So I am still behind on my stories. I am going to attempt to get through New Years in the next two days. I`ll start with the trip into Colca Canyon:
Back in Arequipa I had finally gotten signed up for a trek into Colca Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world. It was Tuesday morning (December 18th for those of you keeping track) at 4:55 when my alarm went off. I was finally feeling better; the rest in Arequipa helped knock out the cold that was plaguing me for a week. I quickly took a shower and was out on the curb in front of my hostel by 5:20 to wait for my guide. He arrived 30 minutes later. Latino time.
Jose arrived in a cab and introduced himself while tossing my bag in the back. We arrived at the bus station 10 minutes later where we met the other trekkers on my tour: two guys and a girl from Holland. We had all opt`d for the cheaper tour which meant riding the public bus instead of in a private van. Save $25, get a bit of culture.
At 6am we squeezed into our down and dirty bus. The locals weren`t taking too kind to us after our guide kicked two old women out of our pre-paid seats. Most people pay on the bus. The gringos are the ones who usually pay in advance. We got several dirty looks throughout the ride. Despite the inhospitable reception, and the bumpy, unpaved road to our destination, the ride was interesting as we passed through lush landscapes and Mars-like terrain. We saw herds of alpacas (like llamas) roaming the grounds and tiny, worn villages dotting the route. And we saw snow! In December! We were that high up.
Our bus finally arrived in the tiny town of Cabanaconde. We grabbed our things and hiked through up an empty street, passed a collection of little stores selling candy bars and sodas, to our hostal. Although we were having lunch here, we weren`t sleeping at the hostel that night. After lunch we were starting our hike to and down into the canyon where we would spend the night in slightly less posh settings.
As we approached the rim of the canyon, I noticed for the first time the shoes the Dutch girl was wearing. Shiney, gold colored tennis shoes. As I would soon discover, she was not prepared for what this trek actually entailed. She thought we were doing a nice leisurely walk down a pleasant grassy path. Not so much.
The hike down was entertaining as the two Dutch guys cracked each other up by throwing things at each other and as one tried to out pace the other. This was occasionally interrupted by locals who were using the same path to move mules or cows up to the small town. At these times we were pressed against the cliffs avoiding having our toes crushed by the moving hooves. The views were brilliant and the trail down was relatively easy aside from a few missteps on loose rocks that had us (me) close to skipping a few levels of the trail.
Around 5pm we made it to the base of the canyon. Looking up we were all impressed with the height of the trail we had just decended. Looking down, the Dutch girl was upset by how dirty her shiney gold shoes were now. Our guide lead us to our camp for the night: a nice site with dingy stone cabins, but a great view from every angle. There was a mildly luke-warm shower if we wanted one. I voted for an extra layer of deodorant the next morning. And there was a cool little terrace with a thatched roof and a table for eating. This is where we spent the rest of the evening relaxing; first with a round of grande beers and travel stories. Then dinner (sans potatoes for me). Then two more rounds of grande beers. With card games. And finally a bottle of Cuban rum one of the Dutch guys brought. By 9:30 we were drunk and laughing at everything. I had just made my fourth trip to the bathroom, stumbling and tripping in the dark of the night, when I realized it would probably be best to call it quits now and turn in. The next day we we hiking back up the canyon. I did not want to be hungover for that.
For pictures of the canyon trek, follow this link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15233918@N00/sets/72157603658285038/
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Forgive Me Readers For I Have Sinned
After three weeks of delicious home-cooked meals and typical Bolivian dishes, I faltered and had Burger King this morning. I was at the airport and starving and it was convenient. I feel like I let the entire country down by eating there.
It wasn`t good. I promise I will never do it again.
It wasn`t good. I promise I will never do it again.
Speed
Going down "the most dangerous road in the world" at god knows what speed on a bike, over loose rocks and sailing dangerously close to the edge of cliffs that fall hundreds of meters to the base, from a starting point of 4785 meters (about 14,000 feet) where it`s raining and snowing, is lots of fun. And a rush.
