After 6 weeks and some change in Peru, we headed south to Montevideo, Uruguay and Buenos Aires, Argetina for our final 10 days of travel. We have noticed some vast differences between our beloved Peru and our current location of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Some of these points we're are not very proud of, but they are the truth.
And now....in one corner, we have Peru, with mounds of white rice, corn kernels the size of your head, abundance of Daewoo Ticos, scattered with Inca ruins, and plentiful with Alpacas, etc. fighting against Argentina, carnivourous at heart, most plastic surgery in the world, most psychologists in the world, and the outright trendiest people of South America...Let's get ready to rumble......
1. We have eaten sushi two nights in a row because we love it so much and have missed it for nearly 7 weeks...yum!!!
2. When we were planning our trip and looking into the weather in Buenos Aires (BA), Argentina, we found temperatures hovering right around 70. We were surprised too! Turns out, it was one of the rarest weeks of warm temperature they have had in while for this time of year.
3. Typically, bathrooms in B.A. contain toilet paper and a toilet, whereas in Peru...well, you have seen the pictures.
4. Heaters are bountiful in Buenas Aires.
5. Cars typically stop for pedestrians in BA.
6. Three pisco sours don't give you the biggest resaca (hangover) of your life in Buenos Aires...it helps not being at 11,000 ft altitude.
7. Peru has markets (specializing in Alpaca goods)....BA has stores (some that we recognize).:)
8. No tourism ticket in Buenos Aires...yeah!!! You can't go anywhere in Cusco without that silly thing.
9. A hot shower is not a luxury in B.A.
10. We think you can drink the water here in BA?
11. We have found more than two restaurants that we like in B.A.
12. They don't eat guinea pig in B.A.
13. It's warmer in Peru...brrr!
14. We miss the Daewoo Ticos taxis that cost one dollar for a 15 minute ride in Peru.
15. And the Peruvian mountains.
16. And our families.
17. The exchange rate for the Peruvian sole and the Argentinian Peso are the same which makes the math quite easy.
18. Argentine wine!!!! Need we say more...
19. Peruvian Salsa Dancing vs. Argentine Tango.
20. We haven't had white rice (except sushi) outside of Peru and no digestive issues in Argentina. (Cross your fingers:)
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Our Last Night in Peru
Saturday, we left our home away from home and our families in Cusco, Peru, but only after having a big good-bye party on Friday night. We went to Top Coffee, the bar Sarah and Mary's family own, and had a party complete with Pisco Sours, very popular in Cusco. Caution: high altitudes can exacerbate the effects of alcohol. What a great time though!!! We definately want to thank our families for taking such good care of us. They were awesome!! We flew to Lima on Saturday, were we spent the afternoon dining on a big cliff overlooking the ocean. We also watched the new Batman movie. Highly recommended although very violent and we felt a bit homesick watching a movie that was filmed in Chicago. We also spent some time contemplating whether or not to paraglide. Ann suggested that we wait until today, but our families and friends with fears of heights will be happy to know that we ran out of time. We are flying all night to our next destination, so we are envious of all of those getting a full nights sleep. See you in...
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Welcome to Life in Cusco, Peru
Cusco is the third largest city in Peru, although you wouldn't know it because everybody seems to know each other. Cusco sits in a valley (at an altitude of around 10,000 feet) surrounded by mountain ranges. Many streets within the old city limits were built for horse and buggy a very long time ago. Today that translates to one lane cobblestone roads and sidewalks that are one to two feet wide which creates a tight fit when passengers are trying to walk in opposite directions and the cars don't stop. Besides the many sidewalk hazards, the old part of Cusco is definitely our favorite. The name of the area of town is known as the Plaza de San Blas and it is known as the Gringoville...lots of tourists! Our favorite restuarant, Jack's Cafe, rests on a quaint corner right in the heart of this area. We go there whenever we get American-food munchies and the waiter now laughs at us due to our regular visits. They have the best brushetta with fresh tomatoes, fresh vegetable sandwiches with bread that will rival the best bakeries in the US, awesome cappuchino, and big fat american portions.
Our typical day starts off with Sarah and Mary walking to Ann's house to pick her up, usually late which forces the group to take a Daewoo Tico taxi to class, but that has been getting better recently and there has been more walking all the way to class. Granted, one day this past week we didn't have a choice because it was the day of the paro, which was an organized strike by the transportation union and the farmers. The strike started at 8 a.m. after which, no taxis were available, all stores and most schools (except ours) were closed because people couldn't get to work. The strikers even put broken glass in the middle of some intersections and some men stood there with sticks to punish any cabbies that decided to work. There were also multiple marches throughout different parts of the city. The strike was scheduled to end about 6 that night and life resumed to normal...Hmm not so effective when they plan strike for just one day!!
School is 8-1 and we are pretty darn hungry when it is over. After walking home, we eat a big lunch with our individual familes. After lunch, Mary and Sarah enjoy long naps and relaxation exercises for the next 2-3 hours. Ann comes over to Sarah and Mary's house and about jumps out of her skin eagerly waiting for them get out of bed. Finally at Ann's persuasion we go to markets, museums, churches, plazas, salsa lessons, and restuarants to have good food and a couple drinks, etc.
