Author Archives: nubiaNomad

Eurovision?

29 Thursday May 2008

Posted by in thoughts

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

,

A few days ago (I will admit) I sat down and watched part of the finale of the Eurovision competition. The song contest where European nations enter a song into the competition. Several rounds of eliminations take place. Then the rest of the European community votes on their favorite song. That’s the gist of it. To be honest I didn’t know much about the contest. I began to get a vague idea last year when the winning Serbian song (Numa Numa) made its way to international parties the world over in ridiculous number of remixes. It just seemed to never die out.

So this year I got a bit more insight to this interesting spectacle and yes it really is a spectacle. Apparently, the contest was started by France and for many years traditional Western European nations were the victors. In recent years that has not been the case. Despite the absurdity of some of the acts, I couldn’t stop watching. It was like seeing a two cars about to crash and you can’t take your eyes away. Additionally the horror or amusement (whichever u prefer) was satirically commented on by British broadcaster Terry Wogan.

First off, although it’s a European contest for some weird reason Russia, Israel, Turkey (debatable depending on who you talk to) and Azerbaijan participated. Last I checked all these countries were in Asia ( again with Turkey and Russia depends on who you talk to). It was evident that some took the contest far too seriously while others used it as a tool to mock and parade about on stage.

When voting time rolled along it was clear that this contest wasn’t about the music but had clear political roots. I quickly found out why it’s a lost cause for many of the Western European countries to think about winning. Those countries eliminated early on, root for their neighbours. Well that depends if that neighbour took part in their ethnic cleansing. Regardless it seems that the Baltic block as Terry Wogan put it ” know who brings home the bread and butter” and voted overwhelmingly for RUSSIA?!

Another point of interest, most countries opted to present a song in English; Even FRANCE!. I was definitely taken back by that one.

From the portion of the finale that I did watch there seemed to be several Britney Spears-esqe admissions presented by: Greece, Ukraine and Armenia.

Others were off the wall in an amusing way: France, and my favorite Spain. Others, took it way too far and I have no idea what they were thinking Azerbaijan, Latvia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Overall it was interesting. And if your interested here’s a recap video of the finalists.

don’t know if it is worth calling it eurovision any longer, or pretending to care about the music.

Hiatus

29 Thursday May 2008

Posted by in thoughts

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

,

I realize that it has been an incredibly long hiatus. Since my last blog post it’s has been zooming through 4 weeks, 4 continents, 5 countries. I finally settled for a bit in Saudi Arabia. I am a bit upset that I was extremely lazy and didn’t keep up the blogging during my time there because I definitely had many blog-worthy thoughts. Maybe another time.

Currently in London and hoping to get back on the blogging horse.

A minute to reflect

02 Sunday Mar 2008

Posted by in thoughts, Travel

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

,

For the better part of this past month I have taken every opportunity (and decent Internet connection) to update you on my travels. I mostly described the places and routes that I embarked on and talked very little about my impression of the locals and how they perceived me.

The further I worked my way down south into Patagonia the more intriguing my presence became. For many I was the first Muslim they had come in contact with. I often found myself explaining my origins, which drew even more curiosity. Not only a Muslim but Sudanese origins….in South America. I was prodded for answers everywhere I went. I welcomed the questions because it was much easier to start convos and meet new people along the way. For many I met, I dispelled a lot of their stereotypes about Muslim women. Having the explain the theory of the hijab and the choice I made to wear it. The differences between what I wear (the hijab) and the “black robe the covers the entire body (niqab). Also the fact that Muslim woman are not oppressed and are allowed to travel as they please. One woman was fairly surprised to find out that Muslim woman are allowed to leave their countries and travel alone. That convo was fairly interesting. I had to explain first and foremost I can’t speak for all Muslim women around the world. More importantly that along with the religion there are various cultural practices that become fairly intertwined that natives of each region have varying interpretations and views regarding the day-to-day practice of Islam.

I was surprised to know that even though most locals have never come in contact with many Muslims they still had a pretty good knowledge base. I definitely appreciated my improving command of the Spanish language as it definitely helped me meet people and get into more interesting conversations.

It wasn’t only my interaction with locals but also travellers from other countries as well. Talking about politics, culture, language, etc was fairly enlightening. Although many are put off by the thought of travelling alone, I found it be more rewarding. Generally those who travel in groups, tend to stay within their group. Me travelling, I was more inclined to start-up conversations with people around me, which allowed me to improve my Spanish and learn so much more about those I met.

