Friday, August 25, 2017

Rainbow Mountain

After yet another grueling 330 am wake up, Christina and I hiked 12 km up from 4227 m to 5120 m above sea level. It was a straight path uphill. Christina and I made it up to the top in 1:38 and down in 1:07. The rest of our team made it up in 2:30 and down in 1:45. It was painful to wait for everyone at the bottom. However, the photos were way worth it. 


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Lago Titicaca

We drove in a public bus from Cusco to Puno. It's a long drive but the seats were amazing - 160 degree recline, massive lazyboy style and free wifi. It made up for the 8 hour drive. Somewhere along the route we ran into the protesters who painted the bus then let us keep going. We also saw tons of flamingos on the river along the way. 

Fun facts about the lake:
  • Largest and highest navigable lake - 3810 m. 
  • It gets about 218 m deep. 
  • 60% in Peru, rest in Bolivia. 
  • 30 types of ducks but only 7 types of fish. 
  • 2000 people live on floating islands.
  • Courting on Tequille means hitting the girl with a rock then asking for a dance via a flash light. 
  • Also when people get married on Teqille, the bride and groom are not allowed to sleep throughout the three day party. Also the men makes the bride's outfits which she has to wear the number of skirts which is her age. 
  • All the men on Tequille are responsible for all knitting and the making of clothes for women on the island. 

We started out on a slow boat for two hours to the kayaking base camp. We then got into two person kayaks to do 10 km of kayaking on the lake. It took about 3 hours. We then had lunch on Tequille where we ran into 5 different weddings. It's a neat thing to run into. Lunch, however, was revolting. I ended up only having rice. 

We then took a boat to Ama for our homestay. It's an island that still speaks Quechen with about 4,000 people. We played soccer with the locals and got just destroyed. Christina tackled me. I hurt now. We then got all dressed in local wear and danced in the main square. It was funny because we all dance like white people without rhythm. Our homestay was nice but so so so cold. 

Day two kayaking was hell. It was choppy as all heck and christina and I are not coordinated. It's hilarious to watch us muscle through the kayaking. Neither of us is coordinated and it shows. However, we didn't give up and did the 12km ride home all by ourselves. Some of our squad had to get into the boat mid way through. 


We visited the floating island of Tata Llachu Punco and another island whose name I didn't remember. The first was less touristy than the second. 

Fun facts about the floating islands: 
  • People are not sure when they started living on the floating islands. 
  • They are about 3m thick of peat moss then covered with reeds. 
  • The islands take about a year to make.  
  • They eat flamingo when they are pregnant. 
  • Only primary schools on the islands. 
  • Still heavily dependent on the main island. 
  • There's about 150 floating islands in one part of the lake only. 
  • 10-12 people live on each island. 
  • There's about 12 layers of reeds on each island. 

I am now super sore and every part of my body has had a full workout. To end the trip, the entire group went to a reggae bar. I'd highly recommend this trip, it was amazing! 


AFN

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Lares Trek - Ain't Nothing But a Snowstormy Walk in the Park

We did a three day hike in the Andes Mountain Range known as The Lares Trek then to Machu Picchu. It started by driving down a single lane two way traffic road for two hours from Ollantaytambo. It's amazing to see buses hanging off of the side of straight cliffs or cars to pass. It's about a 30 km/hour drive. After the sketchy drive, we started our hike at the Lares Hot Springs after picking up toys and bread for the children we were going to run into on our hike. Apparently the kids are so destitute that they need trekkers to bring them treats. 

Day 1 - Sheer Rain 
Have you ever walked 12 km with a 900 m elevation? Probably. Ever done it in pissing rain on sheer rock while wearing a purple rain jacket, orange fleece, black mitts, and a bright blue rain poncho? I have. Day one was a short 5 hour hike in the rain. I seriously mean rain. It sleeted sideways the entire time. It was awful. 

Once we got to camp for dinner our guides had set up the dinner tent and our tents for the night. Everything was wet. We slept at 3800 m above sea level. It was princess camping - we had cooks, porters and a guide with us. Also the alpacas carried everything for us. I've never seen so many alpacas and llamas as on this day. It's like herds upon herds. 

Dinner menu: avocado, rice, vegetables and tea. 

Day 2 - Snow From Hell (and a chocolate bribe) 
We woke up to about 15 cm of snow. Wet, cold snow. Our leader changed the route to go to slightly less altitude trek when we woke up at 05:45 am. They did wake us up with fresh hot tea and hot water to wash our faces. It was just early and damn cold. Christina and I survived the night though. It required a lot of cuddling to survive though - that's why you bring good friends in these types of trips. 

The morning hike was 8 km with about 800 m elevation gain. I wore two pairs of pants, two socks, a tank, a tee, a long sleeve, a fleece, a ski jacket, a rain jacket and a rain poncho. It was about -15 ish and switching between rain and hail. It's tough to decide what layers to wear because you're hot from hiking but stopping is damn cold. 

