The "bug" didn't keep me down for too long and thanks to Mike running around buying me gatorade and starchy foods, I recovered within the day. Lost a little weight making me a good race weight! We headed to La Paz, Bolivia, yesterday on a bus that transferred in Copacabana. Nice bus ride along Lake Titicaca and I really think the nicest part of the lake was on the Bolivian side. At one point we had to cross the lake and instead of having a proper car ferry they had us all get off the bus and take a little motor boat across while they transported the bus across on this floating wooden platform.....I bet there are a number of cars and busses on the bottom of that bay!
Once in La Paz we set up some bus tickets to Uyuni for the following day (tonight) and after that we had a huge dinner. It was so nice to stuff myself after a couple of days of not eating much. Our hotel was kind of spooky. It was an entire apartment and several of the windows would make weird flapping noices in the night as if we had ghosts running through the place. Mike got the creeps after a few hours and got up and fixed them. I didn't really notice since I was completely asleep!
Swedish:
Nu mår jag bättre igen! Magproblemet varade inte så länge som tur var. Mike såg till att jag drack mycket och att jag åt så mycket jag kunde. Igår tog vi en buss till Bolivia och La Paz. även La Paz ligger högt uppe på 3600 meter så man känner lite av höjden när man tar i. I dag ska vi ta en busstur runt stan innan vi ikväll åker med nattbuss till Uyuni där vi ska besöka Salt öknen. Ska bli spännande. Vårat hotel här i La Paz var lite kusligt. Vi hade en hel lägenhet för oss själva och fönstren i flera av rummen stod och skrammlade och skrapade på natten. Mike blev lite nervös av det hela och gick up och fixade en del av dem mitt i natten. Jag märkte ingenting för jag sov som en stock!
Jag ringde hem till mamma och pappa idag och det var kul! Känns konstigt att kunna göra det från ställen man tycker känns så avlägsna.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
It was inevitable...
On a trip like this, you have to expect a couple of days here and there where your stomach isn't happy or you eat something you shouldn't have. VJ had a rough night last night and we were in no shape to sit on buses all day today. So, we're hanging out for another day in Puno, Peru while VJ takes in some Gatorade to rehydrate and then tries some starchy food. She's starting to feel better. Hopefully, tomorrow we'll feel up for the bus rides to La Paz, Bolivia.
It's all part of the adventure.
It's all part of the adventure.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Floating Islands
Spent the day in Puno, Peru where we visited the Uros Islands. They are islands built by sea straw/grass and house about 2000 people on Lake Titicaca. The tour itself was quite "touristy", but it's not that hard to uderstand how difficult it is to live on these islands. Originally the people escaped out on the lake to hide from the Inkas in order to keep their culture and avoid war. They have remained on the lake ever since (500+ years). It's a very cold and damp environment (the lake is situated at 3800 meters) and many people develop rheumatism (sp?) before the age of 50 which makes them unable to work.
We met a couple from Quebec today. They started travelling by bike from Calgary 15 months ago and have biked all the way down here! Very impressive considering that a lot of the recent biking would have been at very high altitude. They will continue to bike until April of 2010 and then they will return to "normal life".
Tomorow morning we are heading to Bolivia. Hopefully we can connect a bunch of busses that will take us all the way down to Potosi or Uyuni, but we might have to spend a day in La Paz.
I'm really looking forward to seeing the Salt Flats!
We met a couple from Quebec today. They started travelling by bike from Calgary 15 months ago and have biked all the way down here! Very impressive considering that a lot of the recent biking would have been at very high altitude. They will continue to bike until April of 2010 and then they will return to "normal life".
Tomorow morning we are heading to Bolivia. Hopefully we can connect a bunch of busses that will take us all the way down to Potosi or Uyuni, but we might have to spend a day in La Paz.
I'm really looking forward to seeing the Salt Flats!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Arequipa - home of the ice mummy
We spent a quick day in Arequipa, mostly for the purpose of meeting "Juanita, the ice maiden". This girl, aged about 13, was selected to be sacrified by the Incas about 500 years ago in order to appease the mountain gods. A child was considered the ultimate sacrifice. She would have been selected from birth, and raised for this purpose, knowing that this day would come. She was dressed in very fine clothing, paraded to important cities like Cusco where the Inca king lived, and then taken to the top of one of the higher mountains near Arequipa, fed a drink of fermented corn, then struck on the head to kill her, and buried with a few fancy funeral objects.
