Separation Anxiety

Our last day started out no different than any other over the past few months. We both slept in a bit late and slowly pack our things to move to a hostel with better service and location. Once situated in the new place, we took care of some trip admin such as confirming our flights and mailing out some post cards. It was business as usual with out any sense of urgency to see things or be some place. The afternoon quickly came and we sped off to San Isidro for some ceviche. We ordered so much food which seemed to be the standard method of operation since returning from the Santa Cruz trek. After lunch we strolled down to the major round about to see what was playing in the cinema. By then it had hit me that by tomorrow at this time, we would be miles apart. Jane nor I mentioned anything about it being our last day together on the trip. After seeing the new Angelina Jolie movie, we went to Osaka (a Peruvian-Japanese restaurant) for our last supper. I think it was at that point we started talking about the end of our adventure together and the things we had done and were going to do. We spent a lot of time in the restaraunt and I decided not to go out for drinks since the taxi was going to be at the hostal at 5 AM. We just went back to the room, packed our bags, and brushed our teeth. Again, business as usual.

At last 5:00 AM came, we hugged and said our goodbyes. And just like that, our time traveling together was over. Now I have to get used to speaking Argentine Spanish again. The folks in Peru speak great Spanish for gringos. Nice and slow....Just how I like it.

I have spent nearly 7 months with Jane in 2008. I feel we have learned so much more about each other over the past three months. For example, the top of Janes left hiking boot shows a ton of wear. The right boot doesnt have a scratch on it. I know that this is caused by a weak left leg which was causing her some problems during the ski season as well. I got to know how sensitive she is to cold weather and luke warm showers. And of course there is the low blood sugar "Hulk Mad!" Jane which I experienced as well.

I will miss the dynamics of having her as a travel partner. Who is going to repeat the street addresses to the taxi drivers now? The one thing that I will always remember was that she was always supportive of me when I was struggling with my Spanish or when I was having a tough go with my bag getting stolen. I just hope that I was able to return the support when she needed it. The other characteristic that I liked was that she had no fear for hard physical activities. She was the one who propsed the idea to climb the 6075 meter peak in Arequipa! And did it! Not once did she complain about me talking about fly fishing (and I talked about it A LOT). Although she did get tired of my rants about the weight of my backpack.

She has been an excellent travel partner and I couldnt ask for anyone better. She knows that there will always be an open invitation when I go to Asia and back to Patagonia next winter,

The Soundtrack

Like most other events in my life, I have thought about the songs which have popped into my head during those times. In the last three months, I have experienced a myriad of emotions both good and bad. Through those experiences and people I've met, I came up with ten songs which span the duration of this trip. Some have deep personal meaning and others just popped in there. A few others I will also mention, but won't be added to the official list.

The South America Soundtrack:
1. Air - La Femme d'Argent. This song comes from the album Moon Safari which is by far Air's best work. The song is the standard background music for any hip loungy bar or restaurant. I'm still surprised when I hear it even ten years after the album was released. Actually, I could have used any of the first four song from that album for this soundtrack.

2. Amy Winehouse - Any friggin' song from that damn album. Our first hostel in BA played that entire album 24 X 7.

3. New Order- Crystal. In BA, there was a girl from San Fran in Jane's Spanish class named Crystal. She was a typical laid back hippster who reminded me of my cousin June. I also watched a VH1 live performance by New Order that week.

4. The Shins- Saint Simon. The video for this song is so crazy beautiful. The lyrics have nothing to do with Iguazu, but I kept on singing this song (to myself of course) as I was walking through the park. The falls were amazing and dare I say crazy beautiful. It became the default song when I would go to a place that was jaw dropping gorgeous.

5. The Replacements- When It Began. Like all cities in South America, there seems to be a ton of stray dogs running around. The song comes from the album "All Shook Down" which has my favorite album cover of all time. The dogs on the streets of Valparaiso reminded me of the album and the song popped into my head.

6. The Stone Roses - This Is The One. The Salar de Uyuni was one of the highlights of my enitre trip. Both the scenery and the people I met on that trip were unforgettable. Sometimes you meet people only for a moment, but you immediately have a connection. I do plan on seeing Molly B, Jon, and Heather again in the future. There is some deeper personal meaning for me on this one folks.

7. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers- Californication. This should be the gringo national anthem. Every gringo bar played this song. It didn't matter which country. It was like a beacon to summon all gringos to some place familiar and cool. I could have easily put Coldplay or Jack Johnson here, but Californication was so ubiquitous, that it had to be on this list.

8. Vetiver- El Rio. This was the perfect song to listen to while floating along the river watching fresh water dolphins swimming beside you. Rurrenabaque was a nice break from the cold of the mountains.

9. The Kinks - This Time Tomorrow. The song was on repeat in my head as we were flying over the Nazca lines.

10. Nico - Fairest of The Seasons. I've always loved this song. The opening bars definitely expresses the joys and regrets I've felt during my time here. It is an excellent song to close out this part of my South American adventure. This one also has a deeper personal meaning.

Honerable mention>
Portishead - One of Justine's favorite bands.
Righeira - Vamos A La Playa. This song was huge when we were in Bolivia.

Parting ways

Jane and I will be splitting in two days. It is hard to believe that I have spent nearly six month with her during this wild ride.

Here is a glimps of two of my favorite conversations with Jane.
Sam: Hey Jane, Do you have Red Lobsters (the restaurant chain) in London?
Jane: Well what other colors are there?
Sam: I guess that is a no!



Sam: Hey Jane, did you see that kid with the nun-chucks?
Jane: What are nun-chucks?
Sam: (after a long pause) Are you fucking with me? You don't know what nun-chucks are?
Jane: (in silence just shrugs)

Huaraz and The Santa Cruz Trek

It was a pain in the ass getting a bus to Huaraz once we arrived in Lima. We did finally manage to book an overnighter which would arrive early the next day. Unfortunately that meant hanging around Lima for a day. Jane and I decided to take it easy in Miraflores and hang out in a mall looking over the beach. It was similar to the huge western style malls in Chile, but without the large department stores. I almost walked into a KFC, but managed to hold myself back. After a movie and Tony Romas (It´s the place for ribs y´know), it was off to Huaraz.

We wasted no time and booked ourselves the trek with a reccommended tour company. It was our intention to blow out the buget the final days in Peru, but all of the nice hotels were booked due to Peru´s independence day. Pooh!

The trek itself was very nice. Jane and I were in great shape due to all the hiking we´ve been doing over the past month. This is a really popular trek and there were many other groups going the same direction. In our group were two Germans and two Israelis. We all got along just fine. The Germans were hardcore trekkers and planned a one month vacation doing just that. The excursion would last for four days and three nights. The hardest day was the second where we crested a 4700 meter pass. Unfortunately, we had a lot of cloud cover that day so the pictures were not as spectacular as we wanted. It gets REALLY cold at night and Jane had some issues sleeping. The sun came out for the last two days and the views were much better. We had magestic peaks looking over us as we walked down the valley. Extra water was collected from small streams created by melting glaciers. We even had fresh trout for dinner on the last day which were caught by the donkey driver. Overall, the trek was good, but I hear the Huayhuash trek (10 days) is even better. Again, another reason to return to South America.

Jane and I are in mid countdown for the end of our adventure. We go back to Lima tonight, then we part ways on the 31st.

Hike til you drop in the Sacred Valley

After a well deserved rest, we decided to trash our legs some more by seeing the ruins along the Sacred Valley. The stay in Ollantaytambo was short lived. After a quick breakfast, including shitty coffee, we hiked all around the ruins outside the city. It was nice and relaxed like all sight seeing tours should be. We then jumped on a collectivo for a short ride to Urubamba. Jane had this great plan to hike to the surrounding locations to check out the salinas and ruins the next day. I knew the next day was going to be long, but I didn´t think my body would hurt as bad as it did. It turns out that our route was nearly uphill the entire way. In all, I think we covered over 20 K! The salinas was the highlight of the hike. Moray was impressive as well, bit I was just too tired to appreciate the immense size of the place. Thank god we would have one chill out day in Cusco before heading to Huaraz.

Most tour companies travel the entire sacred valley in one day. I think the way we did it over two was the best way to see everything. The folks doing the one day tour always look like cattle being herded from one place to another without any time to relax and enjoy the view. Jane and I are looking forward to our last trek in the Cordilleras. The Santas Cruz trek is going to be four days. With a couple days rest, I should be good to go!

