Ballestas Island

Before heading to Lima we took a morning excursion to the Ballestas Islands. Lining up to start our excursion it was obviously a popular outing for locals and tourists alike as we waited for more than half an hour to board the speedboat that would take us from the wharf of the Beach the Chaco - Paracas to the Ballestas Islands. As we speed across the bay we slowed to an idle as we were entertained by schools of dolphins jumping through the waters. Almost close enough to touch they traveled along side the boat. Better than any trip to Sea World.

The Ballestas Islands consist of a group of three islands with narrow shorelines and cliffs that rise to flan areas that cover an area of 3.2 square kilometers. In the breeding season this is where birds build their nests with their own droppings. These droppings, the famous guano fertilizer, are harvested every 4-7 years. The boat trip to Ballestas Islands gave us the opportunity to see the birds, including flamingos, red-legged cormorants, Inca terns, bobbies, lots and lots of playful sea lions, and amusing Humboldt penguins. The islands were literally covered with sea lions, penguins and pelicans, which also resulted in an overwhelming smell of dropping that quickly over took the air around us.

Between the motion of the boat and the smell of the islands there was more than a few individuals hanging over the side of the boat. Fortunately Randy and I weren't affected.

Once we were back at Paracas it was time to head into town and catch the public bus to Lima. The bus station was a small building on the side of the road and we were told that once we boarded the bus to keep our possessions under our legs or in are arms. Placing items in the overhead bins was quite unsecure especially if we happened to fall asleep during the trip. Holding onto our possessions tightly we boarded the bus only to find it was much like the local greyhound here in Canada. I think we were on the milk route as the bus stopped at each little town where passengers patiently waited at the side of the road. Five hours later we arrived in the Lima, the capital city of Peru.

Needing to stretch our legs, Randy, James and I headed out to explore the neighbourhoods of Lima. An art fair was taking place in the central square and we leisurely strolled through the park. Finally is was a warm sunny day and it felt great to be outside without the need to wear a jacket, scarf and mitts.

For the first time in our travels the citizens of Peru appeared to dress like Canadians. Women wore what we would call normal work clothes, jeans and high heel shoes.

Several of us decided to take a guided tour to get the feel of the city. Boarding the Pacific Ocean, a sprawling desert city clings to the surrounding cliffs. We learned that the beauty of the city is often hidden behind a cover of fog. The tour revealed the culture of the city, with amazing architecture, museums and cathedrals. Unfortunately we were getting a bit tired of visiting historical sites and the tour seemed to go on way too long.

While four of us were off visiting the sites of Lima, Randy decided to permanently capture the memory of our time in Peru with a Tattoo. The Condor, Serpent and Puma represent the protectors of the Incas, and from this his tattoo was conceived. So imagine this. We don't speak Spanish well and the tattoo artist didn't speak English at all, but with the assistance of the Google translator a conversation was had and the tattoo drawn. Crazy when you think about it! In a country where we didn't drink the water, and where neither party could talk to each other with any amount of understanding, he chose to get a tattoo. But it did turn out amazing.

After an amazing, action backed, adventurous and even a bit overwhelming holiday we were ready to go home. Our only question....Where would we go next? The trip had exceeded all of our expectations!!

Sandboarding - What a Blast

From Nascu we travelled to the Oasis of Huacachina. We find ourselves surrounded by mountains of fine white sand. We jump into 8 man dune buggies and go for the ride of our lifes. Up and down the mountains of sand it feels like we are on a roller coaster. More than once I felt we were on the verge of tipping over, but our driver was an expert at keeping us safe while on the edge of our seats. Then at the top of a mountain he stops. We were given snowboards, told to lie down on the board holding on to the foot straps, and pushed over the side of the mountain. Being just a bit nervous I was the last to go, but just like a child wanted to go again! Back into the dune buggy we continued through the mountains of sand, holding onto our seats for dear life. We stopped three more times during the ride for another ride down the mountain on the sand board. At each stop the hill was higher than the previous. Remember to keep your mouth closed or like Gemma you will have a mouth filled with sand. Keep your legs up or like me you will turn sideways and produced the best whip out of the day. Thank goodness for the amazing resort at the Oasis where we all jumped into the shower to wash the sand off and then into the pool for a refreshing dip. I do think I had sand in my ears for at least two weeks after..lol.

All cleaned and refreshed it was time to travel to Pisco. A small port town that shares its name with the white grape brandy produced in the area. Pisco Sour is the national drink of Peru. A tour of the rustic winery renown for it's award winning Pisco Sours ending with a tasting presentation. While all the flavours were tasty we choose not to purchase any today.

We would end our day in Paracas, a gorgeous little coastal town. Sailboats, and yachts of all sizes anchored along the shore line. A great night for dinner at an outside restaurant.

Visiting Nasca

Getting off the night bus we boarded a van that would take us to our resort. First we past rows of wooden shelters, which are home to hundreds of squatter's moving to the city. No running water, sewer system or electricity, just square wooden boxes with a door and if they were lucky a window. Again we were faced with the reality of true poverty. Just past the squatters were fields and fields of cacti. Someone should farm these we thought and a few minutes later learned they do.

Using the word resort was a bit of an overstatement, but it did have a pool and for one of the first times on the adventure it was actually warm enough to shed our coats. Before we would relax Randy and I joined the tour of the Pre-Inka desert cemetery, with 1500 year old mummies, bones and pottery on the desert floor. Twenty grave sites open for the tourists to see the burial traditions of the Pre-Inkas. It is so unfortunate that the grave robbers of years gone by destroyed so much of the sacred lands.

