Peruvian Adventures with Laurie

¡Hola a todos!


I've made my way through Bolivia, Peru and I'm now traveling through Ecuador (please click here for my progress).  You can also enjoy my most recent update below about my adventures with Laurie.  

Out of Bolivia and into Peru

View of Lake Titicaca, Copacabana's port

After I finally made it out of La Paz, I took a side trip to Copacabana on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world.  In Copacabana, I bought my third pair of tacky sunglasses and found an Andean hat to keep my head from burning at the high elevation.  I also tried giant popcorn at the local market.  After exploring the city, I took a two-hour ferry to the northern end of the Isla del Sol (Sun Island) to visit a pristine beach and forgotten ruins, including a sacrificial stone table and chairs.  I also met a few Chileans and Argentines who were camping on an even less visited beach and made the rock climb down to visit them and watch the sun set into the water.  After gazing at stars on that moonless night and staying in a hostel on the beach, I caught the morning ferry to Copacabana and made my way to Peru to meet my friend, Laurie.

Sunset at Lake Titicaca

Laurie and I met in college when we were both studying science and have been friends ever since.  Our last and only other trip was in France in 2010 because Laurie had a work conference in Lyon and it gave us the opportunity to meet up afterward and travel to Paris and Nice.  South America was another great excuse to travel and see each other.


Arequipa - The White City


While waiting for Laurie to arrive, I took in the sights of Arequipa, the white city.  It's called the white city because all of the buildings are painted in white or constructed with a white ash from various volcanic eruptions.  One of the main volcanoes, El Misti, can be seen behind the principal cathedral in the main square. Some of my favorite moments included a lengthy conversation with a vegetarian restaurant owner, trying recoto relleno, a stuffed pepper, and visiting a nook-filled monastery, Santa Clara.



As part of my early arrival to Arequipa, I’d been tasked with booking our trek to Colca Canyon, one of the largest in the world.  Laurie and I had planned on going to Chivay, a city nearby, on Monday morning (as she arrived Sunday afternoon), but unfortunately, everyone was also going to Chivay, so I made the executive decision and booked us on a bus that left 2 hours after she arrived in Arequipa.  After a dark and winding road, we arrived in a quaint square in Cobanaconde and walked to the hostel, Pachamama or “mother earth”.  Luckily, the hostel was still serving wood stove baked pizzas at 11 p.m.  Yum.


Colca Canyon - Twice the Size of the Grand Canyon

The path down to our oasis in Colca Canyon.

At Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world and twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, we decided to watch the flight of the condors and to take a “short” trek down to an oasis and back.  We tried to take it easy as Laurie had a difficult time adjusting to the altitude and acquired a cold on her flight in, making the effects of altitude worse.  This proved to be a problem when we went on our trek, but viewing the enormous condors and other birds, including a few species of hummingbird, was awesome.  We actually were able to see the condors fly at three different occurrences: twice at Cruz del Condor, the typical vantage point, and once while hiking the canyon! 


Before descending the canyon, we asked the hostel staff how long the trip would be and they told us 2.5 hours down and 3.5 hours back up, with breaks for taking photos.  Unfortunately for us, they didn’t account for any type of altitude sickness!  We descended 500 m (about 1500 ft) in altitude down a steep, rocky incline and barely made it to the bottom in time for nightfall.  The canyon trek was gorgeous with dusty mountains speckled with desert vegetation like cactus and overlooking a small oasis, Sangalle.  We almost made it all the way down into the canyon in one piece when I slipped on my knee and then Laurie promptly fell.  We were a bit of a mess, but we made it in time for a brief respite and dinner teeming with other tourists who paid for a guide to take them the distance we went alone.  The trail was well marked, so we thought nothing of it.  


The next morning and amid the brilliant night sky, we started our trek at 4 a.m. to make it in time for our bus to Puno, near Lake Titicaca.  We missed the public bus back, but managed to hitch a ride with some delayed tourist bus and make it to our destination with time to spare.  We even had the pleasure of viewing the end of someone’s tour and visiting a few towns along the way.


Puno & The Floating Islands

On one of the floating islands with a lookout tower.

We arrived in Puno, about 3500 m above the sea, and were met with freezing cold nights, hordes of pizzerias, and a faded plaza and pedestrian center.  Laurie’s altitude sickness continued, but we continued to drink coca tea and eat chocolate, both things that help with the symptoms.  


The best parts of Puno were the touristy floating islands and the vast artisan market.  To reach the islands, we had to walk down to the port and catch a small motor boat or ferry, which would take us through Lake Titicaca, through the reeds and to the floating islands of Uros, the closest reed island.