I survived it.
Now I am flying to Santa Cruz. I hope my flight is less dangerous.
I survived it.
Now I am flying to Santa Cruz. I hope my flight is less dangerous.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Dangerous?
Bolivia has a road that has been named the "world`s most dangerous road". I have no idea who named it. But apparently there are more deaths on this road than on any other road in the world.
Tomorrow I am going biking down it. I was supposed to go Saturday. But the group left at 7am and since I didn`t get home from a night out of boozing it up until 6am, I decided it best not to chance the steep cliffs with a hangover.
Wish me luck. Hoepfully I won`t need to use that emergency evacuation insurance I bought back in the States.
Tomorrow I am going biking down it. I was supposed to go Saturday. But the group left at 7am and since I didn`t get home from a night out of boozing it up until 6am, I decided it best not to chance the steep cliffs with a hangover.
Wish me luck. Hoepfully I won`t need to use that emergency evacuation insurance I bought back in the States.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Down and Up Again
When I met my coworker in La Paz we had lunch at his uncle`s place. While I was there I went to the bathroom and saw a scale. For curiousity`s sake, I stepped on. I had lost 8 pounds while traveling.
That was Christmas eve. Today we returned to his uncle`s place for lunch. I went up to the bathroom to step on the scale again. Three weeks with his family and I have gained 11 pounds.
That was Christmas eve. Today we returned to his uncle`s place for lunch. I went up to the bathroom to step on the scale again. Three weeks with his family and I have gained 11 pounds.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Taking in Arequipa
After sleeping for 12 hours straight I was feeling a bit better the following morning and decided to take in the sites of Arequipa. And check in with the tour agency about the trip to Colca Canyon. But first I needed a bit of nourishment. I walked to the local market and bought a big bottle of some yogurt drink. Then bought a banana and some small peaches from the women selling fruit near the plaza. For the next hour I chilled in the plaza, ate my breakfast, and watched the city go by.
Feeling well-nourished, it was time to see what Arequipa had to offer. First stop: Juantia, the Ice Princess. Over 500 years ago an Inca maiden was sacificed on the summit of Ampato mountian, most likely to appease the gods rocking the local volcanoes. The Incas did this with many children to appease gods who might kill them with volcanic eruptions, avalanches or earthquakes. Juanita was discovered by trekkers climbing the mountain, two weeks after she was shaken loose from her grave by a volcanic eruption. Almost perfectly mummified becaue of the ice, she is now housed in a frozen glass casing, along with many of the items she was burried with, in the Museo Santury in Arequipa. Although pictures were prohibited, the tour was vey interesting and gave a lot of insight to the practice of sacrifice and the reverence involved. The sacrificed children were raised to be offerings to the gods and were honored to do so. Though the journey to the top of the mountain and the bitter cold of it all probably didn´t reduce any of the anxiety the children felt, the blow to the head before the burrial probably did help reduce the anxiety...
Before seeing any more on the city I wanted to check in with the tour agency. They still had no other interests for the hike and suggested I come back at 3pm. I said I needed to leave by the next day and that if no one had signed up by then, I would need to check elsewhere. There was a recommened agency next door (but it was closed the previous day) and I was hoping no one came within that time so I could check there. But I told the agency I would check back at three.
Next I decided to visit Arequipa`s biggest tourist draw: the Monastario de Santa Catalina, a convent founded in 1579 by a wealthy widow for nuns chosen from the wealthiest Spanish families in Peru. It was opened to the public in 1970 in order to raise money. The place is huge - it takes up an entire city block and is like a city within a city. One could spend hours walking around the complex. I will leave all the details to be explained along with the pictures in the link below. Needless to say, it was a pretty amazing place and with relatively few tourists that day, a meditatively quiet way to spend an afternoon. I paid a bit extra for a private guide who filled me in on all the details.