We went into a traditional Andean house along the route. It was super smoky inside as they burn alpaca poo for fuel. It's interesting to see what they do to survive in the mountains. It's very simple and a whole lot of carbs. The guide claimed that the people in the Andes do not have cancer or any diseases. I don't quite believe him as they also have no doctors to tell them otherwise. 

At lunch we had better weather so our guide decided to change the path to the higher version. We then hit snow, hail and rain. It was a 700 m over 7 km uphill battle to 4,850 m. I may have gotten a tiny bit of altitude sickness - dizziness, headache and seeing two. However, after a bit of chocolate I made it to the top. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. Breathing sucked. Walking sucked. It was damn cold and windy. But man, the view was way worth it. 

We then raced down hill battling the darkness to sleep at 4,350 m. Since the porters had set up the tents, it had snowed more. Our tents were buried in 25 cm of snow when we arrived. It was not a warm sleep at all. Christina's sleeping bag also broke. So neither of us slept because it was cold and christina was unhappy - rightfully so too. 

Breakfast menu: porridge, hot chocolate, pancakes with orange sauce, and toast with jam. 

Lunch menu: Chinese chicken, noodle mash, and  vegetables. I didn't eat much. 

Dinner menu: asparagus soup, hot chocolate, chicken mash and some weird type of vegetables. 

Day 3: Mystery Mash Day 

The last morning was rough. We woke up to more snow. The hike wasn't too bad - 7 km downhill and only about 4 hours. We saw tons of kids coming back from school. Apparently the kids all stay at the school in town and hike back for the weekends. Oh also girls in the mountains get married at 14 to have kids between 15-20. It's sad. 

We took the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, which is also known as Machu Picchu town. We had a simple meal then early to bed with a glorious hot shower. I've never appreciated hot water as much as this shower. 

Breakfast menu: egg mash and chocolate cake. 

Lunch menu: mystery mash with an assortment of types of pasta. 

Day 4: Machu Picchu 
You know when wake up is 345 am that it's going to be a rough afternoon.  We stood in line for the bus up to Machu Pichhu starting at 415 am and only got on the bus at 645 am. The lines are just that long and there's not many buses that go up the road at one time. 

It is amazing that western civilization even found Machu Picchu. It's incredible. It's surrounded by this massive Rocky Mountain range and jungle forest. I'm not surprised it wasn't discovered until 1911 by Hiram something from Yale University. I do remember that his original quest down to Peru was funded by Tiffany's Diamonds because that was his father in law. Our guide did tell us some facts about it but he told us to lie down and appreciate the sun and surroundings, so I promptly fell asleep. So I have no facts about the area. Sorry not sorry. I do have photos and google though. 


We then took the train back to Ollantaytambo. I had a great conversation with one of the ladies on our trip about being your own person and not getting caught up in men's agendas. 

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Mountain Biking Adventures

Cusco 
After a 445 am start to go to the airport we made it to Cusco. Because of the altitude we had a tame day - we went to the Cathedral and the Jesuit Church. We also napped like pros. 

We had the briefing for the hike. It should be a great one. We reach over 4850 m at the highest point. Also the llamas carry the duffel bags. We're only allowed 7 kg of stuff on the trek. How much do you think that is? 

Mountain Biking Day 1 - Sacred Valley 
We biked. It was cool. They gave us specialized brand mountain bikes. It's interesting to see how many people have not been on a bike in years and signed up for this trip. I had a riot cruising down the Andes mountain range. 

Sacred Valley is better known as Urubamba in Peru. It's known for its great agriculture. Agricultural terraces, called andenes, were built up hillsides flanking the valley floor and are today the most visible and widespread signs of the Inca civilization in the Sacred Valley. It's just gorgeous views all around the area - highly recommend a visit to this; especially on a bike. 

G Adventures Site - Name Unknown 
Since we are on a G Adventures tour we had to go visit a local community to learn all about the process of making alpaca wool. They had alpaca and llamas on site which was the best part. We fed them! I'm sure y'all do not care about the process of wool so I won't spend the time to detail it. It's very detailed yet simple. 

Pisaq
We visited the ancient site of Pisaq. It's an example of the the Inka terrace agriculture. It's located in the Sacred Valley. It was a beautiful site and the highest I've ever been to this date of course - 3514 m above sea level at the top. Of course christina and I went all the way to the top while half of the group stayed at the bottom. I think you should always see the sites. 

Pisac is located 32 km from Cusco and at 2972 m above the sea level. It is located in the foothills Intihuatana, has the best system of terraces made by the Incas in the Andes. Near the village stands the Archaeological Park of Pisaq, Inca archaeological locations, constructions in polished stone, citadel, turrets, military fortresses, astronomical, etc. Stresses the Inca cemetery which is the largest in America. 