With out a doubt, I know that I have much more to explore and I really hope I can return soon.

As for my time in Uruguay, as cliché as it might sound it has been one of the best learning experiences I have had. Not only am I leaving the country with the knowledge of a new language, I am also leaving with the knowledge that I have made some really close friends.

Yes I know that I have a fairly distinct Spanish accent now (many thanks to my primary teachers Emi and Euge). In terms of placement Uruguay has been great for many reasons. Firstly, it’s fairly safe; never did I feel uncomfortable walking around Montevideo. Secondly, relative to its neighbouring countries the standard of living is much cheaper. So that made saving money all the more easier. I pretty much saved every dime I could in order to freely explore Brazil, Argentina and parts of Chile. Finally, travel to most other South American countries is easily accomplished from Montevideo itself or across the Rio de la Plata from Buenos Aires.

It’s been hard to say goodbye.

Buenos Aires

02 Sunday Mar 2008

Posted by in Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

I will say Buenos Aires was not as bad as I expected but It was much harder adjusting to city life when being out in the vast spaces of Patagonia for so long. Plus Buenos Aires in general can be a bit overwhelming.

The first day I arrived, I met a few people at the hostel who were venturing into a neighbourhood of BA called La Boca. It is not what you call a tourist friendly hot spot but it’s definitely full of culture. They were going for a last ditch effort to find tickets to one of the football games. River Plate a popular local team was playing. I joined in, knowing La Boca’s infamous reputation I travelled fairly light, with only a few pesos and some ID (no bags, camera and the likes). We got info on what bus to take and more importantly what street/stop to get off. People weren’t exaggerating when they said some streets are no-go zones. We got to the stadium and confirmed what we knew all along…the tickets were sold out. Since Argentinians followed football so religiously I wanted to watch the masses attend mass. Sadly that didn’t happen. So we opted to get a bite to eat and return back to the hostel which was located in the centre ( a few blocks from the world’s largest avenue, 9 de Julio).

I did get a chance to visit San Telmo ( Tango barrio of the city) on a booming Sunday. When the market is in full swing and some of the roads are closed to cars only pedestrians. Luckily the weather was nice and cool that day. That was another thing to get adjusted to, going from cool, windy conditions to hot and humid BA was not a pleasant change at all.

[gigya type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” src=”https://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/picasaweb.googleusercontent.com/slideshow.swf” width=”500″ height=”300″ flashvars=”host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F107129263791403689175%2Falbumid%2F5173209442574963553%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCJrOh5jSj7eVaw” pluginspage=”http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer”%5D

And as if I wasn’t attracting enough attention alone with the hijab, I went to eat with a few more travelers from the hostels (3 guys from Norway). So you can imagine how that appeared. 3 taller than your average Argentinian, Norwegians with bright blond hair and blazing blue eyes, and me with my hijab. I guess I would stop and stare if I saw such a group strolling through the streets of BA. We had a good laugh about it.

ohh, I met another “Bag” how odd is that. For those not familiar, that is one of several nicknames coined by my dear friend Tina. So there I was chilling at the hostel after a full day of exploring BA when someone calls out hey Bag, so out of reflex I turned to find they were referring to someone else.

All in all I enjoyed my time in BA but during my entire stay there all I could think of going back down south to Patagonia. By the third day I was ready to leave, I purchased my ferry ticket back to Uruguay and headed back to Montevideo.

Bottleneck

24 Sunday Feb 2008

Posted by in Travel

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

Luckily right before I arranged my trip down to Chile, I also contemplated how the heck to get back up north. It had taken me several weeks to work my way down to this point in Patagonia now the trick was to find a way back up. Since busing it all the way up will no doubt take at least 3 days straight. I decided to fly part of the way. I went to LADE, which is an Argentinean company operating in Patagonia and has flights up to Buenos Aires.

It was fairly difficult to find anything up to B.A. everything was fully booked. So right there standing in front of the attendant I decided to make a pitstop on the Northern Patagonian region (on the Atlantic coast this time). I knew that the national park outside of Puerto Madryn had the biggest Penguin colony outside of Antartica. Flights to P. Madryn and nearby Trelew were fully booked as well but I managed to find a flight to Comodoro Riv. (4 hours South of Trelew). Since my options were limited I bought the ticket right there and then and went next door a bus booking company and purchased a bus ticket for the rest of the journey up to Trelew.