Back into town for a well deserved lunch. Randy being braved decided to try beef heart. I stole a small bite but was really enjoying my hamburger. Then back to the resort for an afternoon of relaxation beside the pool. The first time on the entire trip where we just took time to relax and soak up the sunshine.

Dinner tonight was a traditional pig roast, with all the entire dinner being cooked under ground. Not an entire pig like we have seen in other countries, but the same concept for cooking the food. Interestingly enough the potatoes and vegetables were loose in the ground and the meet was wrapped in banana leaves. Dinner began with a ceremonial digging up of the food. They needed a volunteer to shovel the first scoop of sand of the buried food and Randy was chosen as the father of the Gods to do the honors. Dinner was good, not great just good. Unfortunately for Randy he still had a stomach bug from the previous days and food was just not his friend.

Tomorrow we would travel to the Nascu lines. One of the world's greatest archaeological mysteries. You have to option to fly over the area in a small plane to get a view of the entire mysterious lines crossing the desert or simply climb a tall ladder to a small lookout to get a feel of the patterns. We chose the lookout option. The lines consist of depictions of birds, insect and animals etched into the ground. The only way to truly recognize the patterns is from the air. Who , why and how the patterns were drawn continues to be a mystery to archaeologists today. It was cool to see.

Hot Springs and Condors

We would spend all day Tuesday on the bus travelling to the Colca Canyon. The deepest canyon in the world. Our journey began with a drive through the Inka abd pre-Inka terracing. We had several stops along the way and were able to see vicunes, alpacas and llamas roaming wild in the national reserves. Randy was suffering from either a bad case of food poisoning or stomach flu, so tried to sleep through the entire trip. Seven hours later we arrived at a small hamlet called San Antonio. A quaint little village that is definitely working to capitalize on tourism as Gap had several groups staying there for the night. Several of us took a hike around the village and found ourselves climbing up the short hill to the peak of the mountain for a look at the the entire valley. You would think we should be tired of hiking uphill but it seems if there is a path to walk it is always uphill and yes we decided to take a look.

Hidden away in the valley is a great hot springs, so after our hike we got back in the bus and headed for the hot springs. It felt so good climbing into the hot (less hot than Radium) springs for a relaxing soak. Even though Randy was still feeling ill he decided to come to the springs with the group, but it was right back to bed upon our return to the hotel. The next morning he was feeling better as we were up at 5am and headed to see the Condors.

Condors are the second largest birds in the world and part of the vulture family. We arrived at Cruz Del Condor at about 8:15, where we would sit on the side of the mountain hoping to see Condors fly by. Neil indicated there was an 80-90% chance we would see the birds this time of year. When we arrived there was probably over 200 tourists at the site waiting to see the great birds. Fortunately there was one bird perched on the side of the cliff. At first we wondered if it was real, but within a few minutes saw it move. Several minutes later we saw another Condor fly directly overhead. They are huge yet extremely graceful birds. Then the bird that had been perched on the side of the cliff took flight and we were again amazed by the grace of the Condor. An hour later with no further sightings it was time for us to board the bus for the long drive back to Arequipa. Neil promised us a barbeque dinner on the rooftop patio of the Hotel Solar that night. I never had so much meat in one sitting as we did that night. Chicken and sausage as the appetizer and steak for the entree. It was all excellent.

Thursday was a free day to explore Arequipa. We slept in until 11am, packed our bags for storage and headed out to explore the city. For some reason the bakery was calling us and we started the day with a cheese bun and an eclair. As we wondered the streets we encounter the Junior Achievement trade fair. How cool to see the young adults selling the same sorts of crafts that we see at the Calgary Junior Achievement fairs. From here we headed to the museum displaying "Juanita" the virgin sacrifice mummy that was found in almost perfect condition having been frozen for more than 500 years. Then back to the central square where a gentleman asked if he might speak with me to practise his English. For the next half hour he asked me questions and told me about himself. He was a teacher of mechanics and had been studying English for 2 months. Only 2 months and he was able to carry on a very good conversation. It made me question why I couldn't do the same in Spanish, since I have registered for at least 3 Spanish courses in the last 4 years, I guess the issue is I registered not necessarily finished. I am bound and determined to try again when I get home. Anyways while we are sitting in the park it appears we may witness another demonstration. We learned that the miners were holding a meeting in the square, although to me it looked like a protest of sorts. While it appeared peaceful and no fighting broke out there were policeman everywhere holding their shields. This does start to seem like a reoccurring situation..lol. Shortly there after the group dispersed so we decided to head back to the hotel to relax. Pizza for supper and then we would be boarding the night bus to take us to Nascu.

The bus left the station at 9pm and we would arrive in Nascu at 6am. The seats were very comfortable. Lots of room and we even had a stewardess that served drinks, a late night snack and buns for breakfast. Pretty impressive.

Views of the Inka Trail

MachuPichu to Arequipa

After a short rest, it was time to go back into Machu Pichu and explore the amazing ruins for a few hours. Pictures and words will never do it justice. It truly is a remarkable site!!

After exploring the ruins we headed into town for lunch with our original tour group and to catch the train back to Ollantaytambo, where we would then transfer to a bus for the ride back to Cusco. I have to admit I don't remember much of the train ride as I slept almost the entire way back to Cusco. I was extremely proud of myself for completing the entire trek at a reasonable pace. Not the fastest but by far not the slowest in our group even though I was probably the oldest. While it was hard and intense I felt reasonable good throughout the entire journey, but I was now very tired.

