Adventures down south

Impossible!

2009-07-07T11:10:00.000-07:00

How is it possible that I have been home nearly a month? Every time I go away and come home this seems to happen – yet every time it still surprises me. It is always incredible how easy it is to adjust back to life at home and fall into the same patterns and familiarities once again.

I am still ‘unemployed,’ technically at least. Though, I’m finding it not too difficult to fill my days with odd jobs; nannying, painting, office work, etc – so I’m getting by. Loving the fact that I have complete freedom as well; no 9-5, Monday to Friday – If I want to go camping tomorrow or to the islands next week, I can, and that is a beautiful thing – especially in the summer here!

Lummi Island, camping at Baker, Clayton beach nights, Kayaking the bay, swimming at the lake, Boundary Bay beer, biking, hammock nights, and so forth – it’s good to be back in the ‘ham especially for the summer. Coming home to a freshly painted house and bountiful garden was pretty nice as well!

What did I learn, how did I change, where to go next, and what am I going to do now? So many questions still to answer – working through them currently - I know the answers are flexible and will constantly change. What I discovered, from this most recent voyage, is much and I am still working through it all.

Like all past trips – Peru served well to remind me what life is all about. Living in the present – enjoying each moment, taking every opportunity you have, experiencing all that you can, living life to the fullest, destroying the idea of living for the future, and the idea that “better days are to come.” Why wait? Why not enjoy today and the present to its fullest!

Dinner on the deck on Lummi Island

Hermanas y el bebe

My car just as it should always look; kayaks on top, bike on the back

My lovely new paint job!

Peruvian Music Awards

2009-06-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

Saturday night I decided I really wanted to see some live music. Back home, we hear live music at least once a week and I’ve been missing it a lot (surprisingly there was almost none in Huaraz – none that I discovered at least). I happily discovered there was concert happening with a famous Afro-Peruvian musician. Showing up without a ticket, I asked all around for the location of the box office, which apparently didn’t exist. I was sent of a wild goose chase all around the stadium. Finally, a security guard told me to go back to where I was before and enter thru a ‘special’ gate for free….arriving there I somehow made it in the theater ticketless – Asked about five times for ticket; I just mentioned that I was told it was free and they let me through (?!) It saved me 45 Soles so I wasn’t going to ask questions! What I assumed was a concert turned out to be a music award show….complete with hosts and awards. Worked out fantastic though – I saw probably 20 different musicians perform all different types of Peruvian music. I took quite a few short videos to demonstrate the different types and will be posting them shortly!

After that concert I had planned to attend another show. My favorite Afro-Peruvian band was planning in my neighborhood at 11pm (okay so I really only know one Afro-Peruvian band but seen I got their CD, last fall, I have listed to it hundreds of times, they are really fantastic!) However, during my 5 minute taxi ride to the concert, we were pulled over by the police (a pretty typical event) and then the power in all of Barranco went off. Something I had experienced a couple of time in Huaraz but my driver said was incredibly rare for Lima. He continued to tell me how dangerous it would be and how worried he was (thanks!) Being only a few blocks from the concert we drove by and everyone has gathered outside and were searching for taxis, having really no other option and doubting the power would return anytime soon, we headed back to the hostel. So much for getting to see my favorite Peruvian band play, it really was just a bizarre event!

Sea wolves, pink flamingos, giant pelicans, dolphins, penguins, and more! Oh my!

2009-06-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

Peru never ceases to amaze me. The longer I stay here and the more places I visit the more I fall in love with this incredibly diverse country. Having visited twice now and spent over three months in the country, I thought I’d seen most of the geographical regions. However, this last trip south on the coast, once again took my breath away. I’ve visited the desert and coast here, yet the dramatic way they meet one another down south is incredible and like nothing I have seen before. In addition, visiting the Ballestas Islands and staying at an oasis in the desert were both very unique experiences for me! To say the least we had a fantastic and incredible time and it was a perfect last trip in Peru (for this trip that is!)

We started our trip in Pisco which was an experience…..A horrific earthquake occurred there almost two years ago. Before we left we heard quite a bit about how devastated the area was, but didn’t really know what to expect after two years of recovery. The city is pretty much still in ruins and it was unbelievable to see the extent of the destruction. I can only image what it looked like right after the quake. Talking to people it sounds horrific, nearly the entire city toppled, no running water or electricity for weeks, and thousands dead (also a lot of bad feelings towards the government. Supposedly it took over six months for government relief money to arrive and amount hasn’t been nearly enough). One of the saddest stories to me involved the city’s cathedral. At the time of the quake, mass was being held and the entire church collapsed killing all inside.

However, we didn’t visit Pisco to see the destruction or to buy Pisco (Peru’s national liquor). We went to catch a boat to the Ballestas Islands; known as the ‘poor man’s Galapagos.’ Having never been to the Galapagos, I can’t say how they compare. However, I have definitely never visited anything like these islands before and they were amazing!! The animal life was very impressive and the number of birds insane! After witnessing the vast number of birds, it is easy to understand how Guano was Peru number one export for many years (apparently it’s the best organic fertilizer in existence!) The islands themselves are amazing as well, lots of red rock and caves etc. My favorite part had to be the penguins – it was breathtaking to see them in the wild and they were incredibly adorable. On the way back to shore we were also lucky enough to run into a pod of dolphins which was exciting as well.

After our boat adventure we headed to the “Reserva Nacional De Paracas;” a large nature reserve on the coast. It was here that we really got to experience the dramatic coastline and see how the desert disappears into the ocean. Much of the desert used to be cover with water – meaning now there are millions of interesting fossils and salt. On our tour, we made friends with a Dutch girl traveling on her own. Which worked out fantastically for us; she just graduated with a degree in Geology, meaning we got to ask her a million questions about everything! Stopping in the park for lunch on the beach, we got to eat fantastic fresh cerviche, just feet from the water, and half a dozen huge prehistoric pelicans. It was such a beautiful setting. We then headed off to visit the flamingos. Unfortunately, they were pretty far off and difficult to see – but you could tell it was some type of pink animal with long legs!

