# Claw of the Andes: THC visits South America



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Hello everyone from Cusco, Peru! I am traveling and have been in Peru for several days. This is part of a larger trip that will also visit Argentina and end in Easter Island. One thing I've learned is that most of Peru is very high! The capital Lima where we first arrived, is close to sea level, but where we've been since then has been in the upper single or low double digits. The highest altitude  we have been at was 13700 feet. Fortunately we only stayed there for a few hours! No one in the group of 24 people I'm part of has actually had altitude sickness. But all of us can definitely feel it. For me, as long as I'm moving around slowly it usually doesn't bother me. But if I climb stairs at a fast pace or even walk on level ground at a fast pace I start huffing and puffing very quickly. I am in a hotel that has a good wifi, so I'm going to try and post at least one picture this evening. Then I'm going to bed, this morning we had a highlight of the trip Machu Picchu, then have a train ride, then had a two hour bus ride, to get to Cusco.  So I am tired. Incidentally telracs, they did have a fashion show on the train on our return trip. Hopefully, I will return and add a photo to this thread. But if I encounter any obstacles I am going to go to sleep!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

On the train coming back from Machu Picchuu, this horrible monster ran rampant in the train! Actually, it was a train employee in a costume but he did dance around to get us worked up for the fashion show where train staff modeled alpaca and llama wool clothes at presumably inflated prices.

_Edited to shrink image to accommodate those using mobile devices or older monitors. Thanks for understanding. --Betsy_


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

How exciting! What has taken you to South America?


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I haven't move my Machu Picchu photos off the camera yet, but here is a photo of me at a temple called Ollantaytambo yesterday. I am worn out, and I'm going to bed. More photos and more thrilling exposition later!

_Edited to shrink image to accommodate those using mobile devices or older monitors. Thanks for understanding. --Betsy_


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

CegAbq said:


> How exciting! What has taken you to South America?


I think it was a Boeing 777! 

and my work does not take me any place this interesting, this is a pleasure trip. We will spend about a week in Peru, which is about two thirds over now, then go to a glossy falls on the border between Brazil and Argentina, then to Buenos iris for a couple of days, and finally to Easter Island. By that time will be so worn out with all the moving around that will be desperate to come home! This is a trip with a tour group called Road Scholar, it is their best of South America tour. there's a lot of moving around the continent, but it gets two bucket list items out of the way on one trip, so it is worth it I hope!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I see that photo bucket is automatically choosing a photo size that's larger than the forum likes. I'm too tired to remember how to resize photos, but if one of the mods wants to resize these I'm fine with it. Otherwise I'll try and do it later!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Okay, here is one from Machu Picchu. Not the best, but it gets the amazing setting across.

_Edited to shrink image to accommodate those using mobile devices or older monitors. Thanks for understanding. --Betsy_


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Thanks, Claw!  I'm looking forward to more pictures.  Continued safe travel and I'm glad you are feeling better. Don't eat any more alpaca!


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

for those trying to decipher claw's post
glossy falls=Iguazu Falls
and iris= Buenos Aires


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## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

Love your adventures, Claw! That is a stunning photo of Machu Picchu. Keep 'em coming.  And travel safely!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

telracs said:


> for those trying to decipher claw's post
> glossy falls=Iguazu Falls
> and iris= Buenos Aires


Thank you, faithful translator! I was dictating to my phone, and it doesnt handle foreign names well.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Archaeologists view these basins as precious historical relics used by the Inca, probably to divine the future as with a crystal ball. But to these llamas it's just a convenient place to get a drink!


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

.....but...but....that is _*MY*_ Bucket List you are working on ! giggle. Safe Travels my Friend.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Some of those photos make me think of the Kingdom of Lancre on the Discworld, which "...actually contains a fair amount of land, the problem being that this land is packed so close together that it is almost vertical (the only piece of flat land the people of Lancre have is in a museum)."


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

NogDog said:


> Some of those photos make me think of the Kingdom of Lancre on the Discworld, which "...actually contains a fair amount of land, the problem being that this land is packed so close together that it is almost vertical (the only piece of flat land the people of Lancre have is in a museum)."


