My brother visits the Jungle

The kids swarm the candyman.
Originally uploaded by Tom Antos.

Hi everyone, just when I thought I had no more pics to post up here... I suddely noticed new pictures that my brother had uploaded. HERE you can find his latest pics from his trip to the jungle town of TENA.

My pictures from South America

Seeing as I won´t be doing much more traveling through out South America. I also won´t be taking many more pictures or posting anything new on my site. Until then you can view all my pictures from Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia by clicking HERE

Surfer Dudes

The pro surfers
Originally uploaded by Tom Antos.

I am once again back in Ecuador. As you can see from my TRAVEL MAP my plans have changed a bit after Bolivia. Bascily I decided to leave Argentina and Chille for another trip, when I have both more money and time. Until I come back to Canada, I will just relax here in Ecuador. I´ll do some surfing and sun tanning. See you all soon!

Trujillio, Peru

The beach in Trujillio
Originally uploaded by Tom Antos.

After Machu Pichu, we took an airplane and then a bus to Trujillio. A city on the norther coast of Peru... and even though after Machu Pichu, I didn´t think there could be another set of ruins that could impress me as much... I was once again wronged when I saw the HUGE ruins of the Chimu Civilization. This ancient city is propably the biggest set of ruins I´ve ever seen. Even larger than Machu Pichu, it houses 9 enormous temples. Of course comparing it to Machu Pichu would be pointless, simply becuase both cities are so much different. One is made of rock and sits ontop of a mountain; and the other is made of sand, and lies along the Pacific coast. However, you must see both if you ever travel to Peru.

Machu Pichu

Our last moments before leaving Machu Pichu
Originally uploaded by Tom Antos.

There aren´t enough words to describe what the Inca people acheved when building this mountain city. Machu Pichu is for sure one of the major achevments in the history our world... but trying to describe the feeling one has when walking through those narrow streets, is best left to someone who can spell properly. I´ll just let you enjoy my pictures... so please check out my Machu Pichu photo set, which you can find HERE

Cuzco, Peru

Inca ruins around Cuzco.
Originally uploaded by Tom Antos.

Our next stop was on our way back up north to Ecuador. We visited, what once used to be the Inca Capital... CUZCO! Of course now it looks more like a European city then an Inca Empire settlment. Mainly becuase it was destroyed by Pizzaro and his men, and then rebuilt on top using the Spanish architecture. You can however still see remains of the Inca walls all around. Specialy since most of the current buildings have their walls build on top of the Inca foundations. Other than that, Cuzco is a busy and very much modern city.

Copacabana, Bolivia

Another car waiting to be blessed.
Originally uploaded by Tom Antos.

After Puno, we crossed the border (if you can call it that) from Peru to Bolivia, to a small town of Copacabana. It´s here where every weekend, Bolivians come to have their cars blessed as a form of car insurance. I´m not joking, they bring everything from motorcycles, to cars, and even buses. They all dress up their vehicles in flowers, and then have either a Catholic or Amaru priest bless it with beer... or maybe it was holy beer. Hmmm, I will never know. Though I did feel a bit enlightened after I got sprayed by accident.

Floating Islands

Kids from the Floating Uro Islands
Originally uploaded by Tom Antos.

After the killer climb in the Colaca Canyon, we hopped in yet another bus, that took us to PUNO, Peru.
This town is located on the north-west side of Lake Titicaca. Here´s where you´ll find the URO people... who live on man-made islands that float a few minutes away from Puno. It´s a real strange sight when you first see these islands... BUT it´s an even weirder feeling when you actualy step on them. These islands are made from the tall reeds and grass that grows all around these areas. The grass is cut, dried and woven to make large floating surfaces, on which the Uro people build their homes. These islands really do float. You feel that right from the first step. In some parts of the islands, the ground is so soft that you feel like your feet are gonna go right through, taking you with them to the bottom of the lake. The Uro people live mostly from fishing and whatever they manage to sell to the tourists.

Almost dead after Colca Canyon!

Decending a 1000 meters to the Colca Canyon
Originally uploaded by Tom Antos.

While in Cabanaconde we decided to go for a little hike down this 1000 meter deep canyon... only thing was that I just got a bad case of a flu and the shits, and on top of that it was a beautiful sunny day (which burns you alive). So after first getting lost and walking for an hour on some old Inca terraces (from which I had fallen twice) we finally decended down this damned hole, only having to come riht back up to make it before sunset. Ah!

Condors in the Wild

An Amazing view of Condors in flight
Originally uploaded by Tom Antos.

Over looking the huge Canyon Colca, we got to sit on the edge and admire these huge birds as they soared all around us.

Cabanaconde, Peru

Our dinner in a small town of Cabanaconde, Peru
Originally uploaded by Tom Antos.

After Lima, we took another 16 hour bus ride to a town of Arequipa, where we explored the city for 2 days and then we hoped on antoher 5 hour bus ride to an even smaller town of Cabanaconde... where we got to see Condors in the wild, as well as climb down and then right back up the second deepest canyon in the world... Canyon Colca. It´s about a 1000 meter decent, and the little path that leads there is usualy about a meter wide with the cliff on one side.

More pics from Lima

Plaza De Armas in Lima, Peru
Originally uploaded by Tom Antos.

Today is May 1st, and we are finaly back in Ecuador. I will try to bring my site up to date with all of the pictures I took in Peru and Bolivia.