Next on our list was Ica, where we planned to stay outside the city in Huacachina. A horribly popular tourist destination – however, being mid-week and ‘winter’ it wasn’t too bad. The place is actually really incredible – surreal but incredible! It is an oasis in the middle of the desert. We both really couldn’t imagine what it would be like but yeah – it is just that; an oasis in the middle of the desert (very bizarre.) It is very pretty though, has been a popular destination for Peruvians for some time – so the architecture and building were colonial style and beautiful as well. After much effort, I convinced my friend Alexis to go ‘sandboarding’ with me. It was, ummm, an experience! Basically the same as snowboarding but on sand; like snowboarding you spend a lot of time on your ass. We enjoyed ourselves though and spent the majority of the time on the ground laughing. Normal021 falsefalsefalse MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 We also visited the main museum in Ica. Which was surprisingly fantastic. A ton of ancient pottery and some incredible weavings. Furthermore, they had a number of really well preserved mummies (just a little creepy) and a lot of examples of skeletal manipulations.....it was very interesting to say the least! Unfortunately the museum was robbed about 3 or 4 years ago and a number of it´s best weaving were stolen and have yet to be recovered.

Next on our itinerary was a stop in Carmen (a center for Afro-Peruvian music) and a visit to the San Jose Hacienda there (probably the biggest and best preserved in Peru.) The guidebook description sounded incredible and the history fascinating. Carmen has one of the highest populations of African-Peruvians in the country due to the hacienda and the thousands of slaves who used to work there. Facing two collective rides and a 2 km walk with all of our stuff, we decided to splurge and take a $5, half an hour taxi, to the hacienda instead. It was a beautiful drive past cotton fields and sugar cane and got us both excited to the hacienda that was built in 1688! However, arriving at the gate we faced a guard man telling us the site was closed because of earthquake damage and there was no way we could be let in. I tried to convince him to let us just peek in but he wouldn’t even open the door to the gate.

You would think after being closed for two years they could update their website (which we checked) or that the hotel agent we asked about it would have mentioned its closure, or the taxi cab driver who lived there. Oh well, I was pretty disappointed but we did have quite the laugh about it (our driver thought it was hilarious for sure!) We decided we might as well check out Carmen then – our driver warned us nothing was there but said he’d drive us around. He was right. Nothing was there – the church was still standing but it was closed (of course). Our driver really wanted to show us some ‘black people’ but said they were all hiding (?). He then wanted to know if we had ever seen a ‘black person’ before. He continued by explaining how people from Lima come to visit because they have never seen an African person before, and that they often try to rub the skin to make sure it’s not paint(?!) :O

Back to Lima, we had one day left before Alexis flew home and spent it hanging out in the city and searching, unsuccessfully, for a llama fetus (I guess they are out of season!) Now I am down to less than two days until I fly home and can’t believe how fast time is flying by….

Pictures soon....my camera and computer are having issues and I wasn´t able to find a good wireless connection today, hopefully tomorrow!......

okay, so slow internet = only a few photos;

south

Off to the poor man´s Galapagos!

2009-06-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

I finally escaped Huaraz this week (it was so difficult to leave!) and made it to chaotic Lima.... which has been, well, yeah it is a huge polluted humid capital and all that goes along with that! Definitely ready to head out of the city early tomorrow.

After much debating, me and my friend Alexis, who I met on my last trip to Peru, have decided to head south and hug the coast for a bit. Main attraction is going to be visiting the ´poor man´s Galapagos´ a collection of islands that are supposed to be similar, but incredibly cheaper to visit, plus where much of Peru´s interesting history with the Guano industry occurred! My guide book describes the area as have beaches as beautiful as those in Northern Cali and Oregon, but with no other people, and 10x the wildlife, sounds good to me!

Ciao!

"Obama Barack"

2009-05-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

I feel too often in the United States we are unaware of how far reaching our country’s politics are. Who we vote for and the decisions they make have far reaching consequences across the world. Traveling really helps to remind one of this. Discussions with fellow travelers, from all over the world, really further your understanding of those impacts. This is something I have had a lot of experience with through my travels. However, returning from the Santa Cruz trek last week I was once again reminded of how small the world is and how far reaching the United States is.

Ending the trek in a small village, you take a collective taxi, for about two hours to the nearest real city. Manja and I shared the back seat of our taxi with an older Quechua man who spoke only basic Spanish. He was very interested to talk to us (of course) and started by asking where we were from; Manja’s response greatly confused him – he had never heard of Slovenia and looked very doubtful when she told him it was in Europe, her response to what language they spoke there only furthered his doubt and confusion in her.

However, his reaction to my response was quite different. His eyes lit up, Los Estados Unidos was a country he knew about and was anxious to discuss. We had to start with Bush (claro); specifically ‘how he liked to fight – everyone’ which he provided a visual for by putting his fists in the air….then the discussion moved on to Obama, ‘Obama quiere paz, si?’ he asked with a huge grin - Obama wants peace, right? (I was happy to hear he had learned this especially after how angry he had become when talking about Bush! – Though I had to keep correcting him on our president’s name; ‘Obama Barack’)

After our discussion about how Obama is trying to change US policy abroad and what the future may look like – he got a confused look again and you could tell he was deeply pondering something. “But, wait, Obama isn’t a gringo – he has skin like me, dark. How is this possible? The United States is a country of ‘gringos.’”….