But land that is almost vertical is flat. It's just flat turned sideways! 

Today was a travel day.we flew from Cuzco to Lima, the capital of Peru , and got on another plane and flew to Iguascu Falls in Brazil , about four hours. I was lucky enough to have a window seat both legs, though the second long leg was almost directly over the winv, limiting what I could see. I got some decent views of the Andes on the first leg , the second leg between the wing and the clouds did not see much with one exception. We flew over Lake Tititaca. This is the highest if not the highest large lake in the world. Telracs has actually been there, I would love to go but haven't yet. I got the best photo I could through the smudgey plane window and the blocking wing, will post it later.

The long flight, which changes two time zones, reminded me how big South America is.

This trip is been very educational for me about altitude, and how much it affects our bodies. When the plane landed in Lima I was struck by two things. First the stink of fish, and second that I can breathe properly again! And I found draggingn my luggage around did not make me breathe heavily anymore. There is a drug for the effects of altitude called diamox. I'm glad that I didn't try to get it, l one woman in our group did use it, and she had complications that put her in the local clinic for two days! She is back with our group now that we are at low altitude, but that would scare me. I have a cap on a tooth that ached the whole time I was at altitude, and another group member had a crown just two weeks old poop of her tooth, presumably because of the pressure change.

For the next two days, we will be touring the waterfalls, as well as some other things. I will post here, though maybe no more pictures for awhile if the intent here is as buggy as it seems now.


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## Trophywife007 (Aug 31, 2009)

I am really enjoying your trip, THC!  Please keep the reports coming.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Today was the first of two days at the falls. We went over to the Argentina side , where you are very close to the top of the falls. it is very loud and very wet and very impressive. But you are literally watching water fall over and where you can't see it in front of you for much of the view. Tomorrow we go to the Brazil side where you were further away from the falls but have a better view . I'm told it will be the most impressive part. Assuming the weather holds we will also take a boat trip up very close to the base of the Falls tomorrow . This will make us wet enough that we are told to bring a bathing suit to wear!

This is an impressive waterfall third-biggest, and bigger than any I've seen, but I enjoy the wildlife as much as the falls. Even though this is not a wild life tour. There were toucan close enough to see andrecognize, though they are shy and don't close to humans. Several other birds, some of them extremely close. There were huge catfish, not very photogenic, but kind of scary. Probably the star of the show was the coati. these remind me of a cross between a raccoon and a giant opossum. Fortunately, we didn't see any coati fu, but I told they have nasty claws and a painful bite. Their biggest claim to fame in my eyes is as opportunistic thieves! This park is heavily visited and has good facilities for one in a developing country. There are places you can eat, and most of them have outside cafe style tables. The coati view this as their personal buffet. They will come up and rear up on their hind legs to sample what is placed out for their nourishment , even if people are still sitting around the table. They will either dine in, or have takeout. I'm told they especially love bananas and it if you go hiking down trail with a banana in your backpack, you will accumulate an entourage of coati who will eventually surround you and probably scratch you if you try to walk away through them. But back to the Cafe: the coati view plastic bags as concealing something especially desirable. These are never eaten in place, they are grabbed as take out , in an easy to open plastic container. The coati consists of families which is mother and couple of kids, and males, who are not welcome among families except in breeding time. In one case I saw a mother grab a plastic bag full of food, she took off and her babies followed her closely then a big male decided that this treasure was rightfully his, and was taking out fulltilt after mother. Mom was still ahead when they disappeared into the woods, babies trailing behind both the adults.

After this spectacle, we visited a native settlement. I had envisioned a kitschy tourist trap with people in costumes and fake grass huts. I knew that an authentic settlement of primitive people wouldn't exist here , or thought I did. It ends up that these are native people who were displaced when the park was created. The government relocated them on land and guarantees them a hut or shack, along with running water and hopefully electricity. The natives have the opportunity for education, but are not temperamentally or by background prepared to take advantage of it . So essentially none of them go past four years of schooling. Few of them hold a regular job, the ambitious ones make crafts and sell them to tourists like me. The crafts were generally very simple necklaces, or crude carvings of animals. We were cautioned that many of the necklaces contain live seeds, and will be confiscated by Chilean customs when we go into that country. 