About 15 years ago, she was discovered and recovered by a climber and made all the headlines around the world, National Geographic, etc. Due to being frozen so soon after her death, she has been perfectly preserved. She is now in a museum in Arequipa where you can view her. Her skin, hair, fingernails, etc are all still intact. Researchers have been able to get loads of information from her that have given insight into the Inca times. Because all of her organs are so well preserved, they are able to understand any diseases she may have been exposed to in her lifetime, assess her diet, etc. Even her last meal was still preserved in her stomach and could be analyzed.
We were also thinking of doing a 2-day trip out to an area where condors can be spotted. We really wanted to see a condor, but didn't want to give up those days that we will use for other things later in the trip. We had lunch at a nice balcony overlooking the main square in Arequipa, and were suddenly treated to a massive condor that, for some reason, decided to fly over the main square in town a few times.
About 15 years ago, she was discovered and recovered by a climber and made all the headlines around the world, National Geographic, etc. Due to being frozen so soon after her death, she has been perfectly preserved. She is now in a museum in Arequipa where you can view her. Her skin, hair, fingernails, etc are all still intact. Researchers have been able to get loads of information from her that have given insight into the Inca times. Because all of her organs are so well preserved, they are able to understand any diseases she may have been exposed to in her lifetime, assess her diet, etc. Even her last meal was still preserved in her stomach and could be analyzed.
We were also thinking of doing a 2-day trip out to an area where condors can be spotted. We really wanted to see a condor, but didn't want to give up those days that we will use for other things later in the trip. We had lunch at a nice balcony overlooking the main square in Arequipa, and were suddenly treated to a massive condor that, for some reason, decided to fly over the main square in town a few times.
About the photos....
Here's a bit of info about the last batch of photos:
That's me trying the local delicacy. The locals go absolutely nuts over this, but the one I tried was a little tough. For all of you friends of furry creatures, stop reading now...
(Yes, it's guinea pig. I've tried it once more and it was more tender, but it sure doesn't fill you up. I'll stick to the alpaca steak which is excellent. Also, ironically, we came all the way to Peru to dine on Canadian trout, which many of the lakes have been stocked with.)
Some of the examples of stone work done by the Incas are absolutely amazing. The blocks are shaped so perfectly that they fit exactly and don't use any mortar or clay.
Our superstar team of porters in red, all devoted to these two spoiled tourists.
The view from our tent at our high camp (abuot 4800 metres) just below Salkantay Pass.
VJ, Mike and our guide Javier at the top of Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca trail to Machu Picchu.
The little blue tent is our own personal little outhouse around our pit on the trail.
Machu Picchu in the clouds in the morning, and emerging from the clouds a little later in the day.
That's me trying the local delicacy. The locals go absolutely nuts over this, but the one I tried was a little tough. For all of you friends of furry creatures, stop reading now...
(Yes, it's guinea pig. I've tried it once more and it was more tender, but it sure doesn't fill you up. I'll stick to the alpaca steak which is excellent. Also, ironically, we came all the way to Peru to dine on Canadian trout, which many of the lakes have been stocked with.)
Some of the examples of stone work done by the Incas are absolutely amazing. The blocks are shaped so perfectly that they fit exactly and don't use any mortar or clay.
Our superstar team of porters in red, all devoted to these two spoiled tourists.
The view from our tent at our high camp (abuot 4800 metres) just below Salkantay Pass.
VJ, Mike and our guide Javier at the top of Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca trail to Machu Picchu.
The little blue tent is our own personal little outhouse around our pit on the trail.
Machu Picchu in the clouds in the morning, and emerging from the clouds a little later in the day.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Inka Leden
Nu kan jag skriva med alla möjliga prickar över bokstäverna! Hoppas det inte blir så många stavfel....
Våran vandring på Salkantay leden och Inka leden var fantastisk! Vi började vid en liten by som heter Mollepata med våran guide Javier och våra kockar Cecilio och Paoblo. De första dagarna hade vi även 5 hästar som bar all utrustning. Vilket lyx för en camping trip!
