Leaving La Paz

August 9

Well, we're almost done here. Just getting ready to check out and head to the airport. 

We did it. We saw the Amazon, hiked the Inca Trail, saw Machu Picchu, and Lake Titicaca.  We did it all together. Sure, there were times (like in the last 20 minutes of climbing Dead Woman's Pass) that we both thought a beach may have been more appropriate, but we struggled through and made it together. 

True to form, we are now sick together. (Gotta live recycled air on the bus). We are ready to come home together, back to summer and sunshine. Don't get me wrong, we've enjoyed this trip and wouldn't give up the experience for anything, but we're feeling pretty lousy right now. 

So together we'll board the three different planes, and together we'll probably infect each flight. We'll do it all together, just as we were meant to ;)

Lake Titicaca

August 6

Darren and I have just had the most wonderful and genuine experience here on Lake Titicaca. We had our village home stay at Llachon with the sweetest woman named Nilda, and her husband Pedro.  Nilda is one of the sweetest people I've ever met.  She has a beautiful smile, and she runs everywhere. She'd say "uno moment" and be off.  She has 5 children, all of whom go to school across the lake in Puno. Her oldest daughter's name is Tania, her youngest (age 8) is Rosa. She had a brother named Vincente. So many coincidences.  We were also briefly introduced to her mother who is 103 years old, blind, and I believe partially deaf. Still independent though and living on her own (though not far from her daughter). 

The people around here speak Quechua and Spanish so communication often took place in three languages (Spanish, Quechua, and body language). Nilda was wonderful. She would tell us a word Espanol and then give us the Quechua version as well.  Sometimes we would talk, and just smile in clear incomprehension and then we'd all laugh. 

We arrived right around lunch time yesterday. We were each introduced to our designated families and were shown to our rooms. For lunch, Nilda made us barley soup (the soup's in Peru are fabulous), potatoes, rice and fried cheese. We had a short talk with her (in our broken languages) before getting to work on their property. 

We took part in shelling some sort of bean which was dried out in pods. Nilda laid them all out on a mat and we stepped on them. We jumped and smushed and danced to break up the pods. Then we got down and started to shell them by hand, while separating the larger pieces of broken pod. To get rid of the smaller particles, Nilda spread out a two separate mats and we would grab a handful of the beans and slowly drop them in the air. The wind would then pick up any smaller pieces and carry them into a pile. 

We also helped Nilda with her sheep. We went and fetched them from her mother's property and walked them back to Nilda's house. When I say "walked them back" they really walked us back. They were basically on leashes, and we didn't really know which way to go, but these sheep were clearly used to the routine and they led the way. The little lambs (wua wua ona), who were not tethered followed closely and obediently behind.

After some chores, it was time for a friendly game of volleyball-gringos vs locals-next to the lake.  A little beach volleyball if you will.  The locals were basically all women in their traditional garb and they kicked our butts 3 games in a row. It was a horrible slaughter. Darren represented us all well, I provided some amusement for all in attendance and avoided the ball at all costs, and the rest of our group faired somewhere in between. The locals were one handing it and hitting strong!  One of the older ladies (I think she was 80) kept score with a small pile of rocks.  It was embarrassing but a lot of fun. 

After we walked back to our houses in shame, Nilda dressed us in their traditional garments for dinner. There's no eating unless you contribute to the meal however, so we all took part in peeling potatoes. That was interesting!  I hate peeling potatoes but I've done it before, many people have not and were good sports about giving it a try. These weren't the big round smooth potatoes either. They were fairly small and uneven and full of little holes and divots. Sometimes I think the end product was half of the original size. 

Anyway, dinner consisted of soup (as good as ever), rice and stir fry. We were all exhausted and ready for bed after dinner, and it was only 730/8. 

When we left the restaurant/dinner place, Darren and I just about tripped in the dark. The stars were so incredible neither of us was paying attention to where we were going.  I have never seen stars like that before in my life. They were stunning. The Milky Way was as clear as day. There were more stars in the sky than hairs on Darren's legs. It was

breathtaking (unlike Darren's legs). 

When we finally stopped staring at the sky and went to bed, Nilda brought us a couple of hot water bottles. And by that I mean plastic water bottles covered in a small sheet of fabric. They were piping hot but were still nice to have under our blankets. We had 2 blankets of alpaca wool which were very heavy. We just about slept in the same position all night. Nice and toasty. 