We have met many people here in Cusco in interesting scenarios. Remember that restaurant we told you about where Tracy had her bag stolen? We happened to run into the lady in the plaza that was volunteering in the resturant that night. She was really concerned that Tracy was still in Peru because she didn't have a passport, which wouldn't have been the worst thing, but we informed her that the story had a happy ending and Tracy was back safely in the states. Our new friend Cheri invited us to come up to her patio for lunch, which turns out to overlook the whole city of Cusco. We enjoyed fresh veggie sandwich bought fresh from the market. Another friend who helped us find a bar we were looking for last Saturday turns out to live 2 houses down from Sarah and Mary and works right across the street from their house as well for a company where Cesar's (host father) brother-in-law works.
We have almost completed adjusted to the idiosyncracies of Cusco including cars honking all the time, which we have learned could mean that a taxi or a bus are available, or that a car is simply notifying a pedestrian of it's presence. Another regular in the daily life in Cusco is a constant line outside the office of the main cellular phone carrier because the only way some people have to pay their phone is to do it in person, and if it is past due in any way, they cut the service. Where is the grace period? Kids are part of the labor force and sidewalk scenary here in Peru, selling their finger puppets and candy. In addition, vendors and restaurants employees stand in doorways and on the sidewalk begging people to come in and dine. We have three weeks down and one week to go in Cusco. We leave on Saturday and travel back to Lima from which we will travel to the final destinations of our trip. Keep guessing on the locations. More to follow!
Our typical day starts off with Sarah and Mary walking to Ann's house to pick her up, usually late which forces the group to take a Daewoo Tico taxi to class, but that has been getting better recently and there has been more walking all the way to class. Granted, one day this past week we didn't have a choice because it was the day of the paro, which was an organized strike by the transportation union and the farmers. The strike started at 8 a.m. after which, no taxis were available, all stores and most schools (except ours) were closed because people couldn't get to work. The strikers even put broken glass in the middle of some intersections and some men stood there with sticks to punish any cabbies that decided to work. There were also multiple marches throughout different parts of the city. The strike was scheduled to end about 6 that night and life resumed to normal...Hmm not so effective when they plan strike for just one day!!
School is 8-1 and we are pretty darn hungry when it is over. After walking home, we eat a big lunch with our individual familes. After lunch, Mary and Sarah enjoy long naps and relaxation exercises for the next 2-3 hours. Ann comes over to Sarah and Mary's house and about jumps out of her skin eagerly waiting for them get out of bed. Finally at Ann's persuasion we go to markets, museums, churches, plazas, salsa lessons, and restuarants to have good food and a couple drinks, etc.
We have met many people here in Cusco in interesting scenarios. Remember that restaurant we told you about where Tracy had her bag stolen? We happened to run into the lady in the plaza that was volunteering in the resturant that night. She was really concerned that Tracy was still in Peru because she didn't have a passport, which wouldn't have been the worst thing, but we informed her that the story had a happy ending and Tracy was back safely in the states. Our new friend Cheri invited us to come up to her patio for lunch, which turns out to overlook the whole city of Cusco. We enjoyed fresh veggie sandwich bought fresh from the market. Another friend who helped us find a bar we were looking for last Saturday turns out to live 2 houses down from Sarah and Mary and works right across the street from their house as well for a company where Cesar's (host father) brother-in-law works.
We have almost completed adjusted to the idiosyncracies of Cusco including cars honking all the time, which we have learned could mean that a taxi or a bus are available, or that a car is simply notifying a pedestrian of it's presence. Another regular in the daily life in Cusco is a constant line outside the office of the main cellular phone carrier because the only way some people have to pay their phone is to do it in person, and if it is past due in any way, they cut the service. Where is the grace period? Kids are part of the labor force and sidewalk scenary here in Peru, selling their finger puppets and candy. In addition, vendors and restaurants employees stand in doorways and on the sidewalk begging people to come in and dine. We have three weeks down and one week to go in Cusco. We leave on Saturday and travel back to Lima from which we will travel to the final destinations of our trip. Keep guessing on the locations. More to follow!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
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Arequipa Earthquake
Unfortunately, Peru is an earthquake zone and tremors seem to be quite normal around here. Peru has long history of devastating tremors and earthquakes that have destroyed cities and resulted in loss of life. As many of you may know, if you tried to google information about the lastest one in Arequipa, it sounds like most people were uninjured; however, the news reports here say that the earthquake caused a bus to go off the road, killing 6. We didn't feel the earthquake here in Cusco and actually some of you seemed to know before we did... judging from the time posted on your comments. We just wanted to write a short post since it sounded like many of you were concerned.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Our Way of Giving Back...Our Donations to Peru
As many of you know, Peru is a third world country and lacks some of the comforts and abundance of the United States. We have been looking into ways to give back and have found a few opportunities that hopefully will work out before we leave. In addition to that, we have been leaving our philanthropic mark throughout Peru during this trip. Mary started off in Lima by donating her cell phone charger because she knew Sarah had the same charger and we didn't need two. Tracy and Sarah decided to put their cell phones in their big backpacks when they went in the bus storage, knowing that the bus employees could search them and help themselves. Tracy and Sarah were happy to know that the phones went to good homes. Thankfully, we still have the phone charger. Tracy went a step farther in her generosity, and left one of her favorite pair of shoes and took the other one with her for memories. Tracy, being the biggest philanthropist of the group tried to give free money from her debit card to anyone that would take it, but unfortunately before anybody could take it, the ATM machine sucked the card back in and the bank gave her back her card. Ann decided Mary had not donated enough, and when the cabbie demanded that Ann paid too much, she just gave him Mary's cell phone. Two days before Tracy's departure, she decided that she really needed to leave her mark in Peru. She generously left her bag on the floor in the restaurant while we were eating, allowing the couple next to us who didn't order food, to take it. The couple was very thankful to have the camera, backpack, 200 dollars, and two credit cards. The next morning, Tracy was disappointed to find that her passport wasn't inside of the backpack, but instead was in her nightstand. Nice attempt Tracy to stay in Peru!!! Anybody want a cell phone charger?
