Hola a todos. Heather reporting. If you are reading this, please know that I miss you, but think I never want to leave :)
I had some puca picante the other day, a local traditional dish made with beet and peanut sauce that drenches potatoes and pork. best served with a cold dark beer, which is very filling. there were leftovers, of course, and so i wandered the plaza in search of a hungry belly. usually not hard to find, but everyone was eating already! so i stopped to talk with Antonio, a sunglasses salesman, and offered the leftovers to some artisans sitting beside him. gladly! they said, and we all introduced ourselves. though i couldn´t stop staring at this beautiful peruvian girl, a guy named Ahmed was paying attention to what i was saying about ´chillin in ayacucho´... ´looking for a teaching gig´...and he said, why don´t you meet me here on monday morning and i can introduce you to the director of a language institute around the corner. what what!? ears perked, big grin, ´why, that would be great. thank you, ahmed´.... and now I have an official interview on friday. hopefully, on april 6th, i will be standing in front of a classroom full of adults eager to learn english. hence the title of this post: wish me luck!
yesterday i left the city for a few hours to visit the river watatas. tranquility! the river was filled with boulders smooth as seals from the continual rush of river over their backs. it was laundry day, apparently, because there were families lining the river washing clothes, blankets, shoes, mattresses! one family finished up, loaded the car, and drove right up next to the shore to wash the car. they were also taking baths fully clothed. brr! i tested the water, and thought better of hopping in. good decision, as it turns out. the pacha mama was thirsty and the skies opened up to quench her. it pouuuured! thank goodness there was a bridge for us all to huddle under, shreiking with the thunder rolled and the lightning struck. as the rain came down, so did some of the hillside. hence the boulders already in the river. exhilirating!
the week of semana santa is coming up, the biggest holiday in peru, and celebrated most vigorously in this very town. preparations have begun and almost all the buildings i walk into smell like fresh paint. i ahve to be very careful not to walk under the many ladders along the street, set up for repairs, and i wake up every morning, EARLY, to banging hammers and buzzing saws.
more pics are up on facebook. paz!
pax
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Living up Peru
Katie again, just updating about the last few days. As our time in Peru is coming to a close (very quickly, we leave tomorrow for Arequipa and then Chile in a few days), we are making sure that we are living it up to the max in this incredible country. It helps that we returned today from our visit to Machu Picchu. While we were there, it rained pretty much the entire day and fog was covering our view of the ancient city from our perch on Wayna Picchu but it was impressive nonetheless. Last time I wrote, I left off telling about our City tour that we were taking. Seeing the ruins that day was great but the best part ended up meeting a group of fellow travellers who we ended up hanging out with for the next couple days. Hallye and I have decided that one of the very best parts about travelling is meeting new people from different parts of the world. Our little group consisted of a Canadian, a Brazilian, and three Isrealis. After the tour, we made plans for dinner and then the obligatory visit to the discoteca. Cuzco has an amazing nightlife and we were lucky to meet good people and experience it with them. The first night, Hallye and I danced until 5:30 in the morning. Upon arriving to the hostal at around six, we found that we were just in time for breakfast which prepared us perfectly for a day spent in bed. That night, we met our friends for dinner and a movie (in the hostal) and a couple hours once again dancing at the club. Although we were scheduled to board our bus at 8:30 that morning, we did not pass up another chance to stay out and have some fun. We still had no problem making it to our second day tour which ended with a train ride to Aguascalientes where we stayed the night before going to Machu Picchu. Now a little bit about the great visit to MP: As some of you know, Hallye and I made plans to climb Wayna Picchu, the mountain that stands at the back of the city as seen from most touristic photos. In order to do this, it is necessary to take the 5:30 am bus up the mountain in order to get a ticket to climb. These days, they only let 400 people a day climb Wayna because its foundation has been slipping at a rate of about one centemeter a month (I think that is the figure). So we wanted to be the first there to ensure getting one of the 400 tickets. This meant waking up at 4:30 in the morning and catching the bus with all of the other travellers intent on making the climb. Up before dawn we were and one of the first 30 `people at MP that day. After securing our ticket, we could see people running towards the control trying to get one as well. Little did they know, the 400 mark wasnt reached until later that afternoon because the day had begun with a downpour of rain which likely kept most visitors at bay until the following day. Our guide took us on a two hour tour in the morning and before 11:00 we began the ascent to WP. THe hike was almost straight vertical at some points and the slippery rocks made for a dangerous climb. Once we reached the top, we were disheartened to see all of the fog blocking our view of MP. We stayed up there for nearly two hours waiting for a break in the clouds so we could snap some photos. The rain got a little harder and we made our way back down. Altough the fog throughout the day took away from some of the grandeur of MP, it still allowed for some amazing views (and creepy with all of the clouds). We were at MP just about all day and afternoon it seemed and were glad to get back and get dry clothes on and some dinner. We got an early night´s sleep (for once) and woke up this morning to get the train back to Cuzco. Tomorrow we are off to Arequipa and then Chile before the week is over. This past week has drained some our funds due to nights out at the clubs and trains to Machu Picchu but it was all entirely worth it. We are looking forward to meeting more great people in Santiago de Chile and living up our twenty-two-ness yet again even though it might mean an early ticket home. If you would like to donate a few dollars so we can make it to Argentina just contact me and...just kidding.
Hallye will have more on MP and our visits to the other ruins shortly.
Love you all,
Katie
Hallye will have more on MP and our visits to the other ruins shortly.
Love you all,
Katie
Friday, March 27, 2009
"The world is a great book...
...of which they who never stir from home read only a page." St. AugustineThis quote made me feel better during a short bout of homesickness. Sent to me from an English teacher currently living in Lima, Peru, I imagine this has helped her regain confidence many times. It easy to slip into the ´what the heck am I doing here?´mind set. It passes easily, as I snap photos of protests in the street and precious little ones curious to see their faces on the LCD.
Making friends is important here for this very reason. This afternoon I am having lunch with a Shaman I met the first night here. Yesterday I went to his hostal, Mamaculla Wasi, to check it out and was greeted with such tranquility I could think of nothing better to do but focus on my breathing. I will be switching over to this mind-body-spirit healing home shortly. There is a beautiful patio surrounded by bouganvilleas and giant palms to relax and do yoga. I´ve been waking up with the overwhelming urge to say Om, and no I´m not kidding. So, I do. It would be much nicer to do so outdoors surrounded by flowers though, instead of sitting on a lumpy mattress with neon lights buzzing above my head, able to reach out and touch both dusty walls that close me in. Yesterday I passed the day with his young daughter, swimming in a neighbor´s pool and then hopping over to a sauna and vapor room, where huge stacks of herbs sit on the steamer and make one feel as though they are inside of a giant cup of chamomile tea! Simply wonderful!
Above are a few photos taken very recently, and now that I have found a computer with an SD card sot, more are on the way!
1. Gabiel and I, standing in front of a statue in the Plaza de Armas in the center of Ayacucho. Gabiel, his brother Yefferson, and I passed some time today chatting with an indigenous, Quechua speaking woman who loved touching my face and hair, repeatedly saying ´gringa linda´. Most kids are bilingual around here, speaking both Castellano and Quechua and make for great, no shame translators and teachers. We also had fun drawing different animals, all with live models, including a pig and a parrot.
2. Sisters in the plaza, mom is in the backround on a bench. These little girls sell candy while their mom knits hats and things to sell. They were very excited to have the picture taken, and their mom seemed quite proud of how adorable they are.
3. Corn cake from the Choclo festival! This tasted even better than it looks. Hard to beleive, but true.
4. Chicho, age 4. He was playing with some friends near the ´mirador´, the lookout from which all of Ayacucho is visible. It took him some time to warm up to the camera, as his older female friends were trying to position him as if he were made of modeling clay, but once they scooted over and let him breathe I couldn´t resist snapping several closeups of his adorable little seed covered face. It was very hard to walk away from this crowd. I almost tried to fit him in my backpack. ;)
paz y amor a todos!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Navel of the Universe
If you are confounded by the title of this blog post, allow me a minute to explain. Cusco, also known as Cuzco, also known as Q´osko (by the Inka) is a word meaning...you got it...navel of the universe. The Inca believed that their precious Cusco was indeed the spiritual center of the world. They worshiped their land as if pachamama (mother earth) had chosen their ancient city as the centrifuge of natural and supernatural power. The fact that they also named the city after a body part also shows how important the relationship between body and spirit was for them. This fascinating history is what Hallye and I (Katie) find ourselves surrounded by all day now. We arrived in Cuzco yesterday at 4 in the morning after a 22 hour bus ride from Ayacucho, where Heather is hard at work setting up a teaching job right here in this city. Hallye and I share a bit of jealousy when thinking that she will have the opportunity to spend more than our self-allotted week here. The city is just beautiful, although filled with more tourists than we have seen in one place this entire trip. Not only are there shops around every corner selling traditional Cuzceñan art and artifact, but the natural beauty surrounding the city is extraordinary. The hills around Cuzco give it a personal, closed in feeling while the architecture is stunning ( a mix of modern, colonial, and even some existing Inca formations). At night, the stars which seem close enough to pick right out of the sky are so illuminating and the cold andean chill that appears when the sun goes down works together with the supernatural aura from the awareness of Inca history and makes the hairs stand on end. The other night on the bus as we were just miles from town, I looked out my window to see what was around me. I could barely make out the shapes of the hills in front of the dark blue/black sky. But as I looked directly to my left, I could see the big dipper made of stars bigger seeming than I have ever seen in my life.
Yesterday, after sleeping the better part of the day and recovering from the long journey, Hallye and I laid out some basic plans for the next few days and then set out on foot to look around. We were greatful for the tourist presence and at the same time overwhelmed. We are not used to having so many white people around us and felt a little uncomfortable in our overworn backpacker´s clothing. Most tourists are here for just a week or two to see Machu Picchu and maybe a few other towns and we imagined that they looked so good and well put together because they had three suitcases a piece. We couldn´t help but feel like we stood out EVEN MORE now among all of the chic looking tourists, than we did when we were the only white people in a pueblo of indigenous folk. I have stopped wearing makeup and some of my shirts have holes in them. I also am wearing the same outfit today that I have the past two days because our clothes are being washed and, I imagine, line dried because it has been almost two whole days since we turned them in and it has rained. But we adore this simple lifestyle and have no intentions of spending precious money on new clothes or haircuts. We like being backpackers and realize that one day we too will have the chance to take three suitcases on a two week trip and wear nice clothes and buy lots of things that we want so bad and eat in nice restaurants with the other white people. Right now, we are incredibly happy looking like we haven´t seen civilization in days and doing as the majority of Peruvians do searching out the dollar menus.
Today, all though it is pouring right now, we have planned to go on a city tour to some of the ruins around Cusco. Sacsaywaman and Q´enqo are two places on the itinerary. In a few days we will make the expensive trek to Machu Picchu. We will also climb Wayna Picchu, which if you don´t know, is the taller mountain that stands behind Machu and can be seen in most pictures of the ruins. This trip alone will cost what about two weeks of travel has cost us so far during this trip but it is something we can´t pass up.
