Summary of Bolivia

Renee & I are now finishing up our travels in Bolivia, headed to Argentina in the morning. A few key points regarding Bolivia are below:

-Bolivia is still very untouched by tourism compared to Peru. No tourist buses, few tourist hotels, few tourist restaurants, so the feel was much more authentic. Along with the authentic feel though we needed to be a little more alert and on our toes in Bolivia.

-Everything here is incredibly cheap and affordable. We felt like royalty at times because the restaurants and hotels don´t have inflated tourist prices.

-Drinking and driving is very common in Bolivia, a bit unfortunate.

-Our experience with the food has been incredible, much better than Peru. Great prices, good choice and neither of us got sick once the entire time. We started eating their world famous ´´Saltinas´´ which are like a beef or chicken and potato stew wrapped in a sweet pastry cooked in the oven.

-I (Colin)have hit my head (27) times on low doorways. Renee is at (3). I think I am winning.

-Bus rides are a bit of a challenge, the buses are very poor, no bathrooms, rough ride. Prior to the 8 hour bus rides we must partake in 12 hours of dehydrating our bodies so we can make it to the destination without peeing our pants.

Ballpark costs:
1. Hostel/Hotel $5-10 USD/person
2. Meal for 2 including drinks $5-10
3. Bottle of water $0.60
4. Beer $0.80
5. 8 hour bus ride (Shitty Bus) $7

COLIN

Tupiza, Bolivia

Early Monday morning we took a bumpy gravel road to the town of Tupiza.  This sleepy town is surrounded by massive rock formations that have slowly been created through erosion during the rainy season.  Many tours offer trips into the canyons via horse back or jeep but we felt we had been driven around enough the last week so we headed out on foot.  We had a map, but it was more of a rough guide line as to where to go as it showed one trail leading to the canyon and we stood at several intersections rather clueless looking at the multiple options.  Luckily we were helped by a friendly expat who happened to pass us on his morning run. 

Once on the right trail we just had to follow the horse poop from previous tours and ended up in the right place.  The canyon was amazing, the green trees at the bottom followed by the deep red of the rock and the clear blue sky. To boot we were completely alone and after visiting the main canyon went exploring on our own, stopping for lunch with some curious goats under the only tree we could find among the cacti and shrubs.   The area we hiked is not a park so there are no regulations about where you can go, a few canyons were extremely impressive but as we looked at the looming rocks above our heads we got the feeling it might not be the safest area to be wandering, so we snapped some pictures and headed back out.

 This is our last stop before we head into Argentina and neither of us is really ready to leave Bolivia so we decided to stay an extra night.  We enjoyed more exploring this morning and know that we will not be able to afford the same standard of travel when we go to the more expensive Chile and Argentina.  For $25 dollars a night we are staying at the best hotel in town with a private room, a pool and included an excellent breakfast.  Most hotels offer breakfast but it usually consists of a dry bun with a blob of mystery jam and a lukewarm cup of tea, in comparison we are currently eating like kings.  At night we have a full meal with drinks for a whopping total of $5, not too shabby.  Unfortunately we cannot stay longer and will say good bye to Bolivia tomorrow morning as we head to the city of Salta, Argentina.

R

Day Three

Our third day was an early one as we were awoken at 4:30 am and left by 5.  We were grumbling and complaining until we arrived at the local geysers (5000m elevation) which are only visible in the morning due to the cold morning air.  Not only were the geysers huge and extremely impressive but we were allowed to walk up to and through them freely, one of the many things we have experienced on this trip that just wouldn’t fly back home or at least not without signing an extensive waver.

To escape the cold morning desert air we were taken to a natural hot spring where we soaked while our breakfast was being prepared.  After breakfast the remainder of our day was mostly spent getting back to the town of Uyuni with a quick stop at the Chilean boarder to drop off some travellers.  The drive was already long but seemed longer with our guide’s Bolivian music which felt like we were listening to the same song for three hours straight.  We kept asking if we could plug-in our ipods but he said our music would put him to sleep, considering the options we sat quietly in the back while the same track continued to play.