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Arequipa: The Forgotten City
We seemed to have overlooked one of our favorite Peruvian cities, Arequipa. This city is surrounded by active snowy volcanoes that errupt one time every hundred years and sandy mountains. Arequipa is Peru's second largest city and there is a lot of pride for this city from Arequipenos. There is a saying that says, "When the moon separated from the earth, it forgot to take Arequipa." Arequipa at one point wanted to separate from Peru and they even created their own flag and passport. Known as "The White City", Arequipa's unique colonial architecture is built with white volcanic rock that glows in the sun. We visited a very famous convent, Monasterio de Santa Catalina, that occupies an entire city block and at one time housed 500 nuns, but today less than 50 live there. We tried to get a guide, but it might have been late in the day or maybe all the guides were tired because nobody seemed to be interested. Luckily for us, there was another group going through that we thought we might be able to join. One of the group members, however, informed us that we were not part of his group and we were not welcome to join:( It ended up working out though, because instead of learning the actualities of the place for an hour, we got to create our own experience of the monastery. For several hours, we meandered through the city within a city that had maze-like rooms all linking together and stone streets spotted with fruit trees and plazas. The bold colors of the plazas and other walls, shown in our photos, contrasted with the meditative and expansive space we experienced at the monastery with the blackened kitchens and the simple, cold, and stone bedrooms. We hope our pictures show the monastery how we experienced it.
Where in South America are Ann, Mary, and Sarah going?
The plan is that we will be staying in Cusco for the next two weeks living with our families and going to class:) We have 10 days at the end of our trip, however, that was unplanned until this past weekend. So we have decided to set up a friendly game for our blog visitors to guess where we are going. We will be posting clues of all kinds many times in the next two weeks before our departure.
Restrictions apply: Everyone is welcome to participate, especially friends and family members, friends of friends, and even strangers!!!
Awards: Limit one prize per winner.
Rules of the game: The first person to post a comment with the winning response wins. We will be going to two major locations, and in order to be considered a correct response, each location must be contained within the same comment. Only two locations will be allowed in each response. Any response that doesn't follow the rules will be disqualified.
Good luck to all!
The First Clue
Location #1 Common Phrases Used in this location: Barbaro (Cool), Garca! (Disgusting), and Jodita (Party).
Location #2 Che rode through this location on his motorcycle.
Restrictions apply: Everyone is welcome to participate, especially friends and family members, friends of friends, and even strangers!!!
Awards: Limit one prize per winner.
Rules of the game: The first person to post a comment with the winning response wins. We will be going to two major locations, and in order to be considered a correct response, each location must be contained within the same comment. Only two locations will be allowed in each response. Any response that doesn't follow the rules will be disqualified.
Good luck to all!
The First Clue
Location #1 Common Phrases Used in this location: Barbaro (Cool), Garca! (Disgusting), and Jodita (Party).
Location #2 Che rode through this location on his motorcycle.
Pisaq
Thursday, we traveled outside of Cusco for 15km (for those of you not used to the metric system, this is about a half an hour) to reach Pisaq, a town in the Sacred Valley. Pisaq is known for it's high adrenaline activities such as trekking, rafting, and riding in a hot-air balloon. We were definately going to do these, but we ran out of time so we had to settle for hiking up to the Inca Fortress on the side of a mountain. Some of the cool things we learned: the Incas set up agricultural terraces on the side of the mountain to provide fertile land and prevent landslides, and the Inca ruins are divided into four sections: agricultural, religious, noble, and military zones. The agricultural zone is in the shape of a condor, which signifies the Gods. We also ventured to the religious zone, where we saw many structural similarities to Machu Picchu and the repitive use of the Inca trilogy: Condor, Serpent which symbolizes the underworld or death, and the Puma, which symbolized the human existence. The other two zones were a short climb away but because of time and our recent explorations of many other ruins, we decided to forego more ruins and go shopping instead! The hectic market in Pisaq, which is widely known, lays at the base of the river running through the valley. We shopped for a bit and then decided we were ruined-out and we headed to the big city of Cusco.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Betcha Didn´t Know...Little Known Facts About Peru
1. Peru has 37 different types of corn...big, small, black, white, yet corn tortillas cannot be found ANYWHERE!
2. It is not surprising to see or almost run into random farm animals that graze on the sides of the roads.
3. Every city, no matter how run down or depressing it is, has a well-mantained central plaza where the people gather at all hours.
4. If you are a local Peruvian you could ( if you choose so) purchase 100 avocados, mangos, or papayas for the reasonable price of 20 soles ( 7 dollars). About the same price that Jewel offers for a two for one deal!