We could not go into the main village because the road was too muddy, but visited a newly developed area that hasn't had water or electricity run to it yet. The population of natives is growing and before too many years of gone by, they will outgrow the land that is allocated to them. They've been living In this situation since 1930 or so, and have already expanded significantly. These people seem to be happy and content with their lot , but it was sad to see . Most were wearing a hodgepodge of basic western clothes (think t-shirts and shorts from the dollar store), though one young boy about five years old was still running around naked. After several of us bought crafts, they sang for us, with one of the older guys strumming, not playing, a guitar as accompaniment. Eye-opening, and these people seemed genuinely content with their lot, but it made me rather sad.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm in the hotel again after a excellent day I will write more about it later. I reread what I dictated last night and it was truly awful, so I did some editing if it was incomprehensible last night, try reading it again. I'm off to dinner, more later.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm back from a wonderful dinner of Brazilian barbecue, featuring some unusual offerings, notably chicken heart, hump of beef, grilled manioc root coated with cinnamon, and some heavenly homemade candy with sugar cane as the base.

We went out to the Brazilian side of Iguascu Falls today. Spectacular views. Later we went on Zodiac rubber boats right under the falls. We got wet seeing the falls up close from the ground below, but absolutely SOAKED riding the boat into the splash zone. Some people just wore swimsuits, and they were smart.the Falls are preferred home for some unexpected residents. Butterflies love the falls because of the humidity created by all the spray at the base. They are thick over the grounds, in a few places it was hard to move without stepping on a butterfly. I got a nice photo with a large butterfly in the foreground, with a rainbow arching above him, and one of the waterfalls above everything else. All it needed was a dancing unicorn. A less pleasant resident is the vulture. Vultures love using the Falls as a home base, because there are great uplifting thermal currents of air there. The vultures ride the thermals to their preferred cruising altitude, and head off across the country in search of carrion. They don't especially hunt in the Falls area, just use the Falls as an elevator.

An unexpected highlight was a visit to a bird park. This was a big aviary with some of the expected birds in big cages, but many rooms filled with plants and habitat where you walked amongst the birds, and in some cases the birds walked andt flew among us. I got batted by a toucan wing, and a large bird whose name I'm going to have to look up (red legged seriema) settled on a handrail within kissing distance (he was a male, and I don't swing that way, not to mention that I'm very firm about only dating my fellow mammals, so I won't be bringing him home to mother). I did snag a kind of cool close-up portrait of him. He was very calm and sat there as I marveled at him.

Tomorrow we leave Brazil behind and fly to Buenos Aires in the morning. We don't waste any time, and will tour a neighborhood in the afternoon. After two days in BA, we will move to the highlight of the trip, Easter Island!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Don't cry for me, Argentina...I've been in Buenos Aires for two days, and am at the airport to fly to Santiago,  Chile for an overnight stay before boarding the plane to our final stop at Easter Island! 

BA didn't excite me much, but we did have some good food,  especially wonderful steaks for dinner last night. We had what iI am told was good wine, but i wouldn't know the difference. Highlights were tango lessons and visited Eva Peron's grave. Not really my cup of tea.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Just a quicky while waitong for lunch in Santiago, this is ftom a Brazilian barbecue place a few nights ago. They served all sorts of meats, including chicken hearts(!), cheeses, veggies, and manioc root off of "swords" in this way. Very good, too!

We had excitement on our flight this morning, 
local man passed out, and a nurse in our tour group helped him, including giving an IV!

More later, it is lunch time.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Here's a sample of what we saw at Iguassu Falls. This is not the whole Falls, not by a long shot!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

A couple of nights ago, we had Tango lessons, which were basically an excuse to get a bunch of Norteamericanos who didn't know what they were doing jammed together in a too-small area, bumping into each other, and laughing. But afterwards, two pros showed us how it is done!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

The llama patrol bravely protects these ancient Inca ruins against evildoers. Or at least against any evildoers made entirely of grass....