Varje kväll fick vi en fyrarättersmåltid som var bättre än maten i övriga Peru hittills. Vitlöksbröd, soppor, ris, potatis, kött, kyckling, tårta, pudding, grönsaker etc. Innan varje måltid så hade vi även "happy hour" med popcorn och varm choklad. Man gick aldrig hungrig kan jag säga! Både på kvällen och på morgonen fick vi en balja med varmt vatten och en kopp varm dryck så att vi kunde fräsha till oss. Ett par dagar hade vi tur och campade vid sidan av bäckar så att vi kunde tvätta av oss lite bättre.
De första dagarna var vi i stort sätt själva. Vi vandrade runt 15-20km om dagen och gick upp till 5100möh som högst. Naturen var storslagen! De högre bergen var täckta av gräs och kor och får betade högt upp mot topparna. Glaciärer och snötäckta toppar syntes i alla vädersträck. Dag två så gick vi upp till en fin bergssjö, men annars så följde vi stigen mot Inka leden mer direkt. Salkantay berget är runt 6200meter högt och en kväll så campade vi precis under ett bergspass vid Salkantay. Underbar utsikt men solsken och klart väder. Vi sov inte så jätte bra på höjden men kände oss annars helt okay (lite trögt att andas kanke,men inte så farligt). Morgonen därefter så var vi fast i ett stort moln och fick tyvärr ingen större utsikt att skryta med när vi vandrade över passet. Men det var fint ändå.
På vägen mot Inka leden så träffade vi en del lokalbefolkning som slet med sitt arbete på sina gårdar. Våran guide var suverän på landets kultur och historia. Vi lärde oss nya saker runt varje krök.
Den tredje dagen stötte vi på de första Inka ruinerna. Eftersom vi var alldeles själva så tog vi en lång stund på oss att utforska området.
Dag fyra kom vi in på Inka leden och därmed så var vi mitt bland många andra turister. Naturen ändrades under vägen och det blev varmare och grönare. Stigen ändrades även den och bestod mer och mer av Inka sten och långa branta trappor både upp och ned. Dag fyra var den svåraste dagen för de vandrare som bara gick Inka leden. Stigen tog oss upp för ett pass på 4200möh. En del såg ut som om de inte skulle överleva äventyret. Mike och jag mådde jätte bra eftersom vi redan hade varit upp på en högre höjd. Det hjälper naturligtvis att vara i bra form också. Vi kom upp för passet långt före de flesta andra vandrare trots att vi startade senare på morgonen. Vid passet inväntade vi våran guide (vi gick lite för fort för honom tror jag) och våra bärare. Hästar är inte illåtna på Inka leden så de blev ersatta av 5 bärare. Det kändes väldigt konstigt att inte bära sin egen utrustning som vi är vana vid, men eftersom man inte får gå Inka leden utan guide så är det som det är.
Vid Inkaledens gång så ligger jätte många Inka ruiner. En som var särskilt intressant var en som användes av Inka springare. Det var budbärare som sprang sträckor på 20km var med viktiga budskap. Helt otroligt kunde de springa upp och ned för dessa branta stigar och trappor med en medelhastighet på 10-12 km/tim! Springarna var väldigt betydliga och vaktades med krigare för att inget ont skulle hända dem.
Den 6e dagen var vi så långt före alla andra vandrare att det kändes som om vi var ensamma igen. Härliga vyer och fler Inka ruiner för oss själva gjorde dagen till en av de bästa. Dessutom hade kocken gjort en Condor (fågel) av en gurka och satt mitt på middagsbordet - vem kan slå det!
Den sista dagen var trots allt den största då vi fick vandra till Machu Picchu! En tidig morgon började redan vid 3.30 då vi satt oss vid porten till Inka leden med våra pannlampor för att försöka komma så tidigt som möjligt till området (för att kanske få se soluppgången över ruinen), men tyvärr så var det mulet och allt låg i dis. Nu gjorde inte det något alls för det var otroligt vackert att se ruinerna i dimman och under morgonen se molnet lyfta och sakta ge väg för hela Inka staden. Det är svårt att förklara hur stort det kändes att vara där. Vykort och böcker kan inte ersätta känslan av att se Machu Picchu i verkligheten.
Vi spenderade dagen med att utforska alla hörn av staden och även från höjden Huayna Picchu. Mot slutet av eftermiddagen så satt vi ned och bara njöt av utsikten och sedan tog vi oss ned till Aguas Caliente där vi stannade för natten.