Our tour is set to leave in about 20 minutes but I´m not sure if it will leave considering this sudden downpour. If we don´t go, Hallye and I will most likely spend the afternoon in a real touristy cafe sipping on the best coffee we have tasted so far here in South America. This is one of the perks of being in a tourist town. Us northamericans know what a good cup of coffee should taste like. I guess we can thank Starbucks for that. And then again not, because all of the good coffee is being shipped out of these countries to them at a higher price and poor Hallye and I are suffering the consequenses when in every small town we ask for coffee and a jar of instant is plopped down in front of us. So next time you go to Starbucks, think about Hallye and me when you are drinking your espresso macchiato and feel sorry for us because our coffee sucks. But then again, no need to feel sorry for us because while usually our coffee is not worth the 30 cents we pay for it, we are seeing one of the Wonders of the World this week and for that we are extremely lucky.
Until next time,
Katie
Yesterday, after sleeping the better part of the day and recovering from the long journey, Hallye and I laid out some basic plans for the next few days and then set out on foot to look around. We were greatful for the tourist presence and at the same time overwhelmed. We are not used to having so many white people around us and felt a little uncomfortable in our overworn backpacker´s clothing. Most tourists are here for just a week or two to see Machu Picchu and maybe a few other towns and we imagined that they looked so good and well put together because they had three suitcases a piece. We couldn´t help but feel like we stood out EVEN MORE now among all of the chic looking tourists, than we did when we were the only white people in a pueblo of indigenous folk. I have stopped wearing makeup and some of my shirts have holes in them. I also am wearing the same outfit today that I have the past two days because our clothes are being washed and, I imagine, line dried because it has been almost two whole days since we turned them in and it has rained. But we adore this simple lifestyle and have no intentions of spending precious money on new clothes or haircuts. We like being backpackers and realize that one day we too will have the chance to take three suitcases on a two week trip and wear nice clothes and buy lots of things that we want so bad and eat in nice restaurants with the other white people. Right now, we are incredibly happy looking like we haven´t seen civilization in days and doing as the majority of Peruvians do searching out the dollar menus.
Today, all though it is pouring right now, we have planned to go on a city tour to some of the ruins around Cusco. Sacsaywaman and Q´enqo are two places on the itinerary. In a few days we will make the expensive trek to Machu Picchu. We will also climb Wayna Picchu, which if you don´t know, is the taller mountain that stands behind Machu and can be seen in most pictures of the ruins. This trip alone will cost what about two weeks of travel has cost us so far during this trip but it is something we can´t pass up.
Our tour is set to leave in about 20 minutes but I´m not sure if it will leave considering this sudden downpour. If we don´t go, Hallye and I will most likely spend the afternoon in a real touristy cafe sipping on the best coffee we have tasted so far here in South America. This is one of the perks of being in a tourist town. Us northamericans know what a good cup of coffee should taste like. I guess we can thank Starbucks for that. And then again not, because all of the good coffee is being shipped out of these countries to them at a higher price and poor Hallye and I are suffering the consequenses when in every small town we ask for coffee and a jar of instant is plopped down in front of us. So next time you go to Starbucks, think about Hallye and me when you are drinking your espresso macchiato and feel sorry for us because our coffee sucks. But then again, no need to feel sorry for us because while usually our coffee is not worth the 30 cents we pay for it, we are seeing one of the Wonders of the World this week and for that we are extremely lucky.
Until next time,
Katie
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Hi everyone! Heather here. Ayacucho has indeed been fun...The choclo festival, museum and artisan mall we all visited yesterday, the friendly folks, and rich history have made it a wonderful place to visit. The internet connection is also extremely fast and everything is cheap! So while Katie and Hallye boarded a bus early this morning, I´ve decided to stay here for a couple more days in order to initiate conversations with some English language schools in Cuzco.
This means I have the chance to get some work done, as well as check out more of the culture this city is steeped in. Namely, Chochango, a corn soup sweeted with mint and spiced with hot peppers, and Puca Picante, a dish of meat and potatoes seasoned with spicy peanut sauce. I heard rumor of this delicious sounding sauce all the way back in Quito and have been on the prowl for it ever since. They also sell jars of all natural peanut butter! I think I got the last one in the store, and paid a hefty price (15 soles, in comparison to the 4.50 I usually spend on a huge afternoon meal). I have so missed my daily ration of peanut butter though, as it is not very common in SA, and I´m glad to know Ayacucho is on top of things.
As far as the WWOOFing situation goes, I´ve heard back from three organic farms on Colombia, all open to dates and lengths of stay, but none in Peru or Ecuador. This means, as I said above, I will focus on finding a teaching position in Cuzco, and reserve working on the farm for a little later in the trip, once I´ve migrated back north. Hopefully I will have company on the farm as a friend from Lexington, Nik, will be arriving in mid May. He will have recently graduated from UK with a forestry degree so there is a good chance he´ll be willing to shack up on the farm for a while. An average day reguires 4-8 hrs. of work, but at least 2 days a week are free, allowing for short trips to explore the area. Much to look forward to!
Today I am going for a hike up to the ´mirador´, a lookout at the top of a hill overlooking the city of Ayacucho inside this giant valley I´m slouched in at the moment. It will be nice to get out of the hustling city for a few hours and hopefully take some photos that capture the whole city. The cultural center is hosting a free film fest so I´ll check out Penelope Cruz´s latest film, ¨La Nina de tus Ojos¨which translates to ´the daughter of your eyes´. I really enjoy going to the theatre in SA. While in Lima we all went to ´La Teta Asustada´, a beautifully made film, like a moving photograph, each still worth framing and hanging on your living room wall. It followed a young woman´s transition to independence after her mother dies and she is forced to take a job as a maid to raise money for a casket. She is afflicted with what the locals call La Teta Asustada which causes her to fear evil in the form of ghosts and men. It is not something many people beleive in, especially not doctors, but is very real for her. It was passed on to her from her mother who was violated by soldiers during the years of terrorism in Peru. Many women were forced to protect themselves the only way they could think of, which was to block the entrance through which a man might try to violate her. She did this with a potato. It was something women did in the past, only, during times of extreme danger. Yet the tradition carries on through our main character, suffer as she may. Like the potato inside of her, her resolve won´t budge, and she endures physical sickness and much lonliness because of it it. It is a harsh reality to face, but the movie depicts what we see around us every day, and incites many questions about what is invisible to tourists like us. I highly recommend seeing it, even if you don´t speak spanish. The story will not be lost.
To continue on about how little of this Peruvian life we can grasp, the ´Museo de la Memoria´we visited made for a heavy hearted afternoon. The violence Hallye cited was a mere 20 years ago. The majority of it took place during the year I was born, 1983. That means that most people I see walking down the street have some memory, certainly terrible ones, of the horrific violence that took place. I suppose they would rather not recount it, and I wonder how selfish I am willing to be by asking for their thoughts or stories. So far, I´ve gotten little reaction. Simple responses: there was a lot of violence, unnecessary, and worthless. I can´t imagine I would want to talk about it much either. I pray for peace all over the world, and am so very thankful for the peace that reigns here now, allowing us to visit with the mere worries of petty theft. I salute those who survived and extend sincere condolences the families who lost loved ones and the ´desaparecidos´ themselves. If you would like to learn more about a Peruvian foundation of mothers who lost their sons, called ANFASEP, visit <<http://qillqakuna.iespana.es/ANFASEP,%20madres.htm>>
Paz y amor a todos, Heather
This means I have the chance to get some work done, as well as check out more of the culture this city is steeped in. Namely, Chochango, a corn soup sweeted with mint and spiced with hot peppers, and Puca Picante, a dish of meat and potatoes seasoned with spicy peanut sauce. I heard rumor of this delicious sounding sauce all the way back in Quito and have been on the prowl for it ever since. They also sell jars of all natural peanut butter! I think I got the last one in the store, and paid a hefty price (15 soles, in comparison to the 4.50 I usually spend on a huge afternoon meal). I have so missed my daily ration of peanut butter though, as it is not very common in SA, and I´m glad to know Ayacucho is on top of things.
As far as the WWOOFing situation goes, I´ve heard back from three organic farms on Colombia, all open to dates and lengths of stay, but none in Peru or Ecuador. This means, as I said above, I will focus on finding a teaching position in Cuzco, and reserve working on the farm for a little later in the trip, once I´ve migrated back north. Hopefully I will have company on the farm as a friend from Lexington, Nik, will be arriving in mid May. He will have recently graduated from UK with a forestry degree so there is a good chance he´ll be willing to shack up on the farm for a while. An average day reguires 4-8 hrs. of work, but at least 2 days a week are free, allowing for short trips to explore the area. Much to look forward to!
Today I am going for a hike up to the ´mirador´, a lookout at the top of a hill overlooking the city of Ayacucho inside this giant valley I´m slouched in at the moment. It will be nice to get out of the hustling city for a few hours and hopefully take some photos that capture the whole city. The cultural center is hosting a free film fest so I´ll check out Penelope Cruz´s latest film, ¨La Nina de tus Ojos¨which translates to ´the daughter of your eyes´. I really enjoy going to the theatre in SA. While in Lima we all went to ´La Teta Asustada´, a beautifully made film, like a moving photograph, each still worth framing and hanging on your living room wall. It followed a young woman´s transition to independence after her mother dies and she is forced to take a job as a maid to raise money for a casket. She is afflicted with what the locals call La Teta Asustada which causes her to fear evil in the form of ghosts and men. It is not something many people beleive in, especially not doctors, but is very real for her. It was passed on to her from her mother who was violated by soldiers during the years of terrorism in Peru. Many women were forced to protect themselves the only way they could think of, which was to block the entrance through which a man might try to violate her. She did this with a potato. It was something women did in the past, only, during times of extreme danger. Yet the tradition carries on through our main character, suffer as she may. Like the potato inside of her, her resolve won´t budge, and she endures physical sickness and much lonliness because of it it. It is a harsh reality to face, but the movie depicts what we see around us every day, and incites many questions about what is invisible to tourists like us. I highly recommend seeing it, even if you don´t speak spanish. The story will not be lost.
