a one way flight..go figure! I called up Christian and stayed with him that day, because he was closer to the bus station to take me to the airport! I hung out that afternoon, reading and taking a nap. I spent the evening talking and relaxing..I skyped with the aforementioned wonderful girlfriend Laura and went to bed!

Tuesday I got to the airport without problems, got my ticket, and flew out! Aerolineas Argentinas is probably the best airline I've been on. Sandwich and beer all included for a 2 hour flight. My baggage was waiting for me when I arrived at the claim. And the bus to Retiro was easy. I did some stuff at the university, got back to my apartment, worked my college schedule to perfection, and got ready for the next day! I'll be in Buenos Aires for a week or so, so for now the travels will be put on pause. It's been a wonderful 5 week travel, and I'm looking forward to a lot of weekend travel during the semester!

Sorry for the super long post, but thanks for reading! -Benjamín

São Paulo and Arrival to Santiago, Chile

Hello my friends--I have returned :) It's a rather dreary Saturday afternoon (and the Andes bus pass is closed due to a winter blizzard) so I return hopefully tomorrow. But I figured I had some time to write to my lovely readers of the blog!

Tuesday morning at 6 a.m. I got into São Paulo bus station--It had more than 80 places for the buses, which is the largest I've seen yet (Retiro has 75). I called my friend and met him at the metro station. I got back to the house, hung out a little, and caught up on some sleep! I woke up around noon and sent some CS messages to meet for coffee or a drink, and I got a reply about some activities at 2 that afternoon as well as a phone #. I met a group of CSers at the Museo de Arte São Paulo, which I found out was the most important art museum in South America. My "culturation" continues! Lets see if Dr. Munson's class paid off (because I know my final grade in there sure didn't :p). There was a group of 6 of us, all eager to learn and see the art! I enjoyed the paintings and recognzied the names we studied, and I even appreciated some of the works a little bit too :) We left there and headed to an electronics festival, which features some VERY cool technological endeavours. It would be best to explain in person with a photo, but I'll leave one here and let you try to imagine what these things did! We hung out at a cafe, went to a book store, and were there for a while. There was then a CS weekly meeting just a few blocks away, and we all went. We arrived there early and enjoyed the conversation from people from all over the world...I met people from Italy, Colombia, Spain, Germany, Thailand, and all of South America. Oh how I love this network! We left around 1 a.m. and hit the sack...

Wednesday was another day of exploring and learning. I met Brunna, a Japanese Brazilian girl, outside the museum and we met with Daniel for lunch. I didn't feel too well but enjoyed the Japanese soup we ate :) We traveled all over São Paulo and saw the Cathedral de Sé, the famous park, and downtown. The time went quickly, and I was back at the house at 6 p.m., and we were going to a futebol match that evening; São Paulo vs. Botafogo (from Rio). We left at 6:30 and took the bus. The excitement mounted as we got off the bus, bought the tickets, and arrived at the stadium. Oh the excitement of a Brazilian futebol match. It was my 3rd Brazilian match and like the other 2 FULL of energy. You can see the photos, but they don't do the atmosphere justice! We headed to a cafe and got a little bit to eat. We then headed back and went to sleep.

Thursday I was meeting Daniel for Lunch before heading back to Buenos Aires by plane. Don't worry friends, I haven't sacrificed my passion for the South American bus system, but rather the 36+ hour bus trip would make my trip to Chile a little late. So I decided to fly :) The flight was without problems, and that evening I arrived to Buenos Aires. I purchased my bus ticket for Santiago, Chile, for the next day at 5 p.m., and returned to my apartment. I hung out with Luis a little but headed to bed. I got up the next day and did some laundry, re-packed my bag, and headed out again! The bus was a 19 hour trip, very similar to the others, except I believe this had the best service. 2 snacks, 2 hot meals, and all the wine I wanted were all in the price of the trip ($60 USD including the travel). I got to Santiago, Chile around noon the next day, rested and ready to go!

My next post will include all my Chilean travels, including Santiago, Valparaíso, and Viña del Mar. As always thanks for all the comments and love! ~Benjamín

Florianópolis and Rio de Janeiro

The "continuation" to the last past is finally here :p ...when I got to Florianópolis on Tuesday morning I called Patricia, my host. She instructed me to get on a bus and meet her. When I arrived she was there waiting. We got to her house--which was right on the beach--around 8. I was still tired to I went to my room and slept until 1. I got up and had lunch with Patricia, her mom, and her son. We then went out and ran some errands. We returned and had dinner, and afterwards there was a get together of some people in Floripa. We watched "The Wave," and a short film by Ernest Hemmingway. We headed out after that and returned to the house. Sleep followed..