I absolutely love breaking stereotypes (on both sides – those I hold myself and those others hold about Americans). It is definitely one of the best aspects of traveling! Our conversation in the taxi, also reminded me of a similar discussion I had last time I was in the jungle in Peru. My indigenous host family was completely blown away when I told them there were people indigenous to the United States who still lived there – “But they are white like you, of course?!” – I doubt they really believed me when I told them no. Color is an obsession down here and so many people think everyone from the states is white!

2009-05-22T16:00:00.001-07:00

Where to start?! Returned to Huaraz yesterday after completing the Santa Cruz trek in three days, two nights, without a guide, or pack animals – Just me, Manja, and our heavy packs! After a good nights sleep and a morning spent in hot springs and natural steam caves I am feeling just a little better – though I am still pretty exhausted and bruised (my knees and hips!!)

We ‘trekked’ something like 38 miles, with quite a bit of elevation gain, in basically a day and half – after 4++ hours of public transportation we arrived at the trail around noon on the first day and finished just after 1pm on the third!

Probably the most difficult thing I have accomplished in my life, the trek completely exhausted my body, but left me feeling so incredibly alive and accomplished! I am incredibly excited to continue ‘trekking,’ especially when I get home – Mount Baker this summer…..

Like always I am short on time (applying for internships and job searching!) so won’t go into much detail – I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves but if your interested (aqui) is a detailed description of the hike.

Climbing at altitude is always difficult, especially with a pack, and in the snow! While, I don’t think I beat my personal elevation record, the pass at approx. 15,600 feet was pretty high and you could definitely feel it on the climb up; it’s amazing how difficult it is to just breathe!

The bark of my favorite Peruvian trees - Quenual trees - They are gorgeous and the forests of them incredible!

Mud....lots and lots of mud.....trail erosion was really terrible in parts!

More pictures soon.....! My time in Huaraz is getting shorter and shorter and there is way too much to do! Including planning my last two weeks of traveling in Peru with a friend from the states!....too much to see and do and never enough time!

Pictures posted.....

Santa Cruz Trek!

Santa Cruz with two doctors?!......

2009-05-18T07:48:00.001-07:00

Pretty sure I am going to head out on the Santa Cruz trek early tomorrow morning. It is by far the most popular trek in the area - supposed to offer amazing views without having to hike for weeks! I've been meaning to go since I got to town and the Slovinia girl I met yesterday is also interested in doing it on our own (it is super easy to go with a guided trip - but just a little more expensive.) Furthermore, we met another guy from Wales this morning at breakfast who might tag along as well. Over breakfast I learned they are both doctors back home (just finished their studies and are taking a 'gap year') - it can't hurt to have two doctors along!

4 days, 3 nights, camping in the high Andes, reaching over 4760M (over 15,600 feet!), with two people from the other side of the world, who I just met - sounds incredible and I can not wait!

Just in time to leave…..

2009-05-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

Why is it, right when I am becoming incredibly comfortable in this city, when I finally feel like I know my way around, and when I know a decent number of people here, that it is time to leave? It really hit me today – my time left in Huaraz is incredibly limited. I keep dragging my feet about making plans to leave but finally figured out that I should be flying to Cuzco by the 26^th or 27^th, and need to spend a couple days in Lima before that….meaning I need to leave Huaraz in about a weeeeeeeeeeek! (Though no sooner than next Sunday – can’t miss the ‘Bob Dylan’ party at Andino!) While, I am incredibly excited to meet up with a friend from the states, and do a trek outside of Cuzco (Choquequirao; google it….it’s going to be incredible….if we survive!) it is going to be incredibly tough to leave this city and everyone here!

Today really made me realize how much I will miss Huaraz and how attached I have become. I decided to travel to Carhuaz again for the Sunday market (I loved it so much I really wanted to return, plus I promised my new friend I would bring copies of the photos we had taken the week before!) I met a girl from Slovenia at breakfast and she decided to come along. On the way to the colectivo station we ran into my friend Sara, who I had just seen for dinner and drinks the night before! A couple blocks after she left us I ran into another acquaintance, a Peruvian painter, I met a couple weeks before and keep running into…he keeps trying to convince me to let him paint me; but that’s another story all together…

Upon arriving in Carhuaz, I started looking for my friend from the week before. It took barely anytime to find her. She was incredibly excited to see me again and thrilled by the photos – once again she blew me away by her kindness and beauty inside and out. At first, she insisted that I return again next week and in the meantime she would knit me a hat with my name on it as a thank you. I tried to convince her that was not necessary that the photos were a gift with nothing expected in return. She then attempted to convince me to pick out something from what she was selling as a thank you, she was so incredibly grateful that I returned and so happy with the photos of us – kept saying she was going to have to buy a frame to display them at the market. I am so happy I was able to return and find her – definitely made my day and probably hers as well!

Almost instantly after saying goodbye to her, I heard my name being called from behind, incredibly surprised I turned around to see another familiar face; Pablo’s wife Lucy. Pablo, is the Vicosino I have become closest to while here – he is the one who ran the Yachaqui Wayi center before and has been working tireless for years to promote the tourist program to Vicos. His family is incredibly nice, and I’ve been lucky enough to visit them multiple times while here (his youngest daughter, Daisy, is one of the cutest little girls I have ever met!) Not much longer after saying goodbye to Lucy, I ran into yet another acquaintance from Vicos, one of the Vicosino’s daughters who I had met the week before while visiting the tourist lodges. It was wonderful running into yet another friend, unfortunately though, I did not have the photos with me that had printed to give to their family (they were the ones with a two week old baby who requested I take photos for them to remember by.) Though I was happy I could at least tell her I had printed them and would be sure to get them to her family soon! (By this point the girl I was with commented on how many people I knew – and it sort of hit me how hard it was going to be to leave them all behind!...)