5. The Alpaca ( a llama-type animal) in Peru is practically the equivalent to the cow in India...though not exactly considered sacred, the alpaca is essential to their society. Oh, did we mention they eat Alpaca as well :(
6. If you thought the company Daewoo was going out of business ( I never see those cars in the US), think again...90% of the taxis in Peru are tiny Daewoo tin cans on wheels, but I bet they get great gas mileage!
7. Hundreds of stray dogs of every size and breed crowd the streets of every Peruvian city- and we just want to take them all home :(
8. Guinee pig( a member of the rodent family) ( Cuy) is a delicacy here...yum!
9. Peru is not the place for the carb-conscious. Almost every lunch and dinner is served with atleast 2-3 different types of grains...white rice, potatoes, and bread.
10. Just in case you were wondering, it does not appear that the toilet flushes the opposite way.
2. It is not surprising to see or almost run into random farm animals that graze on the sides of the roads.
3. Every city, no matter how run down or depressing it is, has a well-mantained central plaza where the people gather at all hours.
4. If you are a local Peruvian you could ( if you choose so) purchase 100 avocados, mangos, or papayas for the reasonable price of 20 soles ( 7 dollars). About the same price that Jewel offers for a two for one deal!
5. The Alpaca ( a llama-type animal) in Peru is practically the equivalent to the cow in India...though not exactly considered sacred, the alpaca is essential to their society. Oh, did we mention they eat Alpaca as well :(
6. If you thought the company Daewoo was going out of business ( I never see those cars in the US), think again...90% of the taxis in Peru are tiny Daewoo tin cans on wheels, but I bet they get great gas mileage!
7. Hundreds of stray dogs of every size and breed crowd the streets of every Peruvian city- and we just want to take them all home :(
8. Guinee pig( a member of the rodent family) ( Cuy) is a delicacy here...yum!
9. Peru is not the place for the carb-conscious. Almost every lunch and dinner is served with atleast 2-3 different types of grains...white rice, potatoes, and bread.
10. Just in case you were wondering, it does not appear that the toilet flushes the opposite way.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Adventure in Peru: Dangerous and Uncomfortable
This past weekend we were so fortunate to find space on a tour group to see one of the seven wonders of the world, Machu Picchu. The selling points were "adventure, easy hiking, beautiful scenary that combines the jungle with majestic mountains" so we were sold for the four day tour. The unfortunates are to follow...
We felt so lucky to be assigned the tour company's best guide, but unfortunately, he was 16. We started off on a bus that transported us four hours. Fortunately, we all bought tickets that included individual seats on the bus, but unfortunately, the bus company sells more tickets than they have seats, and a woman sat on Mary's armrest for 3 of those hours. The bus ride was beautiful, weaving high through the mountains, but the unfortunate part was that the bus was on a cliff a large portion of the time. When we arrived, the scenary was beautiful and we were safe, but we also had to use the bathroom and there were none. Fortunately, other passengers had the same issues, but unfortunately they just went to the bathroom on the side of the road right next to the bus (including women!!!!).
Luck was on our side and we had brand new bikes to ride on our 4-5 hour trek through the mountains with views of waterfalls, rainforest plants and animals, and little local towns. The unfortunate part was that we were riding on narrow gravel roads (note to readers: gravel is about 10 times the size in Peru as it is in the US) which meant that we were shaking for 4-5 hours while trying to dodge cars at the same time. Cars do not slow down in Peru and therefore, in our case, it is the biker's responsibility to avoid the car. In Sarah's attempt to do so, she went into the ditch and fortunately missed the car, but unfortunately fell over when trying to get back on the bike. Fortunately, we made it safe and were able to rest but unfortunately, our bums and backs were sore and our hands swollen.
The next day started with lots of options which was quite lucky, but unfortunately for us, our guide scared us out of a lot of them. We decided to forego the trek that involved hiking on a 1 foot wide path that was on a cliff 800 meters high. Fortunately for us, they had just made a new road using dynamite within the past year that we were able to walk instead. Unfortunately, the road was only one lane wide and cars flew around blind corners, but we were grateful, they used their horn to warn of of their presence. Again, there was light at the end of the tunnel and after hiking for 6 hours we ended up at natural and isolated hotsprings edged into the side of a mountain and next to the fast-paced river. Unfortunately, when we got out of the hotsprings to get food (our repellent had washed off ) and we were biten to death by mosquitos. Unfortunately, Sarah had more than 60 bites on each leg. Luckily for Mary, she didn't have quite so many, but unluckily, the bites she did get to be the size of tennis balls. Unfortunately, Tracy was bit too, but fortunately, Ann avoided most bites (the 3 bites that Ann did get she said itched really bad for the record)! Fortunately, we survived the day and were looking forward to rest and relaxation. Unfortunately, the first establishment we were supposed to stay at was more like a shed, but fortunately for us, the tour group worked to find us another one. Unfortunately, a nice hotel doesn't exist in the town we were in and the next one wasn't that much better. Luckily for us, they took us to a nice restuarant where we got our food really fast because our guide cooked it, but unfortunately for us a man was washing his hair in a sink a short distance from the tables.