Nu är vi tillbaka i Cusco och ska ta oss söderut till Arequipa med en nattbuss där det väntar fler äventyr!
Foton kommer snart!
Våran vandring på Salkantay leden och Inka leden var fantastisk! Vi började vid en liten by som heter Mollepata med våran guide Javier och våra kockar Cecilio och Paoblo. De första dagarna hade vi även 5 hästar som bar all utrustning. Vilket lyx för en camping trip!
Varje kväll fick vi en fyrarättersmåltid som var bättre än maten i övriga Peru hittills. Vitlöksbröd, soppor, ris, potatis, kött, kyckling, tårta, pudding, grönsaker etc. Innan varje måltid så hade vi även "happy hour" med popcorn och varm choklad. Man gick aldrig hungrig kan jag säga! Både på kvällen och på morgonen fick vi en balja med varmt vatten och en kopp varm dryck så att vi kunde fräsha till oss. Ett par dagar hade vi tur och campade vid sidan av bäckar så att vi kunde tvätta av oss lite bättre.
De första dagarna var vi i stort sätt själva. Vi vandrade runt 15-20km om dagen och gick upp till 5100möh som högst. Naturen var storslagen! De högre bergen var täckta av gräs och kor och får betade högt upp mot topparna. Glaciärer och snötäckta toppar syntes i alla vädersträck. Dag två så gick vi upp till en fin bergssjö, men annars så följde vi stigen mot Inka leden mer direkt. Salkantay berget är runt 6200meter högt och en kväll så campade vi precis under ett bergspass vid Salkantay. Underbar utsikt men solsken och klart väder. Vi sov inte så jätte bra på höjden men kände oss annars helt okay (lite trögt att andas kanke,men inte så farligt). Morgonen därefter så var vi fast i ett stort moln och fick tyvärr ingen större utsikt att skryta med när vi vandrade över passet. Men det var fint ändå.
På vägen mot Inka leden så träffade vi en del lokalbefolkning som slet med sitt arbete på sina gårdar. Våran guide var suverän på landets kultur och historia. Vi lärde oss nya saker runt varje krök.
Den tredje dagen stötte vi på de första Inka ruinerna. Eftersom vi var alldeles själva så tog vi en lång stund på oss att utforska området.
Dag fyra kom vi in på Inka leden och därmed så var vi mitt bland många andra turister. Naturen ändrades under vägen och det blev varmare och grönare. Stigen ändrades även den och bestod mer och mer av Inka sten och långa branta trappor både upp och ned. Dag fyra var den svåraste dagen för de vandrare som bara gick Inka leden. Stigen tog oss upp för ett pass på 4200möh. En del såg ut som om de inte skulle överleva äventyret. Mike och jag mådde jätte bra eftersom vi redan hade varit upp på en högre höjd. Det hjälper naturligtvis att vara i bra form också. Vi kom upp för passet långt före de flesta andra vandrare trots att vi startade senare på morgonen. Vid passet inväntade vi våran guide (vi gick lite för fort för honom tror jag) och våra bärare. Hästar är inte illåtna på Inka leden så de blev ersatta av 5 bärare. Det kändes väldigt konstigt att inte bära sin egen utrustning som vi är vana vid, men eftersom man inte får gå Inka leden utan guide så är det som det är.
Vid Inkaledens gång så ligger jätte många Inka ruiner. En som var särskilt intressant var en som användes av Inka springare. Det var budbärare som sprang sträckor på 20km var med viktiga budskap. Helt otroligt kunde de springa upp och ned för dessa branta stigar och trappor med en medelhastighet på 10-12 km/tim! Springarna var väldigt betydliga och vaktades med krigare för att inget ont skulle hända dem.
Den 6e dagen var vi så långt före alla andra vandrare att det kändes som om vi var ensamma igen. Härliga vyer och fler Inka ruiner för oss själva gjorde dagen till en av de bästa. Dessutom hade kocken gjort en Condor (fågel) av en gurka och satt mitt på middagsbordet - vem kan slå det!
Den sista dagen var trots allt den största då vi fick vandra till Machu Picchu! En tidig morgon började redan vid 3.30 då vi satt oss vid porten till Inka leden med våra pannlampor för att försöka komma så tidigt som möjligt till området (för att kanske få se soluppgången över ruinen), men tyvärr så var det mulet och allt låg i dis. Nu gjorde inte det något alls för det var otroligt vackert att se ruinerna i dimman och under morgonen se molnet lyfta och sakta ge väg för hela Inka staden. Det är svårt att förklara hur stort det kändes att vara där. Vykort och böcker kan inte ersätta känslan av att se Machu Picchu i verkligheten.