Arriving back in Huaraz, I ran into yet another friend on the walk back to the hostel. Then, leaving later on, to go to Café Andino, ran into Sara again in the street, and one of my favorite little kids here (one of ‘Tio Geraldo’s’ little girls who always says hola to me when I walk by – hopefully I’ll find time to write the story of ‘Tio Geraldo’ soon….) Furthermore, a couple blocks farther I encountered ‘Orlando’ – a man I met a few days ago….he makes incredible jewelry and I spent some time talking to him while deciding on what new pieces I needed to buy….

Finally made it to Café Andino and, as always, felt right at home. The owner, Isabelle, is incredibly nice and one of the first people I met in Huaraz, furthermore, all the staff now know me by name, which is always nice! An hour reading there and I ran into yet another familiar face, Christian, a friend of an Israeli girl I met last week (my Sex and the City buddy). Soon after Sara showed up and more discussions on Cuba were enjoyed; I also got to learn about her experiences with the French Communist party!

I left Andino and realized I had my camera with me and a photo opportunity I keep meaning to capture was only a block away (hopefully with download pics soon). So I ventured a block out of my way and am happy I did; I heard my name being called again, this time from an approaching car – turned out to be Teo; the owner of the hostel where I am staying, “I knew it was you from far away, there is no one as beautiful as you in this city” (lol, I am going to miss all the compliments down here too!) Definitely appreciated having a ride home and the music we got to listen to on the way; “you and me baby ain’t nothin’ but animals….” – music down here is quite varied….Teo cracked me up asking what exactly that song is about “It’s about watching the discovery channel right?”

Yet again this has been much longer than I originally intended! I am pretty sure I got my point across though; love this city and love that I can’t go a couple hours without running into someone I know….and now it’s almost time to leave! A cappuccino made by Jon Carlos, was probably the only thing missing today (California Café is closed on Sunday!) Though, I am sure I will be there tomorrow for one!

**Updated from California Café…monday morning

Loved that walking in here this morning I ran into yet another friend and her parents then Sara walked in and in the back was a couple of Peace Corps workers I keep running into. Best part had to be that by the time I had said my hellos to everyone and sat down my cappuccino was waiting for me and I never even had to order it! :D

Once again; comfortable couch, best cappuccino in south america, and the nytimes --- is there a better way to spend a morning?

Borat in Peru....

2009-05-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

Oh my….this movie is ridiculous at home….however, watching it in Peru, at my hostel, brought on a whole new level. Must say it was interesting being the only American and watching it with people from all over the world including a bunch of Israelis….Just imagine all the parts that discuss Jews, the overly patriotic parts, and all the parts about our ‘war on terror.’ (sort of wish I understood Hebrew – so I knew what they all thought of the movie, they definitely have a lot of comments….)

I always find it interesting to imagine the perspective foreigners have of the United States….Our television shows and movies find their way to all corners of the globe and way too often people assume things in the states are just like they are portrayed on television.

Even foreigners who have visited the States often have a jaded view of the country – usually they only visit Miami, New York City, Las Vegas, LA, Chicago or some combination of major cities. I often find myself trying to explain (to people who have traveled to major cities in the USA) that people are incredibly different all over the country and that where I come from (the beautiful Pacific NW!) people are very different than they are in New York City, etc. – and that all women are not like the characters in Sex and the City….

I have also discovered that I always have to be sure to specify I am from Washington State, not the capital (often people have never heard of Washington State and assume I’m from DC). Furthermore, I have found it really helps to explain that I live 20 minutes from the Canadian border and that where I live people are more similar to our northern neighbors than anyone on the East coast, etc. No, I do not lie and say I am Canadian….while a lot of people dislike the United States for numerous reasons – they usually realize not every American supports what our government does and they are pretty open to discussion......

Vicos, Carhuaz, Many Collectivo rides, and another week has passed in Peru!

2009-05-12T13:51:00.001-07:00

The last week here has been fantastic and I am falling more in love with this country everyday!! Traveled to Vicos for a couple days, as always it was wonderful! I visited all the ‘tourist lodges’ there (7) and evaluated what is missing or needs to be improved in each. I really enjoyed spending my days walking through the community and visiting with all the Vicosinos, it was a fantastic reminder of why I came back here! All of the people there are so incredible and I love spending time with them and learning about their lives. Had some great conversations with some of them – details soon, hopefully. Oh not to mention the children are adorable, got to visit with some old friends and make some new ones – oh and meet the newest member of the community – a 3 week old baby!

Photos de Vicos....

http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolekristine/Vicos

On Sunday I traveled down the valley to Carhuaz; which has a fantastic market every week. I spent all day wandering around the maze of streets filled with vendors of every kind. Honestly, markets are one of my favorite things anywhere in the world. I will choice to visit a market over almost any tourist destination. Museums, churches, ruins, and so forth; they all can look the same after awhile and can get old quick – while markets are always an endless source of entertainment and enjoyment for me. Markets provide wonderful insight into the society and culture you are visiting; one begins to understand not only what is consumed in that society (especially all the rare delicacies..) but also you can observe customs and how people interact – just stopping and watching the interactions between people is amazing; people bargaining, gossiping, catching up, comparing prices, visiting friends and family, and so forth.

Markets around the world are such a social scene, a wonderful venue to interact with people. In Carhuaz, the whole family seemed to come to the market; to sell, to buy, to visit, to gossip, to be seen and so forth. The streets in a whole section of the city were closed off and people set up shop where ever they could find space and it became an endless maze of venders (like I said of all types…clothing and shoes to dried fish and guinea pigs to children’s toys and office supplies.) In many ways it is incredibly different from any market back home, but at the root it’s the same: a community coming out on a sunny day to do some shopping and come together. Oh how I miss my Saturday B’ham market (walking downtown getting chocolate strawberry crepes and wandering for hours)!