The next day, we were so grateful that it was a short hike (3-4 hours) on a flat and defined path but unfortunately, it was on active train tracks. Fortunately, we arrived in Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu, and they had good food (spaghetti and egg and vegetable omelettes were the choices for 4 days), internet access, good shopping, a nice hotel, and a pharmacy to get medicine for our itchies. Unfortunately, it took us two days to get to this town and we only stayed there one day (note to future Peru travelers).
Fortunately, we went to Machu Picchu the last day there, but AND this is a minor unfortunate, we had to get up at 4:45. It was all worth is though. Machu Picchu had a majestic fog resting though it with the surrounding mountain peaks sneaking through. The sun crept up from behind the mountains offering a glow and beautiful colors in the sky. Fortunately, we had a tour guide that was awesome, but unfortunately we only had him for two hours and could have spent the day with him. Fortunately, the group summitted a mountain next to Machu Picchi called Wayna Picchu which Tracy loved, but unfortunately, it created a bit of anxiety in Ann, Mary, and Sarah. Fortunately, we got to spend the whole day at Machu Picchu and we traveled back to Cusco safely by train, but unfortunately we didn't spend the entire 4 days at Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes.
We felt so lucky to be assigned the tour company's best guide, but unfortunately, he was 16. We started off on a bus that transported us four hours. Fortunately, we all bought tickets that included individual seats on the bus, but unfortunately, the bus company sells more tickets than they have seats, and a woman sat on Mary's armrest for 3 of those hours. The bus ride was beautiful, weaving high through the mountains, but the unfortunate part was that the bus was on a cliff a large portion of the time. When we arrived, the scenary was beautiful and we were safe, but we also had to use the bathroom and there were none. Fortunately, other passengers had the same issues, but unfortunately they just went to the bathroom on the side of the road right next to the bus (including women!!!!).
Luck was on our side and we had brand new bikes to ride on our 4-5 hour trek through the mountains with views of waterfalls, rainforest plants and animals, and little local towns. The unfortunate part was that we were riding on narrow gravel roads (note to readers: gravel is about 10 times the size in Peru as it is in the US) which meant that we were shaking for 4-5 hours while trying to dodge cars at the same time. Cars do not slow down in Peru and therefore, in our case, it is the biker's responsibility to avoid the car. In Sarah's attempt to do so, she went into the ditch and fortunately missed the car, but unfortunately fell over when trying to get back on the bike. Fortunately, we made it safe and were able to rest but unfortunately, our bums and backs were sore and our hands swollen.
The next day started with lots of options which was quite lucky, but unfortunately for us, our guide scared us out of a lot of them. We decided to forego the trek that involved hiking on a 1 foot wide path that was on a cliff 800 meters high. Fortunately for us, they had just made a new road using dynamite within the past year that we were able to walk instead. Unfortunately, the road was only one lane wide and cars flew around blind corners, but we were grateful, they used their horn to warn of of their presence. Again, there was light at the end of the tunnel and after hiking for 6 hours we ended up at natural and isolated hotsprings edged into the side of a mountain and next to the fast-paced river. Unfortunately, when we got out of the hotsprings to get food (our repellent had washed off ) and we were biten to death by mosquitos. Unfortunately, Sarah had more than 60 bites on each leg. Luckily for Mary, she didn't have quite so many, but unluckily, the bites she did get to be the size of tennis balls. Unfortunately, Tracy was bit too, but fortunately, Ann avoided most bites (the 3 bites that Ann did get she said itched really bad for the record)! Fortunately, we survived the day and were looking forward to rest and relaxation. Unfortunately, the first establishment we were supposed to stay at was more like a shed, but fortunately for us, the tour group worked to find us another one. Unfortunately, a nice hotel doesn't exist in the town we were in and the next one wasn't that much better. Luckily for us, they took us to a nice restuarant where we got our food really fast because our guide cooked it, but unfortunately for us a man was washing his hair in a sink a short distance from the tables.
The next day, we were so grateful that it was a short hike (3-4 hours) on a flat and defined path but unfortunately, it was on active train tracks. Fortunately, we arrived in Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu, and they had good food (spaghetti and egg and vegetable omelettes were the choices for 4 days), internet access, good shopping, a nice hotel, and a pharmacy to get medicine for our itchies. Unfortunately, it took us two days to get to this town and we only stayed there one day (note to future Peru travelers).
Fortunately, we went to Machu Picchu the last day there, but AND this is a minor unfortunate, we had to get up at 4:45. It was all worth is though. Machu Picchu had a majestic fog resting though it with the surrounding mountain peaks sneaking through. The sun crept up from behind the mountains offering a glow and beautiful colors in the sky. Fortunately, we had a tour guide that was awesome, but unfortunately we only had him for two hours and could have spent the day with him. Fortunately, the group summitted a mountain next to Machu Picchi called Wayna Picchu which Tracy loved, but unfortunately, it created a bit of anxiety in Ann, Mary, and Sarah. Fortunately, we got to spend the whole day at Machu Picchu and we traveled back to Cusco safely by train, but unfortunately we didn't spend the entire 4 days at Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Home, Sweet Home: Cusco, Peru
After our awesome adventure in the rainforest, eating termites, catching piranhas, and jumping rope with the local monkeys, we finally landed at our temporary home in Peru (for the next 4 weeks). Only two weeks left for Tracy :( Although we miss the excitement of being dirty, crazed backpackers, we are now enjoying daily showers and hanging out with our wonderful Peruvian families. Our new routine consists of Spanish classes from 9 to 1, a typical Peruvian lunch with our families (along with more Spanish practice), and that same meal for dinner. In our down time we explore the amazing city of Cusco. We have been very lucky to land in modern Peruvian homes equipped with tvs and internet access (but no web cam for Tracy and Ann). At least we have Skype (our new best friend)! Yesterday was the famous, most important celebration of the year, Inti Raymi, the Inca celebration of the Sun, complete with parades, costumes, dancing, and riots (the equivalent of Mardi Gras-Peruvian style). Pictures and hopefully videos to come.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Things we brought and things that would have been useful in the Amazon
Things we brought that could have stayed at home:
1) Winter coats
2) Rain pants (The guide was bent over laughing at the idea of rain pants)
3) Croc sandals (Ann marketed crocs as a full-fledged hiking shoe)
4) Hiking socks (Not too important without the boots)
5) Books (Reading by candlelight can be tricky)
6) Malaria pills (They made our fingers tingly and we didn't really think that we needed them.)