We arrived in Uyuni in the middle of a massive dust storm which made the town seem even less attractive than before.  And while the three day trip was absolutely amazing we b-lined it to the local bus offices to buy the next ticket out of there, 6 am the next morning.  We ate with some of our fellow travellers at a great little pizza place run by an American Expat (we figure he’s a little loopy to choose Uyuni as a dream location, but whatever floats you boat) and after enjoying a hot shower we crashed before 9pm.

Salt Flats Tour (DAY 2)

Day 2 began with a bang, as 6 AM rolled around, Louis our guide was missing with our breakfast. We walked out front to find the jeep was moved, the driver´s side mirror was smashed, beer foam ran in streaks down the door with empty beer cans littering the ground. Come 7 AM, the lady running the hostel took pity for us as our breakfast was locked in the jeep, so she stole some bread from another group for our breakfast. Come 7 AM with the Hostel nearly empty I found him sleeping in one of the rooms, not looking like he was in good shape. As we loaded up the jeep a couple of the other drivers were STILL drinking having not gone to bed. After determining it was safe to get in the car with our driver, we departed. (More on the other drivers later in the post)

First stop was a cave full of ancient mummy tombs, a bit creepy but very interesting. From there we moved into the mountains which are full of active and dormant volcanoes. Many of the volcanoes were smoldering small amounts of smoke and steam. As we moved further southwest into the mountains we climbed to 4500m finding many hidden high altitude lakes which were plum full of thousands of Pink Flamingoes!!! In Bolivia they are born white, but as they eat the Red Algae in the water they turn Pink. (Renee took 436 pictures of Flamingoes…)

Later in the afternoon we stopped at 4800m close to the Chile border where there is a continuous wind close to 100 km/hr. We took our ´´King of the world´´ Titanic pictures facing into the wind then returned to the safety of the jeep as our shins were being sandblasted with sand. While we were taking pictures, one of the guides who were drinking in the morning had pulled up, but empty (no tourists).  The other guides quizzed him finding out the tourists had confronted him with driving drunk, which he didn´t appreciate. During a stop where they got out for pictures 20 km earlier, he ditched them and drove off. Long story short, he eventually went back and picked them up as they arrived later in the night at the Hostel. (Unfortunate darker side of Bolivian Culture)

Day one of our three day Salt Flat adventure!

The town of Uyuni, which lies in the middle of a bone dry dessert, exists only because of the tourists that visit it in hoards.  Tour operators offer a three day trip around the area and once arriving and seeing the barren state of the town we quickly signed up for one that left the next day. 

Early in the morning we loaded into a 4 x 4 jeep with four other travellers and our English Speaking (rare) guide and headed off to the nearby train grave yard.  The salt air has rusted these relics and we spent some time climbing and exploring their interiors. 

The real highlight of the day though was the salt flats (biggest in the world) themselves where we spent most of our day.  We had read and seen some pictures from other travellers but when we arrived we really could not believe our eyes.  A blinding white ‘lake’ as far as you could see!  The flats used to be a sea which slowly dried up leaving the salt behind.  We visited an island and had lunch at a hotel that was built in the middle of the flats.

Because the salt flats are white and go on seemingly forever, it offers a great opportunity to play with a little depth perception.  Colin and I did our research before going and brought some props to play with…they turned out really good!

We stayed until sunset and our guide even let me drive the jeep for a while (he acted like it was a favor but I think he was really just tired of driving all day).  We stayed at a hostel on the edge of the flats and had a great dinner before hitting the hay, or I should say salt as the entire building was made of it, including our beds!

R

Sucre, Bolivia

From Potosi we traveled east 4 hours to the city of Sucre. We didn´t know much about the city but it was recommended from some other travelers. Upon our arrival we were pleasantly surprised, as the city was a significant upgrade from Potosi. To compare it was like switching from Provost to Banff, big improvement. It did not feel like Bolivia at all, the streets were clean, there were high rise condo units, and the people dressed very modern.