One of my favorite things about the market in Carhuaz had to be the fact that I did not see another Gringo the entire time I was there! It was incredible…. It’s not that Huaraz is over run with them or anything (though at times it can seem that way…) but to have an entire day pass without seeing another foreigner – especially in such a beautiful city with a fantastic market – was a little crazy! I really enjoyed all of the looks I got from all the Peruvians in the market – it was like they could not believe a foreigner was there (especially a woman on her own!) I’ve have now gotten used to hearing ‘gringa’ all the time – and now find it amusing when I past someone and they mutter in under their breath with surprise.

One of my favorite parts of the market had to be stopping and talking to venders – people are always so excited when you make conversation in Spanish (especially when you throw in the few words of Quechua you know!) It doesn’t take long for them to open up and I love the conversation that follows. On my way out of the market, I made one last minute stop; I couldn’t resist stopping to look at this one old woman’s hats. One thing led to another and soon we were talking about Vicos, Quechua, her children, and more. I asked her for a photo as I was leaving and she gladly obliged and then insisted that we find someone to take one of both of us. I wish I could have a video of the scene that followed….a gringa in the market was already brought stares but then having my photo taken with this woman turned into a huge attraction with people stopping and a crowd gathering. Explaining to a Peruvian woman how to use my Digital SLR was a little difficult but eventually she figured it out – then everyone who had stopped to watch thought it was hilarious how tall I was compared to my new friend and someone else was called in to bring a stool for me to sit on and everyone insisted I put on one of the hats for sale. Laughs were had by all and I found myself promising to return with copies of the photos next week! The whole experience really finished off my wonderful market day perfectly and is just one of the many reasons I love this country!

As always this has become too long and I am way out of time….hopefully more soon!

My favorite Peruvian dish; Aji de Gallina (definitely coming home with the recipe though I know it won’t ever be the same as it is down here!)

Yes, they have cervaza ice-cream – of course I had to try it – and yes it tastes just like beer.

Ice-cream is serious business in Carhuaz, especially on market days – every street corner has a vendor and the Plaza is lined with shops including this one; which is four stories tall! Oh and did I mention how delicious and cheap it is - $.30 for two scoops and all types of flavors; my favorite has to be Maracuya (passionfruit)

And finally a link to some more photos!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolekristine/Carhuaz

Peruvian buses.....

2009-05-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

I hate the bus. Being incredible susceptible to motion sickness and almost never able to fall asleep anywhere but in bed – makes overnight buses in Peru hellish for me!! I’ve improved somewhat but still have horrible experiences at times; like coming back from Trijillo! I usually take triple precaution against motion sickness (Dramamine, wrist bands, and a prescription patch) ridiculous I know, however, between the three I survive. Who knows what really works, I usually just figure between all of them one method has to work, right?

Returning to Huaraz from Trijillo, I choose, for whatever reason, to only use two means – and yeah paid the price! Being exhausted, sick, and unable to fall asleep, or get comfortable, made the 10 hour trip seem like an eternity! However, as much as a detest night buses (the only option to Trijillo from Huaraz) I am always glad it’s dark and you really can’t see outside – the roads are insane! You are climbing the Andes to over 10,000 feet and I can only imagine the drop-offs….The whole ride feels more like a virtual reality game than a bus ride; you are constantly being thrown from one side of the bus to the other as you climb the switchbacks. Even with my seat belt on I kept feeling like I was going to fall out of my seat! (which can make sleeping a little hard).

One of my favorite things about the bus system here, is the seat selection process. When you book the ticket they allow you to pick the specific seat you want; a computer screen is pulled up displaying all the seat options – including all the seats that are booked and the age, sex, and nationality of the person who booked that seat….Each time I have booked my ticket its been only a couple hours before the departure time and there are always a number of empty seats. Thus, I always pick a window seat with no one next to me. However, showing up on the selection screen as 24 year old, American female, traveling alone means I always get a creepy Peruvian next to me – even though there are dozens of other seats open! Luckily, so far, I’ve been able to move to a different spot on the bus and have two seats to myself; though I always receive a very disappointed look from the Peruvian who I was supposed to sit next to….

To be completely honest though, the bus system here impresses me. Peruvian buses are nice….Greyhounds in the United States really don’t even start to compare! For all the routes, between major cities, there are numerous bus companies operating and each company has a wide range of levels to choose from. In the past, I’ve taken the middle class and have been pleasantly surprised… better service than flying; superior food and more attentive bus attendants (there is even a safety video), not to mention way more comfortable seats; they recline almost horizontally. Oh not to mention, they are reliable; I have yet to depart late, something that is impossible to say about air travel nowadays!

This last trip to Trijillo, I went ‘budget’ and choose the cheapest class. I was a little afraid it might be like a ‘chicken bus,’ however, once again I was pleasantly surprised; a brand new bus with comfortable seats and a movie to watch, not too bad for being the cheapest option! I also really love the different titles they give to the higher classes; cama sofa, cama cama, and super cama. (sofa bed, bed bed, and super bed!) I can only imagine what ‘super bed’ must be like! Overall, I must say I am impressed; if buses in the States were even nearly as nice and inexpensive I would definitely be tempted to drive less and ‘bus it’ instead!

“The hairless Peruvian Pooch”

2009-05-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

“They are neither diseased, nor street mutts, but rather a fine specimens of the Peruvian Hairless, declared a distinct breed by Kennel Club International in 1986.” Favored by Inca nobles, Peruvian Hairless, are ‘legendary’ for their healing properties; they are often ‘tucked into the beds of sick people suffering rheumatism’ and contact with tier skin is believed to cure asthma in children. Besides being completely hairless, the dogs are distinctive due to their body temperature, which is higher than normal. Furthermore, there exist accounts of these dogs as far back as 4,000 years ago and in 2001 the Peruvian government declared the bread to be a national treasure!