Wednesday I got up and had some breakfast. Patricia had to do some work so I headed out to the beach! (which was only a block away). It was nice and sunny and warm and Brazil! Ah, so good :) I returned and we headed into town to go to the Lagoa and see some famous places. We snagged a bus and a snack in downtown, and explored the beaches and the area. We returned home and headed out again to the Florianópolis CS Meeting which was taking place at a local bar. I met some fun people, including some kiwis (New Zealanders) that I had met in Porto Alegre. We spent some hours chatting and meeting people, and it was quite fun :) I also got a ride set up from Floripa to Curitiba (the city where I would bus to Rio de Janeiro). We headed back and went to bed.

Thursday I was going to leave for Curitiba and then Rio in the afternoon, so we had a relaxed morning. I met up with Felipe (the guy from CS from the bar) and we headed to Curitiba, a city about 3 hours away. Thanks to traffic it was about 4 1/2 hours, but I arrived with plenty of time for my bus! I was in the usual leito (cama; bed) bus that is pretty standard, and embarked on the 14 hr trip--no big deal! I read and wrote a little (una carta para alguien especial) and slept, only to wake up in beautiful, warm, and sunny Rio de Janeiro :)

The plan was to spend 3 days in Rio, but because it was so nice I spent 4 :) That day I arrived and my CS host was there to pick me up from the bus station. We arrived to the apartment and I set my stuff down, relaxed for a little, and headed out! We went to see some cultural sites--national library, the theater, and some sweet bookstores, very Harry Potter-esque. We then went to get some tickets to an indy short film festival that was going on that evening--exciting! We returned and relaxed and headed to the festival w/ Junior, Paulo's roommate. Do my disappointment the short films weren't too good :( There was even one that took place in Argentina (and was in Spanish--every film was in a different language) so I was pumped...only to not be :/ Oh well. We headed back and I got ready for the next day!

Sunday I called up another CSer and met up with him, only to find out he was meeting up w/ 2 others, so together us 4 got the plan for the day--Cristo Redentor. The 3 of us, me, a Brazilian girl, and a Russian/Canadian guy all headed to the place. After waiting for 2 hours to get the ticket we finally made it to the top. Truly amazing. That's why its one of the 7 wonders of the modern world. We spent some time up there and came back. The whole process was quite slow but well worth it! We returned and ate a buffet dinner, and I met with a friend from CS for some drinks and food. I came back and slept for a Monday that included the Botanical Gardens and Tijuca Forest (Largest urban forest in the world!).

..I woke up and was supposed to meet my Canadian friend, but it turns out he over slept (he told me later). So I met up with another couple from Canada who wanted to go, so off we went! The Botanical Gardens were very nice. Well maintained, with lots of Royal Palms and other large, elegant trees! We left the gardens and had to cross the city to get to the forest. Two bus changes and about 6 hours later we managed to pass through the forest but not actually stop and explore it, as well as get to the other side of the city, switch buses because ours was finished, and make it back to Copa at 7 p.m. I packed up my stuff and met up with the couple from Canada and my other CS friend, Eduardo. We had a nice dinner and came back, because I was taking the 12 a.m. to São Paulo! I got to the station, got on board, and settled in for the ride!

Thanks for reading and leaving comments (some more than others--special thanks!) and as always, feel free to communicate with me (if you're unable to figure the comment posting out) at benthelefty@gmail.com! Sincerely, Benjamín

My Address in Buenos Aires

Hey All--Just got back into Buenos Aires yesterday, and I'm actually leaving again this afternoon (at 5 p.m.) to head to Santiago, Chile! I know, the life of a traveler is very difficult :( I do, however, think it a good idea to leave you all with my address, just in case you would like to send me anything--cards or boxes of cash--then that would be wonderful! Here it is:

Benjamín Chapman
1125 Jean Jaurés
1425 Capital Federal
Argentina

Don't worry, I'll post an update on the rest of my Brazilian adventure before I leave, so you won't all be left in suspense :)

Thanks for reading and commenting--Benjamín