According to our guide, the Inka King Pachacuti erected a number of royal estates to memorialize victories over other ethnic groups. Among these royal estates are PĂ­sac (victory over the Cuyos), Ollantaytambo (victory over the Tambos), and Machu Picchu (conquest of the Vilcabamba Valley). Other historians suggest that Pisaq was established to protect Cusco from possible attacks of the Antis nations. It is unknown when Inca Pisaq was built. Since it does not appear to have been inhabited by any pre-Inca civilization, it was most likely built no earlier than 1440. Francisco Pizarro and the Spanish conquerors destroyed Inca Pisaq in the early 1530s. The modern town of Pisaq was built in the valley by Viceroy Toledo during the 1570s. 

Lunch at Huchuy Qosqo 
Because we were so far from the night hotel, we had lunch in a small place known as Huchuy Quoqo. It was a six course small plate meal. I ate plantains, quinoa with chicken, some weird potato dish, and two types of dessert. I looked at the ceviche and the stuffed hot pepper but decided to pass on them. 

Ollantaytambo 
It's the most adorable little town. It still runs on the Inka water system that runs through and under the town.  It is located at an altitude of 2,792 m above sea level. During the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti who conquered the region, built the town and a ceremonial center. At the time of the Spanish conquest it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance. 

The valleys of the Urubamba and Patakancha rivers along Ollantaytambo are covered by an extensive set of agricultural terraces which start at the bottom of the valleys and climb up the surrounding hills. The andenes permitted farming on otherwise unusable terrain; they also allowed the Incas to take advantage of the different ecological zones created by variations in altitude. It's a neat site to climb all the way to the top to get views of the entire valley. 

The legend says that Ollantay (the titan of the Andes) of plebeian origin loved the princess Cusi Coyllor (Star cheerful) Pachacutec Inca king's daughter, who disagreed with this love. Pachacutec sent the princess to a house of Virgin, Ollantay attempted kidnap her from there, but failed and escaped. From the fortress commanding Ollantay had rebelled against Pachacutec, and after bloody battles was defeated, but the generosity of Pachacutec made Ollantay spare his life.

Moray and the start of mountain biking day 2 
In Moray we saw the greenhouse or Inca agricultural laboratory, consisting of four platforms amphitheaters or overlapping concentric circular stones and a depth of 150 meters, like rings that are expanding as they ascend. Locally adapted plants into new ecosystems. According to the guide, some argue that these buildings may have served as a theater for religious and civic ceremonies not only for agricultural purposes.

This is also where we started the second day of mountain biking. SO MUCH FUN. We were given elbow pads and shin guards today because it was much steeper and more intense today. I had so much fun ripping down hills at wicked speeds. I was the third in line and christina was fourth. We had two guys in front of us who I don't think could have handled us being in front of them. I have never felt so alive other than going down hills at 40 km an hour. I only flipped over my handle bars once on a tight u-turn corner. I've only got a bruise and a pinky nail size cut. Not bad for a front flip! 

Maras
The importance of this town is originated by salt extraction, since the time of the Incas was very important for the mineral, in colonial times continued its importance, is demonstrated by the large installed Jesuit community in the area, today you can see the beautiful carved doorways in houses that belonged to the priests. 

The Maras Salt Pools is an impressive complex of salt exploitation, located in the area known Qoripujio. It has salt mines, which were already exploited since Inca times as a means of economic exchange and securities. The salt is derived from the naturally salty water found in the area. The locals fill the 5000 pools every 30 days then harvest the salt for exportation and animals. The pools have three layers - brown salt for animal skin hides, pink salt, and white fine salt for human consumption. I tried the salt - it was pretty good. 


Sunday, August 13, 2017

Another Lima Post ... yay!

Christina and I set off for another busy day in Lima before meeting our tour group at 630 pm. Our morning started out with waffles and bacon - the breakfast of "I can't eat anything else in the buffet" or champions, depends on how you look at it. 

Natural Museum of Archeology, Anthropology and History 

We started at the Natural Museum of Archeology, Anthropology and History. It's located in this gorgeous historic colonial mansion. It contains 32 different rooms each with its own theme or portion of history. It starts back in the ChavĂ­n time period then moves through the Paracas, Pukara, Nazca, Moche, Lima, Tiwanaku, Wari, Lambayeque, Chincha, ChimĂş, Chancay and Inca cultures. The pieces mostly originates from archaeological excavations, donations and legal seizures. It was interesting to watch a short documentary on the process of finding all of the mummified Paracas people. They were buried in almond shaped sacks with various funeral offerings then all put into this hole in a mountain. Apparently what tools you were given for the afterlife is what you did during your life. I wonder sometimes how much is reality and how much is bullshit. 

Venturing on in the museum we saw old artifacts from the first instruments elaborated since approximately 12,000 B.C., which show evidence of hunting and gathering activities, to the sumptuary and religious objects corresponding to later times. Actually it was predominately religious objects and sculptures worshiping felines. Christina and I had the same thought that some of the pottery was too fresh looking and that it might be retouched recently more than the regulations allow. I know I read about the differences in pottery between each era in Peru but none of it stuck out as being interesting. 