Unfortunately, during my last trip to Peru, I never encountered this incredible breed of dog! Lucky for me, they are especially famous around Trijillo and a number of them call Huca de la Luna home, thus I knew I would get the chance to see one on this trip! Note the sarcasm…don’t get me wrong, this breed has an interesting history and I’m glad I got to see them in person, but seriously they are ugly!! (sorry!) I actually think I slightly offended my guide with my reaction…oops. I am sure he is used to it though! Reading about them, beforehand, in my guidebook, I was kind of prepared, or at least I thought so. However, they were even uglier than I had even imagined. Just picture an enormous hairless rat that is sunburned and diseased, and there you have it!! My guide attempted to convince me that the one we saw was not a good example; apparently someone didn’t remember to moisturizer and apply sunscreen to the dog after its bath (!?!) thus it looked even more diseased than normal! Definitely glad I got the chance to see this famous perro, however, I can not imagine ever wanting one as a pet let alone sharing my bed with it!

Down 10,000 feet to the beach....

2009-05-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

I love the mountains and the Andes from Huaraz are incredible. I am still amazed by the setting and my breath is still taken away almost daily. However, I am water addict….this could be blamed on the fact that I have lived my entire life within 15 minutes of the water or that I am a Pisces! Earlier this week I realized how much I was craving open waters. The past three, almost four weeks, here have probably been the longest I’ve been away from the water my entire life, or at least close to the longest! Thus, I decided I needed to escape the mountains and flee to the sea. Living at a hostel definitely has its advantages at times; for instance when you are seeking travel advice. ‘The gringo trail’ in South America is pretty well worn. Therefore, it is pretty easy to find people who have just come from the Pacific or are heading there shortly. Talking to quite a few people, I realized the easiest choice would be Trijillo (just one night bus away from Huaraz). However, it’s a pretty big city and I wanted to escape all of that – thus I choose to stay Huanchanco, a beach town about 20 minutes away (also well worn on the Gringo trail)

Previously a fishing port, Huanchanco is quickly becoming a popular tourist destination for both Peruvians and ‘gringos.’ The setting is beautiful, the climate perfect, the beach gorgeous, the city laid back and relaxing, and the waves great for surfing! The four days I spent there were so relaxing and mostly filled with lying around reading on the beach. The city was surprisingly busy (considering peak tourist season ended weeks ago) and the hostel I planned on staying at was full….thus I spent my first night in a budget hotel for $5 a night. That first night I rediscovered an ‘old friend;’ television. I have been purposely avoiding it my entire time here. Once at breakfast, I watched an hour or so, but other than that; none. However, having a private room with cable and knowing no one in the city was a bad combination….I spent that first night watching way too much TV. Which wasn’t relaxing or really enjoyable at all, and definitely not the reason I had left Huaraz!!

Thus the next day I sought alternative accommodations – I wanted an ocean view – somewhere I could sit all night and read listening to the ocean! I quickly found the perfect place….after much negotiating I got the woman to cut the price in half. It still completely blew my budget, but was worth every penny! Thirty dollars really isn’t that bad of a price for what I got, actually it was a good deal – but considering that my two nights staying there cost me the same as two weeks at Caroline it seems a little pricy! My room was gorgeous though, right on the beach with a balcony and comfortable chairs to sit outside and read in. Furthermore, the restaurant downstairs was great and my room included a huge delicious breakfast (I love trying to justify the price to myself!) Furthermore, traveling as a single woman to Huanchanco is pretty unheard of, and I didn’t feel completely comfortable being there on my own (received more attention than normal and the men were harder to discourage!) Thus I also justified the higher price for safety! I could watch the sunset every night from the restaurant downstairs or my balcony and not have to worry about walking back to my hotel late at night in the dark!

While I spent a lot of time on the beach relaxing, I also visited Trijillo. Being a large city, I didn’t exactly fall in love with it….however, it is an old colonial city and they have done a great job preserving a number of the colonial building. The main plaza and cathedral were nice enough, but full of people trying to sell you tours etc, thus it was sort of difficult to enjoy – you couldn’t really stop walking without being surrounded by people. Out of necessity, I have once again perfected the act of ignoring people – if you even make eye contact you won’t be left alone for awhile. I love that once again people assumed I was French, oh stereotypes. I did discover a great café though, I spent quite some time reading there and felt like I was in the middle of Paris!

Trijillo is also known for its pre-Incan ruins, which there are a number of. I voted to only visit Huaca de sol y Luna (supposedly the best) due to finances and that I didn’t want to overdose on ruins (after visiting Machu Picchu nothing seems to compare and it is pretty easy to try to see too much – which makes it harder to appreciate what you do visit!) This site was really amazing though. They have only excavated a fraction so far, which makes it all that much more impressive. Your entrance fee pays for a guided tour and being American they assumed I needed an English speaking guide (I probably should have gone with the Spanish group for practice…but I really wanted to fully understand all I was learning and not have to worry about missing anything). It worked out for the better though….I ended up being the only English speaker so received my own personal guide and basically a private tour, plus I ended up speaking Spanish with him over half the time anyways!

So the ruins….amazing, of course! I will try not to go into too much detail as this blog entry is already too long, and anyone who is really interested only has to wiki search the ruins to discover a ton of information! Basically, Huaca del la Luna y del Sol were build during the Moche empire, approximately 1-700 A.D. Only in the last 20 years or so have excavations really taken place and they are discovering more daily; including ‘some of the most dazzling and best-preserved murals in all of Peru.’ Here’s a little blurb from my guidebook about their creation; “Archeologists believe the Hauca’s first single, compact platform was build around 100 A.D. But every century, the Moche apparently sealed the bodies of the deceased rulers into the Hauca and then completely covered the platform with a new, stepped platform above it. In this way, over 700 years, the L-shaped temple evolved into a 100-yard-long stepped pyramid with as many as eight stepped levels. The overall shape is oddly similar to temples of the Maya, a culture that some say influenced the Moche.”