It was getting late when I finally finished the tour and so I rushed over to the agency to see what news they had for me. Still no one. I told them thanks for trying and went next door. Within 10 minutes I was signed up for a 3 day tour of Colca Canyon leaving at 5:30 the next morning with three dutch backpackers. I needed to be in Puno in three days to sort out my visa requirements for Bolivia, and the agency said they could accommodate that. Basically by dropping me off at a police check point and making sure the police on duty flagged down a bus for me going the opposite direction (tours generally return to the city they depart from). I had no other choice and agreed to go along with that plan.
Tour booked, it was time find some food. I found an entire street of Chinese restaurants (Arequipa`s very own Chinatown) and went with my favorite, chicken and rice, for about a buck twenty. Always full after a chinese dish in South America, I went in search of snacks for the trip and then back to the main plaza to walk around. I noticed that Arequipa had a huge homeless population. It was the first time this made such an impression on me. People and children were begging every where. There were even some gringos walking around with a few homeless children selling small calendars to raise money to support shelter programs. I felt so moved by the number of homeless I couldn´t bring myself to tell them I had already bought a calendar and finished the day with three of them (office mates should expect gifts when I return).
Around 8pm I went back to the hostal to pack for the next day. I needed to get to bed early; my ride to Colca Canyon was picking me up bright and early.
For pictures of Arequipa and details of the Monastary, follow this link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15233918@N00/sets/72157603596236171/
Feeling well-nourished, it was time to see what Arequipa had to offer. First stop: Juantia, the Ice Princess. Over 500 years ago an Inca maiden was sacificed on the summit of Ampato mountian, most likely to appease the gods rocking the local volcanoes. The Incas did this with many children to appease gods who might kill them with volcanic eruptions, avalanches or earthquakes. Juanita was discovered by trekkers climbing the mountain, two weeks after she was shaken loose from her grave by a volcanic eruption. Almost perfectly mummified becaue of the ice, she is now housed in a frozen glass casing, along with many of the items she was burried with, in the Museo Santury in Arequipa. Although pictures were prohibited, the tour was vey interesting and gave a lot of insight to the practice of sacrifice and the reverence involved. The sacrificed children were raised to be offerings to the gods and were honored to do so. Though the journey to the top of the mountain and the bitter cold of it all probably didn´t reduce any of the anxiety the children felt, the blow to the head before the burrial probably did help reduce the anxiety...
Before seeing any more on the city I wanted to check in with the tour agency. They still had no other interests for the hike and suggested I come back at 3pm. I said I needed to leave by the next day and that if no one had signed up by then, I would need to check elsewhere. There was a recommened agency next door (but it was closed the previous day) and I was hoping no one came within that time so I could check there. But I told the agency I would check back at three.
Next I decided to visit Arequipa`s biggest tourist draw: the Monastario de Santa Catalina, a convent founded in 1579 by a wealthy widow for nuns chosen from the wealthiest Spanish families in Peru. It was opened to the public in 1970 in order to raise money. The place is huge - it takes up an entire city block and is like a city within a city. One could spend hours walking around the complex. I will leave all the details to be explained along with the pictures in the link below. Needless to say, it was a pretty amazing place and with relatively few tourists that day, a meditatively quiet way to spend an afternoon. I paid a bit extra for a private guide who filled me in on all the details.
It was getting late when I finally finished the tour and so I rushed over to the agency to see what news they had for me. Still no one. I told them thanks for trying and went next door. Within 10 minutes I was signed up for a 3 day tour of Colca Canyon leaving at 5:30 the next morning with three dutch backpackers. I needed to be in Puno in three days to sort out my visa requirements for Bolivia, and the agency said they could accommodate that. Basically by dropping me off at a police check point and making sure the police on duty flagged down a bus for me going the opposite direction (tours generally return to the city they depart from). I had no other choice and agreed to go along with that plan.