Machu Picchu

Due to lack of research, Jane and I were not able to get on the official Inca Trail. Evidently, it books well iin advance and we should have done it back in March. However, there are many alternative treks and we decided to do the Inca Jungle Trek which was four days in total. The first day consisted of a long downhill mountain biking tour. The bikes were crap and at least 50% of the folks had issues with their equipment on the way down. Jane was having some stomach issues again which really slowed her down. I stayed with her to make sure she didn´t get lost. The tour was down one guide and a couple Israeli girls got lost and caught a cab to the hostel . They were VERY unhappy. We were able to avoid any major problems and the views down through the valley were nice.

Our group started the march on the second day. About six hours of trekking to Santa Teresa. the route was a bit sketchy at times, but everyone managed. It became obvious that Jane and I were the fittest in the group. We had done a lot of treking and climbing before this excursion, so we were in good shape compared to most.

The third day was the trek to Aguas Calientes where we would start the final trip to Machu Picchu the next day. The short trek ( three hours) was along the railroad tracks, so there wasn´t much to see. Some of us hiked up to the top of Putucusi (sp?) in the afternoon. The hikle was steep and some of it was on these scary ladders which rose well over 15 meters. At the top, we saw our prize. Machu Picchu was waiting for us, and for a momment, we all grinned with anticipation.

There is a system for seeing Machu Picchu when you are with a tour group. Honestly, I´d rather do it on my own where you are not pressed for time. For our group the itinerary went like this.
1. Wake up at 4 AM to be at the bus stop at 4:30 to wait until 5:30 AM
2. Get on the first bus at 5:30 AM and arrive at Machu Picchu at 5:50 AM where you wait until the site opens.
3. When the site opens, scramble to the other side of Machu Picchu to the entrance to Waynapicchu to wait for the mountain to open at 7:00 AM.
4. At 7:10 AM climb to the top of Waynapicchu (takes an hour) and enjoy the views for about 20 minutes, then work your way down.
5. Once down, scramble back to the entrance and wait for your guided tour at 10:00 AM.

Yup. there is a lot of waiting, but the climb was worth every thigh burning step. I won´t go into details regarding the trip back to Cusco, but it was not nice. There are some crazy Peruvian bus drivers here. Jane and I didn´t return with the rest of the group. We stayed two more days in the Sacred Valley visiting the rest of the sites along the way back to Cusco.

Cusco

Two words to describe Cusco.

Combat Tourism!

Since Cusco is the heart of Peru tourism, many good and bad things come along with it. Good things include good food and comfortable living. Bad are in your face pressure sales and sky high prices. There are more gringos here than any place else we´ve been. That is not a bad thing since we have been able to talk to many people about tours and activities around town. Jane and I are staying an San Blas which seems to be a nice quiet area still close to the center. There is much to see around Cusco. We have already completed a horseback riding tour of the surrounding ruins.


Tomorrow morning, Jane and I are off to do the jungle trek which ends at Machu Picchu.

Desert Oasis

Due to the change in schedule, Jane and I completed our short trip to Huacachina from Nazca. Huacachina is an oasis in the middle of the desert not too far from Ica. We did the usual activities which included a sand buggy ride and sandboarding. It was a nice break, but I wouldn´t go out of my way especially to see this place. I´m still washing the sand out of my ears from the sandboarding. We took an overnighter to Cusco where we plan on spending the next ten days. More on Cusco later...

Nazca lines tour or should I say vomit machine

Due to a nationwide strike, Jane and I detoured to Nazca instead of travelling to Cusco. Nazca is one of our short stops and you can do nealry everything within a couple days. Our first attempt at seeing the lines by plane were successfull although we had to wait about 5 hours due to the clouds. However, the sun was out in the afternoon and we piled into the 4 seater Sesna ready to see the real version of Indiana Jone's Nazca lines. This flight is not for someone who get's motion sick easily. The plane pitches to the left and right violently so that everyone gets a good view of the figures. Lucky for me, only my head was spinning by the end of the 30 minute flight. If you see a gringo vomiting in Nazca, chances are they just saw the Nazca lines by plane. The lines are quite big, bu it was difficult to pick out the figures in the view finder of my camera. I just snapped in the direction of the lines and hoped that I captured something. Once we landed, I looked over the pictures and was happy to see that nearly all turned out well. After the tour we rushed to another hotel where we picked up a tour to see an old cemetery with mummy tombs. The tour was not that spectacular, but interesting none the less. The entire area looked like a military bombing area where craters peppered the enitre desert. We found out later that these were due to grave robbers who have been digging up tombs to take valuables from the dead. The place is now protected, but it seems as though the damage has been done. We were told of another place in Lima which has a bunch of human bones sorted an placed in different designs. I can't wait to see that!