We questioned whether we would go out for supper with the group that night in Cusco or just stay in the hotel and get some sleep. In the end we decided to go, since we were going to get the opportunity to try Guinea Pig. A Peruvian speciality. It was quite tasty, but had very little meat on the bones. You would have to work hard to be get filled up eating one of those little creatures. It looked like our group was preparing for a night out on the town, as only four of us had done the Inka Trail but I was starting to fad quickly. So Randy and I excused ourselves and head back to the hotel for a good night's sleep. Probably a very good thing as we later learned our mates had partied until 3:30 in the morning and were feeling a bit rough.

We however were feeling bright and rested the next morning and headed out to continue exploring for our last morning in Cusco. One of the services offered in Cusco is massages. Young girls on street corners approach tourist offering 1 hour massages for 30 Solez or $10. Today that sounded perfect. What better way to spend an hour before heading back to our hotel. All the stress and tension removed from our bodies we were feeling relaxed and ready for the next leg in our journey.

We were leaving Cusco at noon to fly to Arequipa. When we arrived at the airport there was a huge line-up to get into the airport never mind up to the appropriate ticket counter. We had exactly 1 hour to catch our plane and it was apparent that we would be lucky to get into the airport in an hour. We didn't panic because if we missed the plane it would be up to Neil to figure out plan B, but I have to say Neil did look a bit stressed. It turned out there was several school trips returning home and the small airport simply could not handle the volume of people. So the plane waited for all of us to get checked in before taking off. Two short hours later we were in Arequipa, the 2nd largest city in Peru.

We booked into the Hotel Solar and had 2 hours to explore until we were scheduled to meet for supper. The hotel has a great rooftop patio on the second floor but it was a little cold and windy to sit out there, so we headed to the central square for an initial look at the city. Much bigger and more metropolitan than Cusco, Arequipa has a totally different aura about it. Even though the building are similar from the outside it seems to have a stronger business, professional air about it, Back to the hotel to meet the group for dinner. Yes it does feel like our days revolve around meal times. We had a great dinner with live music provided by a mariachi band. In so many ways Peru reminds me of Mexico. Obviously the Spanish influence in both countries. Not to be wandering the streets after dark, it was back to our hotel for another early night.

The Amazing Trek

I had gone to bed with a t-shirt, long sleeve shirt and a fleece on top, and a pair to lululemon pants on the bottom. Half way thru the night I woke up with cold legs. Shot I will never get back to sleep now. I must of slept off and on because before long the porters were delivering coca tea for our 5 am wake up call. It was time to start Day 2.

Day 2 started with a steep climb consisting mostly of stairs for the first hour and then a short rest before commencing the very steep climb up to Dead Woman's Pass. We would climb for 2 1/2 hours taking rest breaks on a very regular bases. Thank goodness for the porters. The rule of the pass was you always need to make way for the porters so anytime one caught up to us we took a small break to let them pass. Even the porters needed to take a break once in a while so we found ourselves being passed by the same ones a few times throughout the morning. Our climb would see us, gaining an elevation of 1200 meters at the top of the pass, to a high of 4270m. Could we blame the elevation for how tired we were or how difficult the climb was? Regardless, upon reaching the top we felt on top of the World. Here we sat for a rest as we congratulated our hiking mates for reaching the summit.

By this time the 9 of us had divided into 3 groups. The 2 brothers, Robert and Daniel and Holly, all from England made up the fast group. Randy, Ryan (a young man from Calgary) and myself the middle group and Laurie (Toronto), Jonathon (England)and Purval(Calgary) in the slow group. At the top of the pass we would all wait until the entire team arrived before making the journey back down the mountain. We had been about 10 minutes behind the fast group and together we waited for another hour for the final members of our team to arrive at the top. What an amazing view as we looked out over the valley and across at the surrounding mountains. This had been the hardest hike of my life and the sense of accomplishment was overwhelming. We had another 2 hours ahead of us before we would rest for lunch and stop for the day. Now you would think that trekking downhill would be way easier than uphill and from the cardio and breathing perspective it was. However from a technical perspective it was just as hard and sometimes harder. You have to carefully watch every step to make sure you don't slip and fall. The decline was as steep as the climb to the top was and my neck was getting sore as I concentrated on where to place each foot. I certainly spent less time admiring the scenery than on the way up. Thank goodness for the walking poles!!

At about 2:30 we stopped for lunch and that would also be our camping spot for the evening. Demas said we needed to rest from our hard journey before starting day 3. So most of us took a well earned nap before tea. Today we got fried cheese with our tea, and it was devoured in no time flat with a request for more. Again the porters continued to amaze us. To keep us entertained between Tea and supper we played several hands of UNO. Everyone got into the game and we enjoyed lots of laughs and friendly competition. The treat with tonight's supper was a camp baked spice cake including icing. Feed, watered and exhausted it was 7:30pm and dark. Time for bed as tomorrow would again start at 5 am. Tonight I was going to ensure I wasn't cold and so I dresses in long johns and track pants. Low and behold in the middle of the night I was to warm and had to take my fleece off. Too Cold, too hot, maybe tomorrow I would get it right.