The day of my flight, it was pure madness. Areolineas Argentina (which isn’t even an Argentinean company, from Spain) was on strike and numerous delays. So you can imagine the matchbox of an airport in the small town of El Calafate and lots and lots of angry tourists. I was thankful I wasn’t traveling with them. Especially since they charge 3 times as much as LADE and apparently provide worse service on top of that. But due to their incompetence, all other airlines suffered as well. Here I was thinking I was on top of things. For the first time ever in this trip I had pre-purchased a bus ticket before arriving to that city. My trip thus far has been planned city by city. It was kinda ironic, the first time I plan ahead, something like this happens. I thought I had a lot of wiggle room to get to the airport in Comodoro to the bus terminal to get to Trelew. But the delays continued. Luckily we made it out and bargained with a cab driver at the airport to shoot straight for the terminal. THANKFULLY, I made exactly 3 mins before the bus was set to leave.

I arrived in Trelew around 10pm and headed for a small hotel I had quickly looked up. Honestly it was the worst place I stayed at and the most expensive. But since it was late and close to the terminal I paid without much argument. I was very thankful I took a shower at night as there was no water in bathroom in the morning. Angry as I was I packed up my things, paid and left find an internet cafe to update the parentals and wait for the bus to see the penguins at Punta Tombo.

Finally with some decent internet connection I was able to add more updates and upload photos yesterday. I got a bit carried away and completely lost track of time. Realizing I had only a few minutes to get to the terminal to go to Punta Tombo, I packed my things in a haste and like an idiot forgot my camera at the internet cafe!!!! I was extremely depressed throughout the ride and the excursion to see the little waddling critters. Unfortunately no pics for this one.

One thing i must say, penguins smell, no they outright stink! and are fairly snappy. A man got pecked by one. On the way back we stopped in the small village of Gaiman for a little bit of Whales in Argentina. This city and surrounding region was settled by Welsh settlers. We stopped in a Welsh tea house and were stuffed with unlimited tea and Welsh desserts. Returning back I made what seemed to be a lost endeavour to find my camera. I was thinking for sure someone had stolen it by now. I was extremely surprised when I returned to the internet cafe to find that someone found the camera near the computer and gave it to the shop attendant. I was so relieved!

From there I went straight to the main bus terminal to find a way up to B.A. I asked around the various companies and luckily there was a service leaving 30 mins from when I came to inquire. I bought the ticket and boarded the bus immediately.

17 hours later, I arrived here in B.A. and to be honest I really wish I was back south in Patagonia. I don’t think I can stand B.A. for too long. Don’t get me wrong it is a great city but after the surreal experience with Patagonia´s natural wonders, I don’t think the buildings and roads of BA can suffice or even come close.

Trekker´s Paradise

24 Sunday Feb 2008

Posted by in Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

I realize that my decision to venture off to Chile was a bit impromptu but I couldn’t resist the urge to get up and leave. I had heard so many great things about this place. I thought the notion of experiencing 4 seasons in one day was a bit ludicrous but those who told the tales were not exaggerating one bit.

After getting through the immigration bit at the border and settling the park entrance fees we were off. I started the first day with a semi organized tour. Since Torres del Paine is several hours away from the nearest city you have to organize transportation with some company or other. no public transport at this point. We left behind the only remnants of civilizations (the town of Cerro Castillo with a population of 200 people)

We started off the day on a good note with chilly weather but rather sunny. That quickly changed, as did the wind. The trek started near Lago Amargo (bitter lake), appropriately named as it contains 3 times more salt than sea water. It is all that remains from one of the glaciers that existed there several million years ago. Unfortunately it is expected to dry out within the next 1o years or so. From there the trek lead us to the middle of the park to the Lago Pehoé. Spent the night at a refugio near Lago Pehoé and continued the next morning to the mirador near the Glacier Grey. Because of heavy rain during the first day of trekking I didn’t get to take as many pictures. Mainly because the view of the Torres and the glaciers were obstructed by fog. I was beginning to realize that it was my bad luck as the same thing happened during my trek back in El Chaltén.