Jane and I are going to Ica this morning. This should be a short relaxing stop. It seems like we have been rushing to do everything in Peru before the end of the month. We haven't had a decent meal since Colca Canyon due to the schedule. However, last night was a gastronimic blow out at the Plaza Mayor. 300 grams of lomo with grilled veggies and papas fritas!!! Yum!

Colca Canyon

Colca Canyon was our second tour from Arequipa. We decided to do the tour without a guide since we had so much information from other tourists and the folks at Pablo Tours. Once you know the system, the three day two night excursion is easy to do. Jane and I got our first glimps of the canyon in Chivay. The views from Chivay to Cabanaconde were spectacular. The canyon drops down to a river and all along the sides are terraced sections of land used for farming. This area is very rural and the bus had to constantly wait for cows and donkeys on the road.

The trek starts from Cabanaconde where our accommodation were meager at best, but what do you expect for 3 dollars per night? We left the town armed with a rough map, notes from some Irish tourists we met in La Paz, and my mountain instincts. Within the first ten minutes, we missed a turn and the 20 minute walk to mirador San Miguel turned in to 45 minutes. Okay... We got to the mirador at least! At the mirador, we met some folks from Bellingham and discussed the route down tot he oasis. Then off we went down the 1000+ meter descent into the canyon. The scenery was nice and we even got a fly by from an Andean condor. This onc came REAL close to us and those birds are friggin HUGE! The hike down took a couple hours and we took a break to rest Jane's knees. Along the way, we met a Canadian girl who had started two hours before us. She was nice, but had not sense of direction. We had lunch with her at one of the small towns, then dragged her along with us so she could get to the oasis without anymore delays. After about seven hours we reached the oasis. This place is cushy and had a swimming pool waiting for us. Unfortunately, since the bottom on the canyon was so deep, the sun was blocked by the surrounding mountains right after we arrived. No swimming, but my feet got a well deserved bath.

The best laid plans in South America always run into problems and delays. Some are your own fault and some you have no control over. The three of us started the climb out of the canyon at 3 AM. We wanted to stop at the condor cross early to see those huge birds on the way back to Chivay. About an hour into the climb, Jane's flash light decided to die on us (our fault). That left the three of us on a side of a canyon in the dark midway between the oasis and the top. Lucky for us, another group on mules were walking up at the same time and we just attached ourselved to the back of the train and off we went. Note that mules hate carrying large loads up steep hills (especially if you are 100 KG French dude with a full back pack). We passed the mule congo line once we had enough light to see the path clearly. Within a coulpe hours, we made it to the top of the canyon and got some breakfast. Mmmmm bread and jam and tea!!! Unfortunately, the early 8 AM bus which was supposed to take us to the condor cross was late (not our fault) and we ended up taking our normal 9 o'clock bus back to Chivay. We did see some condors riding the thermals from a far, but it would have been nice to get some good pictures up close. Maybe we will have another chance in Huaraz. The Colca Canyon has been the highlight of Peru so far. It is something you should not miss when travelling through this country. One can do it for cheap, but be prepared.

Conquered Chachani

Risin' up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive......

