Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The Salar, Bolivia
These were some of the coldest days (hence the ugliest outfit on the planet I happen to be showcasing in far too many of these pictures) but those seemingly endless salt flats made it all worth while.
Exploring Isle del Sol
Our second day on the island was even better than the first! We hiked from one end to the other to explore Inca ruins, frolic in the lake and flirt with the local wildlife!
Back to Puno and on to Isle del Sol July 27 & 28
I decided to give the frozen hole of a city, a.k.a Puno, a second try but this time only as a one night stopping point on my way to Bolivia. My buddy Raul and I breezed through Puno on our way to Copacabana, this time the weather was warmer and let me tell you, it made all the difference, I actually mildly enjoyed the place! Who knew a good night´s sleep and a bit of heat could make a girl so happy? This little trip ended up being quite a serious undertaking and I was more than grateful for Raul´s involvement in the tourism industry because he had all of our hostels, bus, combi and boat tickets sorted out before we even left Arequipa! So from Arequipa we bused to Puno, spent one short night there, up early the next morn and on another bus to Copacabana, there was time for lunch and then off to the boat that would take us to Isle del Sol. The island is a lovely little blob of land somewhere between Peru and Bolivia in Lake Titicaca, the ¨world´s highest navigable lake¨ (though the validity of this last statement is up for debate). Once we arrived we needed to undergo the massive endeavour of trekking to our hostel. Raul was so kind as to pick the hostel located furthest up the mountain... augh... Lucky for me he is a good pal and helped carry basically everything I had (in addition to his own belongings) up the nearly countless steps that seemed to lead straight to the sun... If it weren´t for him I probably would have just laid down in the path and died, this altitude far surpassed anything I had grown accustom to in the recent weeks living in Peru... When I was finally able to drag my bones up the mountain to the hostel, I realized it was all worth it. The view from our hostel could have made me endure that climb 15 times over!
Colca Canyon Trek
Bleary eyed, I waited at the hotel front desk for a delightful hour as my 3 AM pick up became subject to yet another mysterious Purvian delay. Around 4 AM I climbed into the packed mini bus for a five hour venture to the mouth of the canyon. When I booked my trek for Colca Canyon, I was told not to be discouraged by the insane, ungodly hour of pickup because we would be able to sleep on the bus. Normally, I would have no issue napping for several hours after being lulled to sleep my the gentle purr of an automobile motor BUT this is Peru and things just couldn´t possibly so simple! Our driver seemed to be unaware that our vehicle came equipped with a heater and instead was more interested in inviting in the cold for he kept the windows down for a good hour until a nice, thick layer of FROST had developed on the inside of the few closed windows... brilliant...
Colca Canyon is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and is known as one of the best locations to spot the Andean Condor, which makes sense that our first stop was Cruz del Condor where we spent nearly an hour gaping at the enormous birds as they drifted about the valley powered my the hot air currents. From there we all (roughly a dozen of us) piled back in the bus and headed down into the canyon. We were dropped off at a point along the road that bore no distinct markings, divided into groups of no more than 6 and told to march on down the hill behind a stranger who from this point on would be known as our guide... hummm... I was a bit wary at this point... The trek down into the canyon took a few hours during which I was able to chat with my group, a Dutch couple and newlyweds from Australia. Lovely folks, I must say. In addition to charming company, the views were simply astounding! That night we stayed in the village of Coshñirhua with a local family. I was thrilled to learn that there was hot water for showering, almost thrilled enough to forgot to care that my room didn´t have a floor...
Day two of the trek graciously allowed us to sleep in until 7:30 AM...¨pancake breakfast¨ and a few hours of hiking left us in the deepest portion of the canyon, then ´twas off to the ¨oasis¨ for a quick refreshing dip and some lunch. Here is where the fun started, like I said, we were at the deepest portion of the canyon and the whole trip we had been hearing about various record times set by hikers from ´round the world as they clamored to reach the rim of the canyon. Before I left Arequipa, my pal Raul had given me crap about how he thought I would need to take a donkey out of the canyon. Umm, can you say challenge? My group was more of the ¨let´s stop to admire the views as we have a cigarette break,¨ type so I decided to go at it on my own. Dude, it was most definitely NOT easy but I hauled my buns up that hill as fast as my lil legs would carry me! And it paid off, I totally killed i! mahahahah I was the first up the hill and def had no need of a donkey! Well... I mean, by the time I got to the top and the sweat began to cool, if a lonely donkey were to amble by and ask if I wanted a lift to my hotel I probably wouldn´t have turned him down...
