Los Nevados - Day 2

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What a joke - left the mosquitos behind in Los Llanos - to be replaced with another type of blood sucker which is worse - freezing and itching - I got no sleep again.... I listened to music for most of the night - really recommend ipods-

Ida quotes "we have been sucked but not dry"

Emma quotes - "Woke up about 6am the next morning, took one look out the window and didn´t like what I saw (drizzly rain), so dozed back to sleep for another hour! I finally managed to venture out of my warm blankets. Neither myself nor Ida had the courage to brave the shower. There was hot water, but it was just too cold to go there!! Luckily our trousers dried over night, so at least we had dry clothes for today´s trekking. We had a big breakfast of scrambled eggs, arepas and delicious juice."

We headed off on a trek down through the village in towards "Rio Nuestra Senora" - the scenery is spectacular - beautiful views of the mountains above and valleys surrounding the area - known as Carisol (to be checked!). We met villagers on our path, working the lands, young boys carrying food for the animals, wood for fire, big bags of carrots and potatoes. We were panting along in their midst with next to nothing in our back packs amazed at the strength of these people. The children are really beautiful, Juan tells us they grow up very quickly and all take an active part in contributing to the household, whether it be, picking blackberries or herding mules up the mountain. We saw a farmer tilling the land using the old traditional method with a wooden plough pulled by two cows. Everybody is curious, friendly and maybe laughing a bit at how we struggle with so little to get up the steep slopes.

We finally arrive at the river where our guide instructs us to absorb the energy before continuing our journey up the steep slope. The water was an amazing silver, grey blue colour, apparently because its rained so much recently there is a lot of sediment that gives it this colour - apparantly its the most rain they've had in 3 years... normally the water is crystal clear.

We continue on our way until we get to a dwelling on the top of the hill - I keep saying hills but it feels like a mountain:-) We stop for a snack and relax on the grass - Juan explains that the cactus that are quite prevelant in the area bares a fruit that is edible - Well I had to try and for my pains got little cactus spikes stuck in my tongue (typical!) Emma tried too but not the cactus spikes... It had quite a sweet taste though pity about the needles... It felt uncomfortable for about an hour but nothing worrying...

We headed back for lunch in the Posada - food is basic but really delicious here - probably because its all home grown - we're all feeling a bit like Heidi - eating healthily - going to bed early but having the craic too:-) I don't know whether its the altitude but we've had some really funny moments.

Its cold up here in the mountains (10 degrees more or less) and we were tired after our long trek and filling lunch but the sun came out and we decided to take an easy stroll in the afternoon.

The "easy" stroll started of OK but Juan decided to take us on a different path that he didn't quite know himself - so it was a virgin experience for all! Juan by the way is this big Italian looking Venezuelan, he regales on the way with stories of his exploits on mountain bike (came 4th in his category nationally apparently) he's a real extreme sportsman, broken both his ankles taking a fall on a descent from his bike, damaged his back diving off a cliff into the sea to the point where he thought he was paralysed, paragliding adventures and climbing with 40 kilo packs... Feeling I should add to the conversation I showed him by elbow! Extreme sport in Luxembourg running to the post office:-))

All along the way the mountains are dotted with beauiful plants and flowers, now don't quote me on some of these because I'm not to sure if I was paying attention, campinettas - little violet and pink bells hanging from green hedges, lochitas a pink and yellow tiny flower dotting the hedge groves, chochitas a blue and white flower every now and then on a single stalk, the Spanish flag which has a dark stem and little splashes of red flower peaking intermittently, Gladiola, Magabe, Plantago - from the cactus family I think... We have lots of photos but we haven't somewhere where we can post them yet....

Arrived home in the evening and sat outside as the sun went down - really nice Venezuelans also staying in the Posada offer us a warm drink that contains aniseed - really delicious - but quite potent... You need it up here in the mountains though - maybe that's why we laugh soo much. We have a delicious meal of a spicy black bean soup and chicken salad and rice - Juan produced a bottle of chilean red wine that went down very well indeed - AND - we have extra blankets - thanks be to goodness - because apparently its going to be even colder tonight!

but listen to this - we were chatting to a local chap - Jose - or at least Emma was and I was providing the expressions - in fact he is the ambulance driver for the village - I was fascinated in fact because I don't know how he manages to get down that lethal road at night - he says he has been doing it for 20 years - but after rainfall the road totally changes from one day to the next - Jose plays the violin, local Andean music - but reveals to us that he has a Stradivarius, 300 years old that was passed on to him by the village musician. The musician promised to sell the violin to him when he could no longer play it! We didn't get to check the authencity if this revelatory piece of information - but Juan our guide came very quickly out of the shed to see if he could organise a business deal:-)) I don't know whether its typical but he seems to very business orientated - always wheeling and dealing in some way or another - says he has to do the "negoce" - highly educated in Merida University he has a 5 year forestry degree but also paramedical experience and wait for it he was also an expert in artificial insemination - rest assured - for cows and pigs .-))
Anyway a figure in every pie.....

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Comments

[PAT CLARKE]

GREEN WITH ENVY
THERE ARE THREE "GIRLS" HERE GREEN WITH ENVY READING YOUR BLOG. WHAT DATE IS THE MOVING BEEN RELEASED! SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE HAVING A GREAT TIME O TO BE YOUNGER AND ABLE TO PACK UP AND GO TO VISIT THESE AMAZING PLACES ENJOY EVERY MINUTE. STAY SAFE. LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR NEXT UPDATE. PAT DENISE LISA