The Historical Collection is composed of approximately 4,500 pieces including canvases, sculptures, decorative art and movable cultural heritage of life of the Republican Period. The Republican Period is basically the late 1800s until recently. It's funny how the Peruvians refuse to admit that they were a dictatorship and that they've been plagued by guerrilla warfare for decades. Oh and another fun fact is that the Great Wall of china construction coincides with the first Inka kings.  

The coolest part of this museum was the human remains portion. The collection of human remains consists of approximately 15,500 items from around 10,00 BC to 1500 AD including funeral bundles, complete skeletons, skulls and parts of skeletons. Probably the most important objects belong to the Paracas collection. They used to physically manipulate children's heads to create different shapes to signify which clan the human belonged to. They did this with different ropes and crib tying methods when the humans were young. It's neat to see the different skill shapes that they have found. 

Huaca Pucllana 

This was a great pyramid in the middle of Lima. It's now a remnant of the pyramid that existed during the Lima People period. No clue on when that is to be honest. I'm sure they told us on the walking tour but I wasn't paying attention.  I'm solidly museum and history'd out. 

With the intended purpose of having the elite clergymen (who politically governed several valleys in the area) express their complete religious power and ability to control the use of all the natural water resources (saltwater and freshwater) of the zone, a Great Pyramid was constructed in the Huaca. No clue what a Huaca is either - I just have it written as a note. 

As a whole, the structure is surrounded by a plaza, or central square, that borders the outer limits, and by a large structured wall dividing it into two separate sections. In one section there were benches and evidence of deep pits where offerings of fish and other marine life took place in order to attain the favor of the gods. The other section is an administrative area. This area contains various small clay structures and huts made of adobe–with some walls still standing–whose function seemed to be to act as the courtyards and patios of the enclosure which is over 500 meters in length, 100 in width and 22 in height.

It was made out of clay bricks and the only reason it survived this long is because Lima doesn't rain. Also the site was built using vertical blocks which can move during an earthquake and not breakdown much. 

Sea Wall Walk Around Miraflores 

Christina and I decided to skip out on the last few items on the top 20 list for Lima to walk for miles along the sea wall. We ended up at Larcomar again for a smidgeon of ice cream mid day. It was well deserved after the 28 km we had walked until then this day. It was neat to see all of the paraglidera and locals just chilling on the greenery on the top of the mountain rather than on the beach. To be fair, it is winter and bloody freezing at 10•C. 

Group 

We met our group and I'm shocked. It's 8 from Toronto, 3 from Colorado and 2 aussies. The 8 from Toronto asked if they can skip some of the physical activities if they are tired. Why in the heck would you sign up for the most active trip if you didn't want to do everything? Also none of the Toronto people have ever hiked. Christina and I are going to die when we have to wait for them all on the hike. Most of the group is between 18-26 and the folks from the States are mid 40s. I know the Americans are all going to whip past us on the hike. I hope I can keep up with them rather than having to wait for the Toronto folks. They all seem nice enough though. 


AFN 

Friday, August 11, 2017

Lima - Round Tres

Brody and I spent a few days doing nothing in Lima. It was a good send off to the first part of the trip ... however now Christina finally arrived! Her Spanish is as fantastic and magical as mine - we sound like marbles and marshmallows are in our mouths. 

Of course we first got lost but then we found our way to the Covent de San Francisco. We randomly found the Plaza San Martin and a Starbucks. 

On day one we saw nine different things and sites in one day, which is what Brody and I did in three days. Different types of travellers. First we saw the Inglesia y Convento de San Francisco. The church and convent are part of the Historic Centre of Lima, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991. The church and monastery were blessed in 1673 and completed in 1774. Though it survived several earthquakes intact in 1687 and 1746, it suffered extensive damage in an earthquake in 1970. The church is noted for its architecture , a high example of Spanish Barque. Aside from a church and monastery it also contains a library and catacombs. In this church, Jude the Apostle, is venerated. At the feast of Saint Jude Tadeus a one and a half ton weighing silver stand is carried round in procession by 40 people, starting from the convent. The most exciting thing was the multiple catacombs that exist under the building. Archeologists have sorted the bones by type. Discovered in 1943, they contain thousand of skulls and bones, having served as a burial-place until 1808, when the city cemetery was opened outside Lima. It is estimated that 25,000 bodies were laid to rest there; the crypts, built of bricks and mortar, are very solid and have stood up well to earthquakes, it is also believe there existed secret passageways that connected to the Cathedral and the Tribunal of the Holy Inquisition.

We then watched the changing of the guards at the Palacio Gobernio. It was ornate. They did a ton of high kicks to military like music. We then we walked through the Casa de la literatura peruana, which was the original train station for Lima. It now serves as a museum of literature but it's all in Spanish so I dint retain any of it. 

After a quick bite, we walked through the Archbishop's Palace which is located on the Plaza del Armas. Located on the land that Francisco Pizzaro allocated to be the residence of the head priest of Lima after the foundation of the city in 1535, the current building was opened on December 8, 1924 and is considered a prime example of neo-colonial architectural that developed in Lima during the early twentieth century. The palace was built using only the finest materials shipped in from the old world, like cedar wood and mahogany, tiles from Seville, bronze and marble. In 1924 the Archbishops Palace was completely reconstructed and renovated. Since 2009 the palace is open to the public. It was a good example of how the church people lived like royalty. It contained tons of old paintings depicting Christian scenes. 