Tour booked, it was time find some food. I found an entire street of Chinese restaurants (Arequipa`s very own Chinatown) and went with my favorite, chicken and rice, for about a buck twenty. Always full after a chinese dish in South America, I went in search of snacks for the trip and then back to the main plaza to walk around. I noticed that Arequipa had a huge homeless population. It was the first time this made such an impression on me. People and children were begging every where. There were even some gringos walking around with a few homeless children selling small calendars to raise money to support shelter programs. I felt so moved by the number of homeless I couldn´t bring myself to tell them I had already bought a calendar and finished the day with three of them (office mates should expect gifts when I return).
Around 8pm I went back to the hostal to pack for the next day. I needed to get to bed early; my ride to Colca Canyon was picking me up bright and early.
For pictures of Arequipa and details of the Monastary, follow this link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15233918@N00/sets/72157603596236171/
Monday, January 7, 2008
Random Thoughts in Sucre
So far in every South American country I have visited cough drops are considered breath mints.
You can´t be modest and need to go to the bathroom in Bolivia. People relieve themselves every where.
I want to learn an obscure language like Swahili or Quechua so when I am in groups of backpackers from different countries who are all speaking to each other in languages I can`t understand I can then have a private conversation too.
I also want some one else who can speak that obscure language to show up when these conversations are going down.
I have yet to learn that higher altitude means sunburning quicker.
If I were stationed here as a Peace Corp volunteer, my first purchase with my meager stipen would be a toilet seat. Seriously, where are all the toilet seats here?
There is a sad disconnect between the mestisos (the mostly white people) and the indigenous people in South America.
You can´t be modest and need to go to the bathroom in Bolivia. People relieve themselves every where.
I want to learn an obscure language like Swahili or Quechua so when I am in groups of backpackers from different countries who are all speaking to each other in languages I can`t understand I can then have a private conversation too.
I also want some one else who can speak that obscure language to show up when these conversations are going down.
I have yet to learn that higher altitude means sunburning quicker.
If I were stationed here as a Peace Corp volunteer, my first purchase with my meager stipen would be a toilet seat. Seriously, where are all the toilet seats here?
There is a sad disconnect between the mestisos (the mostly white people) and the indigenous people in South America.
Taking It Easy In the White City
I was already starting to feel a bit under the weather before taking off for the Inca Trail. After four days of hiking my body was exhausted and it was letting me know. Between the exertion of the trail and the altitude I had been dealing with for over a week, I was ready for a break whether I wanted one or not. My next stop on Dan´s Adventure Trail was Arequipa, Peru´s 2nd largest city, surrounded by three volcanos. The city is the the best place to catch a trek to Colca Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world. But first I needed some R&R.
In Cusco I packed up my stuff, bid my travel buddy good luck on her treck to Machu Picchu, and went out in search of a taxi to catch my over-night bus to Arequipa. As soon as I hit the streets it was lights out. Literally. The power went out all over the city. It was 7pm and completely dark. But no one seemed to notice or care that the city was suddenly plunged into darkness. Cabs were still driving around and I flagged one down by practically tossing my bag in front of it. Once inside I told him I needed to go to the company office for my particular bus. Then I asked when he thought the lights might come back. He wasn´t sure. I asked if this happened often. Yes. Would it effect the busses? Probably not. Full-steam ahead then.
After sitting out in front of the bus company office for 15 minutes, in the dark in what had to be the sketchiest part of town, some one shown a flash light in my face. I was pretty sure they asked if I was going to Arequipa on their bus. I answered yes, and they motioned for me to follow them into an even darker gated area. There I saw my bus. Then the city`s lights came back on. And there I saw a waiting room with about 5 people who didn´t seem to notice the lights had gone out or come back on.
The bus ride was interesting. It was my first all-night bus trip so I picked a nicer bus company. I was on the second level (another first) and in the very back. A stewardess made a 10 minute announcement in spanish of which I understood almost nothing. When she finished I asked if she could repeat it in english. She said she instructed the passengers how to recline their seats and that bingo would start shortly. That took 10 minutes? We were going to play bingo?!