Colca Canyon is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and is known as one of the best locations to spot the Andean Condor, which makes sense that our first stop was Cruz del Condor where we spent nearly an hour gaping at the enormous birds as they drifted about the valley powered my the hot air currents. From there we all (roughly a dozen of us) piled back in the bus and headed down into the canyon. We were dropped off at a point along the road that bore no distinct markings, divided into groups of no more than 6 and told to march on down the hill behind a stranger who from this point on would be known as our guide... hummm... I was a bit wary at this point... The trek down into the canyon took a few hours during which I was able to chat with my group, a Dutch couple and newlyweds from Australia. Lovely folks, I must say. In addition to charming company, the views were simply astounding! That night we stayed in the village of Coshñirhua with a local family. I was thrilled to learn that there was hot water for showering, almost thrilled enough to forgot to care that my room didn´t have a floor...
Day two of the trek graciously allowed us to sleep in until 7:30 AM...¨pancake breakfast¨ and a few hours of hiking left us in the deepest portion of the canyon, then ´twas off to the ¨oasis¨ for a quick refreshing dip and some lunch. Here is where the fun started, like I said, we were at the deepest portion of the canyon and the whole trip we had been hearing about various record times set by hikers from ´round the world as they clamored to reach the rim of the canyon. Before I left Arequipa, my pal Raul had given me crap about how he thought I would need to take a donkey out of the canyon. Umm, can you say challenge? My group was more of the ¨let´s stop to admire the views as we have a cigarette break,¨ type so I decided to go at it on my own. Dude, it was most definitely NOT easy but I hauled my buns up that hill as fast as my lil legs would carry me! And it paid off, I totally killed i! mahahahah I was the first up the hill and def had no need of a donkey! Well... I mean, by the time I got to the top and the sweat began to cool, if a lonely donkey were to amble by and ask if I wanted a lift to my hotel I probably wouldn´t have turned him down...
Bungee Jumper, Cusco, Peru June 2010
I know these are from June but better late than never! Thanks Janine for being my moral support as well as my fantastic personal photographer!
Mannequines of Arequipa, Peru
Here are a few more beauties I picked up in Peru! I just can´t get enough!
The White City and Frog Juice
Wtih Lauren and Dave gone I was left to explore the White City on my own. Arequipa is a purdy city has been predominately constructed of a white stone that appears to sparkle in the sunlight, hence it´s nick name. It is quite refreshing to be in a place where A) there is sunlight and warmth and B) is beautiful and full of kind people, thus I found myself quite enjoying Arequipa and wanting to spend much longer than originally anticipated! My Scottish friend, Jenny and I spent several hours one afternoon visiting and photographing the beautiful Santa Catalina Monastery, a place that is so massive that it is often referred to as a walled city within a city! On another occasion when upon waking to find that my head was in somewhat of a state of disarray I allowed my friend Raul to convince me that a few sips of frog juice would make me feel good as new… at this point in the game I was certain that he couldn´t be talking about the actual juice of a frog but that it must just be a silly name for some green, fruity drink chuck full of nutrients. Raul, Jenny and I made our way to Arequipa´s marketplace where we ohhhed and ahhhed at all the interesting tidbits being sold and then eventually wondered over to the fresh juice section. Everything that happened from this point on was a blur! There I was, minding my own business petting a sweet, little frog in the hands of one of the vendors when BAM! The guy smashed the poor thing against the counter then promptly began to remove it´s skin. I stood there horrified as Raul poked me and said, ¨look, he´s taking his clothes off! mahahahaha.¨ Without a moment´s pause the vendor popped the naked little guy into a pot of boiling water then busied himself mixing various herbs and other ingredients in a blender... Still in total shock, I watched as the man dumped the now boiled carcass into the blender as if it were the final touch to his most perfect potion. A moment later he proudly presented me with the concoction all done up and fancy-like in a glass with two straws so I could kindly share with Jenny. With shaking hands I received the muddy concoction and attempted to make my face appear as though my stomach wasn´t sending emergency evacuation signals...