To continue on about how little of this Peruvian life we can grasp, the ´Museo de la Memoria´we visited made for a heavy hearted afternoon. The violence Hallye cited was a mere 20 years ago. The majority of it took place during the year I was born, 1983. That means that most people I see walking down the street have some memory, certainly terrible ones, of the horrific violence that took place. I suppose they would rather not recount it, and I wonder how selfish I am willing to be by asking for their thoughts or stories. So far, I´ve gotten little reaction. Simple responses: there was a lot of violence, unnecessary, and worthless. I can´t imagine I would want to talk about it much either. I pray for peace all over the world, and am so very thankful for the peace that reigns here now, allowing us to visit with the mere worries of petty theft. I salute those who survived and extend sincere condolences the families who lost loved ones and the ´desaparecidos´ themselves. If you would like to learn more about a Peruvian foundation of mothers who lost their sons, called ANFASEP, visit <<http://qillqakuna.iespana.es/ANFASEP,%20madres.htm>>
Paz y amor a todos, Heather
Monday, March 23, 2009
Ayacucho, Peru
Our stay in Ayacucho has been wonderful. We came to Ayacucho not knowing too much about the city except its strong connection with the violence in the 80s and 90s and that it would put us one step closer to Cusco. We were lucky enough to notice a poster for a Choclo festival. Choclo is a type of corn that we have grown to love here. When we saw this poster we knew that we had to go to the festival. So yesterday (Sunday 22nd), we hopped on a packed combi and headed to a small town about an hour away from Ayacucho. Combis are small bus-vans. They have about four rows of seats (including the driver´s row) and they seem to fit about sixteen to twenty people inside. There is no legroom, you are lucky to get a window seat and even luckier if the window actually opens. SOMEHOW we have grown to love this way of transportation for small side trips and we use them more and more often as we travel around Peru. It is helpful that everyone else in the combi is in the exact same position as yourself and friendly.
Anyways, we arrived at the Choclo festival and immediately began our tour of the grounds. Tents were setup by the Choclo growers and judges were inspecting the choclo. We were in heaven when we reached the section of tents where they were selling all sorts of choclo-based goodies. We tried choclo bread, choclo cake, choclo picante (spicy) and a choclo casserole. We also got to try some Chicha - a local drink that is make of seven different types of seeds. We found a great spot on the hillside overlooking the tents a stage where they presented the ´largest humita in the world.´ A Peruvian family (consisting of baby, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother) invited us to sit with them, take a picture with them and even let Heather hold their adorable baby! Our rest on the hillside allowed us to prepare ourselves for a ´patchamanca.´ The patchamanca consits of potatoes, pork, humitas and peas that are all cooked together in an inground earthen stove. We were wise to split the patchamanca between the three of us because it was huge!
Our entire experience of the Choclo festival, the combi rides and the tasty treats was truly the best Peruvian culture experience we have had thus far. While there were a few other gringos at the event, I felt like we were enjoying the festival and appreciating the culture with Peruvians. I hope, and believe we will have many more experiences similar to this one.
Today (Monday 23rd) we visited el Museo de la Memoria. The museum is about the violence that engulfed Peru during the 1980s and 1990 but it particularly focused on the violence launched by both the homegrown terrorist group Sendero Luminoso and the Peruvian military. We learned that twenty six thousand people in the Ayacucho region alone died during the violence (beginning in 1980). We read about families whose loved ones disappeared during the time as well as reading accounts of military and Sendero Luminoso attacks on individuals who they believed were supporting the other side. One picture showed a stadium that we recognized as the same stadium where we attending the Choclo festival the day before. This stadium was basically used by the Peruvian military as a torture camp. Then, our tour guide also told us about how a small mall close to our hostal was the setting for some violent attacks by the Sendero Luminoso. Katie and I (Hallye) visited that mall earlier that morning.
Eerie is a word that has come to my mind several times walking around Ayacucho. We were slightly creeped out when we left the museum and it definitely added to the eeriness of the city but at the same time another word that we have used to describe Ayacucho is ´sassy.´ People are friendly, interested and curious to why we are here. The city is buzzing with activity at both day and night. I think this shows (for us), how this city has overcome, or at least working through, its troubled, recent past.
I miss everyone. Love, Hallye
Anyways, we arrived at the Choclo festival and immediately began our tour of the grounds. Tents were setup by the Choclo growers and judges were inspecting the choclo. We were in heaven when we reached the section of tents where they were selling all sorts of choclo-based goodies. We tried choclo bread, choclo cake, choclo picante (spicy) and a choclo casserole. We also got to try some Chicha - a local drink that is make of seven different types of seeds. We found a great spot on the hillside overlooking the tents a stage where they presented the ´largest humita in the world.´ A Peruvian family (consisting of baby, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother) invited us to sit with them, take a picture with them and even let Heather hold their adorable baby! Our rest on the hillside allowed us to prepare ourselves for a ´patchamanca.´ The patchamanca consits of potatoes, pork, humitas and peas that are all cooked together in an inground earthen stove. We were wise to split the patchamanca between the three of us because it was huge!
Our entire experience of the Choclo festival, the combi rides and the tasty treats was truly the best Peruvian culture experience we have had thus far. While there were a few other gringos at the event, I felt like we were enjoying the festival and appreciating the culture with Peruvians. I hope, and believe we will have many more experiences similar to this one.
Today (Monday 23rd) we visited el Museo de la Memoria. The museum is about the violence that engulfed Peru during the 1980s and 1990 but it particularly focused on the violence launched by both the homegrown terrorist group Sendero Luminoso and the Peruvian military. We learned that twenty six thousand people in the Ayacucho region alone died during the violence (beginning in 1980). We read about families whose loved ones disappeared during the time as well as reading accounts of military and Sendero Luminoso attacks on individuals who they believed were supporting the other side. One picture showed a stadium that we recognized as the same stadium where we attending the Choclo festival the day before. This stadium was basically used by the Peruvian military as a torture camp. Then, our tour guide also told us about how a small mall close to our hostal was the setting for some violent attacks by the Sendero Luminoso. Katie and I (Hallye) visited that mall earlier that morning.
Eerie is a word that has come to my mind several times walking around Ayacucho. We were slightly creeped out when we left the museum and it definitely added to the eeriness of the city but at the same time another word that we have used to describe Ayacucho is ´sassy.´ People are friendly, interested and curious to why we are here. The city is buzzing with activity at both day and night. I think this shows (for us), how this city has overcome, or at least working through, its troubled, recent past.
I miss everyone. Love, Hallye
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Lets play catch up!!
This post will be a rapid recounting of the past couple weeks that we have left you all in the dark on. The past several days have been filled with travel. The material is thin and the activities have been scarce, therefore you have missed nothing. I guess travellers always reach a point in moving throughout entire countries when certain stops are obligatory, where nothing really happens but a bed and a day or two of rest is necessary. Leaving Huaraz, we headed to Lima (one of those obligatory stops). We wanted to go to Lima for one: just to say we went and two: because it is a meeting point for travelling south on the Panamerican Highway to other Peruvian hot spots. After a long over nighter from the mountains, we spent our first day in Lima sleeping it off. Good thing we woke up with a lot of energy because we treated ourselves to a night out in the trendy Barranco in the south part of Lima. The next day again, we were somewhat lethargic from the previous night´s activities and chose to spend the hot hot afternoon in the movie theater enjoying a Peruvian film ¨La Teta Asustada¨. Another day in Lima was spent seeing the sights and then we continued south. Lunahuana, a town is Peru´s southern wine country, was our next stop. We were so excited about the oncoming harvest festival where we heard speak of free wine samples but were dissapointed to find the town nearly deserted upon arrival (although free wine samples were still easy to find). The trip to wine town would have been a total bust if it weren´t for the Aussie couple we met on the first night. For the next few evenings, we met up with our new friends for Pisco drinks in the plaza and fresh crawfish soup dinners. We even went whitewater rafting with them one day and had a really good experience with that. It´s the end of the rainy season so the water is really high. After another pitstop in Paracas, Peru, we moved on to Ayacucho where we are now. Cuzco is in the near future and Machu Picchu! More on that very soon.
Chancos
Benoir the tortoise from Quebec suggested that before we leave Lima we visit Chancos for it´s natural suanas and banos termales (thermal baths). Our guide book also listed this pueblo as a hot spot for rock climbing, so we were all about it. We headed out for the day trip from Lima on a colectivo, a VW type mini-bus that stops every few minutes to pick up more passengers than it should, it´s heavy door sliding open just long enough to get the baskets full of produce on the floor and at least one foot inside the vehicle. Seating arrangements and bus fare are sorted out while the bus rumbles along the rocky, dusty road. Amidst the comings and goings of Peruvians, swithcing seats, rearranging my body into positions that seem impossible outside of a colectivo, my favorite necklace fell off without my knowing. I understand that one shouldn´t bring favorite peices of jewelry to a third world country for a 6 month trip. It´s not fancy; I paid nothing for it. The silver beads, one with turquoise and coral, the others with some ancient Japanese shorthand in gold, I strung together to make this peice were found buried on a beach in San Diego, and I figured they might be good for bartering or gifts along the way in S.A.
I didn´t notice it´s absence until after dipping into the thermal pool, hopping over to the sauna for as long as I could stand it, and spending another hour or so in the pool. While swimming I made friends with a little girl named Camilla, who wanted to learn how to swim. I love teaching little kids anything; it´s nice to feel helpful, so while Katie and Hallye recovered from the hot hot cave with a cold cold fanta I stayed in the murky green pool, unable to see my hand under water let alone the bottom floor of the pool. We had fun practicing floating and kicking and pushing off from the steps to glide across the water and start swimming. She was a fast learner and a terribly sweet little girl, and once I realized I had lost my necklace, I let her know that it was probably somewhere at the bottom of the pool and if it was found, it would be waiting at the front desk for her, as I wouldn´t be coming back to collect it. She looked at me rather curiously, tweaked her head to one side, and pulled her hand from the bag of beans she´d been snacking on and ran full throttle to a nearby shop, where her mother was chatting with a friend. In an instant she was back, with my necklace in her hand! Her mother followed close behind and explained that they had found it on a bus in the last town, no where near Chancos or the pool. What luck! I´m curious to see where those beads will follow me; there must be some magic inside. I thanked them both extensively and tried to explain how much I appreciated their help, and gave Camilla another necklace I made in Porto Lopez and a kiss on the cheek. These are the days I live for.
I didn´t notice it´s absence until after dipping into the thermal pool, hopping over to the sauna for as long as I could stand it, and spending another hour or so in the pool. While swimming I made friends with a little girl named Camilla, who wanted to learn how to swim. I love teaching little kids anything; it´s nice to feel helpful, so while Katie and Hallye recovered from the hot hot cave with a cold cold fanta I stayed in the murky green pool, unable to see my hand under water let alone the bottom floor of the pool. We had fun practicing floating and kicking and pushing off from the steps to glide across the water and start swimming. She was a fast learner and a terribly sweet little girl, and once I realized I had lost my necklace, I let her know that it was probably somewhere at the bottom of the pool and if it was found, it would be waiting at the front desk for her, as I wouldn´t be coming back to collect it. She looked at me rather curiously, tweaked her head to one side, and pulled her hand from the bag of beans she´d been snacking on and ran full throttle to a nearby shop, where her mother was chatting with a friend. In an instant she was back, with my necklace in her hand! Her mother followed close behind and explained that they had found it on a bus in the last town, no where near Chancos or the pool. What luck! I´m curious to see where those beads will follow me; there must be some magic inside. I thanked them both extensively and tried to explain how much I appreciated their help, and gave Camilla another necklace I made in Porto Lopez and a kiss on the cheek. These are the days I live for.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Livin large, not quite in charge
Hi there, Heather here. Again, apologies are in order for not having blogged in so long. The time moves slower here in a sense, but it´s also hard to find enough time amidst my ever-changing daily schedule to sit in front of the computer and organize my thoughts quick enough to report to all of you. Then again, it´s also quite a pleasure to relive the mass of foreign experiences I encounter several times all day.