We checked into the ¨Grand Hotel¨ which had a feeling of ultra luxury for a great price. From there we boarded the ´´Dino Truck´´ enroute to Drumheller…I mean the Sucre Dino Museum. Sucre has the largest collection of Dinosaur footprints at one location in the world. They have discovered 5000 individual tracks left in the mud from 68 million years ago. The tracks have been pushed up by the Andes fault action to a 72 degree angle so they are nearly vertical. A Dinosaur museum was built next to the tracks which we toured. Hopefully we can upload some pictures some day, but they claim to have the largest replica Dinosaur in the world, but the T-Rex in Drumheller might have it beat, either way it was very impressive.

From Sucre we just took a 9 hour bus ride to Uryni, home of the worlds largest Salt Flats. We begin a 3 day tour Friday morning so we will be posting upon our return. (Sunday or Monday)

COLIN

Road Blocks

Our guide books have warned us that Bolivia is a country of protest and often your travels can be delayed or cancelled because of this.   We first got a glimpse of this in La Paz where workers chanted in the streets and riot police were present everywhere. 

As Colin mentioned earlier we encountered some excitement on our way to Potosi from Oruro.  About the midpoint of our journey the bus stopped and ordered us all out and onto the middle of the highway.  Colin said he could see a road block ahead and we must be getting comfortable in our travels because we picked up our bags and started trekking to the other side passing the carcass of a scorched vehicle, a smoldering pile of tires and protesters blasting flare guns into the air.  We were lucky and were able to catch a bus on the other side.

This morning we planned to head to the town of Sucre but when we asked the front desk to call us a taxi we were informed that they were on strike.   In Bolivia, strikes , again take the form of road block, the front desk clerk told us to hurry before too many blocks were set up.  We went to the main plaza and caught a micro bus which weaved in and out of the streets often having to back up due to the blocks (usually just a pile of rocks with some protesters sitting by).  We got to the bus terminal but the protesters had locked the gates, we waited a while for a taxi, and weaved our way back to the center, or as close as the driver could get.  Since leaving in the morning the amount of road blocks had doubled.  We went the rest of the way on foot back to our hostel.  We’re chalking this one up as a fun adventure and unique taste of the local culture!     

R (since the computers are not allowing us to upload picture we've taken pitures off the internet for the last two posts)

Potosi, Bolivia

Saturday morning we departed La Paz – destination Oruro. We walked around town for ½ hour in the rain finally finding a hostel with availability as there was a festival in town. The rain stopped, so we toured the town up and down the streets. The town was completely abuzz, a great atmosphere with only 2 tourists (Me and Renee). We toured their famous mining museum which sits atop an old mine shaft. We descended 100 ft underground into the tunnels, they were built for Bolivians, Not Canadians and Dutch as the tunnels were about 5 ft high. The rest of the evening we enjoyed watching the busy streets from a restaurant balcony.

Sunday morning Renee & I left Oruro headed to Potosi. We encountered some excitement on the way, which Renee will discuss in another post, however we safely arrived in Potosi. The city of 100,000 plus is the highest on the planet at 4060 m. Another interesting fact is that it was the wealthiest city in South America for 200 years in the 1500-1600´s due to its silver mining. It didn’t come without its price, as over 2 Million (Yes with an M) miners (mostly slaves) died in the mines during this time.

Potosi is still a mining town, and is constant buzz, except in the morning leading up to 10 AM. This is the first city we have been to where the people sleep in, very strange as all the other cities are going by 6 AM. Yesterday we took a Silver Refinery Tour with a guide and 6 other tourists. First stop was the miners market where the miners get their supplies before heading up the hill into the mine. The tour guide was very enthusiastic, and began by throwing sticks at our chest to catch. We all catch our sticks then he says ¨you are all ready to mine now that you have your dynamite¨. And yes it was real Dynamite! He also whipped out his lighter and pretended to light one of the fuses, then stops; laughing ´´if you are fast no worries as the fuse will give you just enough time to run out of the building´´. Some people on the tour were continuing on to a real mine, and the miners will give you a tour if you bring them a gift, so a few of the guys on our tour bought dynamite as a gift and off to the bus we went with sticks of TNT sitting on our laps while we continued up the mountain.

Next stop was the Refinery, which was a sight to be seen. To clarify, any local can go into this mine with their own dynamite, picks, shovels and pails and look for silver in the mine shafts. They take the rock to this Refinery where they get paid and the Refinery takes a cut. For a miner today, the average life expectancy following the first day they enter the mine is 10 years. No ventilation, full of mold, walls collapsing etc.

