Had a wonderful stop over in Lima - very different to our stop over on our way to Peru! This time I stayed with the Leslie Manley (the SA consulate to Peru, Bolivia, Equidor and Panama), his wife Charlene and children, Margaux (12) and Thomas (17), who are friends of Stew. They stay in a beautiful home in Millaflores, an upmarket suburb of Lima. Lima itself is not a very attractive city - It is the 2nd largest desert city in the world (some 9 million people) and although on the coast, the beaches are dark pebbles and not very attractive. Also for about 6 months of the year, it is blanketed in a sea fog so you don´t see the sun. However there are some beautiful buildings in downtown Lima and in the more upmarket areas like the one I was staying in, there are lovely shops and restaurants.
It was really nice to be in a family home again. We had a late lunch and then strolled down to the sand cliffs overlooking the beach for a drink.
The next morning I left early for the airport to catch my 4 hour flight to Beunos Aires. With the time change and transfers etc, it was early evening by the time I arrived at the Hostel in Palermo which is run by such friendly and helpful people but inhabited by some crazy travellers. Went for dinner and when I got back the one American girl somehow convinced me to squeeze into a ´little black number´of hers and her size 7 black heels and accompany her to a tango dance hall! (she has been in BA for a month learning to tango). A couple of guys also tried on some of her dresses and I was quite relieved when they didn´t end up accompanying us in them!!! It was a fascinating evening in an authentic tango dance hall watching all the different couples strutting their stuff.
The next day I walked the city for about 8 hours, exploring the different areas - Recolet with its famous cemetory where Evita Peron is buried and BA´s most expensive shopping street, Avenue Alvear, with all its designer names, then through downtown to the Plaza del Mayo with its interesting political history and into San Thelmo an older part of town and famous for all its antique shops. It is such a beautiful city and very eay to find your way around. Made use of the public buses which was an education all in itself! Love all the parks and plazas and the way everyone seems to socialize on the streets at all the outdoor cafes and restaurants. All the areas have a different character and some of the buildings are magnificent.
Exhausted last night after all the walking so headed to bed early.
This morning I did a bike tour of the southern part of the city which I hadnt covered yesterday. It was just me and a guide and such a fun way to take in the sights. They have all these biking paths and the traffic is also quite respectful to cyclists so it is really quite easy. Started in San Thelmo then rode to La Bocca, the very old and colourful Italian part of the city, then past the harbour into the natural reserve which is a lovely reclaimed piece of land that has been turned into this huge park on the banks of the Rio de la Plato (the silver river) which is so wide (250 kms across at its mouth) you cant see the other side and then, back through Peurto Madero, the modern residential and commercial sector of BA.
Now I am back at the hostel and will hang out around here until my taxi picks me up for the airport. Very hard to believe I am going home. In some ways it feels like I have been away for much longer that I have. It has been a really amazing journey with so many varied experiences but I am definately ready to come back mainly cos I am just missing everyone so much. If I could take you all with me, I would keep on travelling! Will write a final posting after a few day at home and try to put some photos up for those of you who want to look at them.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Urubumba and Willka Tíkka
Caught a ´collectiva´- a fancy name for a minibus taxi! - to Urubumba in the Sacred Valley to treat myself to a night at Willka Tíkka, a spiritual retreat run by Carol Cumes and her partner Mark Hennessey who I have corresponded with over the past couple of years. They are both originally from South Africa and Carol wrote the book ´Journey to Macchu Piccu´ which provides a wonderful background on life in the Andies and the Quechua people. She has also produced an award winning coffee table book called ´The Chakra garden´
which is about the garden she has created at the retreat and, it must be one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen, as is the garden itself. It is vibrant and yet so peaceful at the same time, with different areas dedicated to the seven chakras and their corresponding colours and special meditative spaces that have been so thoughtfully and lovingly laid out. I was the only guest there ( 2 large groups had left the day before) so I had the whole place to myself and got to spend some lovely time with Carol and Mark. An amazing place to just ´be´ and to reflect on all I have experienced in the time I have been away. Nice to also return to the Sacred valley and see how the rains that they have had while I was in Bolivia, has turned rhe lands green and washed everything clean. It has truly been a remarkable journey for me in so many ways and although I am so excited to start my homeward journey tomorrow and can´t wait to see my family and friends, I will definately leave a small part of myself here. Cusco is a very buzzy place and besides being hassled by the store owners trying to sell you their wares it is really a great place to spend some time.