Vi spenderade dagen med att utforska alla hörn av staden och även från höjden Huayna Picchu. Mot slutet av eftermiddagen så satt vi ned och bara njöt av utsikten och sedan tog vi oss ned till Aguas Caliente där vi stannade för natten.
Nu är vi tillbaka i Cusco och ska ta oss söderut till Arequipa med en nattbuss där det väntar fler äventyr!
Foton kommer snart!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Salkantay and Machu Picchu
Not sure how to describe how lucky I consider myself to have had the experience of having hiked our way through the Andes to Machu Picchu! The past 7 days have been truly amazing! Our trek started in a little village called Mollepata with a breakfast at a small little restaurant. We amused ourselves as to the price of the "American breakfast". The tourists probably paid 6 times the price of the locals for the same food, but it was the experience that mattered. We ate in a back yard where roosters and other small animals roamed freely.
A horse man, a chef and a sub chef were loading up 5 horses with the gear and food that we would need for the next 7 days. Our main chef was Cicilio and the subchef was Pablo (who was also the main runner-around guy). The first day of the trek was a warm one and we saw a mix of road and trail and we gained about 1300 meters of elevation to stop in the Andean highlands at around 3800m. We only saw a few other trekkers and some of them set up camp in the same spot as we did. When camp was set up we were spoiled with hot water, soap and towels. The porters set up our tent and when we were cleaned up we were treated to "happy hour" which consisted of popcorn and snacks, as well as hot drinks. The evenings and nights were quite cold and windy up high so it was nice with hot drinks. Happy hour was followed by a four-course meal. Appetizer, soup, main course and sweets! This afternoon and evening routine was followed every day after arriving at camp! Will I ever be able to camp Mike and VJ style again?!
On the second morning we woke up to a knock on our tent where Pablo offered a warm drink and some hot water to wash up. Sweet! Mike really doesn't realize yet what this will mean for our next camping trip.....he is going to have to work much harder than in the past to get me out of the sleeping bag! After breakfast we climbed up to see a mountain lagoon and after lunch we started our hike to campsite 2, which was located at 4800 meters. Our lungs sure noticed but we still felt pretty good for the elevation. A few trails were very steep and a few times we could hear the rumble of avalanches and rock falls off of the high mountain of Salkantay. At camp we were treated to clear weather and we could see Salkantay Mt right next to our camp. It was stunningly beautiful. No one elese but us! The night was cold and we both had some trouble sleeping despite having taken some high altitude pills (started them too late I bet). I woke up in the morning with some pretty funny side effects of the medication - my upper lip was all tense and it made my face look all stiff and weird....I didn't bother to take any more pills after that....
The morning was cloudy and wet. We hiked up to a mountain pass at 5100 meters where we were greeted to more cloud and a lack of a view. I felt a bit slow at this altitude even though we went up in less than 30 minutes. I was huffing and puffing quite a bit. The hike down on the other side was again beautiful. We passed shepherds minding cows and sheep up high and we didn't see any other hikers all day. It rained a bit at one point but it wasn't bad. By the time we hit camp it was sunny and we could wash up in the mountain river. The valley we stayed in had remains of the Inkas. The river had been straightened and walled to contol the flow of the water and to manage the farming in the valley. Some pigs digging in the dirt next to our tent kept us entertained throughout the afternoon and we slept like babies at the lower elevation. I think we were back down to about 3200 m here.
The following morning we hiked further down into the valley and came upon our first Inka ruin. A small set of stone ruins that we had all to ourselves while our guide was telling us about the Inka culture and way of life. He was explaining that "where there is water, there is life", but this in the end got turned into "Where there is horse poo, there is life" since the ruin was covered in horse dung. At the end of the day we set camp on the traditional Inka trail and our camp site filled up with other trekkers. It was a bit of a culture shock to have so many people around all of a sudden, but we had a pretty private site and managed to sleep well. In the bathroom of this camp site I saw a pretty large furry spider so I was a bit mindful of where I stepped from then on.