Huanchaco: Surfing town, as Hallye mentioned. Paved roads and fancy hotels have been increasingly common over the past few years of tourists flocking to enjoy the powerful waves and try it out for themselves. I opted out of the planned surfing lesson with Juan Carlos as I´m trying to pinch pennies. Surfers abound though, and after talking with Paul, whose art show we were invited to, I received another invite to use his board while he gave me pointers and helped me catch waves. It is certainly as hard as it seems but worth every sore muscle it caused. The arms are the first to go, as paddling back out to catch another wave is very tiring. Then the legs, of course, as pulling yourself up out of the break is hard enough without having to propel your whole body out of the water and onto the board. THEN you have to regain your balance and stand up. This is tricky. Very tricky. Even more rewarding though, and I couldn´t stop smiling the entire time I was out there in the icy ocean. One perk of paying for a lesson is the wetsuit and a sizable board. Since I had to go with the freebie I had onoly a bathing suit and a short board, which makes it all a bit more difficult. I was still very proud of how well it went and very much look forward to doing it again. Matter of fact, we´re off to Lima tonight, and Paul recommended a great surfing spot an hour or so away. Hopefully the next blog will highlight the tubes of blue I´ve been sailing through ;)
I´ve been curious about the sub-culture of twenty somethings who wander the beach towns displaying their handmade jewelry. They are also usually carrying a musical instrument, and wide smiles that seem never to disappear. A simple life, often traveling in bands of like-minded youth. They work on their crafts, using shells and stones they find for earrings, necklaces, bracelets...and carve earrings and pendants from beach wood. They make music to entertain themselves, singing, playing flutes, guitars, and didgeridoos. They build bonfires at night, spinning fire and dancing around the periphery, and telling exaggerated stories. They always have something to talk about, and are always eager to share with girls walking alone along the beach, ignoring the implications of disinterest despite the ferocity with which I, in particular, may send. I´ve found them, after a short bit of research, observation and questioning, their lives are far less romantic or rewarding than they seem at first. Glad to know I can rule out being a gypsy, though sad to see my fantasy turn to ashes and smolder in the afternoon rain.
Trujillo: Quick stop. Long enough to try some straight pisco and ´to die for´ chocolate cake. Katie and I split a peice though, so we wouldn´t be ridden with guilt. That didn´t last too long though, because as I was handing my bus ticket to the attendant she told me to hold my breath as I passed the guard who was checking bags. Apparently a drink with dinner, before a bus ride, is strictly prohibited. Oops! Lesson learned.
Huaraz: The little Alps, they call it, and WHAT A VIEW! From anywhere in this charming mountain town, one can glimpse the terrifyingly high peaks draped in snow so white it´s almost blinding. I feel silly wearing sunglasses with a toboggan on but I already stand out anyway.
A lanky French Canadian named Benoir has provided us with many suggestions for enjoying Huaraz to the fullest, and quite a few have proven worthy. Among those, a hot maca fruit drink called ´mascarado´ (we think). We have had to ask for the name every visit, and the fact that I still am not 100% confident of it shows just how great it is. Benoir convinved us to go try it out easily, as his major selling point was: it´s so good for you! and has no alcohol! and it´s made with maca! and it´s so relaxing! Sure enough, fermented fruit is alcohol, a depressant, go figure. Still, it´s fun to enjoy the hot drink surrounded by Peruvians who are, like us, seeking shelter from the cold evening rain and a nightcap. It certainly relieves stress and an added bonus is the vivid dreams I´ve experienced. Some good, some bad, all very real seeming...therefore, consider this a friendly warning :) Maca root, however, is something to look into without apprehension. Close to miraculous according to folks here and avid enjoyers around the globe. It´s especially helpful for fertility and was actually prohibited by the higher ups of the Incan culture as a sort of population control as the soldiers benefitted from taking it before battle, but afterward they were getting a little too randy and had to be stopped! http://health.discovery.com/centers/sex/libido/maca.html
The 8th of March is National Women´s Day around this little planet of ours and I was very glad to see a parade marching down the main street of Huaraz as we stepped out to find an information center. We stopped to take pictures of the smiling and waving women, ranging from 5 to 90 I´d say, dressed traditionally and in more modern clothes, all with the common bond of sisterhood. Warming and thought provoking...and hard not to miss mama, grandmas, aunts and sisters, but simultaneously appreciate the company of strangers who have fought the same battles, victoriously.
Later that day we tried Cuy, the traditional delicacy of guinea pig. That´s my second ´first time ever´ of the trip (surfing was no. 1) and I enjoyed it more than I expected to. It´s little foot crunchy and covered in marinade didn´t deter me from biting into the thigh. Actually I was wanting more after sucking dry the bones of a quarter of the little animal we domesticate back home. I had a guinea pig once....I never did find out how he tasted though. To make this experience even more authentic, we were surrounded by locals enjoying the same dish. It´s quite a treat to eat on the street, under small tents and the care of terribly sweet old women, who look more like dolls than the persevering fighters-for-life that they are.
The hostal we´ve been staying in is run by one of these women that typify the culture here, Senora Meza. She has changed our sheets and made our beds and greeted us with warm, sincere smiles since we arrived, all of which we appreciate with equal sincerity. It´s such a treat to enter one´s room and crawl under perfectly neat covers, knowing she has washed these sheets with her aged hands, now likely immune to the cold we are so desperate to escape. The air is near bitter here, and I haven´t had enough blood flowing in either my hands or feet since we arrived. While hiking in the Quebrada Llaca, actually, the only real feeling I had in either extremity were twinges of pain. This took nothing away from the experience, though. Absolutely stunning, I only wish my cannon powershot did it justice and you all could see just how amazing the sights here are. (There´s always google :) We saw pletny of sheep, cows and horses grazing. Also a bird called the Caracara , which we first noticed in Cotopaxi, the volcano we visited in Ecuador. We strayed from the map Diana (of the Lazy Dog Inn) had provided, and followed a silver-green stream that flowed from the mountains we sought, Hallye and Benoir on one side, Katie and I on the other. Searching for a spot to cross over and meet our friends on the plain, Katie and I kept moving forward without any luck, and eventually completely ran out of path. Forced to maneuver steep ridges, grasping saplings and pathces of thick grass to balance our weight against moss covered rocks at staggering angles, we finally made it to a point in the rushing stream with a boulder in the middle and another on the far side. It took some serious team work and guts, and disregard for wet shoes and socks.Together, we made it, increasing our status on the BAMF-o-meter tremendously. Risin´ up!
I haven´t caught up completely bu the time has come for the last hurrah in Huaraz, as the Sra Meza would like us out by 8pm. Much love and warm wishes! Please send it back, as this is our second Friday the 13th of the trip, and tonight we leave for Lima, an 8 hour bus ride. Yesterdays bus ride was held up by a landslide, and required that we run through mud slop puddles away from large falling rocks. More on this later... PEACE!
Heather Pax
Huanchaco: Surfing town, as Hallye mentioned. Paved roads and fancy hotels have been increasingly common over the past few years of tourists flocking to enjoy the powerful waves and try it out for themselves. I opted out of the planned surfing lesson with Juan Carlos as I´m trying to pinch pennies. Surfers abound though, and after talking with Paul, whose art show we were invited to, I received another invite to use his board while he gave me pointers and helped me catch waves. It is certainly as hard as it seems but worth every sore muscle it caused. The arms are the first to go, as paddling back out to catch another wave is very tiring. Then the legs, of course, as pulling yourself up out of the break is hard enough without having to propel your whole body out of the water and onto the board. THEN you have to regain your balance and stand up. This is tricky. Very tricky. Even more rewarding though, and I couldn´t stop smiling the entire time I was out there in the icy ocean. One perk of paying for a lesson is the wetsuit and a sizable board. Since I had to go with the freebie I had onoly a bathing suit and a short board, which makes it all a bit more difficult. I was still very proud of how well it went and very much look forward to doing it again. Matter of fact, we´re off to Lima tonight, and Paul recommended a great surfing spot an hour or so away. Hopefully the next blog will highlight the tubes of blue I´ve been sailing through ;)
I´ve been curious about the sub-culture of twenty somethings who wander the beach towns displaying their handmade jewelry. They are also usually carrying a musical instrument, and wide smiles that seem never to disappear. A simple life, often traveling in bands of like-minded youth. They work on their crafts, using shells and stones they find for earrings, necklaces, bracelets...and carve earrings and pendants from beach wood. They make music to entertain themselves, singing, playing flutes, guitars, and didgeridoos. They build bonfires at night, spinning fire and dancing around the periphery, and telling exaggerated stories. They always have something to talk about, and are always eager to share with girls walking alone along the beach, ignoring the implications of disinterest despite the ferocity with which I, in particular, may send. I´ve found them, after a short bit of research, observation and questioning, their lives are far less romantic or rewarding than they seem at first. Glad to know I can rule out being a gypsy, though sad to see my fantasy turn to ashes and smolder in the afternoon rain.
Trujillo: Quick stop. Long enough to try some straight pisco and ´to die for´ chocolate cake. Katie and I split a peice though, so we wouldn´t be ridden with guilt. That didn´t last too long though, because as I was handing my bus ticket to the attendant she told me to hold my breath as I passed the guard who was checking bags. Apparently a drink with dinner, before a bus ride, is strictly prohibited. Oops! Lesson learned.
Huaraz: The little Alps, they call it, and WHAT A VIEW! From anywhere in this charming mountain town, one can glimpse the terrifyingly high peaks draped in snow so white it´s almost blinding. I feel silly wearing sunglasses with a toboggan on but I already stand out anyway.
A lanky French Canadian named Benoir has provided us with many suggestions for enjoying Huaraz to the fullest, and quite a few have proven worthy. Among those, a hot maca fruit drink called ´mascarado´ (we think). We have had to ask for the name every visit, and the fact that I still am not 100% confident of it shows just how great it is. Benoir convinved us to go try it out easily, as his major selling point was: it´s so good for you! and has no alcohol! and it´s made with maca! and it´s so relaxing! Sure enough, fermented fruit is alcohol, a depressant, go figure. Still, it´s fun to enjoy the hot drink surrounded by Peruvians who are, like us, seeking shelter from the cold evening rain and a nightcap. It certainly relieves stress and an added bonus is the vivid dreams I´ve experienced. Some good, some bad, all very real seeming...therefore, consider this a friendly warning :) Maca root, however, is something to look into without apprehension. Close to miraculous according to folks here and avid enjoyers around the globe. It´s especially helpful for fertility and was actually prohibited by the higher ups of the Incan culture as a sort of population control as the soldiers benefitted from taking it before battle, but afterward they were getting a little too randy and had to be stopped! http://health.discovery.com/centers/sex/libido/maca.html
The 8th of March is National Women´s Day around this little planet of ours and I was very glad to see a parade marching down the main street of Huaraz as we stepped out to find an information center. We stopped to take pictures of the smiling and waving women, ranging from 5 to 90 I´d say, dressed traditionally and in more modern clothes, all with the common bond of sisterhood. Warming and thought provoking...and hard not to miss mama, grandmas, aunts and sisters, but simultaneously appreciate the company of strangers who have fought the same battles, victoriously.