When I got back to the city earlier today, I shopped up a storm even venturing into a bit of a dodgy area to find some of their hand woven fabrics which I have fallen in love with, at local and not tourist prices. Have had to buy another bag to carry it all home with me! So tomorrow its on to Lima where I will be staying with the SA Ambassador and his wife who are friends of Jen and Stew then to Beunos Aires for 2 nights then HOME!!!!
which is about the garden she has created at the retreat and, it must be one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen, as is the garden itself. It is vibrant and yet so peaceful at the same time, with different areas dedicated to the seven chakras and their corresponding colours and special meditative spaces that have been so thoughtfully and lovingly laid out. I was the only guest there ( 2 large groups had left the day before) so I had the whole place to myself and got to spend some lovely time with Carol and Mark. An amazing place to just ´be´ and to reflect on all I have experienced in the time I have been away. Nice to also return to the Sacred valley and see how the rains that they have had while I was in Bolivia, has turned rhe lands green and washed everything clean. It has truly been a remarkable journey for me in so many ways and although I am so excited to start my homeward journey tomorrow and can´t wait to see my family and friends, I will definately leave a small part of myself here. Cusco is a very buzzy place and besides being hassled by the store owners trying to sell you their wares it is really a great place to spend some time.
When I got back to the city earlier today, I shopped up a storm even venturing into a bit of a dodgy area to find some of their hand woven fabrics which I have fallen in love with, at local and not tourist prices. Have had to buy another bag to carry it all home with me! So tomorrow its on to Lima where I will be staying with the SA Ambassador and his wife who are friends of Jen and Stew then to Beunos Aires for 2 nights then HOME!!!!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
´The worlds most dangerous road´ and Coroico
On Monday night back at La Paz in the Brew hostel, I met some more South Africans - two young guys who had been working in the Caymens for the past couple of years and were also doing the ride the next day, so shared a taxi with them in the morning to the meeting point with ´Gravity´. Only 5 of us doing it which was great. Drove for an hour to Le Cumbre, the starting point of the ride at 4800m. The first 20 or so kms of the ride were on tar with quite a bit of traffic so took it very easy. It was cold to begin with so we were wearing many layers of clothing which we would gradually shed as we descended over the 65 kms into the heat and humidity of the cloud forest. The 45 km gravel section on the actual ´Worlds most dangerous road´ was lots of fun but you are constantly on guard and extra cautious with all the twists and turns, the huge vertical cliffs dropping off on the one side and the road dotted with crosses to remind you of all the places where people have gone over the edge!!! A new tar road was built about 3 years ago so now the ´death road´is only used by cyclists and the occassional vehicle. With white knuckles and very dusty faces we reached the end of the ride at ´La Sende Verde´, an animal rehab centre, where there were cold beers, showers and a nice lunch waiting for us. Had a look around the sanctuary which cares for various monkeys, birds and other small mammals. Had arranged with ´Gravity´to stay overnight and catch a ride back with them to La Paz the next day, so said my goodbyes and caught a taxi to the town of Coroico about 8 kms away. Booked into Sol y Luna, lovely hippyish eco resort with self contained cabins dotted amidst the tropical gardens with masses of colourful flowers and birds - a real contrast to the starkness of the altiplano. With a place outside my bungalow for a fire and hammocks hanging from the trees, it was very romantic but I had to make do with my book for company!