The morning of Day 3 we woke up to an amazing view of the clouds covering the mountains. This is what they must mean when they talk about the cloud forests. Day 2 was supposed to have been the toughest and then some short inclines at the beginning of Day 3 before starting our long trek down. So how could it be that we continued to climb upward all morning? While not quite as steep as Day 2, I was still finding breathing a bit of a challenge. Surely we would reach today's summit soon. As we walked along the path, the clouds continued to cover the valley and left us with a bit of an erie feeling. Literally we were walking with our heads in the clouds. Finally we reached the lunch spot, but none too soon for me as my stomach decided it didn't want to play nice anymore and was rebelling. I skipped lunch today, afraid to put anything else into my stomach and eventually it settled down.

Lunch finished, we started the trek downward with 3000 stairs. Now I am not sure there are actually 3000 stair as it felt like a lot more and I certainly wasn't going to count them. For the next 2- 3 hours we carefully climbed down the mountain. Our descent would see us drop 1000 meters in elevation. Slowly and carefully we enjoyed the view as we made our way to the next set of ruins that would overlook our campsite for Night 3. The ruins never seize to amaze me. How the Inkas built the fortresses, leveled the tresses for crops,and built the retaining walls,etc. without the use of bulldozers, or any mechanical equipment is hard to imagine. We are not sure that any of the pictures will ever do it justice.

We still had another 200 meters to descend before reaching our final resting place for the evening. But surprising enough our legs still felt strong and we weren't sporting any aches or pains. Just a strong desire to be done for the day. Apparently we were intruding on the paths of a few local llamas who blocked our final path into camp. Was it safe to pass, should we try and shoe them away? In the end we carefully walked around, stopping to take a quick picture, with no harm done to anyone or animal. Another fun adventure! Today we finished hiking at about 4:30. It had been another very long day. Time for tea and popcorn then a few more hands of UNO, while we waited for dinner.

Tonight our campsite was on the side of a terrace with little space between the tent door and the edge of the ledge. One step the wrong way and you may find yourself falling. Just enough space for a person to walk by on their way to their tent or the bathroom.

It was much warmer tonight, as we were at a lower elevation so I wasn't worried about being cold. Demas sent us to bed right after supper as we needed to get up at
4am on day 4. So to bed we went and I was ready for a good night sleep. Somewhere around 2am it started to rain and again panic set in. The trails would be treacherous in the rain, as the rocks would be so very slippery. Plus it would be darn right miserable hiking in the pouring rain. Again not sleeping I prayed the rain would stop before morning. Fortunately the rain stopped before we had to get up. So why were we up at 4am , when it was still dark and we couldn't pass through the last checkpoint until 5:30? Our porters had to pack up all the tents and supplies and be down to the train station to catch the 5am train. How they managed I will never know, since it meant they needed to be running down the trail at full speed in the dark.

We on the other hand headed to the checkpoint in the pitch dark with our headlamps on and then waited for 45 minutes for the gates to open. Once through the last checkpoint we headed upwards to the Sun Gate, hoping that the clouds would burn off before we arrived so that we could see Machu Pichu from above. Yes, I did say we were heading upward again. I thought the last day was supposed to be a short descent into Machu Pichu, so why were we climbing upward again? Climbing upward was always a combination of uphill inclines and lots of steps made from large rocks. Finally after about a hour of climbing we reached the Sun Gate, but unfortunately it was still cloudy. Oh well at least we could stop and catch our breathe before the final descent into Machu Pichu. Fifteen minute later we started to pass people climbing up to the Sun Gate from the other side. We were almost there. Then we saw Neil our Gap Adventure tour guide waiting to greet us. We had arrived! One of the 7 great wonders of the world opened up before us. The view was amazing!! Our passports would now be stamped entered and and exited the trail. Four days of intense hiking and three nights camping in the Andies, we conquered and survived the trek through the Inka trail. The emotion was overwhelming and tears ran down my face as we past through the exit gates of Machu Pichu. It was 7am in the morning, we were emotional, exhausted and for some reason very hungry. The ham and cheese sandwich we were handed when we left camp that morning was now very appealing. Randy and Ryan wanted a beer, Laurie and I a coke as we devoured our sandwiches in celebration of are arrival.

Day 1 on the Inka Trail

Up and boarding the bus at 7:30 we were anxious to get started. Four people from our tour group combined with 5 people from another Gap Adventure tour group for the 4 day trek through the mountains. Our guides Demas and Henrica would lead the way. We were to carry our day packs , while 17 porters carried our tents, food, duffel bags, sleeping backs, chairs and tables for meals and everything else they would need to make our camping adventures as comfortable as possible.

The porters were amazing. Barely 5 feet tall, they each carried packs on their backs at least 50 - 60 pounds. Often the packs looked bigger than the men themselves. They even carried propane tanks for cooking our meals. Once their packs were packed the porters would run up the path, easily passing us and all set up for our next meal prior to us reaching the designated stop for our lunch or stop for the night.

Before starting the trek, all the paperwork had to be verified and permits confirmed to passports before you could proceed onto the Inka Trail. Turns out we were 9 sleeping bags short. So our guide frantically worked at having the sleeping bags delivered to our porters. The challenge was that we couldn't start the trip until all the porters with enough bags crossed the entrance gate. So for 1 1/2 hours we sat at the border waiting to begin the trek. We were eager to get started, especially since we could see that the initial part of the hike appeared to be straight up hill. What were we in for? Finally our porters arrived, our passports stamped and we were off.