The following day was the biggest day for the Inka trail trekkers and a fun one for us. We hiked up and over Dead Woman's Pass at 4200 meters. Mike and I got to sleep in and start a bit later than everyone else because we usually hiked at a fairly quick pace. As soon as we hit the trail we started passing people who were struggling. This was the highest they had been so they were not used to the elevation, plus many people who go on this trek are not in very good shape. I really thought some people would fall down and die in front of us! One woman was pale as a ghost and she hardly moved forward at all. She also looked very unhappy! I felt great this day and hiked steadily to the top and arrived there in just over two hours. We hung out at the sunny pass and waited for our guide and our porters. Our guide caught up with us about 30 minutes later while the porters took a bit longer. When they showed up we cheered them on as much as we could. They were working super hard to get our gear over the pass. Horses are not allowed on the Inka trail so the horses had been traded out for 5 new porters. That night we had a camp site right by a big rock where Mike and I sat and watched some thunderstorms move in.
Another hike up to a pass the following day had Mike and I in front of most other trekkers and we hit two Inka sites almost on our own. One site had been used by runners who delivered messages during the times of the Inkas. A messenger would work a leg of 20km and deliver verbal messages. The average speed of these runners was about 10-12km/hr despite the steep and technical terrain. The runners were very important to the Inka empire so they were guarded by warriors where ever they slept. It's amazing to think of how these runners managed to move so fast through the terrain. The Inka trail in made up of thousands of stone staircases that are very steep and technical. The runners must have been machines! The remainder of the day we were hiking by ourselves completely. Only the occasional porter shared our trail. We were so far ahead of everyone that we got to see two more Inka sites alone. The last site of the day was very close to camp (WinayWayna) and was quite impressive. Big terraces for farming as well as buildings for living.
The Inkas were very in tune with nature and quite spiritual people. They believed in the forces of the sun, moon , stars, animals and even the dead. Every site has temples, and areas of significance to their beliefs. Often the local people read shapes in the environment that represent these beliefs, such as shapes of a Condor, Llama, or an Inka face. Most of the time we had difficulties seeing any of this.
The last day was of course a very big day for us. We woke up very early to prepare for the trek to Machu Picchu. Around 4.30am we were all waiting at the starting point for the gate to open for the day. People were sitting around with head lamps on, looking tired but excited...not all that different from an adventure racing start really! When the gate opened we were all hurrying down the trail to be the first to arrive at the Sun Gate (one of the entrances into the city of Machu Picchu) to see if we would be lucky enough to see Machu Picchu from above.....but no such luck since the whole mountain was stuck in a cloud. On the way down into the site we got our first glimpses of the wonder though. Wow, it was truly amazing to see the site come out of the clouds! None of the photos I have ever seen can paint the real picture and the real feelings you get from seeing this wonder for real! It was stunning! And again, there were not very many people there at this time of the day so we got several hours to explore the site with our guide. I am amazed at how these buildings were constructed. The work that went into just one stone would have been nuts in today's standards (and probably even in the standards back then). Tools only made out of stone and a few metals were used and the stones were polished totally smooth and the cuts were perfect. So perfect that they didn't even need any binding material, such as clay, for the finer buildings, just stone on stone. We explored every corner of the place and we also took some time to just sit around and enjoy the view. Seeing Machu Picchu had been a dream for both Mike and I and finally being here and seeing it all was incredible. I am so thankful to everyone and everything that allows us to have opportunities like this one. Peru and its people and culture are amazing and I feel like I have grown just a little bit more from having seen this place.
Pictures and a Swedish story will follow soon....we are back in Cusco tomorrow and can probably upload photos from there.
A horse man, a chef and a sub chef were loading up 5 horses with the gear and food that we would need for the next 7 days. Our main chef was Cicilio and the subchef was Pablo (who was also the main runner-around guy). The first day of the trek was a warm one and we saw a mix of road and trail and we gained about 1300 meters of elevation to stop in the Andean highlands at around 3800m. We only saw a few other trekkers and some of them set up camp in the same spot as we did. When camp was set up we were spoiled with hot water, soap and towels. The porters set up our tent and when we were cleaned up we were treated to "happy hour" which consisted of popcorn and snacks, as well as hot drinks. The evenings and nights were quite cold and windy up high so it was nice with hot drinks. Happy hour was followed by a four-course meal. Appetizer, soup, main course and sweets! This afternoon and evening routine was followed every day after arriving at camp! Will I ever be able to camp Mike and VJ style again?!