The next morning I did some yoga in their yoga studio then went for a lovely long walk. I had also booked to do the Zip line down in the valley below the town, where you sit in this harness and ´zip´ across the valley in three stages on a cable. With my fear of height I was a bit apprehensive but eventually plucked up the courage and ended up loving it and wishing it could go on forever! Joined Gravity back at La Sende for the three hour trip back to La Paz which we drove on ´the WMDR´- far scarier than biking it.
Up early this am to catch my flight to Cusco. Good to be back here - my starting point for the trip- and tonight I am staying at Casa de la Gringo, a hostel run by a SA woman in the San Blas area. Tomorrow I head to Urubamba in the Sacred valley to spend one night at Willka Tika, a spiritual retreat and a place that I have always wanted to visit.
The next morning I did some yoga in their yoga studio then went for a lovely long walk. I had also booked to do the Zip line down in the valley below the town, where you sit in this harness and ´zip´ across the valley in three stages on a cable. With my fear of height I was a bit apprehensive but eventually plucked up the courage and ended up loving it and wishing it could go on forever! Joined Gravity back at La Sende for the three hour trip back to La Paz which we drove on ´the WMDR´- far scarier than biking it.
Up early this am to catch my flight to Cusco. Good to be back here - my starting point for the trip- and tonight I am staying at Casa de la Gringo, a hostel run by a SA woman in the San Blas area. Tomorrow I head to Urubamba in the Sacred valley to spend one night at Willka Tika, a spiritual retreat and a place that I have always wanted to visit.
Monday, September 27, 2010
La Paz
Arrived in La Paz late afternoon on Wednesday. A bit of a shock to suddenly be on a highway surrounded by so many cars. La Paz is a big city that sits in an amphitheatre type bowl surrounded by the 'antiplano' or highlands. Had impressive views of of the area as we dropped down into the city centre. I had booked into 'The Brew hostel" because it is connected to 'Gravity', the company that Jen and I were going to do our 4 day cycle with and because it looked like fun. Besides being a hostel it is also a micro brewerey and has a nice pub/restaurant which is always a plus if you dont feel like pounding the pavements in search of dinner. That evening as I walked into the pub, the first accent I heard was a South African one ... a really nice young guy who had graduated from UCT and was travelling with his sister. They were really glad to meet a fellow South African and we had a fun evening and ended up playing poker with a whole group of people which was quite a challenge for me as I have never played before. The next morning I went in search of cycling operators to see if there were any rides I could hook up with but did not have much luck and returned to the hostel feeling quite despondent and homesick and like I didnt want to be in a big noisy chaotic city. In the late afternoon I ventured out again onto the streets and walked for hours, this time discovering some really interesting areas like the 'witches market' where they sell sacrificial mooties. Feeling in a better mood and enjoying La Paz a bit more, I none the less decided to head for Sorata, a mountain biking mecca in the mountains, for the weekend. So the next day, I made my way to the equivalent of our minibus taxi ranks and found one heading to Sorata and piled in with all the locals for a fairly hair raising 3 hour journey. Sat next to a very kind old gentleman who chatted away to me the whole way even though neither of us could understand each other! .
Once there, I decided to walk to Altai oasis where I had booked accomodation, as the guidebook said it was just 20 minutes out of town... What it did'nt say was that you had to go down an almost sheer path. I was pleased I had left my big bag in La Paz and was travelling light. What an oasis it turned out to be with bungalows set in beautiful rambling gardens next to a river and run by a delightful family with a menagerie of dogs, mackaws, geese, hens, a cow and a llama. Just what I needed and an Aussie girl, Di who I had met in Copacabana was also there for the weekend so, I would have some company. I had also managed to track down someone who said they would take me out cycling on Sunday, so things were looking up! Expensive to do it on my own but decided it would be my birthday present to myself! Spent the afternoon chilling next to the pool and reading. Absolute bliss. A great dinner in their restaurant overlooking the river then a drink in the pub and an interesting chat to Simon, their 25 yr old son who grew up in America and could speak perfect English which is unusual around these parts.