At 6:30am and after maybe a solid hour of sleep, we pulled into Arequipa`s bus terminal. It was the first bus terminal I had seen in Peru. I was feeling very sick and decided to grab a cab to a hostal immediately so I could lay down. It was early on a Sunday morning and the town was dead. We found the hostal I found in my Lonely Planet guide and I asked the clerk for a room. He said I couldn´t check in before 11am, but apparently I looked pretty bad because he offered up a 3 bed room that was ready then for the price of a 1 bed room. And there I slept for the next four hours.
I woke to my phone beeping. A text from my travel buddy. She was stuck in Aqua Calientes with no money and the only ATM in the city was broken. Machu Picchu would have to wait.
My cold was still hitting me hard but I decided to go out and get some errands done. I found a working ATM and got some money, mailed some postcards, and looked for a tour agency to sign up for a trek into Colca Canyon on Tuesday. I found an agency, but I was the only prospect they had all day and would have to wait to see if anyone else signed up. I told them I would come back later in the afternoon to check in. My stomach was growling something fierce so I went looking for the crepe restaurant Lonely Planet recommended. The menu was huge. And in Spanish. I ordered what I thought was a full breakfast with crepes, eggs, and sausage. I got a plate of sliced hotdogs.
After my disappointng breakfast I strolled around the city plaza taking in the sites and killing time hoping the tour agency would find more trekers. The plaza was packed with people. And it gave me plenty to watch, perched on my bench in the center.
Around 4pm I went back to the tour agency to see if there was any news. Still no one. They suggested I come back tomorrow morning as more people usually show up first thing. I told them I would see them at noon. There was nothing else open so I had no other options.
My head was pounding and I decided to go back to the hostal to rest. I flipped through my travel guide to see what all there was in the city to check out. Quite a bit it turns out. I jotted down a few of the highlights. Then my stomach growled. There was a ceviche restaurant a few blocks over and I had not yet tried any of Peru`s famed dish. So I cleaned myself up and eagerly went in search of dinner. It was closed - of course. I was feeling too weak to go looking for anything else. And so, when I noticed the fast food chicken place full of locals across the street, I elected that as the next best option. At about $1.80 for half a chicken and a salad bar that I decided wasn´t worth the risk, I ate fairly well. Enough to send me back to the hostal full and ready for more rest. The rest of Arequipa would have to wait until the next morning. If I felt better.
In Cusco I packed up my stuff, bid my travel buddy good luck on her treck to Machu Picchu, and went out in search of a taxi to catch my over-night bus to Arequipa. As soon as I hit the streets it was lights out. Literally. The power went out all over the city. It was 7pm and completely dark. But no one seemed to notice or care that the city was suddenly plunged into darkness. Cabs were still driving around and I flagged one down by practically tossing my bag in front of it. Once inside I told him I needed to go to the company office for my particular bus. Then I asked when he thought the lights might come back. He wasn´t sure. I asked if this happened often. Yes. Would it effect the busses? Probably not. Full-steam ahead then.
After sitting out in front of the bus company office for 15 minutes, in the dark in what had to be the sketchiest part of town, some one shown a flash light in my face. I was pretty sure they asked if I was going to Arequipa on their bus. I answered yes, and they motioned for me to follow them into an even darker gated area. There I saw my bus. Then the city`s lights came back on. And there I saw a waiting room with about 5 people who didn´t seem to notice the lights had gone out or come back on.
The bus ride was interesting. It was my first all-night bus trip so I picked a nicer bus company. I was on the second level (another first) and in the very back. A stewardess made a 10 minute announcement in spanish of which I understood almost nothing. When she finished I asked if she could repeat it in english. She said she instructed the passengers how to recline their seats and that bingo would start shortly. That took 10 minutes? We were going to play bingo?!
At 6:30am and after maybe a solid hour of sleep, we pulled into Arequipa`s bus terminal. It was the first bus terminal I had seen in Peru. I was feeling very sick and decided to grab a cab to a hostal immediately so I could lay down. It was early on a Sunday morning and the town was dead. We found the hostal I found in my Lonely Planet guide and I asked the clerk for a room. He said I couldn´t check in before 11am, but apparently I looked pretty bad because he offered up a 3 bed room that was ready then for the price of a 1 bed room. And there I slept for the next four hours.