Later that day we tried Cuy, the traditional delicacy of guinea pig. That´s my second ´first time ever´ of the trip (surfing was no. 1) and I enjoyed it more than I expected to. It´s little foot crunchy and covered in marinade didn´t deter me from biting into the thigh. Actually I was wanting more after sucking dry the bones of a quarter of the little animal we domesticate back home. I had a guinea pig once....I never did find out how he tasted though. To make this experience even more authentic, we were surrounded by locals enjoying the same dish. It´s quite a treat to eat on the street, under small tents and the care of terribly sweet old women, who look more like dolls than the persevering fighters-for-life that they are.
The hostal we´ve been staying in is run by one of these women that typify the culture here, Senora Meza. She has changed our sheets and made our beds and greeted us with warm, sincere smiles since we arrived, all of which we appreciate with equal sincerity. It´s such a treat to enter one´s room and crawl under perfectly neat covers, knowing she has washed these sheets with her aged hands, now likely immune to the cold we are so desperate to escape. The air is near bitter here, and I haven´t had enough blood flowing in either my hands or feet since we arrived. While hiking in the Quebrada Llaca, actually, the only real feeling I had in either extremity were twinges of pain. This took nothing away from the experience, though. Absolutely stunning, I only wish my cannon powershot did it justice and you all could see just how amazing the sights here are. (There´s always google :) We saw pletny of sheep, cows and horses grazing. Also a bird called the Caracara , which we first noticed in Cotopaxi, the volcano we visited in Ecuador. We strayed from the map Diana (of the Lazy Dog Inn) had provided, and followed a silver-green stream that flowed from the mountains we sought, Hallye and Benoir on one side, Katie and I on the other. Searching for a spot to cross over and meet our friends on the plain, Katie and I kept moving forward without any luck, and eventually completely ran out of path. Forced to maneuver steep ridges, grasping saplings and pathces of thick grass to balance our weight against moss covered rocks at staggering angles, we finally made it to a point in the rushing stream with a boulder in the middle and another on the far side. It took some serious team work and guts, and disregard for wet shoes and socks.Together, we made it, increasing our status on the BAMF-o-meter tremendously. Risin´ up!
I haven´t caught up completely bu the time has come for the last hurrah in Huaraz, as the Sra Meza would like us out by 8pm. Much love and warm wishes! Please send it back, as this is our second Friday the 13th of the trip, and tonight we leave for Lima, an 8 hour bus ride. Yesterdays bus ride was held up by a landslide, and required that we run through mud slop puddles away from large falling rocks. More on this later... PEACE!
Heather Pax
Most Memorable Day
Katie here, and I am about to share a story with you that describes what will be the most memorable day for me so far here in South America. In this small telling of our experiences, you will hear of ancient ruins, landslides, and the good spirit of Latino people. Lonely Planet, our bible-esque guide book, describes Peruvians as people who are always happily looking on the bright side despite their oftentimes bad lot in life. I attest to this belief and support it wholeheartedly, and as I tell you this story you will see why. It all began when Heather and Hallye and I decided to take a trip to the ruins of Chavin which lies about three hours outside of Huaraz. Chavin is a pre-Inca culture and the ancient structures of their civilization are still in very good condition for visitors to see. When deciding how we were going to go about this day trip, we opted out of the pricey tour bus with a guide as not one of us are very fond of the huge tour group scene. Instead, we did as the locals would do and grabbed a cheap bus ticket and decided to make the trek independently, maybe catching a guide at the site. The bus itself was a truly real and genuinely peruvian experience. As we were waiting to board the bus, crate after crate of live chicken was being hauled into the cargo cell. After two hours on the bus, the engine started making the underbelly of the bus really hot and the smell of warm chicken poop was emanating to the passenger area. I couldn´t help but smile amid the smelly and bumpy ride because I knew that I was getting the experience that most tourists who claim to be travellers never see (most of the passengers were indigenous men and women which also added to the ´realness´). That doesn´t mean however that I will opt for the non-tourist thing on the next three hour mountain bus ride, once is enough. About this time it started to rain a little bit and as we passed through the mountain onto the other side and made it around the fourth switch-back, everyone on the bus suddenly looked out the window to the left side and I heard a lot of what must have been a mix of Quechua and Spanish cuss words. Then someone shouted, ¨No hay paso!¨(There is no way through!). I looked out and found the cause of the commotion. A landslide about forty yards wide had blocked our only way to Chavin. The bus stopped and a neighboring passenger told us that we could go to the other side and catch a ride to Chavin, so we climbed across the landslide and hopped in a colectivo. By the time we made it to the town, we were a little weary from the ride and considered turning right around and going back home, especially since the rain would likely pick back up in the afternoon and cause more landslides. But we got over our fatigue and went to the ruins which turned out to be incredible. These people were excellent architects and engineers as we could see from the structures and techniques used. The main house for the high priests was anti seismic and also contained small ducts in the walls that served not only as ventilation, but also sucked in air from the outside to keep a constant flow of oxygen in the cramped labrynthine temple. Half of the builiding was built with black rock and the other half was built with light colored stones which representing the duality in life. The line separating the colors ran visibly right down the front middle of the house. About sixty yards away in the plaza, there was a small dot on a staircase that the guide told us lined up directly with the parting line in the building. He said that since 500 BC when the Chavin culture ceased to exist, the dot had moved off line just 6 milimeters.
After the incredible tour with the personal guide that we were able to hire, it was time to head back to Huaraz despite the incoming rains. Martin, our guide, was able to get us a ride on a outgoing tour bus. So we hopped on with this group of tourists who had spent the day together. It was a mix of Peruvians and foreigners and numbered about 23 including the three of us. We could tell the driver was a little anxious about the road conditions and he was hurrying us so that we could beat any potential landslides. In the case that the road was blocked, he promised us that a bus would be waiting on the other side to take us home. We were rattling along in the rain and we were nearing the spot in the road that was blocked earlier. As we had feared, another landslide had covered the road. The bus was unable to go further and the driver ordered us off the bus. We could hear the tour guide yellling as we frantically began to trudge through the knee deep mud. I was concentrating on moving my legs through the mud as I heard him yell ´apurense, corre corre. Adelante por favor!´(hurry up, run run. Forward please!) We kept running and looking up the mountain as more mud was falling on the road. His shouts were more dramatic than the situation appeared, as there didn´t seem to be any real danger of being covered in mud and stones but I think he knew at any minute that earth could fall on us and cover us. Finally we made it to the other side of the landslide and then had to hike about a mile up the road in the rain to the bus that was actually waiting for us on the other side. We got on the bus and were freezing, wet, and muddy. Not one person was complaining though, in fact, everyone seemed to be getting a kick out of the situation. People were taking pictures and laughing and telling jokes and being friendly. Old peruvian women (and Heather) were passing out bread and chocolate to everyone on the bus so that we could get warm. Picture takers were passing their cameras around to strangers to show them funny pictures that had been snapped throughout the ordeal. Nobody seemed miserable. I expected to be miserable in those conditions but I wasn´t, at all. I was actually having a lot of fun, even though I had nearly three hours until home.
Earlier when I spoke of the spirit of the peruvian people, I was talking about the people on the first chicken poop bus as well as our companions in the landslide ordeal. In both cases, nobody seemed to mind the less-than-agreeable conditions. Everyone just carried on as usual always with a smile on the face and a joke to tell. They were patient, kind, and positive. Even though the man with the smelly chickens was probably going to miss his buyer as a result of the lanslide delay (there was no way for him to carry his chickens across. He would have to wait all day for it to be cleared or turn around and go back home) I doubt that he cursed his lot once. Most probably sat on that bus all day waiting for a pass to be cleared telling stories and talking about family. Some crossed just like us and went on with their lives. Others probably joined in with the men in the long line of cars who had opened their trunks and invited anyone who wanted to wait with them and drink.
On our way home that evening, it started to snow. The driver put on some Peruvian music and I smiled again. The view of the Andean mountains getting covered in snow was beautiful. I forgot that I was cold, muddy up to my knees and wet and just was happy to be in South America. I don´t think I will ever get caught in a landslide accompanied by 20 smiling people in Kentucky. Im glad I did that.
After the incredible tour with the personal guide that we were able to hire, it was time to head back to Huaraz despite the incoming rains. Martin, our guide, was able to get us a ride on a outgoing tour bus. So we hopped on with this group of tourists who had spent the day together. It was a mix of Peruvians and foreigners and numbered about 23 including the three of us. We could tell the driver was a little anxious about the road conditions and he was hurrying us so that we could beat any potential landslides. In the case that the road was blocked, he promised us that a bus would be waiting on the other side to take us home. We were rattling along in the rain and we were nearing the spot in the road that was blocked earlier. As we had feared, another landslide had covered the road. The bus was unable to go further and the driver ordered us off the bus. We could hear the tour guide yellling as we frantically began to trudge through the knee deep mud. I was concentrating on moving my legs through the mud as I heard him yell ´apurense, corre corre. Adelante por favor!´(hurry up, run run. Forward please!) We kept running and looking up the mountain as more mud was falling on the road. His shouts were more dramatic than the situation appeared, as there didn´t seem to be any real danger of being covered in mud and stones but I think he knew at any minute that earth could fall on us and cover us. Finally we made it to the other side of the landslide and then had to hike about a mile up the road in the rain to the bus that was actually waiting for us on the other side. We got on the bus and were freezing, wet, and muddy. Not one person was complaining though, in fact, everyone seemed to be getting a kick out of the situation. People were taking pictures and laughing and telling jokes and being friendly. Old peruvian women (and Heather) were passing out bread and chocolate to everyone on the bus so that we could get warm. Picture takers were passing their cameras around to strangers to show them funny pictures that had been snapped throughout the ordeal. Nobody seemed miserable. I expected to be miserable in those conditions but I wasn´t, at all. I was actually having a lot of fun, even though I had nearly three hours until home.