The next day, Di and I decided to do this walk to see this cave. Got dropped off by a taxi high up at this lookout point and set off in the direction of the cave, Turned into a tough 3 hour walk following donkey paths and scrambling through the undergrowth but eventually founnd our way to the cave which ws enormous and had a huge underground pool in it. Caught another taxi back to Altai oasis for a well deserved swim and cold beer. That night celebrated my birthday, South African time! with some Mojitos in the bar. Sunday morning...my birthday, Bolivian time, and I woke up a little sad to be so far away from friends and family but excited at the prospect of being on a bike again and, after some phonecalls from my family, I felt much happier. Got picked up at 9 by Travis, something of a mountain biking legend in these parts and we drove for 1 1/2 hours up winding dirt roads that at times made Swartberg pass look like a picnic. Had to close my eyes a number of times! Eventually at close to 5000 metres and almost at the glacial summit we geared up and got on the bikes for for an exhilerating and challenging 2 hours and over 2000m descent down to the cloud forest where we had a picnic lunch. Then put the bikes back on the jeep and drove up to the summit for another exciting 2 hours of riding down into the town of Sorata. One of the best days cycling I have ever done and a call from Shan and Jordi just topped off what had been a very special and different birthday. Bed early in my magical room ... a tiny cabin with a view of the stars and the snow peaks. Tomorrow I head back to La Paz to do 'the Worlds most dangerous road' on Tuesday. Will stay overnight in Coroico where the ride finishes, head back to La Paz on Wed then fly to Cusco on Thursday. Thank you to all of you who posted messages on facebook and sent messages via email and the blog wishing me a happy birthday. Really appreciated it and it means so much to hear from all of you back home.
Once there, I decided to walk to Altai oasis where I had booked accomodation, as the guidebook said it was just 20 minutes out of town... What it did'nt say was that you had to go down an almost sheer path. I was pleased I had left my big bag in La Paz and was travelling light. What an oasis it turned out to be with bungalows set in beautiful rambling gardens next to a river and run by a delightful family with a menagerie of dogs, mackaws, geese, hens, a cow and a llama. Just what I needed and an Aussie girl, Di who I had met in Copacabana was also there for the weekend so, I would have some company. I had also managed to track down someone who said they would take me out cycling on Sunday, so things were looking up! Expensive to do it on my own but decided it would be my birthday present to myself! Spent the afternoon chilling next to the pool and reading. Absolute bliss. A great dinner in their restaurant overlooking the river then a drink in the pub and an interesting chat to Simon, their 25 yr old son who grew up in America and could speak perfect English which is unusual around these parts.
The next day, Di and I decided to do this walk to see this cave. Got dropped off by a taxi high up at this lookout point and set off in the direction of the cave, Turned into a tough 3 hour walk following donkey paths and scrambling through the undergrowth but eventually founnd our way to the cave which ws enormous and had a huge underground pool in it. Caught another taxi back to Altai oasis for a well deserved swim and cold beer. That night celebrated my birthday, South African time! with some Mojitos in the bar. Sunday morning...my birthday, Bolivian time, and I woke up a little sad to be so far away from friends and family but excited at the prospect of being on a bike again and, after some phonecalls from my family, I felt much happier. Got picked up at 9 by Travis, something of a mountain biking legend in these parts and we drove for 1 1/2 hours up winding dirt roads that at times made Swartberg pass look like a picnic. Had to close my eyes a number of times! Eventually at close to 5000 metres and almost at the glacial summit we geared up and got on the bikes for for an exhilerating and challenging 2 hours and over 2000m descent down to the cloud forest where we had a picnic lunch. Then put the bikes back on the jeep and drove up to the summit for another exciting 2 hours of riding down into the town of Sorata. One of the best days cycling I have ever done and a call from Shan and Jordi just topped off what had been a very special and different birthday. Bed early in my magical room ... a tiny cabin with a view of the stars and the snow peaks. Tomorrow I head back to La Paz to do 'the Worlds most dangerous road' on Tuesday. Will stay overnight in Coroico where the ride finishes, head back to La Paz on Wed then fly to Cusco on Thursday. Thank you to all of you who posted messages on facebook and sent messages via email and the blog wishing me a happy birthday. Really appreciated it and it means so much to hear from all of you back home.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Copacabana