Day one was deemed the training day, with lots of gradual climbs, some flat walks and gradual declines. Spread throughout were a few really steep inclines. The challenge was finding the right pace including timing of stops to catch your breathe so you didn't burn yourself out. Eventually we found a comfortable pace and pushed up and down the mountain. Although i huffed and puffed up the mountain, my heart and lungs never hurt as bad as when we were running the Curling Club hills as part of the marathon training. Today I was thankful for every hill we ran. I only wish we had run more,

Our first stop for lunch was basically a farmers field, but by the time we arrived, the porters had a dining tent set up, with tables, chairs, table clothes and bowls of warm water to rinse our hands and faces off. Pretty impressive. Lunch started with vegetable soup, followed by a fish and rice entree. Then a 1/2 hour rest period to digest our lunch before heading off for another 2 hours of steady hiking before we would stop for the night. The last half hour was straight uphill. The stairs were killers and we had gained over 650m in elevation since the start of the trek. Did I mention it felt like we were always climbing uphill?

Finally we had reached the destination for night one and we were all ready to be done. Tea at 5, including popcorn and crackers, dinner at 6:30 and then we were all ready for bed by 7:30. Climbing into our sleeping bags we knew that day one was supposed to be the easy day and we were all exhausted. Hopefully I get a good nights sleep and stay warm.

The ride to the Sacred Valley

Wednesday morning we left Cusco for the beginning of our adventure to the Inca Trail. Our first stop was at a small farming village part way up yet another steep hill. When the van came to a stop we were in the middle of the very small farming community and a group of women were standing in the middle of the square, spinning wool, weaving and knitting clothing. The women spinning wool held a large bundle of wool in their arms and used what looked like a child's toy top hanging down by their knees to spin the wool. First we got the opportunity to feel the different types of wool. Alpaca was the softest and smoothest. The Llama was a bit coarser and the sheep's wool was the roughest. It was very clear why Alpaca was the preferred wool to work with and wear. After learning about the different types of wool we were then taught how the wool was dyed to the different colors using natural dyes found in plants. The longer the wool was boiled with the plants in a large pot, the brighter the colors. Once the wool was dyed to the appropriate color it was ready to be woven or knit into the article of choice. A small table cloth can take 2 to 3 months to weave using the basic tools originally used by the women of Peru. Unfortunately the native methods are becoming a lost art in Peru. Therefore in an effort to preserve the history and skills Gap is sponsoring the community in order to teach young woman the trade so that the ancient skills are not lost. So of course we had to purchase something from the vast selection of Alpaca clothing available. We both walked away with attractive scarves that I am sure you will see us sporting once back home. As a matter of fact, they have come in very useful already with the cold evenings we are encountering.

Back on the bus we were heading to a large artisan market in Pisac for more shopping, if you hadn't already had your fill. The town had a fairly large market, filled with more clothes, sweaters, hats and mitts made from a variety of wools. It was starting to feel like same stuff, different location so we took a quick tour around and headed back to the bus.

We were now in the Sacred Valley. Our next stop saw us climbing high into the hills to the ruins of an Inca fortress that overlooked the entire valley. Determined to reach the top, for the best view of the entire valley we worked our way through the maze of the ruins. Slightly out of breathe we were at the top overlooking the valley. The fortress was built so that the Incas could see the valley from all three directions that could be used to enter the valley.

From here we headed into the Sacred Valley for a buffet lunch. The hit of the buffet was the desserts and several of us had more than one. The favorite a carmel square. After lunch we were back on the bus heading to Ollnataytambo. A small town home to another set of ruins overlooking part of the Sacred Valley. Again we climbed the multitude of stairs heading to the peak for the best view of the townships below. Imagine standing at the top of the mountain preaching to the citizens below. It would have been very majestic and powerful delivery of messages to the masses.

We were spending the night here, so had a few hours to wonder thru the small town before supper. Randy and I found a small Blues Bar, which seemed so out of character in this tiny town so we just had to sit on the porch and have a drink. Time for supper and an early night. Tomorrow we would start the journey across the Inca Trail. While we tried to sleep many of us were a bit restless. I think it may have been nervous, as travellers we met along the way said the trail was very difficult and the nights cold. Nerves, anticipation, and excitement wrapped up in a restless sleep.

Another great day!

Another great day exploring Cusco with a trip to the Inca Museum. We just took it easy today, ending with a fantastic dinner at a new restaurant overlooking the city.
It was a nice, relaxing day.

Tomorrow we head to the Sacred Valley and then start the 4 day trek over the Inca Trail to Matchu Pichu. We will be out of contact until we return to Cusco late Sunday.

Ruins by Horseback

Laurie asked if anyone would be interested in visiting the ruins on horseback? Thinking it might be fun, four of us booked the tour for Monday afternoon. The guide for the afternoon picked us up at our hotel at 1 pm and we were on our way.

First things first, we needed to pick our horse for the afternoon. Randy and Ryan both said they had little riding experience so would like a gentle horse. Laurie stated she was very expereinced so wanted a horse with a little spunk. I didn;t comment on my experience and just said I would take a gentle horse, knowing that I probably have the most experience riding of the group, but lets face it, it has been a few years.

Mounted up, we were off for a leisurely ride across the mountain to the Temple of the Water at the start of the Inca trail. The horses knew the trail well and followed behind our guide, Gabriel, with little direction from the riders. Except for Ryan's horse, who alwats wanted to take a short cut. Of course Ryan has only been on a horse 3 times in his whole life, so he wasn't overly confident in showing the horse who was the boss.