The Uros islands embody tourism.  After getting off the boat, we were greeted by a short man who gave us a presentation of the history of the islands and how they were made.  It turns out that the people have to reapply reeds every 15 days to maintain the floating islands.  If they don’t the island will rot from beneath them.  They also make sure to anchor each island on three sides so that they don’t literally float away.  In this way, they can also move the islands if needed.  One of the señoras invited us into her house and showed us the solar panel system that the government had recently donated to the people.  Every year, many residents died from house fires (imagine reeds and electricity), so to avoid this hazard, all houses were now fitted with solar panels as a source of power.


Most of the islands were no bigger than a large US living room, but held about 2-3 houses.  We also went for a ride on a traditional, reed-constructed boat to the main island, where there was a small restaurant and a small collection of crafts for sale.  The residents of Uros live off of tourism as their sole income.


Cusco, Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley


Cusco
Laurie and I spent two days in Cusco, one day in Machu Picchu, and two days in the Sacred Valley.  In Cusco, we hung out, ate cuy (guinea pig) and alpaca, and visited a few museums.  The most interesting museum was a part of the San Francisco Cathedral.  We were lucky enough to receive a private tour of the monastery and cathedral, led by Alberto, our eager, clever guide and museum head.  Alberto was a performer and had the tour of each room down to an art. He told us where to sit while he took photos and knew exactly where they came out the best.  My favorite moment was when he took a photo of us in front of the family tree of all San Franciscans.

Laurie, Alberto, and I in the San Franciscan Monastery

Laurie and I and the San Franciscan family tree

Machu Picchu

Laurie and I at Machu Picchu

Getting to Machu Picchu is a trek, and an expensive one at that.  My first glimpse of it was underwhelming - maybe it was the exhaustion from getting up at 3 a.m. or maybe it was the amount of ruins I’d seen previously - but, little by little the glory and grandeur of it grew on me.  I loved seeing the llama grazing on the mountainside terraces and exploring the hundreds of rooms laid out before me.  I also enjoyed literally running down an enchanting trail that met the Inca bridge, a log bridge that is now closed due to a fatal fall by a tourist. 


Laurie and I also climbed Wayna Picchu.  Wayna Picchu is a steep 1.5 hour climb up to a summit that provides a breathtaking overlook of Machu Picchu.  It’s not necessarily hard if you have no fear of heights and are in good shape.  The end of trek faces you with about a hundred foot-long stone steps without any railing.  They go directly up and keep going up further than you can see.  Personally, it was exhilarating.  There’s a chance that you might fall, but it also strengthens your confidence in your own ability to climb.  Laurie came with a fear of heights, but impressively still made the hike.  I think her fear of heights has diminished!  


Around Cusco

Horsebacking riding in Sacred Valley (with my new hat!)

We visited several cities and sites around Cusco, including: the Moray experimental Inca gardens used for cultivating new types of potato, the natural salt mines in Maras, the Chinchero market where we ate the best $1 plate of food, four impressive Incan ruins, Saqsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Pukapukara, and Tambomachay.  We also trekked around a few “mystical” ruins on horseback, my favorite of which was exploring natural caves.


The Jungle - Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios and Lake Sandoval


Our homebase for our jungle excursion was Puerto Maldonado, a small and dusty, but booming gold town on the southeastern side of Peru.  When we arrived in town, we booked our tour for the next day via our hostel.  Since we had limited time, we went to Lake Sandoval, off of the river Madre de Dios.  To get to the lake and to our lodge, we had to take a 45-minute motor boat ride (1.5 hours up stream), 3 km or 1 hour hike through the mud in rubber boots, and a 30-45 minute paddle boat ride to the lodge.  We were only allowed a paddle boat as motor boats would threaten the lives of the giant, pihrana-eating river otters.  This lake is small, but it has an incredible wealth of nature and animals.  We saw 4-5 species of monkey (tipi, red howler, squirrel, and spider), numerous birds (herons, jungle chickens, parrots, makaw, hummingbirds), river otters, caymans (think alligators), bats, insects, spiders, and a snake.  One of the best experiences was the night hike where we saw the tarantulas that were living in the tree behind our cabin.  Tarantulas generally only come out at night when their prey are out.  They can leap about 1 meter, but the majority of the time they sit on the tree by their nests and wait.  Because of this, we were able to closely observed these tarantulas.  It really was cool.  