Copacabana is a small town and famous pilgrimage site just over the Bolivian border, overlooking Lake Titicaca. Though nothing like its more famous namesake in Brazil, it has its own charm and is a jumping off point for the sacred islands of the moon and sun. We managed to get a room at a really nice hostel which has a spanish feel to it and a great view over the harbour and town, and hammocks in the garden. It also has a nice restaurant so after exploring the town and a ´mojito´at a buzzy pub, we ate in and got to bed early. The next day, explored some more and caught up on admin - washing, repacking, emailing etc -which takes up a lot of time especially when the computers/internet are as antiquated and slow as these are. In the evening, we walked up the steep hill behind our hostel to a religious site at the top where pilgrims light candles and burn offerings at special times of the year and watched the sunset.
Very sadly, a situation has arisen at home which means that Jen has had to head back. This is so unfortunate as we have had such fun and travelled so well together. After a lot of deliberation, I have decided to continue on my own and finish the trip as planned. On Saturday morning (our last together as Jen had to catch the bus back to Puno at lunch time in the first of many legs to get back to Cape Town), we wandered up to the main square with its imposing cathedral. It was all hustle and bustle as we were soon to discover, that on the weekend people bring their cars, taxis, buses and even their harleys to have them blessed. The vehicle is decked out in garlands of flowers and once the priest has pronounced his blessing on it (and slipped a donation into his vestments!) the owners pour a ritual offering of alcohol over the car and some into their mouths as well! At the same time the weddings are following one after the other in the cathedral and in the street their is a company of folk dancers putting on a show. All in all a great morning entertainment!
After sad goodbye to Jen and suddenly feeling very alone, I busied myself with shopping in the market for some provisions and packing for my overnight trip to Sun island in the morning.
The ferry left a 8.30am for the 2 hour trip to the north side of the island. On disembarking, you follow this path along the north side of the island along with all the other travellers to the chincana ruins and the famous sacrficial table and Puma rock. Sun and Moon island are reveered by the Aymaras and the Quechua people as where the sun and moon and their ancestors were born and I was looking forward to immersing myself in the spirituality of it all. However, when I got to Puma rock, I was surrounded by Aussie backpackers saying things like ´I cant see the f........ cat in the f........ rock´ and ´You mean we have come all this way to just see this rock!´. It was quite amusing but not quite what I had in mind and as I had the whole day to make my way to the south side where I was spending the night, I decided to stroll down to one of the bays and wait for the crowds to leave. Good move because by the time I returned everyone had moved on and it was just me and a group of énergy healers´ working in a ceremony with a sharman. I watched fascinated and was thriled when they beckoned to me and asked if I would like to join them. It was a very energetic transfer and I felt very blessed to have been able to be a part of it.
I said my goodbyes and started out on the 9 km hike along the spine of the island to Yunami village in the south. I walked entirely on my own for 2 hours with the most incredible vistas on either side and then spent an enjoyable evening in a hostel perched on the top of a hill (4100 mts in altitude!) overlooking a beautiful bay. I returned to Copa in the early afternoon, beginning to feel quite at home in the place. That evening watch ´Slumdog millionaire´ in the common lounge with some other travellers which made for a nice change.
