And quickly out of Arequipa

On the recommendation of the our friends, the Neaderlanders, we decided to approach the Nazca Lines by way of Ica. Ica looked to be a smaller city with access to the Lines (giant semi-permanent pre Inca glyphs viewable by plane), as well as access to a giant sand dune-y desert perfect for sandboarding and tearing around in dune buggies. We ended up passing on the Nazca Lines, as they were super expensive and the Cesnas sounded shady-style dangerous, but we did not miss out on the dune buggies and boarding. We actually grabbed a taxi and split right out of Ica just as soon as we arrived at the Plaza and got a look around. We opted to stay just outside of the city in Huacachina, a fittingly self described oasis in the middle of the dunes.

After looking around at the limited selection of ho(s)tels--Huacachina was pretty much a pond with two streets following the lake's circumference--we settled into the Casa de Arena on the outside street. As far a hostels go, I give it 5 stars. Private bath, double bed, free towel service, swimming pool, and cheap ice cold cervezas at the pool bar, all for $20 USD per night.

More Colca

On the third day, after we hiked up and out of the canyon, we still had a bit of day to kill on the tour. So, of course, we stopped at some wicked buena vistas, and soaked in some natural mineral hot springs.

A few worthy pics of parts of the canyon we did not hike:

Colca: Day 3

Ok, day three, this was kind of the biggie. 5am, we drank water, brushed our teeth, knocked the sleep out of our eyes and prepared to hike from apx 6,500 ft to over 10,000 ft, and the sun had not made a wink at us yet. The pack on my back had never weighed more, or so I thought then, that theory abruptly changed that with every step. It was AWESOME!!! We made it up--passed only by asses and the mules they rode up on--in less than two and a half hours.

Day one pictures--the descent: 82
Day three pictures--the ascent: 2 (at the top)

Colca: Day 2

We spent the first part of the second day hiking up and down the side of the canyon visiting different villages populated by four to twenty families each. Our trek that day ended at the base of our next day's hike in a little alcove of blue painted pools filled and refreshed constantly with naturally warm water from waterfalls that poured out of the side of one of the mountains that formed the canyon. The pools were surrounded by huts, which contained straw beds that under normal conditions might be uncomfortable, but we slept like wood and snored like chainsaws after a long day of hiking and a short afternoon of soaking.

Indiana Jones-ish Bridges

Bridges: 1, 2, & 3.

Colca Canyon

Let me start by saying this: the distinction between flat and up/downhill in the Peruvian Andes is very different from that in the U.S. For example, the first day of our three-day hike in the Colca Canyon when we decended over 4,000 feet it was considered downhill. However, the second part of that first day on the other side of the canyon we climbed over 1,000 feet just under half an hour, and that was considered "flat!"

The Colca Canyon was definitely one of the highlights of the trip so far and we are both very glad that we not only decided against the bus tour, but that we did the three-day hiking tour instead of the two-day tour. As I said, the first day was a lot of walking down. Not down hill mind you, this is no U.S. federal park. We were walking, climbing, and crawling down the canyon where it's "one wrong sneeze and it's oversville." I'm so thankful to have recently aquired a mysteriously annoying and severe fear of heights. It was exhilirating to say the least. At the bottom, we went across the first of three Indiana Jones-ish foot bridges and started up the other side to our first night's lodging. I know we've all heard this before, but that night it was as though I was looking at all the stars I've ever seen in every night sky I've ever looked upon all on one black canvas sky.

The Point, a Bus, and the J's

Going from Cuzco to Puno on the bus was a pretty painless and relaxing experience, with the semi-cama seats reclining comfortably. The amenities at The Point, the hostel we stayed at in Puno and Arequipa, on the other hand were not so relaxing. And the bus we booked through The Point from Puno to Arequipa was dirty, uncomfortable, overpriced, and had a live informercial selling ginsing en Espanola very loudly up and down the isle. Verdict, The Point: only book if you want to do lots of drugs, drink 'til sunrise, and catch something that does not require a net or pole but can involve "catch and release."

On the other hand, the city of Puno was really cool, especially to view upon approach by bus over the mountains, as the city seemed to spill into the lake, or upon return from the islands by boat, as the city, from that vantage point, seemed to be clawing it's way up the mountains, escaping from the lake bay.

Silver lining in everything, right? Don't take the criticisms in this blog the wrong way. We are having one hell of a time, and wouldn't trade one bus experience for another, nor would we prefer a jail cell over a bad hostel bed. It's just...you know, I love to complain ;-) So, back to the bus. It was on that sh!tty bus to Arequipa that we ended up meeting Jeremy and Jessica. We, the four of us, were on the second floor of the bus sitting in the very front four seats and the only gringos on the entire bus. If that were not enough to make us fast friends, it turned out they used to live in Colorada and in Portland. We got along famously and had dinner and drinks on a fifth story balcony over looking the Plaza de Armas in Arequipa. Safe travels to you, Jeremy and Jessica!

The Nederlanders

Everyone on the Titicaca tour got on well, but we really had fun spending time and talking with a couple from the Netherlands. They had been traveling from Liima on their way to Cuzco and we were on our way to Lima coming from Cuzco. So, we told each other about our travels so far and our plans for travel over the next couple of weeks. Turned out they were going to Bolivia and is sounded super awesome, so we got excited to look into doing the same. We decided to travel together, but to first go and do research at our respective hotels, then meet for drinks and dinner. Turns out we did not have enough time to squeeze in Bolivia and the largest salt plains in the world, but we did have the best dinner of the trip. It was like hanging out with old freinds.


