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.

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.

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).

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!

Dressed up for the dance with our family.

Reed Islands

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!

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

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 ;)

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 :)