After about 1 1/2 hours of riding we reached the start of the Inca trail. Horses aren't allowed on the trail so we all dismounted and left the horses tied to trees. Gabriel led us along the path and then down into the Temple of the Water. An underground river that emerges deep below the trial running through a long cave. Did we want to trek through the cave or climb back up the hill the way we came? Before I knew it we were desending down into the cave, just as it was starting to rain. This wasn't an easy desent and Laurie and I slid down the initial steep part on our butts as Gabriel guided our feet placements until we reached level ground. I was scared at first and then so very proud of myself. The rest of the trip through the cave was much easier as we simply had to walk over the rocks sticking out of the water not to get our feet soaked. It did take some carefull placement of our feet, a few long stretches and of course holding onto the sides of the cave where possible. We all made it through with out getting wet. So much fun!!

Then it was the climb back up hill to where the horses waited. Normally not a problem but remember we are at 3800 meters above sea level. Any climb takes your breathe away. Slow and steady we were back on the trail and ready to mount the horses for the ride back. Because it was raining Gabriel said we would ride back the same way we came. The other route would be to slippery.

Our next stop was at the Temple of the Moon. Another cave, that once inside revealed a sacrificial round table made of solid rock, several meters into the cave. A small opening at the top of the cave provides light for the ceremonies. Still today on every full moon a ceremony is held, facilitated by different religious leaders from around the world. The difference is today they offer fruit, food and spices rather that virgins or llamas. The site is a fairly new find and there is still lots of excavation taking place.

Back on our horese it was time to finish the ride. What an amazing afternoon. A bit cold, we headed back to our hotel for warm showers before heading out for dinner. I am thinking we will all have sore butts in the morning...lol

Exploring Cusco

Sunday morning we were up and ready to explore the city. First we headed over to the Plaza De Armas in the center of town and lol and behold there was a parade going on. So we sat on the steps of the Cathedral and watched the parade go by. Just another time where we were caught up in the excitment of the day, with absolutley no idea what was happening. We later learned that the celebration was called the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The parade included groups of small children dressed as nurses, soldiers, and clowns, numerous women's groups and bands. We watched for over a hour as the bands kept coming. What would appear to be school bands, army bands and service groups. Lot's of excitement in the plaza.

Then it was time for brunch so we headed over to Paddy's Kitchen. Paddy's Kitchen claims to be the highest Irish owned pub in the world at over 11,000 ft above sea level. The breakfast was the biggest breakfast I have ever seen. 4 slices of toast covered by 2 fried eggs, topped by 4 slices of bacon and 4 saugages, with a side of beans. NO I didn't eat it all, only about 1/3rd and I was still full for the entire day.

Time to wander the streets. Every street was lined with small shops much like in the markets in Mexico. "Come see my store senior, do you want a massage, have your picture taken with the baby llama, buy my art senior". In the end we had our picture taken with the llama but held of buying anything else.

At 2pm we met up with 2 friends from our tour group for more exploring. The cathedral was magnificant with gold plated statues throughout. For the next 2 hours we walked the main road of Cusco, going in and out of the numerous markets and people watching. It was a gorgeous day and we were enjoying the sunshine.

We had been exploring Cusco for over 7 hours and it was time to head back to the hotel for a few hours of rest before supper. Supper at 8, was in a small Australian owned restaurant. Obviously a favorite with the tourists as the restaurant filled with backpackers, all willing to share their stories.

Another amazing day!

Road to Cusco

Saturday, October 8th we travelled from Puno to Cusco. A 7 1/2 hour bus ride with the promise of one stop at the top of the pass. We arrived at the bus terminal in Puno at 8am, where we were told to purchase a few snacks and beverages for the trip.
A bottle of water, a bag of cheese crackers and a container of Pringles chips each and we were ready to board the bus. Then we came upon the oldest looking woman I have every seen. Please let us take a picture. For a few soles she agreed.

Quickly we had to catch up to the group to board the bus. A double decker with very comfortable seats and leg rests. Perfect for the long road ahead of us.

The scenary through the countryside revealed various social classes. Very poor towns with dirt roads and very small homes made completely of adobe bricks. Animals roaming freely among the buildings. Most homes appeared to be no taller than 6 feet
if that. Children playing much to close to the side of the road as the bus past through at 55km/hr. Then there were the more affluent areas with larger homes with clay roofs. The outhouses were all made of blue medal. A few cars and bikes could be seen and the yards had green grass rather than the dirt/mud yards in the poor towns. We also past through 4 small cities.

There was always something to see. In one town the question was "could the bus really make it down the road without scratching the side of the bus?". The road looked hardly wide enough to pass through. Then there was the 1/2 ton truck with
stockracks. Two levels of sheep packed into it so tightly that the sheep could hardly move. Men hoeing their plot of land with an old fashion wooden hoe pulled by a cow. Plots of land fenced by adobe bricks. Women sitting outside of building trying to sell vegetables. Children working the fields.

We did get our one stop at the top of the pass. La Raya is 4335 meters above sea level. A five minute stop for a quick potty break and time to barter with the natives trying to sell llama knit wear, hats and wall hangings. Hardly enough time to even see everything they had to offer. Randy fixed his attention on a llama hat for me. Initially the women wrote 820 soles on her hand to which I immediately said no and started to walk away. Then it was 700. We were being called to the bus and she said 100. At 80 soles we had the hat and were jumping on the bus as it started to pull away. I am thinking that somewhere we had a communication breakdown. She couldn't have possibly meant 820 soles if she was prepared to sell it for 80 soles. FYI. 3 soles per 1 Canadian dollar. Anyways I now have a new, very warm hat.