And at the same temple complex, I demonstrate how BIG some of the stones used by the Inca were. This was moved many miles from where it was quarried, and carved to fit precisely.

These are the ruins of Saksaywaman, by the way:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saksaywaman


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

These are quick picks literally posted from my smart phone. Tomorrow morning we fly to Easter island to begin the final, and most eagerly-awaited (at least by me) portion of the trip! We will supposedly have internet on Easter Island, but I will believe it when I log onto it.

In Buenos Aires, Google Chrome screamed that the hotel wifi was insecure, and I'd be sorry if I went further, so I have disappeared from the web for a couple of days. Don't be shocked if that happens again....


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> ... to begin the final, and most eagerly-awaited (at least by me) portion of the trip!
> 
> 
> We will supposedly have internet on Easter Island, but I will believe it when I log onto it. ... Google Chrome screamed that the hotel wifi was insecure, and I'd be sorry if I went further, so I have disappeared from the web for a couple of days. ....


  #FirstWorldProblems ...


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## DK Mok (Jan 3, 2015)

Thanks for sharing your photos and travels so far! It sounds like an incredible trip, and the picture of Machu Picchu was amazing. It really evokes a different world, and a different time - an ancient city in the clouds. It reminded me of something from a Hayao Miyazaki movie. Or, yes, a Pratchett novel. 

I love llamas, alpacas and toucans, so I'm quite envious that you've had a chance to see these up close. It was also interesting to read about the displaced local people - it isn't something I've heard much about, and I appreciated hearing about your experience.

Safe travels, and I look forward to hearing about your adventures on Easter Island!


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Enjoyed your photos, Claw.  Are you going to post more?


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

After a five hour flight, we are at Easter Island!

Smooth trip over this morning, I used my Kindle Fire to entertain myself. I re-watched the climax of Rapa Nui, read part of a Max Allan Collins book, and watched of all things, Hansel and Gretel, Witch Hunters (extremely violent and over-the-top, but I liked it).

This was a special destination for me, since I've wanted to see this since elementary school. It was clear many other people also felt that way. We left the plane, a big modern Being 787, via a ramp, and I stood at the top of the ramp to take a picture. I felt silly and selfish fur that, but I saw other people doing it too! Useless trivia: EI is an out of the way spot, but has a huge runway, enlarged as an emergency landing spot for the Space Shuttle about forty years ago. The atmosphere is definitely Polynesian casual, this is the first airport whee I've seen stray dogs poking around among the passengers waiting at the luggage carousel! there was a brief hard rain as we deplaned, but weather then cleared up nicely. It is hot and humid.


On arrival we had lunch, then headed out to our first archeological site. Just a short visit, but our guide is a prominent local archeologist who apparently has enough distinction to have a TED talk. I'm going to try finding it and will post a link. On our return to the hotel, I walked down to the harbor, which is more of a dock than a harbor. I've had a shower, and we will soon go to dinner.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

And darn it, i rushed my catch-the-moment photo from the top of the ramp, and both tries are blurry! 



















As you can see, the terminal is pretty basic...


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

And here are a couple of quick shots from our group excursion this afternoon and from my walk afterwards:


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Wonderful day today! This evening we are checking out the sky, and have seen the Southern Cross and Orion standing on his head!

Will post a couple of pictures....




































Baby bananas!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

After perfect weather all trip, we had mild rain this afternoon and evening. Highlights today was wild (or at least free range) horses running past a moai and onto the tropical beach. We had a chance to swim, but I chickened out.

I'll post a pic or two before bed


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

Fantastic trip, Claw!  How is your FitBit holding up?


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Seamonkey said:


> Fantastic trip, Claw! How is your FitBit holding up?


Funny you would mention that! I couldn't find it a couple of days ago, and haven't seen it since. 8 suspect I left it in Buenos Aires!