The first room we walked in smelled terribly bad, then the guide says ´´quick, take your picture and get out, this is where we mix the Cyanide… It´s poisonous for your lungs´´….DO YOU THINK????

Next we walked into the mill and crusher room across elevated boardwalks above the machinery without handrails. At this point Renee and I agreed it was good to opt out on the mine tour. There are NO safety standards or regulations in Bolivia, especially in mining. As part of the tour our guide wiped a streak of processed Silver Oxide across our cheeks to make us look like warriors, it looked great…. Wait, isn´t one of the main additives to the oxide; Cyanide??? I shouldn´t get a pimple there for years. 

 COLIN

 PS Bolivian computers don't like cameras and we and many other travellers can not upload pictures....but we'll keep trying :)

La Paz, Bolivia

Colin and I left the tranquil town of Copacabana for the bustling metropolis of La Paz.  On our drive to the big city we came across some creative local problem solving.  At the narrowest point of the Lake we all had to exit the bus and get onto a small passenger boat that took us across, expecting to get onto a new bus on the other side we were surprised to see our bus floating on a flimsy barge to greet us. We hoped back on and continued to La Paz.

La Paz, Bolivia’s capital is a huge city built into the surrounding mountains with the main center at the lowest point.  We found a great hotel with a view to boot (the view comes with 8 flights of stairs but worth it).  While the food in Peru and Bolivia has been good it has lacked in variety and we shamelessly indulged in foods from around the world served up at tourist hotspots. Middle Eastern for dinner, European style pastries for lunch, good coffees and even an East Indian feast!    

We visited a great museum outlining the history of the Coca leaf and its importance to the local Andean people as well as the source of cocaine.  The locals chew on the leaves and stuff them in the side of their mouths to obtain a sort of slight high, nothing compared to that you would get from processed cocaine, but still a powerful stimulant.

At night, after filling our bellies with tasty foods, we hit the streets and came across a free concert in the street promoting local culture and social justice.  We have enjoyed the cities vibe but will be glad to say good bye to the copious amounts of exhaust that often fills the busy traffic streets. 

R (pictures to come)    

Isla del Sol, Bolivia

 To get to the Island of the Sun we required a 1½ hour boat ride across Lake Tititacca. The cost was all of $1.50 per person. Along the way the locals were fishing for Trout out of their 12 ft row boats throwing giant stones into the water to scare the Trout into their nets…quite a sight. We checked into a simple hostel for $9.00 per night with a million dollar view of the lake (So big can´t see the far shore line). The closer shore had 6400 m snowcapped mountains leading down towards the lake. Later that evening we enjoyed some fresh Trout with a 3 course meal for a couple of dollars (Did we mention Bolivia was very affordable). 

In the morning we departed on a 10 km hike from one end of the island to the other. The Island sits at 4000 m elevation so the daytime temperature only reaches about 18 degrees but the sun which is directly over your head burns in 5-10 minutes. At the far end of the island we boarded a boat to take us back to the mainland. The boats are equipped with 2 x 60 hp motors, but because the profit margins are so small for these boats he decided to only use 1 motor…. at half throttle to conserve gas.  As a result the boat went at a speed we were sure we could out swim and the 1.5 hr trip turned into 3.

 We returned to Copacabanna to enjoy some more fresh Trout and called it a night.

COLIN (also see new pictures below!)

Bolivia!

 This morning we awoke bright and early and left Puno, Peru and took the Bus to Copacabana, Bolivia!  It took two hours to reach the small shamble of a border crossing which is apparently run on the honor system.  While you need stamps to both exit Peru and enter Bolivia there was no one controlling whether or not you went into the correct offices to recieve the proper documents.  As a result locals walk freely from one side to the other.

From the border it was another ten minutes by bus to the town of Copacabana which sits on the shore of Lake Titicaca (hee hee).  Colin and I both felt the excitment of being in a new counrty and agreed that it feels like we are starting a whole new advebture. The town of Copacabana is small and full of both local and international tourists.  The impressive lake could be mistaken for the ocean and is the highest large body of water in the world at 3820 meters above sea level!  Bolivia is considerably less expensive than Peru and as a result we have been eating at fancy resuarants and staying at nice hotels for meer dollors and cents.  