We then went through the Cathedral de Lima. It is the city’s historic center is the Lima’s most iconic building and home to the best museum of religious art. It is also known for being home to the tomb of Spanish conquistador, Francisco Pizarro. The main church of Peru dates back to 1535, when Francisco Pizarro first laid the foundation for the church which would serve the new Spanish colonists. The temple was inaugurated in 1540 and elevated to the status of cathedral in 1541 when the Lima diocese was formed. The first archbishop of Lima expanded the original temple in 1551, but it did not get a carved-stone façade until 1649. It was consecrated as a basilica in 1625. The 1746 earthquake destroyed the church, requiring a rebuilding effort from scratch which was not completed until 1778. It contains 14 different chapels inside the monetary. The first one immediately after the main entrance, which you do not have to pay the museum admission fee to visit, contains the tomb of Pizzaro. More importantly it also contains tons of catacombs and creepy bones. I'm way more interested in the bones than I am the religious paintings or history. 

In true Christina and Brittany travel fashion, the main square was shut down by special forces and everyone was evacuated from the main square due to violent tiles. All is good though. We got out in time. 

Our evening was spent visiting the Larco Musuem. It's a privately owned museum with some cool pre-Columbian artifacts. The only thing interesting to report is the size of the nose rings and the massive amount of penis and erotic pots. It contras a fantastic exhibit of pornographic art. Also it allows people to visit the storage of all the items not on display. 

For dinner we headed to Largomar - a mall built into the sea wall. We ate at Mangos which was delicious as a final meal before we start our tour tomorrow.  I'm sure we will do more before we pick up the tour tomorrow night. 


AFN 

Tuesday, August 08, 2017

Paracas - Penguins and Flamingos

Today Brody and I drove to Paracas to see the natural reserve and go on a boat tour to the Ballestas Islands. The Ballestas Islands is a vibrant and colourful wildlife sanctuary that is filled with wild birds and sea lions. It's a set of Islands with thousands of birds on them and a whole lot of guano  (bird poo). We saw a dozen Humbolt penguins, hundreds of pelicans and hundreds of Peruvian boobies hehe. Also on the tour we saw a mysterious geoglyph similar to the Nazca lines, that was carved into the face of a cliff. It was a cold morning on the boat. It was interesting but not the most exciting thing we've ever seen on this trip.

Brody then had arranged a private tour of the Paracas National Reserve. I've never been so bored in my life. We spent three hours in a car being toured to see different beaches. I get that it might be massive and needs the tourism dollars but man was it not worth the time. We did see flamingos from afar and some neat views. I'm sure the locals appreciated the business but I would not recommend going if you have a choice.

I'm looking forward to picking up the pace here soon on my tour.

AFN

G Adventures Tour - Just in Case

Hey all, 

Not sure if I will be blogging daily like I have in past trips because of the spotty internet and sheer amount of exercise we will be doing. So I figured I would pre-draft the G Adventures Trip with Christina. I will meet Christina in Lima on August 9 and start our tour on August 12, ending on August 25.

If anyone wants to challenge me in a step race, this is the two weeks I am guaranteed to win. 

Map of the route for Peru Multisport
Our tour in a nutshell 
Lima - Day 1 (also known as August 12) 
Free day!

Cusco - Days 2-3
We will fly from Lima to Cusco at 4:30 am ... wonderful. We have an entire day free here to do whatever we want (let's see what type of trouble we can get into!). I'm sure it will involve white water rafting and/or some day hike.

Ollantaytambo - Days 3-5
Day 3 is the start of a two day biking excursion through the Sacred Valley, in the Maras, Moray and Pisac areas using Ollantaytambo as a vase. From our starting point at 3,700 m or 12,139 feet above sea level, we descend on our bikes into the Sacred Valley, eventually arriving at Taray (2,800 m or 9,186 feet above sea level). At some point we will tour the hilltop citadel of Pisac, an Incan ruin with plunging gorges, a ceremonial center, and a winding agricultural terracing that's still in use today. 

Day 4 is the second day of biking in the Sacred Valley. We will explore the town of Maras, the archaeological site of Moray before heading down to the Salt Mines of Las Salineras, ending in Urubamba. Today's journey takes us past Huaypo Lake and town of Maras. 

Image result for ollantaytambo biking
This is one of the views we are expecting on our biking trip
Day 5 is a free day here I'm sure we will go visit ruins and site see generally. 

Lares Trek - Days 6-8
Day 6 - We will start early and drive (3 hrs) to Lares town where the hike will start with a leisurely pace through the valley of Cuncani. We will hike 4 km to Chancachaca then stop for lunch - the altitude here is around 3480m (11,417 feet). We will then continue trekking along rocky mountain paths 4.7 km to the isolated village of Cuncani. Camp here for the night at 3872 m (12,703 feet) at the G Adventures-supported community run campsite.

