Brief trip in South America: Bolivia

Last January, I spent one week and a half in South America, in Peru and Bolivia. I flew into Cusco (Peru), the heart of the Inca Empire, visited the city and around, went to Machu Picchu, and then moved to Lake Titicaca, to Puno, where I went to the Huros' islands. From there, I moved crossed the border with Bolivia and visited Copacabana, Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca, La Paz (an amazingly unique city and a real sight itself) and finished in Tiwanaku, the most important archeological site of a pre-Inca civilization. In one hour, the trip was amazing. South America is made for traveling. It is very cheap, interesting and nature is outstanding. It is still a wild continent in every aspect. When you travel South America is time to fasten your seatbelt and enjoy a real ride.

Some photos from Bolivia:

The Labyrinth in Isla del Sol:



Indigenous people in La Paz:



La Paz, built in a creek, feels like a city falling into a deep trench...



A high mountain overlooking the city:



Some archeological rests in Tiwanaku.



I felt really sorry about leaving such an amazing place without visiting all it has to offer. Before leaving, I was already planning my next visit!!

First photos from Machu Picchu

Today I visited Machu Picchu, the most important archeological ruins in South America.

A postcard from there!! ;)

Finally left Spain after Xmas

After more than 3 weeks in Spain, relaxing and doing some paperwork, I had to leave and continue doing more paperwork in CA. Now I finished all of it and I am on my way to Peru and Bolivia for my last trip before starting working in Tokyo!

This Xmas was really cold in Spain and my home town was covered in snow for many days.



It was also a good opportunity to catch up with friends after a whole year out of my country!



Just before departing for the USA, I had time to visit Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias in Valencia, with my family. It keeps on improving!! Amazing!

Back from Tunisia and Andorra

Yep, I am back in Europe and as soon as I got here, I went to Tunisia and Andorra. It has been one week in total, not too long... but enough to satisfy my craving for an arab country and snow! ;) It was quite a contrast to go from the moderately warm Tunisia to ice cold Andorra, to change medinas for stone houses, the sea and the desert for snow and mountains.

The top of the World

I have recently got married and Nepal has been our honey moon destination!

It has been a quite impressive destination: great nature, the best mountains and an amazing amount of temples! The nicest experience: to be face to face with the highest mountain in the World, Mt Everest!

 

Running log

I have recently found a nice tool in the Internet to measure the distance I run. In addition, I get a nice map and if I input the time, I get my average pace (mpk) and elevation profile of my run. It is quite nice. This is my run today: 14km in 1h14min (around 5.10 mpk), going up the strongest slope in Pasadena (Shenandoah St) and going up and down all the time.

LA Fly Away Technology

I was impressed by the solution the airport bus driver found to get a compartment for her stuff. What better and easier than to write it with a pen??



She could've tried to keep some balance for the letters/words... XD

Mammoth Lakes

After visiting Mono Lake and before heading for Manzanar NHS, I wanted to go to Devil's Postpile National Monument, near the Mammoth Lakes ski resort. When I got there, big surprise... Devil's Postpile was already closed for the Winter and I could not visit it! Anyway, I was there, so... brief stop at the Visitor's Center and visit to some of the lakes there.



This is one of the lakes in Twin Lakes.



And the following are photos at Lake Mary.





It was a short but nice visit.

Manzanar NHS

Manzanar National Historical Site is in the middle of nowhere in California. It represents one of the darkest moments of US history in the 20th century. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and World War II started in the Pacific, the US President decided to put all Japanese American in concentration camps in very isolated areas. Japanese Americans were deprived of their liberty for as long as the war continued. They had to leave all their lives behind and when the war was over, they were forbidden to come back to the 3 Pacific coast states. They had to start from scratch.

Manzanar NHS is one of the only places which were kind of preserved.



These are the police posts at the entrance:



And the lunch hall:



These are the remaining of a Japanese garden the "inmates" created.



And the following are photos of the cemetery:

Mono Lake Tufa Reservation

We left Yosemite using Tioga Pass and drove back to Los Angeles along US-395. That road is sandwiched between two ranges of mountains, in the middle of nowhere, and it is designated a scenic route. Just at the beginning of the road, not far from Yosemite's entrance (Tioga Pass), there is a beautiful lake: Mono Lake.



This place is so remote that housed a secret US military facility during the Cold War. Nothing remains of that facility now. The lake is interesting because it is a tufa reservation. Tufa are strange calcium based structures which grow from the bottom of the lake to its surface. This lake has been used by LA for water supplies and the level decreased dramatically in a few decades. Now, that is not allowed and the lake is protected. Anyway, these excesses made the tufa get exposed out of the water. Their shapes are quite interesting and many times surprising! Enjoy all these photos I took!