I set a new personal record this week! Jane and I summited Chachani on the 4th of July. That's 6075 meters above sea level!!! The trip started out with a drive to base camp which is at 5300 meters. The drive seemed to take forever since Chachani is just outside of Arequipa. It guess it is a BIG mountain after all. We weaved our way through the dirt road where little bands of vicuna were feeding on clumps of grass which reminded me of Don King's hair do. These Don King hair dos littered the vast field leading up to the mountain. After reaching the base camp area, we set up our tents and relaxed in the sun. Our group had four people which also included an Aussie and British girl. After dinner, Rachel (the Brit) started vomiting and became rather delerious. Adam (the Aussie) also suffered from altitude sickness later on in the night. Two o'clock finally came and half of the team was wiped out. Jane and I grabed our pack and started the hike to the summit at 330 AM. The hike out was not bad since we were going slow. After a climb to 5600 meters, we traversed across an ice field dropping a bit of elevation. The crampons were rock solid and we made it across without any problems. After the traverse, it was two major climbs to the top. Jane was starting to feel the effects of the altitude midway through the second ascent. Though difficult, we made it to the top where we took some time to enjoy the view of the city and Misti volcano next door. The way down was the same route and the diet of candy bars and gatorade finally caught up to me on the ice field on the way back. Still able to walk but slowly, Jane and I trudged back to the base camp exhaused and dusty. Adam and Rachel greeted us with gummy bears and Redbull which put a little life into our bodies. The round trip was about 11 hours, but it was worth it. I'm not sure if I will ever have an opportunity to try a 6000 meter ascent ever again, so I'm happy that I completed this climb.

Arequipa..Soooooo Nice

It's hard to think that Jane and I are starting our final push into the last three weeks of our travels together. We arrived into Arequipa and checked into Hostel Nunez where we met up with Jon and Molly B again. It was good seeing the two again and they gave us some good tips for viewing the city. Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru, but it is much smaller in comparison. The Plaza de Armas is nice and very picturesque during the sunset. In the city we visited the Monastaerio de Santa Catalina and the Museo Santurrios Andios (mummies). The Monastaerio de Santa Catalina has been well maintaned by a private investment group. The entire grounds are well kept and the guides were very helpful. Good coffee too! I snapped a ton of pictures trying to get that arty farty shot. We'll see how they turn out when I get home. Museo Santurrios Andios had mummy displays similar to the MAAM in Salta. Juanita was the mummy on display at the time of our tour. It is amazing that these childern were sacrificed at such high altitudes. The Incas made these treks in sandals and Alpaca jumpers! Jane and I would soon to find out how difficult these climbs would be in modern treking gear. It seems I'm still in a dream. Peru has been excellent so far.

KRRISH!!!

I was treated to something very special on the bus ride to Arequipa today. The movies shown on the busses in South America are typically action flix. However, on this bus, they showed the Bollywood movie Krrish! This is the sequel to the movie Koi Mil Gaya which I saw in the theater years ago. For those who don´t know, these movies pack every gimmicky movie trick in one mega-long epic. Krrish did not dissapoint! There was a love story, singing, dancing, comedy, explosions, and even KUNG FU! It is the most awesome awsomeness which has ever awesomed!

Lake Titicaca and Peru

The last two days were spent around Lake Titicaca (one on the Bolivia side and one in Peru). The first day we arrived in Copacabana which is a nice small town. The drive towards the lake was nice and we walked along the beach once we were situated in our hostel. The water is extremely clear and there were plenty of people enjoying the sun. Along the beach, there were these kioscos (24 to be exact) all of which sell the same trout dishes. I still don´t know what separates one from the other. Jane and I continued our walk up Cerro Calvario where we watched the sunset. The walk was very difficult due to the altitude and my condition after the food poisoning. From the top, you can also get a great view of the city and Isla Del Sol. We ran into Jon and Molly from the salar trip and exchanged stories over the past week. The next morning, Jane and I rented a paddle boat in the shape of a swan and went out on the lake before catching the bus to Peru. Copacabana is a nice small town, but the lack of an ATM and consistent hot water made us happy to leave.

The border crossing was easy going into Peru. Two hours later, we arrived in Puno. Our intention was to stay for one night. What a difference between Bolivia and Peru!!! Our accommodation in Puno was 10X better than in Copacabana. After checking into the hostel, we took a moto-taxi to the harbor and booked a cheap tour to the floating reed islands of Uros. Since we just walked up the the boat, we were able to pay half of what other tourists paid. The tour was excellent and we were able to see how these floating islands are created. The evening was capped off dinner in the center of town at a local pizza joint. We had deinner with some of the folks on the boat tour. Five different nationalities were represented at our table that night. We took off for Arequipa the next morning hoping that our experience in Puno would continue.