While, much of the original gold has ‘disappeared’ since colonial times (robbers), the murals that still exist are incredible. There are elaborate designs throughout the sites, and the quality is amazing – the colors are still strong even after 2,000 years! One of the most interested and studied aspects of the sites is their history of human sacrifice. In 1996, archeologist discovered the skeleton remains of over 40 men. It is believed they were sacrificed to stop El Nino rains which destroyed part of the temple and eventually lead the Moche to relocate (there are also many hieroglyphs which support this theory). Additionally, the view from the top of Huaca de la Luna, ten plus stories up, is impressive and offers views of what is left from the original settlement (it is estimated 20,000 people lived at the base of the site and they are just starting to excavate the former city) and Huaca del Luna.

Huaca de la Luna is believed to be the administrative center for the Moche while Huaca del sol is thought to have been the religious center. Built with an estimated 100 million adobe bricks, Huaca del Sol is argued to be largest adobe structure in the world. Unfortunately, in the 17^th century the Spanish conquistadors diverted the Rio Moche (in an attempt to uncover treasure). They were unsuccessful in uncovering treasure but did succeed in helping Huaca del Sol erode…While the remaining structure is still quite impressive it is depressing to think of what it was before the Spanish diverted the river.

Overall, the site was incredible! What really impressed me though was how much is still being uncovered. Barely any excavation has occurred at Huaca del Sol and constantly during my tour of Huaca de la Luna my guide would point out certain areas that had just been excavated and other areas they had just started uncovering. Amazing to consider how much is still left to be discovered. One could easily return in a year and have a completely different tour!

Okay, this is much too long! I still have more to add, but enough for now! More to come soon…..including my experiences with the ‘famous hairless Peruvian Pooch!’

Almost forgot....here's the link to photos!

Peru 2009;

"Feel like in house"

2009-04-28T12:12:00.001-07:00

I absolutely love the hostel where I am living! It's a little farther out of the city than I would like, but makes for a nice walk everyday. The family that runs it is absolutely wonderful and makes you feel right at home - 'bienvenidos su nuestro familia' (basically welcome to our family) is their slogan....or as their poster advertises; 'feel like in house' ( love translations - especially since I know that's what I sound like when I speak Spanish!)

It's a great spot though....the price is hard to beat (13 soles a night including breakfast - less than $5!) and the view from the roof and patio is incredible! The photos really don't do it justice though you get the idea!! Here's the link to another picassa album more or less of the views from Caroline!

Views from Caroline....

Office Space in the streets of Huaraz.....

2009-04-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

Apparently Peruvians are also frustrated with office environments here in Peru. I witnessed this first hand while walking down the street the other day; basically the Peruvian version of the printer scene in Office Space. It was quite wonderful; a belligerently drunk Peruvian man taking a metal pipe to an office chair in the middle of the road. I don’t know what that chair did to him, but it must have been bad. One could only recognize half of what he was saying as actual words and my limited knowledge of Spanish profanities meant I barely understood any of it at all. Though, it was obviously pretty bad. The Canadian with me and I could barely contain our laughter. He ended up turning around to take a photo, something I wish I would have done! Awww Peru, I love how random you can be at time – I also love that not a single Peruvian around gave the man a second thought, it was a completely normal occurrence to them.

Photos from Churup....

2009-04-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

Posted some photos on Picasa....

Did a day hike to an Alpine Lake earlier this week,

the altitude made it a little more difficult than it probably should have been (climbed higher than Rainier!),

but we all still had a good time!

Lake Churup; 20 April - con dos kiwis y un canuck

How I ended up in Huaraz again....

2009-04-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

What exactly am I doing here….or rather what I am attempting to do and why I came!...

As most of you already know, I visited Peru last September as part of a university course studying different approaches to tourism. During my month in the country, we visited a wide range of tourism projects across the country. The project that impacted me the most occurred in the community of Vicos in the Andes and is type of tourism often referred to community-based tourism.

Often viewed as an alternative to ‘normal’ or ‘mass’ tourism, Community-Based Tourism, is generally small scale and is controlled by the community in which tourism is occurring. Generally speaking, tourism ‘happens’ to communities, locals have little to no control over it and are rather subjected to whatever it may bring; frequently drastic and detrimental changes to their society and way of life. Thus Community-Based tourism is seen as a way to grant communities control over how they want tourism to be instigated in their lives. Furthermore, it often allows them to directly benefit from tourism, something that too often does not occur in mass tourism.

Established by the NGO The Mountain Institute, the Community-Based program to Vicos is a homestay program, in which you stay in ‘Alojamientos’ (basically ‘tourist lodges’) within the community and take part in daily life there. Vicos is a rural farming community, located about an hour from the main city of Huaraz. Spanish is a second language for the ‘Campesinos’ there and Quechua is generally the spoken language. I could continue for quite some time about the community and the unique history it has, but for length and time’s sake I will stop!

Basically, the few days we spent in the community, last September, made a very lasting impact on me. The memory of the amount of hospitality and generosity we experienced in the community is something I brought home with me. Furthermore, the contrast between life in Vicos and at home stuck with me, and I couldn’t forget the purity of life they have there. I knew from the moment we left the community that I would return someday. When we visited in September the program to Vicos was being promoted through a small ‘sustainable travel office’ in Huaraz. The ‘Yachaqui Wayi Center,’ was established a number of years ago through the generous work of many people; especially Crooked Trails (the non-profit travel organization who facilitated our university trip.) Run by Pablo, a Vicosino, the center was struggling to put it lightly. While, highly motivated, Pablo lacked promotional skills and needed assistance. Thus the idea to return, and help him with the program, was planted…..

