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.