Laurie and I in front of our jungle lodge

In our jungle lodge, we had three meals a day, mosquito nets, toilets, and running water.  It was basic, but not primitive.  We also met another guide and two Canadian travelers who were taking a trip for their 50th birthdays.  One was a broker and the other a founder of a microfinance venture in Ecuador and Nicaragua (The Lending Journey). 


On this trip, we also met various biologists, a group from Medical Ministry International, and the founder of another organization dedicated to providing nutrition and quality of life to children in impoverished areas of Peru (The Potter's Hand).


Of all of our adventures, I think Laurie and I enjoyed the jungle/rainforest the most and would both think about returning for another adventure (more jungle pics below!).


Next:  Flying over the Nasca lines and enjoying the Peruvian coast.  Also, coming soon, the Galapagos!


Hasta Luego,
Ashley

Laurie, ready for our paddle boat ride

Howler monkeys in near our lodge

On Sandoval Lake at sunset

Tarantula at its night post on a tree

The jungle gang

Laurie, walking on the canopy

Jungle around Lake Sandoval

"Helping" the guide row across the lake

Stuck in La Paz, Bolivia

¡Hola a todos!

I spent about four days in La Paz, Bolivia with a friend’s friend, Eliana, and her sisters.  The family lives in the south La Paz.  Unfortunately, I arrived on a Sunday before nationwide strikes began.  I arrived in La Paz on Sunday night because I heard rumor of a national two-day transportation strike or “paro” and didn’t want to be stuck in Cochabamba.  Instead, I was stuck in La Paz for a few days.  

During my first two days, public transportation was on strike and the last day (and two days after I left), the medical workers and students marched and blockaded the streets, causing transportation difficulties.  On my last day in La Paz, I even had the experience of indirectly being gassed.  I did my best to avoid any real threat.

Transportation Strike

What?
For days, the entire country was marching or blockading.  The experience made me thankful for how far the US has come (although we have far to go!), but, it also made me think about how complacent we are.  We still march, but it takes a lot more to stir us to this level.

The strike shut down a huge percentage of the city and caused workers and tourists alike to walk long distances and/or miss work and tourist sites and museums.  The chauffeurs blocked bridges and major intersections, leaving rocks and wooden boards in the roads.  If any chaffeur dared to provide service to passengers, other chauffeurs would throw rocks at and/or attack them for not complying.

Buses blocking the streets, each with a protest sign

Why?
The government placed a new law into effect, which would regulate transportation (taxis, microbuses, and buses) to make sure that chauffeurs followed specific routes and rates.  An example is that currently, transportation would market a route, but could leave you wherever they wanted.  A specific example is that today a taxi trufi (small car of 5-8 people) doesn’t want to complete its route because there is too much traffic, so they decide not to go through the market. This means the customer has to find another ride that will take them to their destination and they pay double for the route.  (This happened to me all the time in Cochabamba!)  The transportation workers were protesting to have the law revoked.

Observations
- Honestly, I don’t understand how this country is able to function between the protests and the celebrations/festivals.
- Strikes and marches are not uncommon in Bolivia.  With all of this constantly in your face, you can’t help but learn about politics.  Nothing is hidden and every is, but blatantly.

My Experiences without Transportation
 

Cactus Garden

My first day, I walked 1.5 hours into town with my host, Eliana, to attend a meeting and to visit the city.  There were only a few places open (I stayed in a coffee shop and journaled and watched the news), but I was able to see a few building fronts and the Prado, main downtown promenade.

On my second day, I walked for six hours total with one of the sister’s son’s to Valley of the Moon and to visit a cactus garden.  The Valley of the Moon literally looks as if it were taken straight from the moon, like a desert filled with stalagmites.  

Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon)

San Franciscan cathedral

On my third day, I visited the San Franciscan cathedal and the coca leaf museum and avoided the medical strikes as best as I could.  I also had a fast food chicken lunch with a lawyer who was on his lunch break and helping the tourist, me, to avoid the gas meant to break up protests.  He gave me some more insight into chaotic life in La Paz, Bolivia.

The best part of my time in La Paz was spending it with Eliana and Veronica, the sisters.  I learned about their lives, their challenges, and their work.  Eliana is a biologist and has written two bird books for Bolivian students and birdwatchers.  She has extensively studied the habitats around Bolivia, especially close to the Uyuni salt flats where the flamingos live and she has fought for the environmental rights of these animals and birds.  She is an incredible person.  

We also shared a few breakfasts and dinners and she introduced me to some excellent Bolivian dark chocolate (75%).  My friend, Laurie, and I spent the next two weeks devouring this chocolate!

Next:  Copacabana and my adventures with Laurie in Peru!

Cheers,
Ashley