For most of the last half of the drive it poured rain, so we both tried to get in some sleep. It does appear that we are a bit more tired than normal but all the literature indicates that in the high elevations you may find this.

We arrived in Cusco about 3:30pm and initially found the city very dirty, rough and poor looking, but after passing through the outskirts a beautiful city opened up before us. Cusco has become a popular tourist city over the last 20 years, with amazing churches, museums and culture. Lots of markets to be explored and restaurants to try.

Tonight we had are first albaca burger and fried yuccu. Fried Yuccu is a ball of mashed potatoes mixed with a variety of spices, then deep fried. The dinner was delicious.

After dinner it was back to the hotel. You wouldn't think we would be tired by 10 pm after riding on the bus all day, but we were. Tomorrow we would start exploring Cusco.

A Homestay

Words can't describe the beauty of Taquile Island or the sights we were about to see as we travelled to the small community on the peninsula where we would spend the evening with a family of the village. Upon arriving at the village each member of our tour group was introduced to their host family. Emilda (Mama) greeted us with open arms and a big hug. Then she proceeded to lead us up the hill to her home. It was quite the hike and we were both puffing as reached our home for the evening. Emilda showed us to the guest room that had been made especially for hosting Gap Adventures guests and the very modern Bano. Then Emilda introduced us to her 10 year old son Romulo, who would take us down to the school for a game of soccer. Along the way Romulo pointed out each animal and tried to teach us the Spanish and Aymara words for them. If we didn't pronounce it correctly he would repeat the word until we got it right. Funny thing Donkey was Donkey in all three languages.

At the school a soccer game between the tourist and the locals took place. After feeling a bit sorry for the tourists a few locals were designated to change teams. I am not sure that really helped though. The locals dressed in sandals and dress pants surely had the advantage over our players dressed in hiking boots or runners and shorts. The playing field was a cement courtyard outside the school so I am sure from an advantage point we should have had it. So in the end we had to blame the elevation for our poor performance. As darkness started to approach the score was 3 all and we finally had to call it quits. Just to clarify I sat on the sidelines taking pictures for everyone, while Randy worked up a sweat representing the Coutts family on the soccer team.

Once the game was declared a tie. It was time to dance. Each member of our group was dressed by their host family in the traditional dress of the village. Then four couples from the villages demonstrated the dance that we would be required to do after they finished. While the dance was a simple three step, it also involved walking in a line across from your partner and swinging a string on pompoms. FOur us not so coordinated tourist it did seem to be a bit complicated but so much fun.. WHen we had completed our lesson, 10 small children then demonstated their version of the dance for us. Just in case we wondered how difficult it should be..lol. The children were adorable and extremely energetic about their performance. Then just to make sure we got it each child grabbed one of us and the dance started again. My partner was maybe five years old and really into the dance. Holding my hands and swinging our arms back and forth for all he was worth as we shuffled around the floor. That was until he was distracted by the other children playing on the sidelines. He would start to move in the direction of the children and then remember that he was supposed to be dancing and he would get back into it, pumping our arms for all he was worth. It was so funny and cute.

Our dance lesson done it was time to head back to our home for dinner. The big question was "did we want to eat in the kitchen with the families?" Of course everyone stated, but they double checked just to be sure. I wonder why anyone wouldn't want that as part of the experience, but my impression was that not all tourists did.

Each room of the house was a separate building made of adobe brick. The kitchen was very simple with a large clay stove in one corner. Pots for cooking lined the top of the stove and the fire was kept burning with wood. Mama sat by the stove and dished out the food to bowls her daughter Luz Marie held. Dinner was for the five of us. Luz Marie, Romulo, Randy and I sat at a small wooden table with benches on two sides. Mama ate her dinner from her spot by the stove. First we had a very large bowl of vegetable soup, where the main ingredient was potato. It was very tasty but much more than I could eat. Then we received a plated of rice covered by another potato based stew. Again very tasty, but filling. We had been advised we would be served a vegetarian meal. Not because it is a vegetarian community as Mama had pork cooking on the stove.

Not able to eat my entire dinner I tried to communicate through sign language that I was very full, touching the top of my head. All of a sudden Luz Marie and Romulo were speaking quickly and Romulo was pushing his sister to go somewhere. A few minutes later she comes back with a big bag of coca leaves. I quickly realized they thought I was saying I had a headache and were bringing me the native remedy. After saying no, no, a second attempt to show I was full worked much better. Pat the tummy and I slowly raised my hand to my head. E|veryone immediately burst into laughter.

The challenge was communication. We were given a small list of English words and there translations prior to arriving at the village, but it certainly wasn't enough to carry on a lenghty conversation. Thank goodness the children were learning some English in school and we had a few basic Spanish words in our vocabulary from out multiple trips to Mexico. Mama asked how old we were and we learned she was 44 but looked way older. Luz Marie told us her age, which I interpreted to be 16. Quietly Romulo corrected me saying 17 under his breathe. What next? Then Romulo built a paper boat, so Randy showed him how to build a paper plane. He either already knew or learned very quickly. A few minutes later we were having plane races across the kitchen. It was pitch black outside and Mama was starting to yawn so we though we would be polite and head off to our room for the night. Only when we we back in our room did we realize it was only 7:10pm. Early even for us but we laughed and crawled into bed. Surprisingly with all the fresh air and high elevation we were asleep in minutes.