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

Oh NOOOO!  I would be lost without one!


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

Are  you flying back via Chile?  Just wondering if the volcanic eruption will be another feature of your trip,or something to be avoided...

I looked on the Road Scholar site but it shows each step until Easter Island and then just says  "departure".  And I guess it depends on your flight arrangements where you go?


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

my Fitbit hasn't synced since Sunday. I just tried turning on Bluetooth and ordeeing my phone to sync, in case it is on clothes in my luggage someplace, but no luck. I'll get a new 9ne at home, but will miss all those steps and stairs ice climbed while sightseeing this week! As CegAbq sa8d, "First World problems! 

We fly back through Santiago, which is in the northern half of Chile, and I am told the volcano is in Southern Chile and shouldn't affect our flight from Santiago to Miami. Still, when another traveler told me about the volcano thus mornung, that was the first thing I thought of! I am totally disconnected from the news here, which is just fine!

Highlight today was the spectacular water-filled volcanic crater at the high point on the island. We had an okay but sad day of tourism, since this was our last day of sightseeing, and went to a tacky dance show tonight. I'm going to pack (Just toss everything in the suitcase to go home) and go to bed.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> As CegAbq sa8d, "First World problems!


I only push that out periodically because I have a daughter who lived in Benin (in West Africa) for 3 years and for 1.5 of those years lived without electricity or running water. She's home now suffering culture shock/adjustment & sometimes throws that (impliedly) at her parents sometimes.


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

Safe journey, Claw!  Hope you get to see the volcano, but fly unimpeded.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Did last minute shopping this morning and bought two tshirt,  having lunch before heading to the airport for the flight home.


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

Sorry it is so soon to be over, but what an adventure!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

And the adventure is indeed over! After a sleepless overnight flight, I am in Miami airport enjoying a long awaited Pizza for breakfast now. I wont make it back to oklahoma till late afternoon.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

And here are some more of the inevitable photos.....









This is the volcanic crater at the highest point on the island. Filled with water and aquatic plants.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

And I am home! Alas, my bag isn't. I know it made it to the USA, I took it through Customs in Miami and checked it into United to accompany me through through Houston and on to OKC. Houston was a snarl, and I had to run to make my connection, though I'm a bit annoyed that apparently United has lost my bag completely and doesn't know where it is....Grrrrr!


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

I hope the bag will materialize eventually. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing trip. I only wish I could have seen those coati!


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Welcome Home, Claw!  I will be hopeful your bag shows up soon.  I bet you sleep well in your own bed tonight. Looking forward to more pictures.


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

Welcome home.  What a mess with lost luggage!

An odd thing on FitBit.  

Four hours ago you logged in 18 steps (well a fitbit logged those in for you).  Which makes me curious.  Maybe you just switched to an older device you had, or got a new one OR the lost fitbit passed a dongle somewhere but it seems like the lost one would have more steps on it, and probably has drained its battery anyway.

Certainly hope you had everything valuable and containing pictures and such with you in your carry on.  And hope the lost bag is to show up soon.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Seamonkey said:


> Welcome home. What a mess with lost luggage!
> 
> An odd thing on FitBit.
> 
> ...


All is working out well. The lost bag has been found and will be delivered to me it six this evening, which come to think of it is just about now. The main thing it was clothes, a couple of minor souvenirs were also in it. I bought a new Fitbit at Best Buy this morning and activated it , which is what you saw. I slept very soundly last night, although I had okay mattresses on my hotel beds , this trip has made me really appreciate my fancy pants mattress that I bought last August. Much more comfortable! I spent today lazing around after a trip to the Store and to have Popeyes fried chicken for lunch!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I also was happy to find that I lost about half  of a pound on the trip! Effectively no change. They feed us pretty well on my trips and I had dessert regularly, fortunately I appear to have walked enough to counterbalance this.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I saw these billboards all over Peru (not my photo, I never could get a good shot of these boards). They puzzled me, I wondered what the deal was on the artificial-looking faces and the long noses!