Arequipa, Peru & last days with Lauren and Dave
Lauren, Dave and I had yet another incredibly long day in a bus but this time we were traveling away from the frozen city of Puno to a place where the sun shines, Arequipa. We found a cute hostel where we had our own massive room with four beds. We ate dinner at a place called Fez where we stuffed our faces with delish flafel wraps then did a thorough search of the city until we found a suitable ice cream parlor for some dessert. This city is loaded with cake (torta) shops and ice cream vendors but being the typical Americans that we are we sought out one that had a mild regard for cleanliness, i.e one that didn´t re-use their sample spoons... Quick trip to the store for some wine and snacks then retired for an evening of pleasant chit-chat and a movie in English (Public Enemy) in a room that so reminded me of a comfy living room that it nearly made me teary. Great mellow night. The perfect way to say goodbye to Lauren and Dave before their LONG journey to Ecuador!
Dave and Lauren´s bus didn´t leave until the evening so that gave us a few free hours to explore the lovely city of Arequipa and even pay a visit to the acclaimed ¨Juanita, the Ice Princess,¨ the mummified remains of a child sacrificed over 500 years ago!
Dave and Lauren´s bus didn´t leave until the evening so that gave us a few free hours to explore the lovely city of Arequipa and even pay a visit to the acclaimed ¨Juanita, the Ice Princess,¨ the mummified remains of a child sacrificed over 500 years ago!
Moving on... July 17, 2010
Moving on....
After the glorious day spent at Machu Picchu I met up with my pal Ryan for a quick meal before biding her adieu. Then I returned to my hostel in hopes of getting some rest before my train would whisk me away at 5 AM. Unfortunately for me, there was the nearly obligatory yet seemingly impromptu massive fiesta complete with live band who decided to perform directly outside my bedroom window, non-stop from the hours of 9 PM until 3:30 AM. Fantastic... I was thrilled... Obviously, I had an amazing night´s sleep and was ecstatic to have to go back to Urubamba and pack up all my belongings, say goodbye to those I had grown to love in the Sacred Valley and hop on another fun filled and thoroughly relaxing bus several hours to the frigged city of Puno from there it would only be a 30 minute combi ride to the town where I was to meet up with Lauren and Dave. As luck would have it, the bus took much longer than expected and I arrived significantly later than anticipated so I was stuck searching for a vacant room in a hostel in the city of Puno (probably the coldest place on the planet and equally as friendly). I managed to locate a room with a concrete floor and one large glass window that did nothing to keep the little existing heat inside the room, at that point I would have really considered taking solace amongst the bits of cardboard in the street if it meant that I could go to sleep!
The next morning I jumped in a combi and headed the 30 minutes from the city of Puno to Chucuito where I met up with Lauren and Dave and their two friends from USC.
We spent what seemed like hours waiting for a truly sub par breakfast... ohh Peru... when will you learn the meaning of urgency? We nearly went down to the kitchen to help them prepare the meal... really, what does it take to scramble some eggs??? The one useful bit of knowledge that I took with me from this meal is to always order your hot chocolate with milk because if you do not then they will just mix it with water... yum...
That was enough of Puno for us so we headed down to Lake Titicaca to grab a boat to the Uros islands. These are the floating islands upon which the locals have created immense, amazing works of art from bundles of reeds! Even the islands themselves are incredible crafts as they have been fabricated by the hands of those who now call them home. All in all they are pretty cool as they are fully man-made from the reeds but there are rumors that the "local" Aymara people no longer actually live on them as they would like
tourists to believe... Also, there is also quite a bit if uncomfortable pressure to purchase the handicrafts sold on the islands, as if it is the tourist's responsibility to support the islanders' choice to live segregated from those dwelling on the mainland. Then they get you on this really cool reed boat that is shaped like a dragon and just before they push off they tell you that this too will cost you... Surprise, surprise... As with everything in Peru, this took much longer than anticipated but when stranded on an island all one can do is wait...
We ate dinner at fancy pizza joint, the lights went out and none of the locals seemed even bothered by it... ahahha Peru! We had so much food then back to our hotel for some silly fun drinking a bit of the Columbian rum Dave had been packing around for the past three months and playing cards then it was off to bed for we had an early morning scheduled for tomorrow as our bus was to depart at 8 AM for Arequipa.