7) Mosquito repellant (The only person that got bit was Mary).
8) Our comfy clothes (No time for relaxing...all hiking all the time)
9) The computer (No internet signals in the rainforest...Note: it was done for security reasons)
10)Dirty clothes (We didn't really want to wear them, but there wasn't much of a choice).
Things we should have brought:
1) Flashlight (Low tree stumps can really trip you up in the pitch black jungle)
2) Hiking Boots (Our guide told us not to bring them...great idea Fino!)
3) Tank tops (The rainforest gets pretty warm)
4) Yellow Fever Shots (The last outbreak was 10 years ago so Mary and Ann rolled the dice.)
5) Binoculars (The birds don't just come up to you and sit on your shoulder)
6) Chocolate (Dessert was apples in water)
7) An alarm clock (In the jungle you get up at 4 to see everything...seriously!)
8) A bird book (They all look the same after awhile)
9) Our boyfriends (It was a really romantic place and Ann told Lloyd that she wished that she was Matt)
10)Bug repellant clothing (Nice idea from our Floridian friends).
1) Winter coats
2) Rain pants (The guide was bent over laughing at the idea of rain pants)
3) Croc sandals (Ann marketed crocs as a full-fledged hiking shoe)
4) Hiking socks (Not too important without the boots)
5) Books (Reading by candlelight can be tricky)
6) Malaria pills (They made our fingers tingly and we didn't really think that we needed them.)
7) Mosquito repellant (The only person that got bit was Mary).
8) Our comfy clothes (No time for relaxing...all hiking all the time)
9) The computer (No internet signals in the rainforest...Note: it was done for security reasons)
10)Dirty clothes (We didn't really want to wear them, but there wasn't much of a choice).
Things we should have brought:
1) Flashlight (Low tree stumps can really trip you up in the pitch black jungle)
2) Hiking Boots (Our guide told us not to bring them...great idea Fino!)
3) Tank tops (The rainforest gets pretty warm)
4) Yellow Fever Shots (The last outbreak was 10 years ago so Mary and Ann rolled the dice.)
5) Binoculars (The birds don't just come up to you and sit on your shoulder)
6) Chocolate (Dessert was apples in water)
7) An alarm clock (In the jungle you get up at 4 to see everything...seriously!)
8) A bird book (They all look the same after awhile)
9) Our boyfriends (It was a really romantic place and Ann told Lloyd that she wished that she was Matt)
10)Bug repellant clothing (Nice idea from our Floridian friends).
Amazon Adventures Sidenote
We had a great weekend in the Amazon and have been working hard to give you guys a show...a slideshow! Check out the slideshow AND by clicking on the pictures at the top right you can make it bigger AND see our headings:)
Also: For many of you who have been having technical difficulties in the posting department, we have fixed a little glitch in the posting system. You no longer need to be a registered user or have any affiliation to leave a comment, so now there are really no excuses.
Kelly: You are getting closer in correctly leaving a comment and we appreciate your effort but we are confident that Adam didn't have anything to do with that comment. Good luck in your future blogging pursuits!
Also: For many of you who have been having technical difficulties in the posting department, we have fixed a little glitch in the posting system. You no longer need to be a registered user or have any affiliation to leave a comment, so now there are really no excuses.
Kelly: You are getting closer in correctly leaving a comment and we appreciate your effort but we are confident that Adam didn't have anything to do with that comment. Good luck in your future blogging pursuits!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
World´s Highest Lake
So, we´re a few days behind on updating due to poor internet accessibility. However, we do have some fun stories to share about our trip to the world´s highest altitude lake, Lake Titicaca...and we just love saying the name! Our day started with a a three hour boat ride in the hot sun. Our first stop was to the famous floating reed islands where literally everything is made from reeds...houses, boats, crafts,...the ground. The reeds are even eaten by the native people and are thought to cure sicknesses. Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket! Now, you ask, how does it feel to walk on a reed island?...Drink about 3 shots of tequila and that will pretty provide a similar experience! The native islanders were super nice and inviting. They even dressed us up in their extremely festive gear...photos to come ( technical difficulties). Our next stop was on the island of Amantani. This island is about three hours off the coast and has 9 ancient communities that still follow the traditional customs. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend the day and night with a family (along with an amazing hike to see the sun set and moon rise almost simultaneously). Although no electricity or running water seemed uninviting, we roughed it and had an amazing time. Our first experience with the family was viewing their native dress which consists of piles of skirts, tight belts, and a hair scarves that resemble that of a nun. Meal time was another adventure, which consisted of potato soup, potato chucks and some other roots that resembled potatoes. Even more interesting was the way the families ate their meals. The mother was always crouched on the dirt ground cooking and cleaning while her family ate comfortabley at the table ( Women´s lib hasn´t taken flight yet here!) Later on, we again were dressed in their clothing and were brought to a community dance. A picture is worth a thousand words, so we won´t say much more about that...We will send pictures as soon as we can! Overall, a great cultural experience!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
I hope this works!
