The End of the World - Well Almost...

Headed Ever Southward...Or Eastward...It's Confusing

We opined one day that it was silly that we had never set foot in South America.  I mean, it's right down there below Mexico, right?  Wrong.  It is REALLY FAR but we decided to go anyway.  And once we decided that it was REALLY FAR we didn't want to do those killer flights TWICE so we just kept adding places to our itinerary ("Oh, we can't miss Easter Island)  and that is why you haven't heard from us in literally months.  Well, that and we contracted some disgusting illness just prior to our return that rendered us uncommunicative hermits until this moment.

So when I tried to book our flights it appeared that it would take twice as long to get to Rio as it would to Paris.  Which seemed stupid.  But no matter how I sliced it, that was the result.  So, I decided we would just add another city to the itinerary (you see how this is going) and we'd do a stop over in Panama City.  Which I have never cared about seeing.  But actually it is very cool.  I selected a boutique hotel in the Old City because, let's face it, we are very boutiquey and hip.  Perhaps not quite as hip as the Tantalo Hotel/Restaurant/Rooftop Bar.  We arrived very early after an overnight flight.  I had reserved the Purple Room but it wasn't ready yet so Otto suggested we take Room #1.  We looked around and realized that we were the youngest people in the hotel by, oh, perhaps 35 years.  Maybe it was just early.... So, we follow Otto to our room and he is saying "Oh, people call this the Ouch room."  With my geriatric hearing I think he says Couch Room which is odd but who knows.  But no.  The door swings open and we feast our eyes on our king sized bed over which is suspended a wooden frame on pulleys with large spikes protruding from it.  The walls are festooned with framed whips, chains, handcuffs -- you get it.  He really meant Ouch.  Otto asks how we like it.  I'm pretty jet lagged but I will not let him get the better of us.  "Why it is LOVELY," I say. "Very cozy."  Otto smiles.  For the rest of our stay we are referred to as Mom and Dad.  We venture to the Rooftop Bar that evening which is undulating with young lithe bodies and reverberating with techno vibes.  As we are pummeled while attempting to find our way to the bar, a bartender leaps out, takes us under his wing and solicitously suggests that we would be more "comfortable" in the VIP section.  We are.  We see the Panama Canal and leave.

The ambience of the Ouch Room was most "interesting"...

including this framed assortment on the wall.

We took an Uber to see the canal and watch a ship transit the lock. There isn't a lot of extra room for this ship.

In addition to a tug, these electric locomotives ("mule engines") guide the ship through the canal and into the lock.

The dual lock doors close...

the water level begins to rise...

so the ship can be brought up to a higher level. There are two locks to raise the ship to 85 feet above sea level so it can enter Gatun Lake.

Deirdre got to pilot a ship through the canal in the simulator.

The architecture in the old town was fascinating and many of the buildings have been renovated or are in the process of renovation.

This now houses the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (as well as the sword of Simon Bolivar).

This is all in contrast to the new city with its many tall buildings with some very interesting architecture.

It is amazing how lucrative money laundering can be.

The interior of the restaurant...

and the bar at the Tantalo Hotel demonstrated its hipster image.

Why The Military?

While sitting in the ubber-hip downstairs restaurant we are looking out the windows.  Window #1- three heavily armed soldiers; Window #2 - 2 heavily armed soldiers; Window #3 - Three heavily armed sailors.  Hmmm. Living in Mexico we are fairly used to heavily armed folk but this seems over the top.  Upon inquiring we find out that the President lives a block away.  No worries.  Well, maybe.

Tall and Tan and Young and Larcenous 

We are now on our way to Rio to join our 17 Day Tour of Chile and Argentina including (Ta da!) Easter Island.  By the time we return home we will have taken 11 flights and endured many, many hours on buses, cars and boats.  So, first official stop is Rio. Our tour group is like the U.N. -- which is a good thing.  Vietnamese, Haitian, Filipino, Indonesians, British (Bermudian -- he's a hoot), American and a slew of Indians.  Rio is beautiful.  The beaches are beautiful.  The people are beautiful.  But, apparently, it is fraught with danger.  We have traveled a lot and NEVER encountered a situation where complete strangers come up to you and warn you about --well -- everything.  Cameras, iPhones, taxis, beaches after dark, beaches at dusk.  It is a bit unsettling.  I had read about favela (slums) tours  that benefit the people who live there (how I am not sure) but we drive by one and it is teeming with soldiers and heavily armed police.  "Oh yes," the guide says. "There have been some problems.  Perhaps not a good idea." We see all the predictable sights and eat the best meat we will have on the entire trip.  This is a bit of a shock (well at this point we don't KNOW it's the best meat on the trip) because everyone raves about Argentinian beef and Chilean lamb and how it's unparalleled in the world.  Well it may be, but when they cook it to hockey puck consistency it seems to lose something.  The Brazilians probably bring it over the border and then cook it the right way!