After the glorious day spent at Machu Picchu I met up with my pal Ryan for a quick meal before biding her adieu. Then I returned to my hostel in hopes of getting some rest before my train would whisk me away at 5 AM. Unfortunately for me, there was the nearly obligatory yet seemingly impromptu massive fiesta complete with live band who decided to perform directly outside my bedroom window, non-stop from the hours of 9 PM until 3:30 AM. Fantastic... I was thrilled... Obviously, I had an amazing night´s sleep and was ecstatic to have to go back to Urubamba and pack up all my belongings, say goodbye to those I had grown to love in the Sacred Valley and hop on another fun filled and thoroughly relaxing bus several hours to the frigged city of Puno from there it would only be a 30 minute combi ride to the town where I was to meet up with Lauren and Dave. As luck would have it, the bus took much longer than expected and I arrived significantly later than anticipated so I was stuck searching for a vacant room in a hostel in the city of Puno (probably the coldest place on the planet and equally as friendly). I managed to locate a room with a concrete floor and one large glass window that did nothing to keep the little existing heat inside the room, at that point I would have really considered taking solace amongst the bits of cardboard in the street if it meant that I could go to sleep!
The next morning I jumped in a combi and headed the 30 minutes from the city of Puno to Chucuito where I met up with Lauren and Dave and their two friends from USC.
We spent what seemed like hours waiting for a truly sub par breakfast... ohh Peru... when will you learn the meaning of urgency? We nearly went down to the kitchen to help them prepare the meal... really, what does it take to scramble some eggs??? The one useful bit of knowledge that I took with me from this meal is to always order your hot chocolate with milk because if you do not then they will just mix it with water... yum...
That was enough of Puno for us so we headed down to Lake Titicaca to grab a boat to the Uros islands. These are the floating islands upon which the locals have created immense, amazing works of art from bundles of reeds! Even the islands themselves are incredible crafts as they have been fabricated by the hands of those who now call them home. All in all they are pretty cool as they are fully man-made from the reeds but there are rumors that the "local" Aymara people no longer actually live on them as they would like
tourists to believe... Also, there is also quite a bit if uncomfortable pressure to purchase the handicrafts sold on the islands, as if it is the tourist's responsibility to support the islanders' choice to live segregated from those dwelling on the mainland. Then they get you on this really cool reed boat that is shaped like a dragon and just before they push off they tell you that this too will cost you... Surprise, surprise... As with everything in Peru, this took much longer than anticipated but when stranded on an island all one can do is wait...
We ate dinner at fancy pizza joint, the lights went out and none of the locals seemed even bothered by it... ahahha Peru! We had so much food then back to our hotel for some silly fun drinking a bit of the Columbian rum Dave had been packing around for the past three months and playing cards then it was off to bed for we had an early morning scheduled for tomorrow as our bus was to depart at 8 AM for Arequipa.
Machu Picchu
Unless you have enough forethought to plan half a year in advance there is absolutely no chance that you will get two toes on the Inca Trail that leads to Machi Picchu. Fortunately, there are numerous other options to reach said destination however, most are only desirable if you have a strong affinity for camping amidst a sea of 50+ tents full of roughly one million novice campers. Totally my cup of tea... Given this and impending time constraints, I chose to take the insanely overpriced train to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. Armed with several guide books and random bits of knowledge that I picked up along the way, I decided to go at it alone without a guide. I met a lovely gal from Minnesota on the train and we quickly became pals, as is often the case while traveling all by your lonesome. After arriving in the small, dirty town of of Auguas Calientes, we decided to catch a late lunch/early dinner. My new gal-pal, Ryan and I made our way to the highly recommended, fancy pants restaurant, Indio Feliz, where we consumed a four course meal for about $25. After that feast there was no need to even think about eating again... Ryan and I wondered around the town and markets then decided to turn in for an early evening because tomorrow was going to come entirely too early. I was determined to make it to Wayna Picchu (that massive, cone-shaped peak that you see in the background of nearly every foto of Machu Picchu) so I decided to set out at 3:30 AM in order to ensure that I would be one of the first 400 people at the gate (only the first 400 are given the coveted admittance to the peak). Ryan was NOT keen on this early rise time so we agreed to meet up later in the day. Armed with snacks, sunscreen and guidebooks galore, I began my mini-trek long before the sun would even think about showing his face. Unfortunately, the week prior, my headlamp had mysteriously taken leave so I was was left to trek by the light of the moon and the flashlight app on my iPod. There was not a soul in sight as I ¨blazed¨ past the various checkpoints but as I entered the thick forest I decided it was best if I not go at it totally alone as I probably made a fairly easy target there sweating and stumbling along the Inca steps by the faint light of an iPod... Shortly thereafter, I was came upon a family of Germans and immediately assimilated with their group. I was grateful to partake of their copious light, as each was well equipped with his own headlamp. Ohh those Germans, always so prepared! After a few minutes of pleasant conversation and gentle ambling up the seemingly endless steps, I realized that the Germans lacked the same urgency to get to the gate. We split ways and I was immediately thrust into darkness; it was only by the grace of God that I did not kill myself or break an ankle as I fumbled along. Each time I spied the light of a headlamp ahead of me on the trail, terror flooded my heart- What if THAT was the 400th person???? All of my sweaty efforts would be for not!!! With renewed determination, I continued my scramble upwards all the while praying that my next step would not cause me to plunge to my death. Eventually, I heard a chorus of voices and I knew I was nearly to the top! Ahhh finally, finally, I was there I reached the top and to my surprise I discovered that I was at most the 30th person in line! Ahahahaha all that fretting for nothing!