Earlier when I spoke of the spirit of the peruvian people, I was talking about the people on the first chicken poop bus as well as our companions in the landslide ordeal. In both cases, nobody seemed to mind the less-than-agreeable conditions. Everyone just carried on as usual always with a smile on the face and a joke to tell. They were patient, kind, and positive. Even though the man with the smelly chickens was probably going to miss his buyer as a result of the lanslide delay (there was no way for him to carry his chickens across. He would have to wait all day for it to be cleared or turn around and go back home) I doubt that he cursed his lot once. Most probably sat on that bus all day waiting for a pass to be cleared telling stories and talking about family. Some crossed just like us and went on with their lives. Others probably joined in with the men in the long line of cars who had opened their trunks and invited anyone who wanted to wait with them and drink.
On our way home that evening, it started to snow. The driver put on some Peruvian music and I smiled again. The view of the Andean mountains getting covered in snow was beautiful. I forgot that I was cold, muddy up to my knees and wet and just was happy to be in South America. I don´t think I will ever get caught in a landslide accompanied by 20 smiling people in Kentucky. Im glad I did that.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Mountain town
First--Huaraz, Peru is BEAUTIFUL. The glaciated peaks make amazing views from our rooftop kitchen in the morning. The mountains surrounding us are the second highest range in the world. The actual city of Huaraz is filled with tour agencies, trekkers and some tasty restaurants that offer 4 soles dinners (a little over a dollar). Everyone is super nice and it makes me not want to leave here...or at least return one day.
Yesterday (3-10) we went on a day trek in Quebrada Llaca. Ever since we arrived in Huaraz, Peru we have been wanting to hike into the mountains. However, it is the rainy season so we opted for the day trek. We heard about this particular trek from a Canadian woman named Diana who runs a nice lodge called Lazy Dog Inn. She advised that we get out of the city on Tuesday because there was going to be a strike (which are common here) and everything would be closed. Heather, Katie, Benoit (our French Canadian friend) and I (Hallye) left our hostal about seven that morning and began the walk to Diana´s inn where she drew us out a quick map.
The first two hours of the trek was a somewhat steep and very rocky trail. We then had to follow a dirt road into Parque Nacional Huascaran. It got a little colder as we entered the Quebrada and we could see the glaciers in the distance when the fog was not covering them. We crossed several streams and waterfalls running off rock-face mountain side and saw some of a native animal (and I can´t remember its name now) that has the head of a rabbit (long ears) and the back end of a squirrel. It was very strange looking and I wish we had them back home! We cut through the little valley that was covered with boulders of all shapes and sizes. Actually the entire area around Huaraz has these massive rocks. There was a major earthquake here in 1970 that nearly destroyed the city but we blocked this from our minds as we hiked past the big rocks.
We made it to the Laguna Llaca where we hung out for a few minutes and rested our tired bodies before we turned back. We were able to make the journey back much quicker than the uphill hike there. When we reached the main road several hours later, (close to the Inn where we got the map) we happened upon a taxi. We were all shocked to see it because the road in this area was very rocky and muddy. Since we were exhuasted and the rain was quickly approaching, we thought a cab would be perfect. The driver looked a little confused so we asked him if he could take us down the city. He told us that he had been ´practicing.´We were all a little confused about this comment, but he said we would take us so we jumped in. After a couple minutes of driving he told that we were his first passengers. This is was also about the time that we realized how nervous he seemed. He then told us that he has only been driving about a week. He got his license to drive five years ago but has not driven at all except for the past week. He had to stop and run across a field and tell his Dad that he was going down to Huaraz. And we did make it back to the city eventhough there were some times where we thought he was taking curves and huge, muddy potholes a little too fast.
We have much more to tell about Huaraz, but I must get going for now. We will post some more later. Hallye
Yesterday (3-10) we went on a day trek in Quebrada Llaca. Ever since we arrived in Huaraz, Peru we have been wanting to hike into the mountains. However, it is the rainy season so we opted for the day trek. We heard about this particular trek from a Canadian woman named Diana who runs a nice lodge called Lazy Dog Inn. She advised that we get out of the city on Tuesday because there was going to be a strike (which are common here) and everything would be closed. Heather, Katie, Benoit (our French Canadian friend) and I (Hallye) left our hostal about seven that morning and began the walk to Diana´s inn where she drew us out a quick map.
The first two hours of the trek was a somewhat steep and very rocky trail. We then had to follow a dirt road into Parque Nacional Huascaran. It got a little colder as we entered the Quebrada and we could see the glaciers in the distance when the fog was not covering them. We crossed several streams and waterfalls running off rock-face mountain side and saw some of a native animal (and I can´t remember its name now) that has the head of a rabbit (long ears) and the back end of a squirrel. It was very strange looking and I wish we had them back home! We cut through the little valley that was covered with boulders of all shapes and sizes. Actually the entire area around Huaraz has these massive rocks. There was a major earthquake here in 1970 that nearly destroyed the city but we blocked this from our minds as we hiked past the big rocks.
We made it to the Laguna Llaca where we hung out for a few minutes and rested our tired bodies before we turned back. We were able to make the journey back much quicker than the uphill hike there. When we reached the main road several hours later, (close to the Inn where we got the map) we happened upon a taxi. We were all shocked to see it because the road in this area was very rocky and muddy. Since we were exhuasted and the rain was quickly approaching, we thought a cab would be perfect. The driver looked a little confused so we asked him if he could take us down the city. He told us that he had been ´practicing.´We were all a little confused about this comment, but he said we would take us so we jumped in. After a couple minutes of driving he told that we were his first passengers. This is was also about the time that we realized how nervous he seemed. He then told us that he has only been driving about a week. He got his license to drive five years ago but has not driven at all except for the past week. He had to stop and run across a field and tell his Dad that he was going down to Huaraz. And we did make it back to the city eventhough there were some times where we thought he was taking curves and huge, muddy potholes a little too fast.
We have much more to tell about Huaraz, but I must get going for now. We will post some more later. Hallye
Sunday, March 8, 2009
A Few Thoughts...
It is great to be back in Peru. As some of you know, I was here last May for a couple weeks. Being a traveler on my own is giving me a different prospective on this country, especially since I am able to compare it to a neighbor that I recently visited. The differences between Ecuador and Peru are becoming more apparent each day. The first major difference that I noticed has to do with the indigenous presence in each country. Peru definitely seems to be more proud of their indigenous heritage and seems to work harder to preserve it and make sure that outsiders recognize the pride that Peru has for its history. One way in which this is apparent is in the appearance of the indigenous women. In Ecuador, I could not help but notice the gloomy look on the faces of the older indigenous women in the cities. It was as if they were just waiting for time to extract the last traces of indigenous culture from Ecuador. Many times we saw indigenous women in the traditional dress accompanied by their daughters who had adopted the modern style. It seemed to me like the generation of the mothers will be the last to hold strong the indigenous way of life. However in Peru, and especially in the mountain town of Huaraz where we find ourselves now, the indigenous women seem to wear their pride not only on their faces, but also in their clothing. While the Ecuadorian women wore darker and more drab colors, the Peruvian indigenous walk around with brighter skirts, taller hats, and daughters and sons still in the indigenous clothing. It is also evident that Peru takes more interest in its history because so many opportunities to learn about Peruvian history are made available to the traveler. Ecuador did not seem to have so many archeological sites and ruins. I am not sure exactly why this might be, but Peru definitely has more to offer for those wanting to learn about the ancient cultures of the country.
Another difference that I have noticed has to do with the children in each country; more specifically, the children on the street. In Ecuador, you could find the poor children working on the street, as shoe shiners for example. In Quito, there were even Institutos educativos por el niño obrero (Educational Institution for the Child Worker). These schools would teach little boys and girls how to make a living on the street by shining shoes or mending clothing. There were also a good number of children selling candy and gum. Peru also has its share of children selling odds and ends but I have not noticed many children doing actual work in the street. Instead of having little boys approach me when I´m sitting on a park bench asking me if I would like my tennis shoes shined as in Ecuador, now the little children come up with dirty faces and cupped hands begging for money. I´m still not sure which is worse. While in Ecuador, I thought the idea of a school to teach street children how to work was atrocious. But I think living their childhoods begging in Peru might be worse and a school for working street children might be one of those grim necessities.
These are just two differences that I have seen so far. The other two girls might have different opinions on these subjects but this is just a commentary from my point of view. Also, there are other differences such as the lanscape and food. Peru has a huge asian influence from years ago when Chinese immigrants came over to work on the railroads. This means that Chifa (Asian/Peruvian) restaurants are just as common as real hard core Peruvian cookin´. The one common ingredient in Chifa and Pervuian is RICE. I am finding it increasingly difficult to avoid rice. It´s not that I dislike rice, but I dislike having rice thrice daily. Just recently I began going back to my gringa eating habits and eating my kind of food. The latino fair was just not agreeing with my intestines. Now I have my daily dose of yogurt and apples and granola and veggies...and ice cream.
Huaraz, the city where we are currently, lies in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range of Peru. According to our books, this range has the second highest peaks in the world next to the Himalayas. Soon we will embark on a two-day trek of the Cordillera. Renting tents is possible without spending over three dollars and the trails are manageable even for the inexperienced trekkers that we are. From our hostal, you can see the snow-capped peaks in the distance. Also during periods of coudless skies, it rains! Actually, it is nothing more that the previous night´s snow being blown down over the city from the mountains but it is a neat feeling to be rained on when the sun is beating down on you. We have met another french canadian from our hostal who has been giving us good tips for our adventure to the Sacred Valley and Cuzco. This will take place after our stop in Lima and perhaps some surrounding coastal towns. Right now it is actually raining. The real rain comes in at about three in the afternoon every day and doesn´t really stop till nine or so. It also gets REALLY cold at night. I had to ask for an extra blanket from the Señora who owns the hostal and she told me that I must have a calcium deficiency because there is now way that it is THAT cold at night. Who knows..she might be right. My Señora in Spain was able to diagnose my kidney infection just by looking at me. They know things...I don´t know how but they are medical doctors without the degrees and years of schooling.
I for one, love the mountains. I think Hallye and Heather might prefer the beach any day over the mountains but I am the other way around. I do enjoy our time at the beach and I know they also like the mountains but I definitely prefer mountains.
The other girls will also be blogging today so I will leave some of the story for them to tell. Hope everyone continues to enjoy reading.
Another difference that I have noticed has to do with the children in each country; more specifically, the children on the street. In Ecuador, you could find the poor children working on the street, as shoe shiners for example. In Quito, there were even Institutos educativos por el niño obrero (Educational Institution for the Child Worker). These schools would teach little boys and girls how to make a living on the street by shining shoes or mending clothing. There were also a good number of children selling candy and gum. Peru also has its share of children selling odds and ends but I have not noticed many children doing actual work in the street. Instead of having little boys approach me when I´m sitting on a park bench asking me if I would like my tennis shoes shined as in Ecuador, now the little children come up with dirty faces and cupped hands begging for money. I´m still not sure which is worse. While in Ecuador, I thought the idea of a school to teach street children how to work was atrocious. But I think living their childhoods begging in Peru might be worse and a school for working street children might be one of those grim necessities.