We climbed a viewpoint which was busting with locals performing some kind of religous ceremony with the burning of candle and inscence.  Several locals were also buying model houses and burning and blowing them up with fire crackers....not quite sure of the religous significance but we were entertained by the spectical.

Tomorrow we are packing our day bags with a few essentails and heading to Isla del Sol ( Island of the Sun)  where we plan to stay two days and hike from one side of the island to the other before heading to Bolivia’s capital, La Paz.

Summary of Peru

Renee and I are now moving into Bolivia. I thought it would be interesting to jot down what some items cost a few things we noticed while in Peru.

-The biggest adjustment has been to the elevation. We have spent most of our time between 2500m 

 – 4800m. For example we opened a bottle of Carbonated Water on the bus while at 4800m. The thing went off like a bomb soaking Renee and I, we were happy to provide entertainment for the locals.

-Us, along with all the other Westerners have been struggling with the food getting sick many times. To combat this we treat ourselves to McDonalds and Pizza Hut occasionaly.

-Some cities have 4 way stops....They dont work like that in Peru, I like to call them 4 way Goes!!! Whoever is going too fast to stop has the right away, its up to everyone else to avoid  that car.

-In Peru cars have rightaway even if your in a crosswalk. It seems the Taxis will accelerate trying to run you down in the crosswalk so they can get a guarenteed fare taking  you to the Hospital.

-There are millions of Dogs everywhere, all the time. Most have collars, they are simply allowed to roam the cities.

-Quality paved highways are relatively new to Peru. I have noticed the drivers use their ultra aggressive city driving styles on the highways resulting in many close calls.

Ballpark costs:

1. Hostel/Hotel $10-15 USD/person

2. Meal for 2 including drinks  $15

3. Bottle of water $0.75

4. Beer  $1.25

5. 8 hour bus ride (Nice Bus)  $20 

COLIN

Signs?!

On our last night in Cuzco I decided to join a yoga class which I really enjoyed but by the time I was done it was dark and the studio was a good 12-15 blocks from our hostal.  As I walked back several of the streets were without street lights. Long story short I managed to step into a huge hole in the sidewalk which sent me flying into the road and I hit the side of an oncoming car which sent me flying back into the sidewalk.  I felt a little shaken up but otherwise fine untill three blocks from the spot I loooked down and my flip flop was filled with blood, crap.  I found a pharmancy and cleaned up before hobbling back to the hostal where colin was in bed sick with more stomach issues.

The next day as we toured a ruin on our way to Puno, Peru, Colin complained about an ant bite he got in the jungle.  I looked at it and noticed the scab had gotten really big over the last couple days, as I took a closer look we realised it was not a scab at all but a insect that had attched itself to Colin and was growing big and fat on Colin´s hip...gross!  We removed them both (yup there were two) and decided that both the toe and flesh eating inscet were signs that it was time to leave Peru, we spent the night in Puno before heading towards the border.    

Manu Jungle

Monday morning we boarded our Tourist bus as a group of 12 of us headed off to Manu National Park on a - 4 day Jungle Tour. Manu is 19,000 square km in size and is a sub-basin of the Amazon Jungle and River in Brazil. The drive was very slow once again averaging about 30-40 km/hr for 12 hours making several stops along the way descending from the divide close to 4000 m elevation down the mountainside into the jungle at an elevation of 600 m. We stayed the first night in a nice little lodge at the base of the mountains.

In the morning we continued on a 2 hour bus ride, then transferred onto a long boat with a 60 hp Yamaha, heading down the river for a 5 hour boat ride. As unsuspecting stupid tourists, our boat driver thought it would be fun to take us through some violent rapids completely drowning us and our day packs with water. We also stopped at a scorching hot natural hotspring for a quick plunge. 