This morning, Nilda woke us up and made us pancakes and biscuits for breakfast. Delicious. We had a few minutes to get ready and she walked us down to the dock where we said our good byes. She gave us many hugs, told us to have lots of babies and said "tupananchis kama"- See you later. 

It was back on the boat to Puno (with a quick stop at Tequile Island) and our last night in Peru. Tomorrow, we leave for La Paz in Bolivia.  

So, to Peru-Tupananchis kama-Buenos noches-sullpeiki-and, muchos gracias. 

We Made It!

August 2

Day 4- Unique

Well we made it. We got up at 330 to stand in line at the checkpoint, but we were watching the sunrise at the Sun Gate and were standing at Machu Picchu around 8. 

It was absolutely amazing. I was so excited I practically ran the last 5k of our hike and was jumping up and down when we finally got there. 

The structure is enormous!  It's unfathomable that a society could have built something that spectacular so long ago. Just intense. 

I promise to tell you more about it later. But at the moment, I've been up for nearly 20 hours, hiked 5k plus spent all afternoon in the scorching sun, rode a train for 2 hours, and a

bus for another 3. I'm exhausted. 

Good night. 

"Memorable"

August 1

Well today was glorious. It was such a relaxed hike with lots of opportunities to site see and get some information on the local ruins. It was pretty fabulous after the hard day we had yesterday. 

We had a short incline, past a ruin called Runkuracay (with a beautiful view of the Dead Woman's Pass and the valley below), past some beautiful lakes, and finally to the highest point of that stretch of our walk. It was such a beautiful hike and it's amazing to see how quickly the scenery changes. One minute it's cold, dry and barren, and on the other side of a peak it's hot and there is green vegetation everywhere. 

...Well this is embarrassing. Today's hike was relaxing, but Runkuracay was yesterday. Our days are so long I'm apparently losing track of them. 

Let's get back on track. Today was relaxed and chill. We made it to a peak and stopped at a few ruins on the way. We actually got to our campsite for lunch. They gave us a lot of time to recover because tomorrow we're getting up at 330. 

But on the way, we were able to stop at another ruin, absolutely huge!  The name eludes me now. But it was terrace after terrace and we explored the thing for about half an hour. The structure was incredible, and the fact that they could build something so massive with such simple technology (though advanced for their time) is unreal. 

Well lunch today was semolina soup, a chicken and veg stir fry, stir fried pickled veges, a potato and beef stew, and curried rice (yellow fever rice). The meals here are always above and beyond. 

Around 4, a small group of us went for an alternative hike. It wasn't really a hike so much as a 7 minute walk. But it lead to a hidden ruin, not as big as the last but just as incredible. Lamas were feeding on the terraces and a waterfall was pouring in behind it all. It was a gorgeous view. Darren wanted to try and mount a lama by jumping on it from above. But apparently those thugs can be mean. This structure though, was some sort of temple, and there was a "rainbow room" in the shape of an arc, with 7 windows (one for every colour). What was interesting, was that on the way back from the temple we saw a double rainbow. Today is also the day of  "Pacha Mama (Mother Earth), so it seemed quite fitting that we would have such beautiful weather, followed by suchlike rare sight. Quite fitting. 

Dinner tonight was fantastic, and a little bittersweet. We're not quite there yet, but we've been sweating and touching it out together now for 3 days, and it feels like a lot longer. It was our last dinner together on this mountain and we all reminisced about the climbs, the bugs, the ruins and the of course, food. Anyway, the highlight of this evening was the freshly made cake. Our cooks made a cake in the middle of the mountains and spent an hour decorating it to bid us adieu. (They streamed it if you're wondering because they most certainly did not have an oven.). We tried to say good-bye to them (which you don't in Quechua), but words in translation could not express how grateful and amazed we were by all their hard work. Darren, who of course brought a bottle of scotch up the mountain, shared a few drinks with some of them, and they were so very kind. 

It's the final trek tomorrow. The final hike and the final goal. I've been waiting for this since grade 6!  So excited. Just 5 more kilometers. 

"Challenging"

July 31

Day 2- Challenging

Challenging indeed. Darren and I actually feel pretty good, but we definitely had quite the hike today. 