Then I saw this display hanging on a restaurant wall. Some of the masks matched the faces on the billboard! I asked around to find out the story!










Here's a closeup of a mask from the billboard:










It ends up that these masks are used by performers in a traditional art form where players are performed. Each mask is for a particular type of character. The characters for the masks in the billboards represent doctors, lawyers, and politicians. The long noses are straight out of Pinocchio. They represent that these characters frequently lie!

The reasoning behind the billboards is that doctors lawyers and politicians are regularly making deals. Deals are regularly done in bars. Doctors, lawyers, and politicians have money and know the best beer, so they use this brand of beer! I thought this was hilarious and I am telling the story and showing these photos to the lawyers where I work!

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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Was it the doctors, lawyers, or politicians that are behind the statement not to drink excessive amounts of alcohol?


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

Nice pics, Mike.
We are glad you are home safely.
And it is great that your baggage got there too.


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## tessa (Nov 1, 2008)

I enjoyed your trip  glad your home safe.

    tessa


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

One of the highlights of the trip was going to Iguascu Falls, one of the largest complexes of waterfalls in the world. Here are a few shots:










From below the falls, we were surrounded by a "U" of waterfalls on three sides!










Butterflies and rainbows and waterfalls. Doesn't get any better than this....

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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

We took a raft ride right up to the base of the falls. I didn't have a waterproof camera, so couldn't photograph really close, but here we are approaching the base. The following was just before I put the camera away, but we got closer, and were thoroughly soaked!










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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

If you look closely, just above dead center, you can see the boat ahead of us in the splash zone...










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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Rumor has it that there are one or two people on KB not yet sick of waterfall pictures. These should push the holdouts over the edge (but not the edge of the waterfall!)










Yes, that's me, with my trademarked tortured expression, and too much stuff jammed in my pockets!



























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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

I live vicariously through your trips.  Thank you very much for sharing.


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

Claw, I will enjoy every picture you post.. waterfalls, butterflies, rainbows included.

The first pictures seem like a larger Niagra Falls.  I remember going there twice as a child but clearly it was not as wet.. well we rented these slickers and took a boat called The Maid of the Mist and even went behind the falls.  

But definitely not a wet zone like you have captured.

Wow and this is just one slice of your trip!!!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Tonight I'm too busy to post a bunch of pics, but I'll just post this photo of me at Machu Picchu to gloat a little! 










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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Tonight I'm too busy to post a bunch of pics, but I'll just post this photo of me at Machu Picchu to gloat a little!


_...and a wonderful "gloat" it is !!_


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Signs, signs, everywhere are signs....And I find interesting ones worth photographing, even if I have to shoot through the window of a moving bus!










I like the way Dr. Ravenna thinks! If I lived in Buenos Aires, he'd be my doc for sure!










This makes potential consequences of leaving the trail clear!










Kosher is everywhere!










These billboards were everywhere near Iguassu Falls. I was puzzled because I didn't think Paraguay had much of a tourism industry, and I didn't see the Mona Lisa is a fair comparison for it. It ends up that Paraguay is kind of a wild west area, and black market or other questionable goods are plentiful and cheap. Mona Lisa is a store that specializes in such goods.










It was election time in Argentina, and posters were everywhere. The Hitleresque hair and mustache on this one creeped me out. And "globo" sounded suspiciously like world. Was there a Nazi party out there? It ends up that this is an anti-globalization party, and the slogan reads "pop the balloon." So they aren't admiring Hitler, they are urging you to empower them to end globalization which they equate with Hitler. Not the same thing!

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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

Interesting..  I can see why you might think it was Hitler oriented, being Argentina, though I'd think most of the Nazis who escaped to Argentina are dying off and probably not open anyway.


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## DK Mok (Jan 3, 2015)

I'm glad you had a good trip and got home safely, along with your luggage (eventually)! It was fantastic seeing your photos, and the last one of Machu Picchu, with the steep slopes in the background, really conveyed the dizzying sense of scale. It sounds like an unforgettable holiday.


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