We arrived at the Lodge around 2 in the afternoon, then had to carry our things 500 m into the Jungle to the Lodge. Within 10 min, this poor Prairie Boy thought he was done for, the Humidity and Heat were so intense, I thought it was the end of me. Then the guide came by and said, make sure you put on long pants and long sleeves as we are going on a hike shortly...oh ya, here are your Rubber Boots. I said ‘’Hike? Long Pants? No way Jose’’. I had a cold shower, put on my Rubber Boots, and off we went.

We came across dozens of birds, many strange insects, and lots and lots of Monkeys. The Jungle is completely alive, almost deafening the sounds coming from the insects and birds. At one time there was a loud crash with branches breaking and the ground sounding like a stampede of animals headed our way. I thought this was the end of me ; Again, but it turns out it was a local farmers cow, wowzers, close call. We toured around for 2.5 hours finally reaching our destination, a giant tree fort overlooking a mud bog in the distance. It is meant to sleep 8 people, with the guides we had 14 people crammed up there. We were given giant flashlights and 1 hour shifts to stay awake during the night waiting for giant Wild Boars to come feed. The sleeping arrangement was very uncomfortable, but kind of fun at the same time. Renee and I had our shift early in the evening, and then dozed off. A large Bull appeared around 4 AM, but by the time Renee and I were awakened by the lookout tourist, it was gone.

We woke at 6 AM, to make the trek back to the lodge where we found time to spend in the Hammocks. Even when I wasn’t moving, there were puddles of sweat under me everywhere we went. The guide had comforted me by saying today was the hottest day of 2011 so far at the lodge, nice.

That evening was the  best part of the Jungle trip as we did a night hike with headlamps. Within 5 minutes we came across fresh Jaguar tracks along the riverbank, good start to the hike. We saw a 10 lb toad, many many insects, a giant ugly rodent and ate some of the nuts and palm hearts growing in the trees. We had one small incident while crossing a stream on top of a tree trunk about 12 feet above the water below. As you walk across the trunk there was lots of Bamboo to hold onto to stabilize yourself. Our 6’7’’260 lb friend Chad from San Diego lost his balance on the far side, and as he fell grabbed every single piece of Bamboo in a panic, snapping them off one by one, eventually landing in knee deep mud part way up the far bank. There I was standing on the tree trunk, Chad is gone, my bamboo is gone, and apparently the tree was not only used by tourists, but also an ant superhighway. They didn’t like me standing in the way and starting climbing my legs. I got my first bite on my stomach under my shirt (These are Jungle Ants, not wimpy Canadian Ants – It hurt). I stopped caring about how Chad was making out, and quickly shuffled over the tree to the other side.

Later in the hike we found some Tarantulas, Giant Grasshoppers, Wolf Spiders, Scorpion Spiders, Owls, Bats and many other creatures. As I mentioned earlier we were wearing headlamps, in the Jungle, in the dark. As everyone knows, moths like lights, and I took one with about a 7’’ wingspan in between the eyes, once again, at that moment I thought I was a goner.

The following morning we made 15 hour journey out of the Jungle, back up the Andes, and over to Cusco. It was a great trip, made some excellent friends, the food was terrific, and the guides were very fun.

COLIN

Machu Picchu, Peru

No trip to South America would be complete with out a visit to the infomous lost Inca city of Machu Picchu.  As mentioned earlier it was quite an ordeal to get our tickets but yesterday morning we woke up bright and early and took the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes.  The train took us along a river that was fed from the glaciers high up on the mountain tops and we understood more why the valley might be considered sacred compared to the bone dry desert environment that we have experienced up until this point. 

From the train station we caught a bus and climbed up the mountain to the Machu Picchu ruins.  After entering the gates we were met by a mass of people all attempting to get the classic poster card snap shot of the ancient site.  Caught up in the commotion of it all we took several pictures and were glad to move on from the crowd.

We toured the ruins and took in some ´second hand’ information from some near by tour guides and the site really is impressive.  Not only is the location mind boggling but the amount of work it took to chisel every single stone used to build the structures was about a months time! We had a great time looking around but our real highlight was climbing Wayna Picchu.

Wayna Picchu is the tallest of the two mountain peaks that you classically see in pictures of Machu Picchu.  The site only allows 400 people a day (not a lot considering it allows thousands into the site a day) to climb the peak and you have to book in advance.  At 10 am we lined up to enter the park and were slightly concerned with the amount of people in line, hoping the trail would not get too crowded.  Luckily the trail remained quite open and we mostly met people on their way back down.

