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Christine
A blondie (brunette, redhead, whatever the month brings) hopping from one country to the next.clelacheur
Travel Blog Posts
September 11th 2006
After hitting the highest point accessible by road in the Andes, our tour made its way to Puno. Really, Puno doesn’t offer much more than access to Lake Titicaca. For those of you who don’t know, aside from providing giggles whenever you hear its name, Lake Titicaca is also the highest navigable lake in the world (above 4000 m). Unlike Machu Picchu and the jungle, I really didn’t know what to expect at Lake Titicaca, aside from a huge lake. Because I had no idea what to expect and because I hadn’t seen any island photos, everything there truly amazed me. After taking a bicycle cart taxi to the port, we boarded a boat and went straight to the Uros Islands. The Uros Islands are made completely from reed. Seriously. The locals realized that reed turns ... read more
Welcome to the Jungle
Published: August 27th 2006South America » Peru » Madre de Dios » Puerto Maldonado » Amazon Rainforest
August 27th 2006
Although Machu Picchu was definitely the reason why I chose to do this trip, the Amazon rain forest came in a close second. Its preliminary ranking was right on the mark. Although not as breathtaking as the lost city, the Amazon jungle was a once in a lifetime experience. Listening to our tour guide's warning that the jungle could have very unpredictable weather, all of us brought our rain coats and fleece jackets. Right...didn't quite need it in the 40 degree with 100% humidity weather we encountered while we were there. I felt like I was back in Doha. However, unlike Doha, there was no air conditioning. In fact, there was no electricity and no hot water (although the last thing you wanted was a hot shower after a day of trekking through the jungle!). The ... read more
August 25th 2006
The main reason I decided to come to Peru was because I was desperate to see Machu Picchu (really, my guess is Machu Picchu is the main reason for most travelers’ visit to Peru). Anyway, after patiently waiting in Cusco for a few days, we finally made our way up to Aguas Calientes (the town that is 8 km from Machu Picchu) on Tuesday to get ready for our big trip to the lost city on Wednesday morning. We all decided to get up bright and early to catch the sunrise, as we heard that the view promised some postcard worthy photos. Well, at 5 a.m., I woke up and heard a sound that almost brought me to tears….the sound of a torrential downpour. I was gutted. All I really wanted to see on this trip ... read more
August 20th 2006
After a very nice 1 hour flight at 5:30 a.m. on Friday morning, my group arrived in Cusco. Since our rooms weren't ready yet, we were forced to endure a walking tour of Cusco before the city was even awake! I would love to tell you what I learned, but I was half asleep, so I don't really remember. Oh wait, I do remember something (and it ties in with this blog's title)--the city is shaped like a puma. Yes, the animal. Funny, huh? I guess the architect was quite smart and, in addition to designing the city in the shape of a puma, he also built a great water system, etc. It was such a great water system that ran right through the middle of the city that if anyone was caught spitting in it, ... read more
August 17th 2006
Yesterday was my last day in Huancayo. It was bittersweet, as I was excited for my next adventure, but, despite only living there for a few weeks, I felt like I made a home there during my temporary tenure and I'm going to miss the life I had. One thing I won't miss, however, is the cacophony of morning sounds (the garbage truck music, people banging on the metal door, the fruit vendors, etc.) that ensure I woke up at least one hour before I needed to be awake (I guess it was good to start practicing for my re-entrance into the "real world"). There's a lot I´m going to miss though: * The Volunteers: I originally thought that most of the volunteers would be from North America, Britain, or Australia since a big piece of ... read more
August 17th 2006
Today, I had a chance to go up to the mountain, where Tinkuy Peru is working on a new project with the kids up there. Seeing them bought tears to my eyes. Many of them live in mud brick homes with no running water and electricity and some of them don’t have homes or parents. I saw one child who was wearing plastic bags on his feet in lieu of shoes. Tino said to me, “It broke my heart when I first saw it too, but I talked to the boy and he says it’s fine—he’s used to it.” No one should be used to running around without shoes when the weather closes in around freezing during this time of year! All of the children were absolutely gorgeous (as the photos attest), but it’s so sad ... read more
August 14th 2006
There is no doubt that travelling is fantastic, despite its occasional downs (like unsanitary washroom, cold showers, etc.), but, sometimes, you would do anything to give up the excitement of travelling to be with your family and friends. Namely, when tragedy strikes at home... One of my best friend's dad passed away unexpectantly on the weekend, and it truly shook me--shook me because I wasn't at home and able to console my friend in person; shook me because I and so many others my age take our parents' existence for granted and can't even fathom the thought that they might be taken away from us far too early; and shook me because I realized that I'm on the other side of the world isolated from my family and friends, and, despite my thoughts and hopes to ... read more
August 10th 2006
Well, after a seven hour flight to Miami, a 24 hour layover there, a 5.5 hour flight to Lima, a 6 hour wait at the bus station, and a 7 hour bus ride, I finally arrived at a city up in the Andes called Huancayo. For those of you who are a bit on the green side when you hear of my travels, please also remember how much the travelling portion sucks. I'm so sick of airports. I can't wait to come home and not see an airport for a long, long time. Anyway, on to Huancayo. Like I mentioned, it's in the Andes, so it's high up. How high? I have no idea, but I do know that I was in shock by how much the altitude has affected me. Luckily, I haven't had altitude ... read more
August 8th 2006
You're probably all expecting a nice, long blog about my adventures in Peru, but you're going to be sadly disappointed. I have to admit that I haven't had time to write one yet because I've kept a piece of Miami in my heart, and I've become addicted to Canasta. Okay, I didn't learn it in Miami; however, hearing the name "Canasta" reminds me of those leather skinned Floridians for some reason. Anyway, I decided that pictures will temporarily stave off your overwhelming thirst for the stories of my fabulous adventures (so kidding!). Here are some photos from a visit to Torre Torre, a rock/land formation that looks eerily similar to Drumheller; some photos from the orphanage I'm spending my mornings at; some photos of Santiago dancers/musicians, who can be found dancing through the streets at random ... read more
August 4th 2006
I had a nice little surprise when I got to the Calgary airport. When I checked in, the American Airlines lady said to me, "Okay, so your destination today is Miami." I promptly said, "No, it's Lima." At this point, we argued with each other for a minute or two until she looked at her computer and in a very snitty tone said, "You don't leave Miami for Peru until tomorrow night. You have a 24 hour layover in Miami." Wicked, 24 hours in a place that I didn't plan on going to and without a hotel reservation (or money to get one). I was livid. Since I had no choice but to check-in anyway, I tried to find an Internet terminal in the departures area, but none was to be found. Well, if any of ... read more
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