These are just two differences that I have seen so far. The other two girls might have different opinions on these subjects but this is just a commentary from my point of view. Also, there are other differences such as the lanscape and food. Peru has a huge asian influence from years ago when Chinese immigrants came over to work on the railroads. This means that Chifa (Asian/Peruvian) restaurants are just as common as real hard core Peruvian cookin´. The one common ingredient in Chifa and Pervuian is RICE. I am finding it increasingly difficult to avoid rice. It´s not that I dislike rice, but I dislike having rice thrice daily. Just recently I began going back to my gringa eating habits and eating my kind of food. The latino fair was just not agreeing with my intestines. Now I have my daily dose of yogurt and apples and granola and veggies...and ice cream.
Huaraz, the city where we are currently, lies in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range of Peru. According to our books, this range has the second highest peaks in the world next to the Himalayas. Soon we will embark on a two-day trek of the Cordillera. Renting tents is possible without spending over three dollars and the trails are manageable even for the inexperienced trekkers that we are. From our hostal, you can see the snow-capped peaks in the distance. Also during periods of coudless skies, it rains! Actually, it is nothing more that the previous night´s snow being blown down over the city from the mountains but it is a neat feeling to be rained on when the sun is beating down on you. We have met another french canadian from our hostal who has been giving us good tips for our adventure to the Sacred Valley and Cuzco. This will take place after our stop in Lima and perhaps some surrounding coastal towns. Right now it is actually raining. The real rain comes in at about three in the afternoon every day and doesn´t really stop till nine or so. It also gets REALLY cold at night. I had to ask for an extra blanket from the Señora who owns the hostal and she told me that I must have a calcium deficiency because there is now way that it is THAT cold at night. Who knows..she might be right. My Señora in Spain was able to diagnose my kidney infection just by looking at me. They know things...I don´t know how but they are medical doctors without the degrees and years of schooling.
I for one, love the mountains. I think Hallye and Heather might prefer the beach any day over the mountains but I am the other way around. I do enjoy our time at the beach and I know they also like the mountains but I definitely prefer mountains.
The other girls will also be blogging today so I will leave some of the story for them to tell. Hope everyone continues to enjoy reading.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Huanchaco, Peru...back to the beach
Hello everyone!
We are in Huanchaco, Peru now. It is just outside of Trujillo (roughly eight hours north of Lima). It is nice to be back on the beach even if this beach town is different from the last one we visited (Puerto Lopez, Ecuador). The water is much colder but that has not stopped us from getting in it. We are staying in a nice family run hostal that has kitchen so we have been doing alot of cooking. This is a nice change of pace. It sounds ridiculous, but we get tired of eating in restaurants all the time.
Everyone in Huanchaco has been super friendly. Everyone wants to chat with us and we have made plenty of new friends/contacts. We played soccer and freeze tag on the beach with some locals. Freeze tag was a blast. I miss that game so much. Another guy invited us to his art show...and of course we went. His paintings were super cool. I wish I could have bought one but there is no way that it would fit in my backpack during the rest of our trip.
Speaking of new friends...our German friend Lena has left us. She had to continue on to Lima. We hope that we can meet up with her again before she leaves Peru. But if not, maybe in a few years in her country...why not?
It has been a little difficult adjusting to the currency change here. They use Soles here. Every three Soles is roughly a dollar. There have been many times that we see something on a sign and say "jeez, that cost six dollars?" and then we have to remind ourselves that it is actually more like two dollars. Hopefully, we will get quicker/better at doing the math.
So, the highlight of Huanchaco has been surfing. I have never surfed before. Katie and I (Hallye) signed up for an eight o' clock surf lesson this morning with Juan Carlos, a local instructor. We were both a little nervous but very excited. We met at his surf shop and practiced the motions of standing up on the board. At this point, I was like "I got this. It won't be too bad. " And I was wrong. When we got in the water, I was a complete klutz. He would push our board and help us catch the wave....and then I would fall off. It seemed to take me ten falls for every successful time (which was only two or three). On the other hand, Katie was a natural. She even came back later today and took the board out again to get in some extra practice.
I look forward to reading comments later. Love, Hallye
We are in Huanchaco, Peru now. It is just outside of Trujillo (roughly eight hours north of Lima). It is nice to be back on the beach even if this beach town is different from the last one we visited (Puerto Lopez, Ecuador). The water is much colder but that has not stopped us from getting in it. We are staying in a nice family run hostal that has kitchen so we have been doing alot of cooking. This is a nice change of pace. It sounds ridiculous, but we get tired of eating in restaurants all the time.
Everyone in Huanchaco has been super friendly. Everyone wants to chat with us and we have made plenty of new friends/contacts. We played soccer and freeze tag on the beach with some locals. Freeze tag was a blast. I miss that game so much. Another guy invited us to his art show...and of course we went. His paintings were super cool. I wish I could have bought one but there is no way that it would fit in my backpack during the rest of our trip.
Speaking of new friends...our German friend Lena has left us. She had to continue on to Lima. We hope that we can meet up with her again before she leaves Peru. But if not, maybe in a few years in her country...why not?
It has been a little difficult adjusting to the currency change here. They use Soles here. Every three Soles is roughly a dollar. There have been many times that we see something on a sign and say "jeez, that cost six dollars?" and then we have to remind ourselves that it is actually more like two dollars. Hopefully, we will get quicker/better at doing the math.
So, the highlight of Huanchaco has been surfing. I have never surfed before. Katie and I (Hallye) signed up for an eight o' clock surf lesson this morning with Juan Carlos, a local instructor. We were both a little nervous but very excited. We met at his surf shop and practiced the motions of standing up on the board. At this point, I was like "I got this. It won't be too bad. " And I was wrong. When we got in the water, I was a complete klutz. He would push our board and help us catch the wave....and then I would fall off. It seemed to take me ten falls for every successful time (which was only two or three). On the other hand, Katie was a natural. She even came back later today and took the board out again to get in some extra practice.
I look forward to reading comments later. Love, Hallye
Monday, March 2, 2009
Mandango
Hiya! Chiclayo keeps getting better. Started the day off by switching hostals and running errands. Found one for only 10 soles, which is like $3 to you and I. (I left the room just a few minutes ago after finding a little cockroach, only to walk into the nicest internet cafe I{ve seen so far to be confronted with a HUGE cockroach....sweet!) Then Lena and I explored the monday mercado in the city which was filled with the regular goods (everything from fruit to sandals to blank cds) as well as the huge corner we were looking for, dominated by shamanistas and their ancient medicinal herbs and magic potions. Most of the stands looked the same, dried greenery and brown shrroms, little bottles filled with secret ingredients supposed to bring good luck, cures for love and illness, etc. We did have an interesting exchange with some curious teen girls, who after only a short conversation jotted down both mine and Lena{s phone number, in hopes of exchanging stories in the near future. Then it was off to the beach, Pimentel. It was windy and we were shielded from the sun by some serious cloud cover... much needed relief. Met some aussies who arrived today in search of the narliest waves. Fun to run into other travelers, as we are all looking to exchange information and stories and wish one another luck. We also met many very friendly Chiclayanos here today. Many were interested in chatting about this, that and the other, which is great for me becuase I need to improve my comprehension. It was brought to my attention more than twice throughout the day that we speak Castellano, instead of the Spanish they speak here. Interesting to be called out for speaking the SPANISH spanish, instead of the South American indigenously'rooted language.
While K and H were hiking Itzcayluma, a Canadian named Simon and I hiked Mandango. We walked along each of those thin little ridgelines you can see (in the pic on the left) including the ones in the foreground, and those on topo of the green topped rock platforms that draw your immediate attention. It was a bit vertical, as in I was on my hands and knees for a good 3k, but well worth the incredible view, as you can see form the pic on the right!
Vilcabamba: hiking and horses
We are in Peru now, but I want to make sure everyone knows how wonderful the little mountain town was before we start talking about Peru too much. Vilcabamba was amazing. We stayed at Izhcayluma which was a nice treat since it is more like a resort than a hostal. But it only cost us nine dollars a night and included breakfast (all you can eat) so we did not feel too bad about it. Katie and I 
(hallye) hiked the Izhcayluma loop on Thursday (2-26). It took us between four and five hours. We hiked up a mountain and at the top we had to cross the ridgeline where some parts were only two feet wide. The views were so breathtaking that my camera could not even capture the beauty (but we tried, check the picture to the right). The second half of the hike consisted of what was supposed to be a dry riverbed. It was actually a wet riverbed that was more like a river. We got soaked.
On Friday we went horseback riding. If you know me, you know that I ride horses back home...so I was a little worried that our ride would not be very exciting...but I was dead wrong. They gave us some rubber boots and cowboy hats and tossed on some smaller horses (probably about fifteen hands for the horse readers). My horse was named Increida but most of the time I called it ´buddy.´ It was my buddy while we trekked up huge mountains that were covered in rock and mud. I was amazed that the little horse could do it. I kept telling it that Kentucky horses could have never handle such a
climb.
I felt sorry for the horses because I am pretty sure they do not receive the best treatment. They take gringos like us up these huge mountains on six hour rides and then probably come back to muddy lots. They were all wearing four shoes which made me feel a little better. But horses in Kentucky are incredibly spoiled compared to the little horses we rode in Vilcabamba. It is just like the difference in people from here and the U.S.
Our guide from the horse ride was a real South American cowboy. He told me that he was a the champion from a recent rodeo and I believed him because he looked the part. He hacked away stray branches on the trail with his machete and even let Katie take a few swings with it. We got to the stopping point with the horses and began our hike to the waterfalls. It was a very difficult hike. We were literally crawling up and down steep ravine type passages for about an hour. But the waterfalls were amazing and a little chilly! For lunch, our guide brought us wheat bread, guacamole, tuna and cheese. It made suprisingly good sanchwiches. We mounted back up after the lunch and made our way back down the mountain. We crossed the river (which we had already crossed once and was very cool to do on horses) and then literally galloped back to town. It was awesome and nothing like what I expected.
I was sad to leave Ecuador but ready for Peru. So far, Peru has been wonderful. Katie is getting ready to post our ´top ten´from Ecuador. Hopefully I will be able to report back more from Peru in a few days ! Love, Hallye.
(hallye) hiked the Izhcayluma loop on Thursday (2-26). It took us between four and five hours. We hiked up a mountain and at the top we had to cross the ridgeline where some parts were only two feet wide. The views were so breathtaking that my camera could not even capture the beauty (but we tried, check the picture to the right). The second half of the hike consisted of what was supposed to be a dry riverbed. It was actually a wet riverbed that was more like a river. We got soaked. On Friday we went horseback riding. If you know me, you know that I ride horses back home...so I was a little worried that our ride would not be very exciting...but I was dead wrong. They gave us some rubber boots and cowboy hats and tossed on some smaller horses (probably about fifteen hands for the horse readers). My horse was named Increida but most of the time I called it ´buddy.´ It was my buddy while we trekked up huge mountains that were covered in rock and mud. I was amazed that the little horse could do it. I kept telling it that Kentucky horses could have never handle such a
climb. I felt sorry for the horses because I am pretty sure they do not receive the best treatment. They take gringos like us up these huge mountains on six hour rides and then probably come back to muddy lots. They were all wearing four shoes which made me feel a little better. But horses in Kentucky are incredibly spoiled compared to the little horses we rode in Vilcabamba. It is just like the difference in people from here and the U.S.