The trail was a steep 45min climb and while it was hard work, with shade and well maintained trail it seemed like a cake walk compared to Colca Canyon.  We arrived at the top to find not only a unique view of Machu Picchu but also some ruins that had steep narrow stairs allowing you to explore the area.  We have concluded that the altitude must have done something to the Inca’s sense of practicality as it seems absolutely ludicrous what they built on such a high remote location. 

We relaxed, caught our breath and headed back down and toured the main ruins some more before catching our train back to Ollantaytambo.  It was an amazing day but it took a lot out of us and we were in bed by 8pm.

R 

Cuzco and The Sacred Valley

From the Colca Canyon we took a bumpy overnight bus to Cuzco and spent the next two days on a wild goose chase through the city looking for tickets into the infamous Machu Picchu.  Our guide book told us one place to go and when we got their they directed us to another location who told us to go else where and they gave us the correct map and information but when we found the right location it was closed and so we found an agency that could get them for us but it was a holiday so they could not process the tickets till the next day! We did finally get the tickets and are currently in the Sacred Valley on our way to the ruins. 

Sacred as the valley may be it does not have a great connection to the internet let alone electricity at some times.  In the small town of Pisac where we are currently staying we found a free museum outlining the history of the local textile and ceramic industry.  We were greeted at the door by a woman who shook her head and pointed out that there was no power today and the entire museum was in the dark.  With our head lamps we helped located the fuse box and did our best to turn the lights back on but no luck.  Not wanting to give up a free opportunity to learn we put on our head lamps and plunged into the darkness of the exhibits, very interesting, at least what we could make out

R

Peruvian Women

The women in Peru are a hard working bunch.  We have noticed it particularity in the rural areas were they are up at dawn herding sheep, tending fiends, selling merchandise and knitting.  On the early morning buses we have taken it’s mostly women with shovels and sun hats.  If they have a small child with them they are strapped to their back and if they need to feed they simply slide them to the front start breast feeding and just continue doing what they’re doing whether it’s riding a donkey, preparing food or selling their hand made goods.  We’re not sure where all the men are, probably driving all the cars as we have yet to see a female driver. 

Colca Canyon

Cabanaconde is a small dusty town with few tourists.  While many tourists visit the canyon most do so via tour and stay in other towns.  Wanting to be a little adventurous we decided to trek the canyon on our own and leave the expensive tours behind.  We decided on a day trip down to the bottom of the canyon to an Oasis and back up the same day.

Leaving early in the morning to beat the heat we started our decent.  As we continued on, the Oasis did not seem to be getting much closer and what we thought would be a easy hike down turned into a 2.5 hour knee buster (a steep 1200m vertical decent, deeper than the Grand Canyon).  At the bottom of the canyon was a small Oasis with the most vegetation we’d seen in weeks and was littered with tiny campgrounds and lodges.  We picked a spot and immediately took a plunge in its crystal clear pool  which had magical powers , as I entered tired, cranky, filthy and thinking there was no way in hell i was climbing back up that Canyon and exited feeling refreshed, clean and full of hope that the trek up would not be that bad. 

We spent the next three hours lounging in the shade regaining our strength and enjoying Alpaca Stew for lunch before mustering up the courage to head back up the canyon.  The first part of the trek up is pure dessert with no trees or rocks to provide any source of shade.  The sun was hot and about a fifth of the way up i was seriously questioning our sanity in choosing to do the trip on one day.  A local with a couple of donkey’s passed us and offered us a lift and it crossed both of our minds but being as stubborn as those mules we declined and kept trekking on.

As we went up the sun lost its heat, but we gained elevation meaning the air got extremely thin and it only took a few minutes to be completely out of breath. We had a added stress that we had to get to the top before the sun went down as we did not want to hike in the dark and as we reached the summit the sun slipped behind the mountains, perfect timing.  4 hours straight up!  While it was gruelling hard work, we are glad we did it and celebrated with a big meal and an early night sleep before heading to Cusco.

R