Hi Ladies~
Hello!...this is the third time I am trying to post a message so I hope it works! (and its in the right place) I don't want to be on the list of "not a real friend" because I don't have a post yet ;)
Looks like you are have a great time and A LOT of adventures! This blog is so great to see what you guys are doing down there. I love the pictures too! Sorry about all the big hair....I feel ya! Glad to see every one still likes each other too. Traveling with lots of girls can be pretty tricky
but sounds like you guys are doing a good job.
Keep the posts coming and if this one actually goes through I'll write some more.
Oh yeah STLG (as my mom would say).....especially keep an eye on Tracy (she tends to wander..hehe)
Love Kelly
Hello!...this is the third time I am trying to post a message so I hope it works! (and its in the right place) I don't want to be on the list of "not a real friend" because I don't have a post yet ;)
Looks like you are have a great time and A LOT of adventures! This blog is so great to see what you guys are doing down there. I love the pictures too! Sorry about all the big hair....I feel ya! Glad to see every one still likes each other too. Traveling with lots of girls can be pretty tricky
but sounds like you guys are doing a good job.
Keep the posts coming and if this one actually goes through I'll write some more.
Oh yeah STLG (as my mom would say).....especially keep an eye on Tracy (she tends to wander..hehe)
Love Kelly
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Ten Things We´ve Learned this Week
10. We know who are good friends are...the ones posting on our blog !! ;) Please refer to Beth´s post for proper blog formatting.
9. Lamas and Alpacas may look almost the same, but to Peruvians there is a HUGE difference...Alpacas taste good :( ( Ann and Sarah wanna take an alpaca home)
8. While we are told to drink lots of water to help with altitude sickness...we did not keep in mind the conditions of the restrooms we would be encountering ( hole in the ground...see below pic). Drink wisely!
7. Cacti are very edible and make great mixers for alcholic beverages!
6. Two bottles of wine, five entrees, appetizer and dessert at the Ritz in Peru = $60 total...not so bad when your sick of Peruvian food!
5. Full body swimsuits exist... ( what we learned at the hot springs).
4. Native shamans still recommend rubbing a guinea pìg over your body until it dies. You then must disect it to see where the bad/black area is and this will then tell you what organ is ill. Anyone want to try and let us know if it works??
3. If you`re in a hurry to the alter, don´t marry a Peruvian. All couples must be engaged for 2 years to see if it will be successful before they marry.
2. Although the Spanairds were not always very nice when they invaded the indigenous people of Peru, they did have some really good ideas and great architecture. ( Check out Arequipa..pics to come).
1. It is possible for four girls ( living in close quarters, no alone time, different traveling styles... and tummy troubles) to still like each other after ten days of traveling Peru... but we´ll update that in a month!
-By the way, the boy in the picture is our new friend Bradley from Austin, TX- Not bad scenery for a few days ;)
9. Lamas and Alpacas may look almost the same, but to Peruvians there is a HUGE difference...Alpacas taste good :( ( Ann and Sarah wanna take an alpaca home)
8. While we are told to drink lots of water to help with altitude sickness...we did not keep in mind the conditions of the restrooms we would be encountering ( hole in the ground...see below pic). Drink wisely!
7. Cacti are very edible and make great mixers for alcholic beverages!
6. Two bottles of wine, five entrees, appetizer and dessert at the Ritz in Peru = $60 total...not so bad when your sick of Peruvian food!
5. Full body swimsuits exist... ( what we learned at the hot springs).
4. Native shamans still recommend rubbing a guinea pìg over your body until it dies. You then must disect it to see where the bad/black area is and this will then tell you what organ is ill. Anyone want to try and let us know if it works??
3. If you`re in a hurry to the alter, don´t marry a Peruvian. All couples must be engaged for 2 years to see if it will be successful before they marry.
2. Although the Spanairds were not always very nice when they invaded the indigenous people of Peru, they did have some really good ideas and great architecture. ( Check out Arequipa..pics to come).
1. It is possible for four girls ( living in close quarters, no alone time, different traveling styles... and tummy troubles) to still like each other after ten days of traveling Peru... but we´ll update that in a month!