Our hotel was on Leme Beach, just up from Copacabana beach.

No trip to Rio is complete without a pilgrimage to the Christ the Redeemer Art Deco statue.

The statue is iconic, but I thought some of the detail, which is not visible in the normal photos showing the full statue, were fascinating.

Sugarloaf Mountain was clearly visible from the statue...

as was this unique view looking down on an Avianca plane landing.

The racetrack...

and the infamous lagoon where many of the Olympic boating events took place were also visible from the statue's vantage point.

In wandering an area neighborhood known as Santa Teresa, which is a hilltop district with a charming village-like vibe, we encountered this interesting sculpture.

We also saw some very interesting houses, like this one.

In a visit to the Jardin Botanico, founded in 1808 by Portuguese king D. João IV, we encountered this unique sundial...

strange statues...

and glorious views.

The botanical garden also includes one of the most extensive orchid collections I had ever seen.
Here are just a few of the more interesting ones.

I- GUA-zu Falls  or Actually [ee-gwuh-zoo]

Michael corrects my pronunciation of the Falls about 34 times but I persist in mangling the name.  Plus it has two names (one Brazilian and one Argentinian) so I just refuse to deal with it at all.  Oh, did I mention that Michael is crippled during the entire trip? No?  This fact just adds a little spice to our adventure.  Two weeks prior to departure, Michael has blown out his left knee and the doctors have pronounced his need for a knee replacement.  So, with an attractive wooden walking stick and constant pleas for wheelchairs in airports we set off to conquer South America.  Now the Falls offer our first significant challenge.  It is about a kilometer and a half into the falls but, to make things more fun, it is on metal grating that is wet, slick and the gaps are just right for grabbing the end of his walking stick.  But he makes it.  Here is basically how we handle his "challenge" while being sensitive to the tour groups needs.  We set off in front of the group before receiving any instructions or insight so that we get to where we are going only ten minutes or so after the group arrives.  We whirl around taking everything in and shooting photos in a frenzy and then depart ten to fifteen minutes before the group so that we reach the bus before the rest of them grow angry at having to constantly wait for us. It is a little stressful.   The Falls are absolutely spectacular.  Like really, really something.  This has definitely been our waterfall year.

The falls in the distance with the mist rising above the falls.

All of this series of photos are view of the falls from the Brazilian side. 

This view gives you a panoramic view of the falls.

There were some very interesting butterflies along the path...

as well as this strange looking insect.

We spotted this plush crested jay in the tree.

We also saw coatimundi...

and spider monkeys.

On the Argentinian side you do not get the panoramic view of the falls, but you can get on top of the falls and marvel at the roar of the water and the mist rising from the bottom of the falls.

From this point near our hotel in Puerto Iguazu you can see three countries --- Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.

Thank You Once Again Atlas Obscura

We had a free morning before flying out to Buenos Aires so Michael and I along with a couple of new pals headed off to The House of Bottles.  There is this guy who started out by making a playhouse for his daughter all out of plastic soda bottles.  Well, he has expanded on the theme and has created an entire house out of plastic soda bottles, a roof out of the containers that non- refrigerated milk comes in and basically anything you can recycle.  This is amazingly cool!  Now, the best part.  He goes into the poorest parts of the country and teaches people how to do it.  They have constructed over 1,500 houses so far.  He only spoke Spanish but I was able to translate for the others and we spent an amazing hour or so with him.  To me, this is the real joy of traveling.  If you want to know more, look it up on the Atlas Obscura website.  The photos will give you an idea of how truly amazingly creative this man and his family are.

Who knew all those plastic bottle could be recycled to build a house...

a playhouse...

and an assortment of other things.

These chairs from recycled tires were amazingly comfortable and complemented the table also made from recycled tires.

This man is the genius who developed this concept demonstrating how plaster walls can be added to cover the plastic bottles.

This shows how electric wiring and plumbing can be fitted into the plastic bottle walls.

The colorful roof of recycled containers.

Even the furniture can be made from recycled plastic bottles.

Alfredo Alberto S. showed how he fashioned a simple device with wood and a razor blade to create strings of plastic to be used for all sorts of things.

Alfredo truly believes in recycling.

The curtains are made of recycled bottle caps...

and the chandeliers from recycled bottles.

Alfredo has traveled to other countries to show how to make houses from recycled bottles. As the poster shows this house in Concepión, Paraguay was constructed from 18,000 bottles in 12 days.

When we got back to the hotel, we found these two toucans hanging around.

On to Argentina

Obviously, this trip is going to have to be cut into bite sized pieces so we'll stop here so we can get a blog out in this lifetime.  From here we will move to the heady world of Evita, various dictators and marvelous architecture.  Until soon-- honestly, we'll do better.