[gigya type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” src=”https://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/picasaweb.googleusercontent.com/slideshow.swf” width=”500″ height=”300″ flashvars=”host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F107129263791403689175%2Falbumid%2F5170185004049275121%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCJyUyoz26oqdCQ” pluginspage=”http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer”%5D

On the first day while still on the transport we stopped near the waterfalls that empty out into the Lake. It was spectacular but the wind was as vicious as ever. the guide estimated it at about 150 km/hr. It was ridiculous. It was the first time in my life I saw a grown man lifted off the ground and literally tossed a few meters away. The trick to stay in control was to walk in groups and when gusts of wind blew with rocks flinging in every direction was to turn your back to the wind huddle in groups and stay connected. Naturally it took some time to work our way up to the outlook point as we had to continually stop and huddle to protect ourselves from the wind. Despite the frightening experience I definitely know that I want to return someday to complete the entire “W” circuit.

The next day I went a stopping point near Lago Pehoé to catch transport out of the Park and to the Argentinian border where I was able to switch buses and get back to El Calafate at 1am the following day. This by far has been my most unforgettable experience probably because it was the most challenging. I met some really great people along the way. In such conditions you really end up bonding with those you meet along the trails.

I am definitely glad I got the chance to go even if for 2 days but it really is difficult to think about what I left behind. It feels so unjust not to have continued but again I really hope I get the chance to come back and complete the circuit and spend more time in the region.

Glaciers!!

23 Saturday Feb 2008

Posted by in Travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, ,

Fortunately the trip from El Chaltén to El Calafate wasn´t too long, again continuing on Ruta 40. I wasn´t really sure how long I would stick around here. The first day was spent roaming around the city. At this point in time El Calafate is the most expensive city in Argentina. Sadly I realized the sad fate that awaited El Chaltén. It was overrun by tourists who came on cruises. Everything was mostly organized tours, no room to really go out there and do it yourself. the age demographic of the visitors changed as well. As opposed to El Chaltén which had a fairly young, backpacker vibe, El Calafate was overrun by rich retirees wanting to see the glaciers from a far.

The following day I had a tour to the Parque nacional de Los Glacieres. Once again the same group of people I had been shuttling with since Bariloche were on this trip. We joked some more about this encounter over lunch. Despite the hoards of tour buses it was worth it to go see the Perito Moreno Glacier. One of the very few growing glaciers in the world. The trip was amazing and getting the opportunity to hike a bit in order to trek the glacier was an unforgettable experience.

[gigya type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” src=”https://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/picasaweb.googleusercontent.com/slideshow.swf” width=”500″ height=”300″ flashvars=”host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F107129263791403689175%2Falbumid%2F5170180189390936001%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCNy5lKXC34ydTQ” pluginspage=”http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer”%5D

I returned back to El Calafate and contemplated my next move. Originally I had written Chile out of my plans but along the way I met other travelers venturing to and from Parque Nacional de Torres del Paine. I initially thought I wouldn’t make it down there because if you truly want to experience it you would need a minimum of 4 days to do the classic “W” circuit. Time that I did not have, but once I got down to El Calafate and being oh so close to Puerto Natales, Chile, I decided to go for it even if just for 2 days just for a bit of trekking and back.

The same day as my excursion to the Perito Moreno glacier, I got back into El Calafate and made plans to leave. Luckily for me there were buses leaving daily at 5am. So i purchased my ticket, went back to the hostel and backed a lighter bag for the journey and left the rest of my belongings there until I returned.

El Chaltén

23 Saturday Feb 2008

Posted by in Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Spent 2 days in this little village along ruta 40. This dot on the map attracts hoards of hikers and climbers who are enticed by the infamous Fitz Roy (standing at 3441m) and Cerro Torre. The big draw is the nearly vertical, granite appearance of the Fitz Roy that makes it a fairly difficult challenge to summit. Not to mention the unpredictable weather which can make or break your journey.

The village is rapidly developing as the tourism industry grows. Everywhere you look more hostels/hotels are being built. Also construction is underway to pave a main road. Ironically the main road of this little village is built right against the prevailing wind. Talk about poor planning. To think you have a clean canvas and yet there is still room to screw it up. But that just goes to show that really there is no coherent development plans just the notion of get it done as soon as possible.

Sadly I didn´t really have much time here and I wanted to make the most of my stay. on my Second and only full day there I started my hike to Lago Torre to see the glaciers. In total it was an 8 hour endeavour. Fairly exhausting I must say. I started off with very windy conditions. Along the way I met a few people huddled under a ridge trying to wait out the gusts of wind. Sure enough the wind subsided and the sun came out. That gave me encouragement to keep going.

