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Published: February 13th 2012
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January 31,2012
Bus to Cuzco
I know we've been traveling in Latin America for a decent amount of time now because I am starting to have favorite Latin songs and can sing along to some of them.
Here's a little something that amused me today. We went to a Home Depot type store and were trying to get help finding a tarp and some Velcro but did not know the words in Spanish so we were trying to explain it the best we could. It was funny to me because of all the time I spent working at Home Depot in the U.S. and there were always Mexicans trying to explain what they were looking for in their limited English. It's kind of nice to be able to switch perspectives. I always appreciate the people who are patient with us and wait for us to find the words to explain what we mean, and I will be sure to be patient with Spanish speakers when I return to Arizona.
Feb 2, 2012
Cusco, Peru
We went white water rafting on the Urubamba River today. I was a little disappointed with the rafting itself because the rapids only
went up to class III, but the views were astonishing. The river took us through a canyon surrounded by domineering green mountains. After the rafting, we were able to zip-line across the river. I really like Cusco, especially as compared to Lima. There are a lot of tourists in the center of the city because of Macchu Picchu, but the surrounding areas have managed to retain their native cultures. Lots of potatoes and corn are grown The people speak Quechua, and the women wear beautiful hand-knit dresses with huge knit sun hats with beads hanging off all the way around. They carry their babies around in blankets made into papooses on their backs, and I keep waiting to see one fall off but they must have a pretty good knot system because I haven't yet.
On the way to the river we passed by a fair where they were selling everything from hand-knit blankets and clothing to sautéed guinea pig (the local favorite food) to llamas and sheep and donkeys. The city of Cusco itself has some nice things to offer as well such as an artisan market, some ancient churches, the Cusquena beer factory, and their very own
peanut butter factory. Glorious.
Feb 4, 2012
Bus to ollantaytambo
We went out drinking at 'The Highest Pub in the World' last night at 1100 feet. I had a total of one Pisco drink and one gin and tonic and I was done for. This must be due to my complete lack of drinking over the last several months. My dreams were filled with wildness and paranoia. First I was caught by the police with a joint. Next, I displayed a wide range of knowledge to the head of an aquarium and yet was denied the position of dive master there. Or maybe the altitude is making me crazy. I can't deal with the highness. It has made me sick ever since I was a child and we would go skiing in The Rockies and I would be a pale mess. And here I am again, pale and shaking up in the Andes. As my dear friend Hunter Stockton Thompson would say, "Buy the ticket, take the ride."
Feb 5, 2012
Ollantaytambo
17S 539555, 9427409
We went hiking in the Andes today. We decided that Macchu Picchu just wasnt worth the trouble due to
the 2000 tourists per day, the $150 entry fees, and the nine hours of walking down train tracks we would have to do to avoid $200 of bus fees. So we went in search of Pumamarca. No one seemed to have good directions, and not many people visit these ruins so we got a little lost, but it was totally worth it. I do a lot of hiking, and I have to say this is the coolest hike I've ever done. We didn't see a single soul on the trails we chose (and sometimes made). We hiked to the top of some of the lower peaks, reaching 11,150 feet (from 9160 feet). We picked berries, crab apples, and peaches from the trees along the way. We were greeted by bright yellow birds and tiny hummingbirds. We crossed rivers and made up paths to take us to the top. Eventually we merged with a cattle path that led us to a corn/cattle farm. Here i was startled to meet a farm worker who laughed a little when we told him we were looking for the ruins but told us we could get there if we rounded the mountain. So we carried
on and finally came on a set of ruins, some old houses. They were cool to see but nothing compared to the majesty of the mountains surrounding us. On our way back down we crossed horse pastures, followed a river downhill for awhile, then crossed through the maze of cornfields before we found the road again. And as we descended the mountain, we took pleasure in the double rainbow that had formed across the peaks.
Feb 9, 2012 *
Colca Canyon, Peru
Living in the U.S. I never realized how wasteful I was. I used toilet paper without thinking about it and ate whenever I felt like it. Here, it is no more than 2 plys of TP for peeing, and you don't just eat a granola bar if you're hungry; you have to be really hungry to sacrifice one. If you manage to find a place with hot water you know it won't last long so you get your hair wet, then turn the water off while you shampoo your hair and soap yourself, then turn it back on just long enough to rinse the soap off. And we never throw away plastic grocery bags; they're too
useful for carrying things, laundry bags, and keeping the rain off things. I'm not saying this to make it seem like we're miserable down here because trust me, we're not. These small sacrifices are more than worth it for all the fun we're having. I only mention it because I think everyone should do something like this (or at least read my blog about it) just so they can realize how wasteful they are. And I dont even expect people to be less wasteful because of knowing this, because I know I when I return home I'll go back to going to the pantry every time I'm a bit hungry and taking long hot showers, but I just want them to know, so they can be grateful for these luxuries and enjoy them more.
We are hiking Colca Canyon now. This is my first real trek I suppose. I did the Grand Canyon and Havasu Falls with my family, but we stayed and ate in the lodges so all we had to carry on our backs were water and clothes. The Colca Canyon is twice as tall as the Grand Canyon (or at least I read this somewhere) and
we made it down last night but had to stop for the night because in some caves because of a downpour of rain. There are geysers next to the caves, which makes them a fairly scenic camping spot.
Feb 10, 2012 *
So we made it out of the canyon, although at times we didnt think we would. I think the hike would have been fairly easy without all of our gear, but the packs made it grueling. Cabanaconde is in its third day of fiestas honoring the Virgin Catarina. This means a band and dancers marching around town. They have been playing the same song non-stop for the three days. Apparently this is the only song that the virgin likes.
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