Day 7 – Yet another early start where we will hike from the foothills of Sicllaccasa Mountain 12.2 km to its high pass at 4750 m (15,583 feet), providing scenic views of lagoons and the snow-capped Chicon Mountain. Obviously a celebration is required after reaching the highest point by making an offering of coca leaves to the Andean gods. After this we will hike downhill another 2.2 km to QuencaPata, for lunch and to take in the amazing view. After lunch we will continue hiking downhill another 2.6 km to our second campsite near a stream. The sleep tonight will be at about 4,114 m (13,497 feet) elevation.

Day 8 – We will follow the trail to see typical Andean flora and fauna, llamas and alpacas on this day. We will descend through the valley of Pumahuanca and meet friendly local Quechua people and explore some Inca storehouses along the way. The final trek is about 3-4 hours to reach the town of Pumahuanca where we will enjoy lunch then hop a van to Ollantaytambo then continue by train to Aguas Calientes.

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Our Lares Trek Route
Machu Picchu – Day 9
Of course it's yet another early morning where we will catch a bus to Machu Picchu before sunrise. We get to gain local insight into the Inti Mach’ay cave, Inti Watana, the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Water, the Temple of the Condor, and the Room of the Three Windows.

Image result for machu picchu
Small preview of my day's views
With any leftover energy from the Machu Picchu, we will hike to visit the Inca Bridge site nearby (thought by some to be a secret back entrance to Machu Picchu). We will trek up to the bridge that's cleaving to a 579 m (1,900 feet) cliff, and soak in amazing views of cloud forest along the way.

Cusco – Day 10
Free day!

Puno – Day 11
We will spend the day on a bus for approximately 8 hours or so.

Lago Titicaca – Days 12-13
Because mountain biking and hiking wasn't enough adventure, we will be going on a 2 day kayaking excursion on Lake Titicaca, visiting Uros, Taquille, and Amantani islands including a homestay in a small village.

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So stoke for straw cabins to sleep in ... not  

Lima – Day 14 (also known as August 25) 

It is a bus, plane and train type of day to get back to where we started in Lima. 

AFN

Saturday, August 05, 2017

Huacachina - Desert Oasis

Day 1: Travel

We started our first day off right ... with proper Peruvian coffee. Oh and breakfast but that's not as important. Coffee > food. Our private driver picked us up from the hotel and we drove into the middle of Lima (I think) to go into the highway to Ica. Also every driver has put on like 60s soft rock in English for the ride. I've heard more Frank Sinatra and Pump Up the Jam in Peru than I have in the rest of my life. After about two hours of awesome hits of the past, we asked for his choice in music and then it turned into pretty neat Spanish techno. Much better. 

It's interesting to see along the highway that they've built houses right into sand which seems so dangerous and unstable. It's sand dunes on the non-water side and marshes/slums right on the water. I sometimes can't tell if it's a shanty town or just houses with rehbarb sticking out of the top for a reason. It also goes from pure sand to arid land lush with vegetation in a blink of an eye multiple times. Closer to Ica, it's like pure white sand dunes. 

Kallipa - massive factory. 

There's four types of cars here - gasoline premium, gasoline regular, diesel, and natural gas running cars. Premium Gasoline is 16 soles per gallon. Regular is 12 soles per gallon. Natural gas is 1.48 soles per litre. Diesel is 10 soles per gallon. Some of the taxis in Lima run on both gasoline and natural gas so they have a propane tank in the trunk. 

Day 2: sand boarding and my 26th birthday 

Today was super cool not going to lie. We went sand boarding through the dunes and dune bugging. These drivers can just rip around these sand dunes. They've shift from two to four wheel drive on the fly while shifting gears. It's a riot and way easier to sand board than snow board. I'm glad we rented snow boards. I'm a much better sand boarder than snow boarder surprisingly. 

Oh I also turned 26 today. 

Day 3: Nasca Lines 

The lines are spread over 500 sq km of arid rock strewn plains. They comprise of over 800 straight lines, 300 geographic figures and 70 animal and plant drawings. The lines were made by the simple process of removing the dark sun baked stones and piling them up on either side of the lines. They were thought to have been made in 900BC (holy man!). Some thought these were for astronomical or calendar purposes but more recently people have thought they were as a sign of worship, only to be seen by the gods. 

This morning we learned that it is pronounced Wacka-china not how it looks phonetically.  On our drive to the flight, special forces were in Huacachina which made me a little uneasy. This oasis only has 75 permanent residents and maybe 15 accommodation places. It's not a big area. Our driver today played my favorite game in a car - frogger between lanes. 

They aren't kidding when they say to take gravol before this flight. It does sharp turns around all of the sites. Not sure this was worth it. They aren't as impressive as they seem online and in the books. Also, they put a highway in the middle of one of the ruins. Not cool. 

The mountains around here are rock covered in sand. I'm shocked the sand doesn't blow away to be honest. It's such fine sand that the wind should pick it up. It goes from flat to super mountainous real quick. 