Yesterday am I was up early as I had been told that there was a special ceremony to celebrate the solstice (a very powerful time for the locals) on Moon island which is normally hard to get access to, and that if I was at the square at 7.30 I could catch a ride with the local tourist organisation who were staging the event. True to Andean time, we (myself and a nice young German guy) and the locals,eventually set off in a taxi at 9am. We travelled for about 1/2 an hour and then transferred to a boat for the hours trip to the island. It was such a wonderful experience as only a handful of óutsiders´watched as a number of the local communities came together to worship, dance and celebrate. They then laid out an Andean picnic which we all helped ourselves to, my german ´friend´and I had a swim in the icy lake then we boarded the boat for the return trip, playing cards to pass the time. A nice hot shower, dinner and bed and this morning I am all ready for the next sector of my trip - La Paz and hopefully some mountain biking!
Very sadly, a situation has arisen at home which means that Jen has had to head back. This is so unfortunate as we have had such fun and travelled so well together. After a lot of deliberation, I have decided to continue on my own and finish the trip as planned. On Saturday morning (our last together as Jen had to catch the bus back to Puno at lunch time in the first of many legs to get back to Cape Town), we wandered up to the main square with its imposing cathedral. It was all hustle and bustle as we were soon to discover, that on the weekend people bring their cars, taxis, buses and even their harleys to have them blessed. The vehicle is decked out in garlands of flowers and once the priest has pronounced his blessing on it (and slipped a donation into his vestments!) the owners pour a ritual offering of alcohol over the car and some into their mouths as well! At the same time the weddings are following one after the other in the cathedral and in the street their is a company of folk dancers putting on a show. All in all a great morning entertainment!
After sad goodbye to Jen and suddenly feeling very alone, I busied myself with shopping in the market for some provisions and packing for my overnight trip to Sun island in the morning.
The ferry left a 8.30am for the 2 hour trip to the north side of the island. On disembarking, you follow this path along the north side of the island along with all the other travellers to the chincana ruins and the famous sacrficial table and Puma rock. Sun and Moon island are reveered by the Aymaras and the Quechua people as where the sun and moon and their ancestors were born and I was looking forward to immersing myself in the spirituality of it all. However, when I got to Puma rock, I was surrounded by Aussie backpackers saying things like ´I cant see the f........ cat in the f........ rock´ and ´You mean we have come all this way to just see this rock!´. It was quite amusing but not quite what I had in mind and as I had the whole day to make my way to the south side where I was spending the night, I decided to stroll down to one of the bays and wait for the crowds to leave. Good move because by the time I returned everyone had moved on and it was just me and a group of énergy healers´ working in a ceremony with a sharman. I watched fascinated and was thriled when they beckoned to me and asked if I would like to join them. It was a very energetic transfer and I felt very blessed to have been able to be a part of it.
I said my goodbyes and started out on the 9 km hike along the spine of the island to Yunami village in the south. I walked entirely on my own for 2 hours with the most incredible vistas on either side and then spent an enjoyable evening in a hostel perched on the top of a hill (4100 mts in altitude!) overlooking a beautiful bay. I returned to Copa in the early afternoon, beginning to feel quite at home in the place. That evening watch ´Slumdog millionaire´ in the common lounge with some other travellers which made for a nice change.