-By the way, the boy in the picture is our new friend Bradley from Austin, TX- Not bad scenery for a few days ;)
Monday, June 16, 2008
Cruisin' In Colca Canyon
Hey Everyone! We had the most amazing trip to Colca Canyon over the last two days, which is similar (but still not quite as cool) as the Grand Canyon. We saw tons of alpacas (they are the cutest!) and other animals in the mountains and valleys. We did lots of hiking, hanging out in hammocks, and tasting of traditional Peruvian food. Last night we went swimming in natural hotsprings, some indoors and some outdoors. It was beautiful swimming outside looking at the mountains and drinking cocoa sours (drinks made with cactus). It doesn't get better than that! We went to a market today where the locals sell all their wares. Donkeys were a common form of transportation assistance in carrying the family's purchases back to their house and our bus had to make frequent stops for cows and donkeys in the middle of the road. After a stunning four hour bus trip through the mountains we are back in Arequipa in our fancy hotel. Tomorrow we are off to Puno to Lake Titicaca (the highest lake in the world), which should be amazing! We are staying at a hotel when we get into town but the next night we are staying with two families, whose homes are on the reeds on the lake. Internet probably won't be available so we might have to talk to you the following day (Friday) from Cusco. Hope everyone is enjoying summer :)
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Flying High...Never again Nazca lines
Disclaimer: The pictures taken were before all our bodies started to turn against us! The turbulence, pressure, dips, and dives was more than 3 out of the 4 of us could handle.
Ann, Mary, and Sarah have the upmost respect for Tracy! The others were glad to be back on the ground.
A special note:
My deapest apologies to my tripmates.
---Sarah
Riding along in my automobile
At least the lap part fit. Thanks ladies for letting me ride shotgun! Our private taxi showed up to take us to Nazca...a three hour trip! Peruvian travel is interesting...there is only one lane going through the tunnels and anything goes. Yellow dotted lines are suggestions and the horn is used regularly as a COURTESY just to let people know you are there.
Friday, June 13, 2008
UPdate
Wow, what an amazing couple of days. We don´t have much time to tell you everything but here is a top ten list of the most memorable moments-
10. All the wonderful restuants that cater to Americans.
9. The Hostel we stayed in last night for $5, maybe not the best accomidations.
8. Getting over all digestive ailments.
7. Not getting shat on by the thousands of birds at the Islands de Ballestas.
6. Surviving a 2 hour ride in the dark in a 1968 Bel Air, Yeah!
5. Riding in 4x4´s through the desert and diving down sand dunes (then sandboarding straight down the hills)
4. Recovering from blowing chunks or almost blowing chunks in a 6 seater plane over the Nasca lines.
3. The beautiful views on the desert and the coast.
2. Our own Jesus Christos (acutally Jesus Durrand) who hooked us up with an amazing people who have taken us from place to place and guided us throughout Peru.
1. Realizing that we should not pose as ¨backpackers¨ because we are higher maintenance (then we thought)!
Miss you all,
More to come!
10. All the wonderful restuants that cater to Americans.
9. The Hostel we stayed in last night for $5, maybe not the best accomidations.
8. Getting over all digestive ailments.
7. Not getting shat on by the thousands of birds at the Islands de Ballestas.
6. Surviving a 2 hour ride in the dark in a 1968 Bel Air, Yeah!
5. Riding in 4x4´s through the desert and diving down sand dunes (then sandboarding straight down the hills)
4. Recovering from blowing chunks or almost blowing chunks in a 6 seater plane over the Nasca lines.
3. The beautiful views on the desert and the coast.
2. Our own Jesus Christos (acutally Jesus Durrand) who hooked us up with an amazing people who have taken us from place to place and guided us throughout Peru.
1. Realizing that we should not pose as ¨backpackers¨ because we are higher maintenance (then we thought)!
Miss you all,
More to come!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
A note from the authors...
Hi Jacob and Shannon. Love from Lima! To all of our family and dear friends: Thanks for following our travels and wishing us the best. We miss you and have LOVED receiving your comments. To all of those we have yet to hear from: Your comments have somehow been lost in e-space, so please re-send them!
Pachacamac- Day 3 After a well needed day of "rest/recovery", we decided to venture out to an Incan ruin site ( Pachacamac), a shared spiritual site where the Incan's worshiped and sacrificed to the gods. It is located 30 km outside of Lima. We summited the Templo del Sol (the highest pyramid) and after catching our breath got to see a spectacular view of the ocean. Now, the ruins were interesting and all, but more interesting, or should I say adrenaline-producing, would be the bus ride to get to the site. Thousands of buses can be found on the streets of Lima- most are private buses owned and operated by locan "Limans". Therefore, they feel it is a race to get the most amount of people on and off their buses in the least amount of time. After asking a police officer where to get the bus to Pachacamac, he kindly escorted us three gringas to the bus and proceeded to tell us to hide all of our valuable items (we already knew that of course). The bus ride, like the taxi, was intense... the driver waits for the last second to hit the brakes and then floors the accelerator before anyone has even gotten close to taking their seat. After adjusting to the bumpy ride, we had the chance to look out the window and see the real part of Lima- the poverty. Tiny ranches, some without roofs or doors, lined the hills outside the city. As far as we could tell, there wasn't any running water or electricity...culture-shock. It was an eye-opening bus ride in more ways than one. We made it back safely to our modern little suburb of Miraflores and enjoyed every second of it!
Where in South America are the Girls?
Next stop: Islas Ballestas, Pisco, Paracas National Park...
Note: Some of the rock formations no longer exist because of the earthquake that happened last year that devastated the area. We will send pictures of how it looks today.
Note: Some of the rock formations no longer exist because of the earthquake that happened last year that devastated the area. We will send pictures of how it looks today.
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