After a couple hours of waiting for the gates to open, I was greeted by a spectacular surprise. I stood there, literally breathless, taking in the beauty of the ruins of Machu Picchu. This site is truly as incredible as everyone says, one can only speculate as to the grandeur that existed while the place was occupied by the Inca. I spent hours walking, photographing and admiring the ruins.
I know this is just about the campiest thing I have ever written but I was honestly so impressed, I can´t really help but to write about it.
At ten AM, I hiked up about one million more slippery, stinkin´Inca steps to the top of Wayna Picchu. From here the views were absolutely unbeatable! As my brother, Brandon, would say, they were enough to turn you into a mouth breather, for sure! The velvety green hills tuck and fold into one another and from this point on the mountain you are able to see that the entire establishment of Machu Picchu was constructed in the shape of the sacred condor, an enterprise that is still to this day, incredibly impressive.
After 11 hours trekking, observing, photographing and gawking I decided I had enough and that it was time to head back. I wanted to see where I had been as I stumbled along in the darkness in the wee hours of the morning so I skipped the bus that carries people back down the mountain and decided to give the Inca steps another go but this time in the light. It didn´t take long for me to realize that it was a true miracle that I didn´t topple off the cliff in the darkness!
Conclusion, Machu Picchu is touristy to the max but totally worth it and despite what anyone else says 3:30 AM is not too early for a sweaty climb to one of the coolest places of the ancient world! Also, a special thanks to Brandon and Shannon for the birthday gift that made my Machu Picchu adventure possible! Love you!
After a couple hours of waiting for the gates to open, I was greeted by a spectacular surprise. I stood there, literally breathless, taking in the beauty of the ruins of Machu Picchu. This site is truly as incredible as everyone says, one can only speculate as to the grandeur that existed while the place was occupied by the Inca. I spent hours walking, photographing and admiring the ruins.
I know this is just about the campiest thing I have ever written but I was honestly so impressed, I can´t really help but to write about it.
At ten AM, I hiked up about one million more slippery, stinkin´Inca steps to the top of Wayna Picchu. From here the views were absolutely unbeatable! As my brother, Brandon, would say, they were enough to turn you into a mouth breather, for sure! The velvety green hills tuck and fold into one another and from this point on the mountain you are able to see that the entire establishment of Machu Picchu was constructed in the shape of the sacred condor, an enterprise that is still to this day, incredibly impressive.
After 11 hours trekking, observing, photographing and gawking I decided I had enough and that it was time to head back. I wanted to see where I had been as I stumbled along in the darkness in the wee hours of the morning so I skipped the bus that carries people back down the mountain and decided to give the Inca steps another go but this time in the light. It didn´t take long for me to realize that it was a true miracle that I didn´t topple off the cliff in the darkness!
Conclusion, Machu Picchu is touristy to the max but totally worth it and despite what anyone else says 3:30 AM is not too early for a sweaty climb to one of the coolest places of the ancient world! Also, a special thanks to Brandon and Shannon for the birthday gift that made my Machu Picchu adventure possible! Love you!
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