Yesterday am I was up early as I had been told that there was a special ceremony to celebrate the solstice (a very powerful time for the locals) on Moon island which is normally hard to get access to, and that if I was at the square at 7.30 I could catch a ride with the local tourist organisation who were staging the event. True to Andean time, we (myself and a nice young German guy) and the locals,eventually set off in a taxi at 9am. We travelled for about 1/2 an hour and then transferred to a boat for the hours trip to the island. It was such a wonderful experience as only a handful of óutsiders´watched as a number of the local communities came together to worship, dance and celebrate. They then laid out an Andean picnic which we all helped ourselves to, my german ´friend´and I had a swim in the icy lake then we boarded the boat for the return trip, playing cards to pass the time. A nice hot shower, dinner and bed and this morning I am all ready for the next sector of my trip - La Paz and hopefully some mountain biking!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Puno - Lake Titikaka
The bus ride from Cusco to Puno took 9 1/2 hours but we stopped along the way to see some sights and for lunch. It was quite nice to just sit and relax as the past week had been very busy. Puno is a dry (most of Peru is dry and dusty as their rainy season only starts in Nov) and bustling port on the North Shore of Lake Titikaka, a hub for the commercial boats and those going out to the various tourist attractions. Had a Cusquena (the local beer which is really nice) at a vibey little Reggae pub and got ourselves organised for another early start! Woke up to a sunny day and boarded a bus for the Uros floating islands about 45 minutes from Puno. These islands are made from reeds and are inhabited by the Anyami people who live a very simple life sustained mainly by tourism. From there it was a 3 hour boat trip to Amantani island, where we were going to spend a night with a local family in their home. Travelling on Lake Titikaka feels a bit like being on the ocean. It is the highest navigable lake in the world covering an area of 8550 sq km.
On arrival at Amantani, we met our local family who took us to their little clay brick home. We were shown to a simple but comfortable bedroom and lunch was served in the kitchen/dining area where cooking was done over an open fire in clay pots. They have no running water! Fortunately another Spanish couple were with us so at least they could communicate with the family otherwise for Jen and I 'at a loss for words' would have taken on a new meaning! Lunch was soup and 8 potatoes of various kinds and a boiled egg! That afternoon we climbed up to the highest point on the island to see their moon temple and watch a spectacular sunset with incredible cloudd formations and the Bolivian Andes mountains in the distance. Dinner was soup again (it is served at almost every meal and usually has a potatoe/quinoa base) then rice and a nice bean stew. I love the food here and am eating much more than normal and sometimes Jen´s portions as well, so think I will roll off the plane when I get home! After supper we were informed that it was disco time and our hostess dressed us in traditional costumes (Viv and I laughed and laughed at what we looked like in our costumes) and we assembled in a community hall where we got down to some serious dancing!! It was an hilarious evening. Next morning we boarded the boat once again for Taquille, another island where we spent the morning exploring before heading back to Puno. Tomorrow we have a three hour bus trip to Copocabana where we will catch a ferry to Sun Island. We plan to spend two nights relaxing there.
On arrival at Amantani, we met our local family who took us to their little clay brick home. We were shown to a simple but comfortable bedroom and lunch was served in the kitchen/dining area where cooking was done over an open fire in clay pots. They have no running water! Fortunately another Spanish couple were with us so at least they could communicate with the family otherwise for Jen and I 'at a loss for words' would have taken on a new meaning! Lunch was soup and 8 potatoes of various kinds and a boiled egg! That afternoon we climbed up to the highest point on the island to see their moon temple and watch a spectacular sunset with incredible cloudd formations and the Bolivian Andes mountains in the distance. Dinner was soup again (it is served at almost every meal and usually has a potatoe/quinoa base) then rice and a nice bean stew. I love the food here and am eating much more than normal and sometimes Jen´s portions as well, so think I will roll off the plane when I get home! After supper we were informed that it was disco time and our hostess dressed us in traditional costumes (Viv and I laughed and laughed at what we looked like in our costumes) and we assembled in a community hall where we got down to some serious dancing!! It was an hilarious evening. Next morning we boarded the boat once again for Taquille, another island where we spent the morning exploring before heading back to Puno. Tomorrow we have a three hour bus trip to Copocabana where we will catch a ferry to Sun Island. We plan to spend two nights relaxing there.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The Inca trail
Not a good start to our adventure. Both Jen and Stew woke up with diarrhoea and vomiting in the morning but bravely swolled some immodium and boarded the bus for the drive to kilometer 82 on the Cusco-Macchu Piccu Railroad where the famous "Camino de Incas" starts from. Breakfast was laid out for us on the bank of the Urubumba River and we met the rest of the group that we would be travelling with - two American couples in their 50´s, a young American couple and Australian couple in their 20´s and an American father and his 30 year old daughter. Crossing a suspension bridge over the river we started out on the first day of the trek which involved a fairly gentle (Viv´s perception!) up and down walk before lunch which was a very impressive affair set up in a tent with camping chairs around the table. This was just a sample of the incredible food they managed to produce for us over the next four days in the middle of nowhere. That afternoon was a very tough, never ending slog up 500 m of stairs to L´luchapampa, our spectacular camping spot for the night, surrounded by glacial peaks at an altitude of 3700 m having walked 15 km and climbed 900 m overall. After dinner we crawled into our tents (-5degrees!) early to try get as much sleep as we could before our next early morning start which would involve a climb up the remaining 500m of Dead Woman's Pass to an altitude of 4200m - the highest point on the trail. And so we got into the rhythym of this very challenging but incredible walk to Macchu Piccu. Another 15km and 900 m of climbing on day 2 and 10 km and a 1000m descent on day 3 with spectacular scenery along the way from the Andean highlands down to the cloud forest with a number of impressive Inca archeology sites along the way, villages, colourful local people going about their everyday lives, pack donkeys and Llamas.