I woke to my phone beeping. A text from my travel buddy. She was stuck in Aqua Calientes with no money and the only ATM in the city was broken. Machu Picchu would have to wait.
My cold was still hitting me hard but I decided to go out and get some errands done. I found a working ATM and got some money, mailed some postcards, and looked for a tour agency to sign up for a trek into Colca Canyon on Tuesday. I found an agency, but I was the only prospect they had all day and would have to wait to see if anyone else signed up. I told them I would come back later in the afternoon to check in. My stomach was growling something fierce so I went looking for the crepe restaurant Lonely Planet recommended. The menu was huge. And in Spanish. I ordered what I thought was a full breakfast with crepes, eggs, and sausage. I got a plate of sliced hotdogs.
After my disappointng breakfast I strolled around the city plaza taking in the sites and killing time hoping the tour agency would find more trekers. The plaza was packed with people. And it gave me plenty to watch, perched on my bench in the center.
Around 4pm I went back to the tour agency to see if there was any news. Still no one. They suggested I come back tomorrow morning as more people usually show up first thing. I told them I would see them at noon. There was nothing else open so I had no other options.
My head was pounding and I decided to go back to the hostal to rest. I flipped through my travel guide to see what all there was in the city to check out. Quite a bit it turns out. I jotted down a few of the highlights. Then my stomach growled. There was a ceviche restaurant a few blocks over and I had not yet tried any of Peru`s famed dish. So I cleaned myself up and eagerly went in search of dinner. It was closed - of course. I was feeling too weak to go looking for anything else. And so, when I noticed the fast food chicken place full of locals across the street, I elected that as the next best option. At about $1.80 for half a chicken and a salad bar that I decided wasn´t worth the risk, I ate fairly well. Enough to send me back to the hostal full and ready for more rest. The rest of Arequipa would have to wait until the next morning. If I felt better.
26 hours
Just arrived in Sucre after 26 hours of traveling in a Toyota Landrover and a large bus. whew.
The salt flats and deserts of Bolivia were eye candy. Worth all the hours on bumpy, unpaved roads and the meager rations. Pictures to come soon. For now, it´s time to chill. I am going to try and post stories and pics from Arequipa and Colca Canyon today as I chill. Tonight I plan to sleep for at least 12 hours. And on Wednesday morning it is back to La Paz for a few days.
I am debating heading north of La Paz for a jungle and wetlands tour (think anacondas, pink dolphins and piranhas) or take a long train to Brazil to do the wetlands there. Each has it´s pluses and minuses. Traveling is tough work.
The salt flats and deserts of Bolivia were eye candy. Worth all the hours on bumpy, unpaved roads and the meager rations. Pictures to come soon. For now, it´s time to chill. I am going to try and post stories and pics from Arequipa and Colca Canyon today as I chill. Tonight I plan to sleep for at least 12 hours. And on Wednesday morning it is back to La Paz for a few days.
I am debating heading north of La Paz for a jungle and wetlands tour (think anacondas, pink dolphins and piranhas) or take a long train to Brazil to do the wetlands there. Each has it´s pluses and minuses. Traveling is tough work.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Happy New Year´s
Do you remember it? Not sure I do. Well, parts of it, like polarod snap shots in my mind. Did not sleep at all new year´s eve night (or the following morning). When we got home, there was enough time to get ready to head out for my coworker`s grandfather`s birthday party. That lasted well into the night and involved a ridiculous amount of wine. A few hours of sleep that night and then up to get packed to leave for Potosi. I was on an all-night bus last night. The road traveled was not paved. In fact it was really bumpy. My coworker didn´t sleep at all. I think I managed to sleep off and on for about 2 hours. We are about to board another 7 hour bus for Uyuni. I will sleep there. Hopefully.
Hope everyone is having a great start to the new year. I think I am.
Hope everyone is having a great start to the new year. I think I am.
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