Our guide from the horse ride was a real South American cowboy. He told me that he was a the champion from a recent rodeo and I believed him because he looked the part. He hacked away stray branches on the trail with his machete and even let Katie take a few swings with it. We got to the stopping point with the horses and began our hike to the waterfalls. It was a very difficult hike. We were literally crawling up and down steep ravine type passages for about an hour. But the waterfalls were amazing and a little chilly! For lunch, our guide brought us wheat bread, guacamole, tuna and cheese. It made suprisingly good sanchwiches. We mounted back up after the lunch and made our way back down the mountain. We crossed the river (which we had already crossed once and was very cool to do on horses) and then literally galloped back to town. It was awesome and nothing like what I expected.
I was sad to leave Ecuador but ready for Peru. So far, Peru has been wonderful. Katie is getting ready to post our ´top ten´from Ecuador. Hopefully I will be able to report back more from Peru in a few days ! Love, Hallye.
Un poco on Peru and Ecuador TOP TEN!
Hello there, this is Katie reporting from Chiclayo, Peru. As Heather mentioned, we arrived in Peru yesterday and have been exploring this town ever since. It is a small to medium sized town and it is sweltering hot. We are thankful for every indoor facility with AC. As far as I know, this is in drastic opposition to the conditions you all enjoying back at home, as I have seen facebook pictures of trees covered in ice. Please send some ice here. At least I can put it in my room temperature coca cola. I opted out of the beach today, preferring to spend my time in a Plaza or park. But Heather is off to catch some more rays but Hallye is also accompanying me and catching up on emails and whatnot. She is also blogging at the moment telling you all more about Vilcabamba, our last stop in Ecuador.
So far Peru is nice and the icecream is even more unavoidable than it was in Ecuador. Yesterday Hallye and I made a pact that we would limit ourselves to one indulgence a week with the ice cream. Lets see..that was last night...I doubt we make it past midday. After internet, we are headed to the market where they sell love potions and rabbit tongues. No seriously. Peru has a very rich shamanistic culture and we are about to check out what all the fuss is about. DOn´t worry, we won´t be having any spells cast on us...unless they have something to do with getting rich or being immune to heat. More on Peru later, though. I think its time for some ECUADOR TOP TEN LESSONS LEARNED_TRUTHS TO BE TOLD!!!!
OK, now before I begin let me say this...you may get the impression that most of these seem to be casting a negative light on Ecuador. DO NOT, please, get the idea that for some reason we left Ecuador thinking it was a rotten country. They are meant to be humorous and at the same time entirely true and sarcastic and Ecuador would not have been the wonderful place that it is without these. So here we go...
1. Buses will NOT stop for passengers. You must employ McGuyver-like tactics and use any means necessary to get yourself on and off a moving bus.
2. There is no such thing as liability. Basilicas will let you climb their metal stairs to the bell towers during lighting storms. Schools will allow five year old children to walk home in down-town Quito. You cross the street at your own risk even when the green walking man says its ok. Again...buses stop for no one.
3. Law enforcement is more like a social club for people who want to wear cool uniforms and carry guns. Cops stand around texting while you are getting robbed on the trolleybus..where the conductor is also texting.
4. Food is good. And Cheap. One word...Almuerzo. One Price...$1.50.
5. You white? You pay more. Market sign says $1.00? you pay $1.25. The so called ¨Tourist Tax¨.
6. You wipe? You pay 10 cents. You want clean bathroom? You got it, complete with toilet seat and paper.
7. Speaking of Internet Cafes, there is a one in ten chance that that your microphone, headset, camera, keyboard, and mouse will work simultaneously. Makes it hard when skype is your only communication with the United States.
8. Ecuador is beautiful. A ten hour bus ride is no problem. Its like watching a National Geographic Marathon or Planet Earth Live. Yóu´ve got sea, moutain, jungle...
9. I´m not sure if you all know this but... littering creates jobs. You are doing the trash picker-uppers a disservice if you do not throw every bit of your garbage out the window. If you do not litter, you are taking away the jobs of thousands of people. Something to think about Obama.
10. If you do not know where you are going, DO NOT ask for directions. People would rather tell you wrong directions than say they have not the slightest idea where you are trying to go. You are better off just wandering around for hours.
So far Peru is nice and the icecream is even more unavoidable than it was in Ecuador. Yesterday Hallye and I made a pact that we would limit ourselves to one indulgence a week with the ice cream. Lets see..that was last night...I doubt we make it past midday. After internet, we are headed to the market where they sell love potions and rabbit tongues. No seriously. Peru has a very rich shamanistic culture and we are about to check out what all the fuss is about. DOn´t worry, we won´t be having any spells cast on us...unless they have something to do with getting rich or being immune to heat. More on Peru later, though. I think its time for some ECUADOR TOP TEN LESSONS LEARNED_TRUTHS TO BE TOLD!!!!
OK, now before I begin let me say this...you may get the impression that most of these seem to be casting a negative light on Ecuador. DO NOT, please, get the idea that for some reason we left Ecuador thinking it was a rotten country. They are meant to be humorous and at the same time entirely true and sarcastic and Ecuador would not have been the wonderful place that it is without these. So here we go...
1. Buses will NOT stop for passengers. You must employ McGuyver-like tactics and use any means necessary to get yourself on and off a moving bus.
2. There is no such thing as liability. Basilicas will let you climb their metal stairs to the bell towers during lighting storms. Schools will allow five year old children to walk home in down-town Quito. You cross the street at your own risk even when the green walking man says its ok. Again...buses stop for no one.
3. Law enforcement is more like a social club for people who want to wear cool uniforms and carry guns. Cops stand around texting while you are getting robbed on the trolleybus..where the conductor is also texting.
4. Food is good. And Cheap. One word...Almuerzo. One Price...$1.50.
5. You white? You pay more. Market sign says $1.00? you pay $1.25. The so called ¨Tourist Tax¨.
6. You wipe? You pay 10 cents. You want clean bathroom? You got it, complete with toilet seat and paper.
7. Speaking of Internet Cafes, there is a one in ten chance that that your microphone, headset, camera, keyboard, and mouse will work simultaneously. Makes it hard when skype is your only communication with the United States.
8. Ecuador is beautiful. A ten hour bus ride is no problem. Its like watching a National Geographic Marathon or Planet Earth Live. Yóu´ve got sea, moutain, jungle...
9. I´m not sure if you all know this but... littering creates jobs. You are doing the trash picker-uppers a disservice if you do not throw every bit of your garbage out the window. If you do not litter, you are taking away the jobs of thousands of people. Something to think about Obama.
10. If you do not know where you are going, DO NOT ask for directions. People would rather tell you wrong directions than say they have not the slightest idea where you are trying to go. You are better off just wandering around for hours.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Chicle in Chiclayo
We´ve made it to Peru! We had to take a bus north to Loja from Vilcamamba instead of south, as we had originally intended, due somewhat to miscommunication with the hostal staff and somewhat to the bad weather that closed parts of the Panamerican highway, which runs down the coast of Peru. Along with a new friend, a dentist named Leyna from Germany, we skipped from Loja, across the Peruvian border at 4 AM, to Piura, then stowed our stuff in Chiclayo and explored the big, noisy city. Turns out they have an awesome open air mall http://flickr.com/photos/utzivan/2943760853/, complete with an ACTUAL air conditioned Starbucks. We had to indulge, as most places advertised as having AC only means they have a fan. It was the best doppio espresso over ice I´ve ever had, and gave me the fuel to finish the first sudoku I´ve picked up outside of the US. A ´nivel dificil´too, so I was quite shocked to have completed it without realizing I´d made a mistake in the last square. yay! Sudoku really does boost confidence. I´ve been speaking perfect Spanish ever since ; ) We sat and watched people walk by all day, then had chinese from the food court to complete our shopping mall experience.
The unemployment rate in Peru is outrageously high, to the point where the government doesn´t actually know just how high. Hence the title of this post, Chicle in Chiclayo, as there are lots of vendors along the streets, much like in Ecuador, selling anything and everything they can, including lots of Chicle. The city is nice enough, and close to the tombs of an Incan ruler named Sipan who was, oddly, buried upside down and in the fetal position. There are lots of unfinished construction sites, filled with garbage piles, and more cat calls, whistles, and honks than I expected. Figured I was pretty used to the male attention but apparently they are very well mannered it Ecuador compared to Chiclayo, Peru. It´s the blonde hair, I guess, as Katie and Hallye can still pass for South Americans, while I stand no chance.
Tomorrow it´s off to the beach, which looks on a map to be within walking distance of the city, but no dice. There is no water in sight, just haze, and so a moto-taxi is in order. who´s excited? i love the moto-taxi´s, despite they´re being a very bumpy and noisy means of transportation. I´ll upload a pic soon, but they basically consist of a motorcycle with a tent-covered bench attatched. Often the drivers look to be about 15 years old and wear headphones, jamming to their own tune. You´ve got to have a lot of faith, down here.
There is also a market filled with shamans, witch doctors and all they´re herbs, spices, suggestions and magic potions. More on that after we experience it.
Here are some more cool photos taken in Chiclayo.
http://flickr.com/photos/castelmar/156087142/
http://flickr.com/photos/juha79/2971821685/
The unemployment rate in Peru is outrageously high, to the point where the government doesn´t actually know just how high. Hence the title of this post, Chicle in Chiclayo, as there are lots of vendors along the streets, much like in Ecuador, selling anything and everything they can, including lots of Chicle. The city is nice enough, and close to the tombs of an Incan ruler named Sipan who was, oddly, buried upside down and in the fetal position. There are lots of unfinished construction sites, filled with garbage piles, and more cat calls, whistles, and honks than I expected. Figured I was pretty used to the male attention but apparently they are very well mannered it Ecuador compared to Chiclayo, Peru. It´s the blonde hair, I guess, as Katie and Hallye can still pass for South Americans, while I stand no chance.
Tomorrow it´s off to the beach, which looks on a map to be within walking distance of the city, but no dice. There is no water in sight, just haze, and so a moto-taxi is in order. who´s excited? i love the moto-taxi´s, despite they´re being a very bumpy and noisy means of transportation. I´ll upload a pic soon, but they basically consist of a motorcycle with a tent-covered bench attatched. Often the drivers look to be about 15 years old and wear headphones, jamming to their own tune. You´ve got to have a lot of faith, down here.
There is also a market filled with shamans, witch doctors and all they´re herbs, spices, suggestions and magic potions. More on that after we experience it.
Here are some more cool photos taken in Chiclayo.
http://flickr.com/photos/castelmar/156087142/
http://flickr.com/photos/juha79/2971821685/
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