As much of I hate to say it, the idea of graduating in these ‘economic times’ is simply frightening. The job market in Bellingham has always been rough, due partly to the large number of people graduating from Western and wanting to stay in our wonderful city! It is quite common for your barista or waiter to be a college graduate. However, in light of the economy, the job market in my city is now even worse, even the serving jobs are difficult to come by! It seems everyone is considering staying in or going back to school to avoid the depression that comes with searching for employment. With only one required course left to finish, I face the doom of graduation in June. My last course is ‘correspondence.’ Meaning I complete required reading and assignments and submit all my work by email, which also means I can complete the course anywhere in the world….

A number of things lead me to where I currently sit in Peru; the memory of my wonderful time spent in Vicos, the fear of graduation and the job market, the call to get on the ‘road’ again, a wish to speak and improve my Spanish, the desire to further my understanding of community-based tourism and to assist the Vicos project, and many other things.

The final push to leave came when my hours at work were cut in more than half. In a manner of minutes I became part of the statistics we are all too familiar with in the US right now. Ensuring me it was due to the economy, not my work ethic, my employer stated he preferred I not seek out another job; once business picked up in the summer they would want me back full-time. When I explained I could not survive on a paycheck from working only two days a week and would be forced to seek additional employment, he acted surprised. Apparently, because I travel ‘all the time’ I must be rich; when really it is merely because I spend frugally at home and travel exceptionally cheaply. The really frustrating part came when I discovered I would be the only employee to receive decreased hours; having worked there longer than most of my co-workers and having more experience in the industry than all but one – this was rather maddening. When I sought explanation, I was once again told it wasn’t a decision based on my work but rather on the belief that since I traveled, I must have money and wouldn’t be hurt by a decrease in hours. Needless to say, it didn’t take long for me to realize I needed to leave, and planning began hours after our ‘meeting.’ Within the week I spent 35,000 airline miles and booked my ticket to Peru.

Almost all of my trips are planned ‘last minute’ and this one was no exception. Learning not to stress the details, I always just figure it out as I go; I’ve come to realize that everything works out in the end. Thus this time around; I bought my ticket with the intent to return to Huaraz and give Pablo a hand. However, I discovered less than a week before I left things had changed slightly since I’d visited last September….. I had just assumed Yachaqui Wayi still existed and Pablo still needed help. However, I came to learn that the center had been shut down and Guido, a Dutch guy, who also had a strong connection to the community, had opened up a different travel office and was doing what I intended to do and so much more. I ended up showing up in Huaraz two days after the new office opened! So, like is often the case, my original plan has changed quite a bit; but as always things have worked out quite well!....

Once again, I have ended up writing too much and will attempt to stop before this gets any longer (though like always I could go on for some time!) For all those interested the new website has fairly decent amount of information on it and is worth a look! (www.respons.org) Until next time, ciao and hope everyone is well up north!.....oh and Feliz Cumpleanos to Kiah, mi Hermana (a day early!!) y Todd (a day late!)

Un 'trek' to Monterrey....

2009-04-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

(A short excerpt from my first lengthy update email home)

.......As the night progressed we decided to go on a day ‘trek’ the next day and sought advice from our new friends. We ended up making plans to meet up at eight am, the next day, with ‘Marcos’ who would be our ‘guía’ (guide) for our trek. The day turned out to be overcast with a great threat of rain, so the ‘trek’ idea was abandoned and Marcos suggested a shorter walk to a neighboring city of Monterrey. He asked if we wanted to walk or take a colectivo (more details later….) and of course we said walk – the whole point was to go on a walk! There was definitely a language barrier between the three of us, and his idea of a ‘camino’ was not what Erin and I were expecting. We soon realized he intended to walk the whole way along the auto pisto (the ugly nasty highway). We ended up convincing him this was a horrible way to get there and there must be a path we could take. Thus we cut up into the hills and wandered for awhile…. eventually finding our way and encountering many vacas, perros, cerdos, and surprised Peruvians along the way……

When we arrived in Monterrey we quickly realized the reason we had come was to visit the hot springs (basically the only thing in the town). Somehow that fact had escaped us when Marcos was describing the city, we both swear he never said that and it wasn’t our Spanish that was lacking! The problem of not having bathing suits and towels was soon solved by a roadside rental vendor. Yes, you can rent bathing suits in Peru for about $.66 for the day. Erin and I opted to go the boy short route and picked out two lovely pairs! I’ve been to a large variety of hot springs around the world to sort of know what to expect. However, nothing I’ve seen so far really compares to the hot springs in Monterrey.

Tres soles (about a dollar), gets you into what is sort of set up like a resort, or a Peruvian’s idea of one. We soon saw the ‘mineral pools’ and instantly broke out laughing; two fairly large pools, filled with murky brown water, and creepy Peruvian men. The ‘changing rooms’ provided further entertainment, as they were an area right next to the pools separated by a brick wall of about 4 ½ feet tall – the ‘men’ and ‘women’ areas were right next to each other – so one could easy peer over the other side. We opted to change in the baños instead.

We spent the next hour or so ‘relaxing’ in the lukewarm murky waters, and trying to ignore the large clumps of brown substance that would occasionally float by. Our time soon came to an end when we started shivering and what I can only describe as adult swimming lessons begin; about 20 Peruvian men jumping in and out of the pool – attempting to ‘swim’ across – and practicing their kicking skills while holding on the side of the pool – Our goal of not getting our hair wet or accidentally swallowing the water got difficult quick, as we were constantly being splashed in the face! In light of our adventure in arriving in Monterrey, we decided to take the colectivo back to Huaraz. It was over lunch, back in the city, we discover our ‘guía’ was really from Lima and really had not clue about Huaraz and good hiking opportunities – what we were counting on him for! No wonder we more or less ended up walking along the highway for miles to ugly ‘hot’ springs – so much for seeking local advice! It was actually quite hilarious, the poor boy almost feel asleep over lunch! We had exhausted him, I think we made he walk farther than he had his whole life – oh people from Lima!