Our group was great and we had lots of fun along the way with Stew in the dining tent at night regailing us with stories and jokes. Poor he and Jen really battled over the 3 days with the stomach bug which made the walk even more challenging. To put it into perspective - both felt that it was even more challenging than their Kilimanjaro climb! It was amazing as we negotiated the sometimes almost vertical steps up and down, to see the porters (21 of them in all) jogging passed us in sandles with 25 kg packs on their backs! We could not fault the organisation or the staff. Eric our Andean leader was a great storyteller and on the cliff tops and Inca terraces, brought the history of the Incas alive for us. On day 4 we awoke at 3.30 a.m. as we wanted to be one of the first groups to arrive at the Sun Gate of Macchu Piccu - a two hour platoon-paced walk away through the early morning jungle surrounded by the wakening insects and birdlife. We were blessed with wonderful weather along the way and this morning was no different as we finally emerged through the Sun Gate and there lay Macchu Piccu below us in all its glory. Spent the morning exploring the ruins, had a lovely lunch and made our way down to the village where we drank Pisco sours with the group to celebrate and caught the train back to Cusco in the early evening as dusk fell on the magnificent mountainside. It was great to sink our weary bodies into a hot bath and onto a soft mattress for a good nights sleep. Today has been an admin day catching up with washing and packing for the next part our adventure. Off to Puno and Lake Titicaca in the morning on the First Class Bus.
Our group was great and we had lots of fun along the way with Stew in the dining tent at night regailing us with stories and jokes. Poor he and Jen really battled over the 3 days with the stomach bug which made the walk even more challenging. To put it into perspective - both felt that it was even more challenging than their Kilimanjaro climb! It was amazing as we negotiated the sometimes almost vertical steps up and down, to see the porters (21 of them in all) jogging passed us in sandles with 25 kg packs on their backs! We could not fault the organisation or the staff. Eric our Andean leader was a great storyteller and on the cliff tops and Inca terraces, brought the history of the Incas alive for us. On day 4 we awoke at 3.30 a.m. as we wanted to be one of the first groups to arrive at the Sun Gate of Macchu Piccu - a two hour platoon-paced walk away through the early morning jungle surrounded by the wakening insects and birdlife. We were blessed with wonderful weather along the way and this morning was no different as we finally emerged through the Sun Gate and there lay Macchu Piccu below us in all its glory. Spent the morning exploring the ruins, had a lovely lunch and made our way down to the village where we drank Pisco sours with the group to celebrate and caught the train back to Cusco in the early evening as dusk fell on the magnificent mountainside. It was great to sink our weary bodies into a hot bath and onto a soft mattress for a good nights sleep. Today has been an admin day catching up with washing and packing for the next part our adventure. Off to Puno and Lake Titicaca in the morning on the First Class Bus.
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