AFN

Wednesday, August 02, 2017

Lima - Our Home Base

Have you ever gone to an airport, got your boarding pass, and gone through security with 3L of liquids? Brody and I have. We legit went through security with five mini bottles of pisco. We also could not find our flight on the departures board either. It's a great airport. Little chaotic; a little make your own adventure. I then proceeded to drop the bottles when we got to Lima. Shoot. 


We made it to Lima and were supposed to be staying in a hostel in Miraflores. After six stairs of stairs and a random driving us away from the front door, Brody had had enough of travel and decided to put his foot down. So now we are staying at the Sol de Oro for the night. It's a gorgeous place with a pool, spa and workout room. I would suggest that Brody is more of a hotel traveller than a hostel traveller, which is fine. I sometimes forget that he hasn't been outside of North America and the U.K. I'm grateful he came though. It's been a great trip to bond. I forget how funny he is sometimes. 

Tomorrow we head to Hucacahina. 

AFN

Tuesday, August 01, 2017

Cusco - Where I Learned the Difference in Pronouncing Coca and Cacao

Today was a simple day. Brody needed a day to basically do nothing and chill. So the only thing we did today was go to the Cacao Museum and make chocolate bars from scratch. It's a really interesting process. Cacao grows from the 20th parallel above and below the equator. There are three main types of Cacao plant, each with its own types of properties. Did you know if you put a Cacao plant netherfr plants it will take on the taste naturally? Once the plant is harvested, it is fermented in wooden boxes between banana leaves to reach 55'C. The white stuff around the beans turns into alcohol and then sugar. After the beans have been fermented, they are laid out in the shade to dry to reach 6-7% moisture. The Cacao beans are then shipped to be made into chocolate. This is primarily in Europe. The Cacao beans are then roasted and deshelled. The shells can be used for Cacao tea, which is quite tasty. The beans are then crushed with sugar and milk depending on what type of chocolate. White chocolate actually has no Cacao in it but has the Cacao butter. 

We had dinner at the same place - Mamaji. I highly recommend it. Brody had cuy (guinea pig) for dinner. His face was priceless.  He says it's like eating dog shit. 

AFN  

Monday, July 31, 2017

Cusco - Alpaca Meat

Today was just a day of purposeful wandering. Brody and I started the day with a glorious sleep in until 11 AM. After getting organized for the day, we headed towards the main square. 

We stopped at the Qorikancha, which forms the base of the colonial church and convent of Santo Domingo. It was once the richest temple in the Inca Empire; all that remains is stonework and beautiful art. In Inca time, this was literally covered in gold. The temple walls were lined with some 700 solid gold sheets, each weighing about 2kg. There were solid gold replicas of corn, llamas, babies, and the sun for ceremonial and ritual purposes. But within months of the arrival of the conquistadors, this was all gone. Various other religious rites took place here - it is said that mummified bodies of previous incas were kept here, brought out into sunlight each day and offered food and drink., which was then ritually burnt. Once inside the temple, you enter a courtyard which is beautiful in its own right. Everything is architecturally impeccable. Brody and I didn't understand what the rooms each meant since we chose not to hire a guide. 

We then ventured through the Inglesa de Santo Domingo, which was super unimpressive other than for the first paintings of Peruvian looking people. It's interesting that all of the Inca and Conquistador history is depicted in white people. Apparently this church is known for its paintings of archangels depicted as Andean children in jeans and tee shirts. Honestly, they look new and fake. Most of the time when I'm looking at these depictions of religious deities, I see great Irish dancing dress designs. Also in this church were two monuments with relics of different saints - really they looked like either a finger tip or a small bone. Either way, creepy. 

Somehow we ended up in the Covenant de Santo Domingo as well. It was this small offshoot that had several paintings in it that had been obviously retouched poorly. It's a shame people thing old paintings need to be updated to their view of what they think it should look like. The only neat fact I have is that one of the paintings was from 1501. 

Brody and I eventually made it to the main square where there were massive riots going on. I think it was the teachers union that caused the Peruvian government to put this area into a state of emergency on June 20' 2017. So being smart travellers we went and hung out in McDonalds and had lunch to wait the protest out. There were tons of tourist, security, riot, military, national, regional and special forces police out. Yes - they truly have that many kinds of police. Either way, the protest dissipated so we went and got Starbucks. 

We then ventured to the worst museum I've ever been to - the Inka Museum. It's so not worth the 10 soles entry price. It's bare, dark and cold. It did have pottery, metal work, textiles and models but wasn't worth the hike uphill to see. 

Brody and I then headed uphill (like really uphill) to see the White Jesus. Think the one in Brazil but smaller and less impressive. It was amazing to the scope of Cusco as a city since you are legit on top of the hill. This monument is located in Sacsaywaman. It's of both military and religious significance. This Fort was the site of  one of the most bitter battles of Spanish conquest in 1536. It really only looks like rocks organized into protective walls. We did see the Inca's Throne which is a wall with carved in benches. 