[gigya type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” src=”https://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/picasaweb.googleusercontent.com/slideshow.swf” width=”500″ height=”300″ flashvars=”host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F107129263791403689175%2Falbumid%2F5170171891514119457%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCNDk3p6tpPPTvAE” pluginspage=”http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer”%5D

Although I started the hike alone, I met many people along the trails who were headed to the same destination or to the base camp to get to the Fitz Roy.

Half way through the hike though, the weather changed once again. It began to rain and rain. I contemplated returning but by then I had walked over 4 hours and I was determined to get to the glaciers. It was fairly foggy and the rain just kept on pounding. Finally made it but near the base camp at the higher altitude the rain turned to freezing rain. During this entire process I kept on thinking that the purchase of my wind/rainproof jacket back in Bariloche was the best decision I have made thus far. Thankfully otherwise I would be suffering from a severe cold.

Getting to the glacier despite the weather made my day. Sadly the full view of Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy were obstructed by the fog. nonetheless I know I made it. Then started the grueling hike back to El Chaltén. This trip would normally take about 6-7 hours but the slippery trail conditions and the strong winds. I had to wait out these gusts and then continue.

Got back to my hostel and my pants, shoes, socks were completely soaked! and I was freezing cold. Luckily I had time to change and grab something to eat before catching my bus further south to El Calafate.

By this point I had formualated a travel group. We started the trip together back in Bariloche and ended up taking the same buses or staying in the same hostels throughout the way until El Calafate. It was a Welsh couple, a guy from right outside London and 2 Isreali guys. It was nice to have company during the looooong and painful drive down to each city.

On the road again

23 Saturday Feb 2008

Posted by in Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

The extra days in Bariloche were well worth it. I really enjoyed my time there. Plus the hostel was great. It was by far the best stay I’ve had thus far. Not only was it a great hostel (La Bolsa del Deporte for anyone who is thinking of coming into the area) but the vibe was absolutely amazing. During my entire stay in Bariloche I have never seen the city at night. Mainly because each night after a hike or day trip, I came back to the hostel cooked dinner with friends I made there and chilled out for as long as I could keep my eyes open. It was the first place that I really connected with people there and not have the feeling of passing travelers. My last night there I was persuaded to practically stay up the entire night chatting instead of getting a bit of sleep before my 6am bus down south.

Ruta 40
the trip down south, I took the infamous ruta 40 instead of heading to the Atlantic shore and following the paved roads down south. This is the road the legendary Che Guevara took on his journey. This road extends all the way down southern Argentina. Judging from its current unpaved condition not many changes have been made since Ché himself embarked on his trip. Its fairly desolate with the Andes in the distant view. I am kind of glad I took the journey on it now as plans are on the way to pave it, which will surely change the landscape and the level of traffic through the region.

Perito Moreno
After 10 hours of this back-breaking journey we stopped in this little village for the night. nothing really much to say but for the fact that it was nice to sleep in a bed. The morning after joined in an organized trip to the Cuevas de los Manos (caves of the hands). Caves with prehistoric paintings over.It was really interesting to see. The paintings tell the story of inhabitants of this region and their hunting practices.

[gigya type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” src=”https://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/picasaweb.googleusercontent.com/slideshow.swf” width=”500″ height=”300″ flashvars=”host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F107129263791403689175%2Falbumid%2F5170165393228600161%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCLjw16uBvsGxHQ” pluginspage=”http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer”%5D

The tour dropped us off along the way further south where I took down to El Chaltén via Ruta 40 once again.

Change of Plans

16 Saturday Feb 2008

Posted by in Travel

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

,

Yesterday before starting out on my hike, I went out to the bus terminal to buy my ticket to Puerto Montt, Chile only to find that of the 5 companies that run services to there non had anything until Monday. The only company that had a Sunday bus was fully booked 😦 I was fairly disappointed. If I left on Monday then I would only get to spend a day and wont be able to go to other cities and islands as planned. So i sat down and recalculated my moves. I ultimately decided it is not fair to just jump into Chile for a day and not really get to know it as I wanted. I looked into other options.

Finally I decided just to keep heading down south in Argentina. The new plan is to continue as far south as El Calafate (glaciers!) then head back up north along the eastern coast. Stop at Puerto Madryn and then head to BA and return to Montevideo. I think I was trying to cramp too much in a very short period of time.

Since I love Bariloche so much, I decided to stay an extra day, relax and prepare for my next trip tomorrow. (hence all this time to sort out my photos and update my blog).