Shortly after 5:00am we could hear Mama up preparing for the day. She was serving us breakfast before we left the island that morning. Fresh bread, although more like a biscuit, great jam and 2 hard boiled eggs. We enjoyed breakfast with the family and then Romula took us for a small walk around the hill where we admired the view. The hill looks over Lake Titikaka and Romulo pointed out all the neighbouring islands around the lake. He was very proud of the animals they owned and introduced us to his donkey, the 7 baby pigs, and the 2 baby goats. We were later to learn that the 2 baby goats (1 male,1 female) are the only goats on the island, which accounted for why Mama and Luz Marie where feeding them milk from a baby bottle during supper and breakfast. When we first arrived in the kitchen for supper one goat was trying to take our spot as he jumped on the table. He was quickly scooted off but I think he may have been there before. It was so funny and we laughed as Mama yelled at him.

It was time to leave the island and Luz Marie carrying one of the goats, and Romulo led us back down the hill to the dock. The hosting families made a line so each of the guest could shake thier hands and thank them for their hospitaliy. Luz Marie at the end of the line gave both Randy and I a big hug and we both found ourselves with tears running down our faces as we boarded the boat. We had been very emotionally moved by the entire experience, the genuine kindness and hospitality of our hosts. During our supper with Mama and her family we took several pictures and plan to send them and a small camera to them once we get home.

What an experience! One I am sure we will never forget!

8:15am and we are all back on the boat heading to Reed Islands (floating Islands). I really have no idea what to expect. So we sat back and enjoyed the hour ride to the islands. Arrivng at the islands my mouth simply drops in awe, as all you can see is homes, boats, buildings and islands made from reeds that grow in the lake. I have never seen anything like it. Our boat docks at one island and as we disembark Mary introduces herself and says after the presentation she will take us to her home. Then we are directed to the center of the island where benches made from reeds are placed for us to sit. Henry our guide and a local man then proceed to demonstrate how the islands are made and anchored in the lake. A total of 2000 residents call the islands home. The women make their livings selling their crafts to the tourist. Beautful tapastries of all sizes and shapes. Most tell the story of the islands. Yes we bought 2.

After the demonstration, Mary takes us to her home and dresses us up in the tradional clothing, they all appear to wear every day. The home has 2 beds and a small bench in it. There are hooks for hanging their clothes and little else, except for the small tv and a solar powered generator. Outside the home is a small teepee style hut set up for cooking. Interesting enough they have a small 2 burner propane stove in it and several pots and pans. This island consists of about 4 homes, and a kindergarden school. Children come from several of the floating islands to attend the school. Then it is time to board a boat that looks looks very much like a viking boat with a Spanish influence completely made from the reeds. As we pushed off the women of the island stood on the edge of the island and sang to us. Our group is mostly Canadian so they started out with Alloietta, followed by twinkle twinkle little star and a few other childrens songs. It was so cute and apparent that they had discovered how to impress the tourists. Two people from our island ( one man and one young woman) rowed us around the channel for about 30 minutes and then we head backed to our boat that would take us back to Puno.

I would have never imagined a complete island built on a lake made completely of reeds. Work for the men is maintaining the island as the reeds dry out and need to constantly be replaced. The woman do the cooking , sewing and entertaining of the tourists. Such a simple, basic life but everyone seemed extremely happy and proud.

Back in Puno by noon, we had lots of time to explore. The group decided we would climb the 800 steps to the statue of the Condor perched at the top of the mountain overlooking the town. Slow a steady was the approach. Everything in Puno is uphill so even before reaching the staircase we had climbed uphill for about 30 minutes. The view was worth it. From the lookout you could see the entire town as it spread across the mountainside, perching over Lake Titikaka. The lake is really magnificant. with more time we decided to walk across the mountain to the statue of an Inca Warrior. The path to the Inca was all downhill so much easier on our hearts, but through a poorer part of town for sure. It was broad daylight and there was 7 of us so we felt quite safe. The path down was quite steep but we all made it back to the core of town with no problems.

With 3 hours until dinner we headed to a small pub for a refreshment and a few games of pool. All I can say is I was absolutely no help to Randy when it was our turn, but we did end up having 3 very close games. Everyone was very patient with me as I had to learn how to hold the cue never mind hit the ball. At least I understand physic and angles.lol. A very fun afternoon.

Dinner that evening was at a local Pizzeria. Good but we have had better. Tonight Peru played Paraguay in the World Cup soccer qualifiers and we found ourselves in a Puno sports bar, cheering for Peru. The bar was 2 stories, where you climbed a small set off stairs to a floor with pillows all along the walls to sit on and watch the TV seen through an open railing into the main floor of the pub. There is nothing better than to be sitting in a country watching their soccer team dominate and win the game. Positive energy exploded onto the streets as the Peruvians celebrated the win. For us it was time to head back to our hotel for bed. Tomorrow morning would come too soon!

The last 2 days seems totally surreal. From the visit to Taquile Island, the home stay and the visit to Reed Island, it is hard to believe that people are so poor and live such primitive lifestyles in this day and age of technology but still seem to be so very, very happy! I wonder who has it right?

Taquile Island

Words just can't describe the view!!