Since Brody and I had a couple of hours before it got dark and we had to be back in the hostel, we saw the Museum Arzobispal and Temple San Blas. Honestly, neither were great and the uphill on cobblestone was not worth it but it was free from our pass yesterday. 

Our last stop was at the Coca Museum (not to be confused with the Cacao Museum).  It had some neat facts and different types of coca leaves displayed. 

We've also eaten twice at the Mamaji restaurant next door which is amazing. I had pesto pasta and Brody had lasagna tonight. Brody bravely tried the alpaca loin that came with my meal. Man I wish I had filmed his reaction. He nearly puked it onto the table. Alpaca meat is not good. It's chewy, salty, and is okay until it hits your throat. Either way - it's off the bucket list and will not be repeated. 


AFN  

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Cusco - Adventures of Briggani and Brori

We landed in Lima and hit the ground running. Cusco is a beautiful city and way way way way nicer than Lima. So it's true what the travel books say - the days are nice and the nights are like bloody Antarctica. 

Cusco is the cosmopolitan Inka capital. I can see why. There are beautiful ornate cathedrals. I think the entire country is super Christian or Catholic (to be fair I can't tell the difference between the two). According to legend, in the 12 century the first inca (king for us English speakers) Manco Capac was ordered by the ancestral sun god Inti to find the spot where he could plunge the golden rod into the ground until it disappeared. At this spot, deemed the navel of the earth, he founded Cusco. The Inca empire's main expansion occurred in the hundred years prior to the arrival of the conquistadors in 1532. The ninth inca, Pachacutec, gave the empire its first bloody taste of conquest with an unexpected victory against the more dominant Chanka tribe in 1438. His first wave of expansion would form the Inca Empire.  This ninth Inca is also credited with the puma shape and diverting the river around the city. Expansion continued until the Europeans arrived. At this point the empire ranged from Quito, Ecuador to south of Santiago, Chile. Pizzaro entered Cusco on November 8, 1533! It was eventually captured by the Spaniards in 1536. What is more interesting is the Spanish kept chronicles in Cusco including Inca history as they related by the Incas themselves. 

Today we wandered to the centre of the historic city - the Plaza de Armas. Everything is steep and cobblestone. In Inca time, this was called Huacaypata and was the centre of the capital. Two flags are flying in the centre - the Peruvian flag and a rainbow flag of Tahuantinsuyo representing the four corners of the Inca empire. 

In the Plaza we went into the La Cathedral. It's construction started in 1559 and Tom almost a century. It was built using blocks pilfered from the nearby Inca site of Sacsaywaman. El Trifuno, Cusco's oldest church, houses a vault containing the remains of the famous Inca chronologer and a few really old priests. There's tons of colonial art and gold throughout the church. It's amazing to see the paintings and the age of some of them. 


We also saw the Palas de Justicia and just wandered generally. The best part of the day was Starbucks where we were called Briggani and Brori, respectively. 

Tomorrow the plan is to go visit museums and site see a bit more. 

Step count: 17,461 over 69 floors and 12.05 km 

AFN 

Lima, Peru - A City of Pure Sketchiness

So after the world's longest flights, Brody and I made it to Lima. The drive to our hotel made Brody's eyes pop - it's most definitely a rough city. Every place is gated or has a foot wide fence that is 12 feet tall with barbed wire on it. The graffiti is rampant. I wouldn't suggest any girl do Lima on her own ever. I'm not even sure Brody could do it on his own either. We stayed at the Hotel Lima which was clean, secure and had hot water. All three as important as the next. 

Lima is a city of 10 million people and it shows. 

Brody and I took a cab to central historic Lima. None of the drive made me feel comfortable. Lima is super rough and sketchy. It's almost like the entire city is decrepit. After we got dropped near the Palas de Armes. We looked at all of the old buildings in that area. It's amazing to see buildings built in 1537 and before. The Palas de Armes was the heart of the 16th Century settlement established by Francisco Pizarro, it was the centre of the Spaniards continent wide empire. The buildings are stunning and contain huge sculptures and great detail. It was the second day of the Peruvian holiday - celebrating independence, so everything was packed with Peruvian tourists. None of the people I saw where white. It it weird to be in a place where no one speaks English and everyone isn't white. 

We also toured La Cathedral de Lima. This church sits on a site designated in 1535 to be the site of the city's first church. The building has been rebuilt several times - 1551, 1622, 1687, and 1726 with the last major restoration in 1940. The alters are spectacular carved wood. The alters were carved in various styles celebrating different deities. 

Since it was day two of Independence Day there were celebrations and traditional dancing in the Parque de la Muralla. During the 17 century the heart of Lima was ringed by a muralla (city wall for those of us who singularly speak English). Much of this wall was torn down in 1870s when the cit was expanding.  You can still see remnants of the wall though. We visited on the site museum which was weird and contained pottery and other random items. 

We also visited some library thing which was entirely in Spanish. 

Step counts: 10,541 over 11 floors and 7.32 km 


AFN