Pics: Inge smiling on the boat; Mark and Inge working with the kids at the Amantani school.

Mas Titicaca

On the second day, we cruised on over to the smaller island of Taquile, for another hike and lunch. We were on a tour with a group of three other couples and had lunch together at the top of the island. At the restaurant, the table was set up last supper style, so everyone had a beyond spectacular panoramic view of such natural beauty it almost made me choke...or maybe it was the spicy salsa and coca tea. On the way back to Puno I asked the guid if it was safe to swim and if we could stop the boat in the middle of the lake. Yes, yes, and hell yes I jumped into Lake Titicaca, joined by a brave cohort from Chicago/Russia. Oh, and yes, it was cold!!

Amantani

The second part of the day, we traveled to the middle of the lake to the island Amantani. No running water, no toilets (to speak of), and no electricity. We were glad we remembered the flashlight, because this was where we spent the night with an island host family. Non-comfort aside, or more likely thanks to it, this was one experience we will gladly not forget. We climbed over 1000 ft from the lake to the peak of the island, where we stood at about 14,000 ft above sea level. Definitely more of a workout for the lungs than the quads, but worth it for the extraordinary sunset view. Our island host mother was super nice and we did our best to converse in Spanish at meal times while she cooked and served us in her clay hut kitchen swarming with flies and flickering with candlelight.

Islas de Uros de Titicaca de Puno de Peru de...

Our next stop was the city of Puno on the Lake Titikaka. Puno was not too much different from Cuzco, Ollantay, or Aguas outside of location and size; The same restaurants and the same souveniers. However, the Titikaka tour we took was as unique as they come. We started out early in the morning on a boat to the "floating islands" of Uros. These Islands are not named in a figurative nature as I had originally believed; they are actually floating. The quick of it is: the local plentiful reed that grows like a weed in the lake has a root base that, upon decomposition, produces a gas that makes the roots and surrounding soil super bouyant. They take blocks of these root systems, tie them together, lay the reeds themselves on top, and periodically put down new layers of reed. The end result, an honest to goodness floating island with a ground of reeds soft to the step but dry as desert--mostly. The place was exploited by tourism, but they seemed happy enough to have radio and television working on solar powered batteries. Everything was made of this reed, they even ate it. They do not have toilets.

Loki

Our hostel reservations got mixed up again in Cuzco, but this time they gave us a room that belonged in a four-star hotel. You would not believe this room...and in a hostel. King sized bed, two sinks in front of a ginormous mirror in the bathroom, removable shower head with the hottest water, and the view, oh wow, the view. Posting Pics, but again, will not due justice to the real thing. The hostel was called Loki and I can recommend it for services and price, but we will most likely be staying at The Point--Loki's biggest rival hostel--for the next three cities, if alll goes well.

This Little Piggy Had Queso

Pigs in a blanket, sort of: un sol (apx 37 cents). Sketchy street food, but awesome!

Cuzco

Cuzco, as you can imagine, is like most tourist cities. Souveniers, ho(s)tels, restaurants, souveniers, churches, and more souveniers. We ventured out, but not too far. We went to the big local market; about three blocks away we were trying to figure out what on earth could smell so bad. We figured it wasn't pee or poo in the streets or alleys and we didn't see any dead dogs around. When we finally got into the market we almost choked! The first thing we saw were piles and mounds and globs of raw meats for sale in the warm daylight. We practically ran...no, we did run. Which is why there are no pictures for your vomitting--I mean viewing--pleasure, sorry. It was a really cool experience though, to stretch our legs and get out of the tourist race and see some of the city. We've talked to people who had stayed and are staying in Cuzco for weeks. I recommend a couple of days, though there is much to do and see outside of the city.

Our last night there, we going to bed and heard some wicked loud music. We thought it must be comig from the hostel bar, as we had to wear earplugs to hang out there the night before. But it turned out that is was coming from the Plaza de Armas (main square). There was a big concert going on, and we had a pretty sweet view of the thing. So, again, I will do no justice but post the pic anyway.

The Germans

We met a girl from Germany while we were waiting in line, and chatted her up for an hour while we waited for the busses. Her boyfriend was actually hiking straight up the mountain and meeting her at the top. We hopped on seperate busses and, as with most encounters of that kind, figured we'd said goodbye for the first and last time simultaneously. Turns out that assumption was wrong. We met up with them later in the ruins under some shelter waiting out a really heavy downpour and then again in Ollantay at the train station, all of us looking for a collectivo (shared taxi). They are on a one-full-year trip around the world and were half way through, having finished most of the Eastern hemisphere, and were now taking on the Americas. We ended up sharing a two hour collectivo to Cuzco and may meet up with them in Seattle as their world tour has them in the area in September. Small small world.

The pic is of a horse we saw while in the taxi together. No pic of our actual friends the "Germans," but a memory shared nonetheless.

Machu Picchu

I'm posting some pictures of Machu Picchu. But, as anyone who's ever been there or has taken pictures of anything beautiful knows, they will do no justice. We woke up at 4:30am in an attempt to be one of the first 200 people up the mountain, yeah right. People must have been lined up at one in the morning, based on the number there at 5am. It rained on us all day, and though we complained a bit and thought it would be nice to see Machu Picchu bathed in sunlight, I think we caught a glimpse of it at its most majestic, nestled into a mountain side/top wrapped in a blanket of mist and clouds.