We started at 7 this morning, but our wake up call was at 530.  When our guide told us we'd be getting room service we thought he was kidding. But when Edwin woke us up this morning, he actually gave us a cup of coca tea.  It was actually perfect given how cold it was outside. We slept in thermals, socks, and I wore my ear cover, and I still could've used another layer. Our "simple" breakfast consisted of fruit stuffed crepes, toast, and banana porridge. We thought we'd lose weight on this hike but I think we're gaining it. 

Anyway, the first part of our climb today consisted of climbing 900 meters in 5 kms to get to Dead Woman's Pass (so called because the small peak looks like a woman lying down).  It was brutal. The last 20 minutes in particular were trying. Every time you looked up you felt so defeated, like you were never going to get there. But when you did, it was incredible. The peak, was a high 4200 meters above sea level, overlooking a valley on either side. It was very rewarding and breathtaking (the hike was literally breathtaking).

Well the decent down was a lot easier on your lungs, but not really easier. The "steps" (and by that I mean humongous  boulders haphazardly lining the path) were incredibly uneven. They were tough to manage, until we figured out that it was actually easier to jog down. It kept your knees bent and your legs loose. 

After the decent was lunch--noodle soup, chicken, bean creamy stuff, vegetarian ceviche, and a stir fried quinoa. After lunch, was another climb. This peak wasn't quite as high, about 3800 meters, and then it was mostly downhill from there. 

We once again broke away from the group, stopped by an ancient ruin and made our way to our campsite. 

Dinner consisted of noodle soup, French fries, lomo saltada, and rice. Oh so good. Dessert was a delicious slice of warm pear in rum sauce. 

"Easy"

July 30

Day 1- Easy

So our guides told us that day 1 is "easy". I don't know that I would call it "easy", but Darren and I made it in pretty good time I think. We sort of ditched the rest of the group and went pretty hard.

It was a beautiful, all be it grueling, hike. The views were absolutely breathtaking. We were constantly in between the two cliffs, sometimes a little close to the edge, or too close to a donkey. And speaking of donkeys, they were everywhere for the first bit of the hike. The local people use them to port goods back and forth. Yes, people live way up here in the hillsides. The government tried to move them but the people wouldn't leave. Anyway, because of the the donkeys there is poo everywhere!  So not only are you focussing on putting one foot in front of the other, but also making sure one of those feet doesn't end up in a pile of poop. 

Today, we started at 2800 meters (above sea level) and climbed to 3300 meters in 14 kms. There isn't much to say on the rest since walking was the prime activity of the day. However, I will tell you about the "basic" food and accommodations we've had on this hike so far. But first, let me predicate by saying that in our group there are 14 hikers and 2 guides. We also have a cook, assistant cook, and 18 porters (including our waiter). Now, the fact that people are carrying our luggage up for us is crazy. They each carry 20 kilos, and yet they still beat us up the mountain. When we arrived at our meeting point for lunch the porters had exactly 14 small bowls of warm water waiting for us. A man came by with soap, and another followed with paper towels so we could wash and dry before lunch. The porters had already been there for 2 hours. They had set up a tent complete with tables and chairs, plates and utensils. As we came up over the little hill, they clapped for us and poured us each a glass of pineapple juice. For lunch, they served us the best guacamole ever, soup, a chicken curry/stew, rice and vegetables. (So much for basic right?!). Lunch was followed by hot tea in a variety of types and flavours.  They also did all the cleaning, repacked and were back on the mountain. 

The leg after lunch was almost entirely incline and Darren and I broke away to go at our own pace. We even beat a few porters to the campsite; mind you, we maybe had 5-7 kilos, not  20.

Once again, these amazing men outdid themselves. They set up our tents, lined them with tarps, laid down our mats, set up the eating and kitchen tents and had tea, coffee, hot chocolate, crackers and popcorn ready for us shortly after our arrival. Oh, and they laid out 2 bowls of hot water per tent (like right in front of the tents) for each of us to wash up first. Once again, they were ready and waiting with soap and paper towel. 

Anyway, dinner consisted of chicken soup, trout, some sort of quiche like pastry made made with spinach, vegetables, rice and potatoes. Here's the best part though...

They flambeed bananas in rum for us for dessert!  It was delicious, but seems absolutely ridiculous!  We of course grateful and wholly impressed with the incredible food, service, and effort out forth by this men. It is more than any of us could have possibly expected or even anticipated. 

So, with all my layers of clothes on this very chilly evening, and my shoes safely zipped away in the tent (so the donkeys don't eat them in the night), I will sleep soundly. 

Wake up call, 530 am.