On the second morning we woke up to a knock on our tent where Pablo offered a warm drink and some hot water to wash up. Sweet! Mike really doesn't realize yet what this will mean for our next camping trip.....he is going to have to work much harder than in the past to get me out of the sleeping bag! After breakfast we climbed up to see a mountain lagoon and after lunch we started our hike to campsite 2, which was located at 4800 meters. Our lungs sure noticed but we still felt pretty good for the elevation. A few trails were very steep and a few times we could hear the rumble of avalanches and rock falls off of the high mountain of Salkantay. At camp we were treated to clear weather and we could see Salkantay Mt right next to our camp. It was stunningly beautiful. No one elese but us! The night was cold and we both had some trouble sleeping despite having taken some high altitude pills (started them too late I bet). I woke up in the morning with some pretty funny side effects of the medication - my upper lip was all tense and it made my face look all stiff and weird....I didn't bother to take any more pills after that....
The morning was cloudy and wet. We hiked up to a mountain pass at 5100 meters where we were greeted to more cloud and a lack of a view. I felt a bit slow at this altitude even though we went up in less than 30 minutes. I was huffing and puffing quite a bit. The hike down on the other side was again beautiful. We passed shepherds minding cows and sheep up high and we didn't see any other hikers all day. It rained a bit at one point but it wasn't bad. By the time we hit camp it was sunny and we could wash up in the mountain river. The valley we stayed in had remains of the Inkas. The river had been straightened and walled to contol the flow of the water and to manage the farming in the valley. Some pigs digging in the dirt next to our tent kept us entertained throughout the afternoon and we slept like babies at the lower elevation. I think we were back down to about 3200 m here.
The following morning we hiked further down into the valley and came upon our first Inka ruin. A small set of stone ruins that we had all to ourselves while our guide was telling us about the Inka culture and way of life. He was explaining that "where there is water, there is life", but this in the end got turned into "Where there is horse poo, there is life" since the ruin was covered in horse dung. At the end of the day we set camp on the traditional Inka trail and our camp site filled up with other trekkers. It was a bit of a culture shock to have so many people around all of a sudden, but we had a pretty private site and managed to sleep well. In the bathroom of this camp site I saw a pretty large furry spider so I was a bit mindful of where I stepped from then on.
The following day was the biggest day for the Inka trail trekkers and a fun one for us. We hiked up and over Dead Woman's Pass at 4200 meters. Mike and I got to sleep in and start a bit later than everyone else because we usually hiked at a fairly quick pace. As soon as we hit the trail we started passing people who were struggling. This was the highest they had been so they were not used to the elevation, plus many people who go on this trek are not in very good shape. I really thought some people would fall down and die in front of us! One woman was pale as a ghost and she hardly moved forward at all. She also looked very unhappy! I felt great this day and hiked steadily to the top and arrived there in just over two hours. We hung out at the sunny pass and waited for our guide and our porters. Our guide caught up with us about 30 minutes later while the porters took a bit longer. When they showed up we cheered them on as much as we could. They were working super hard to get our gear over the pass. Horses are not allowed on the Inka trail so the horses had been traded out for 5 new porters. That night we had a camp site right by a big rock where Mike and I sat and watched some thunderstorms move in.
Another hike up to a pass the following day had Mike and I in front of most other trekkers and we hit two Inka sites almost on our own. One site had been used by runners who delivered messages during the times of the Inkas. A messenger would work a leg of 20km and deliver verbal messages. The average speed of these runners was about 10-12km/hr despite the steep and technical terrain. The runners were very important to the Inka empire so they were guarded by warriors where ever they slept. It's amazing to think of how these runners managed to move so fast through the terrain. The Inka trail in made up of thousands of stone staircases that are very steep and technical. The runners must have been machines! The remainder of the day we were hiking by ourselves completely. Only the occasional porter shared our trail. We were so far ahead of everyone that we got to see two more Inka sites alone. The last site of the day was very close to camp (WinayWayna) and was quite impressive. Big terraces for farming as well as buildings for living.
The Inkas were very in tune with nature and quite spiritual people. They believed in the forces of the sun, moon , stars, animals and even the dead. Every site has temples, and areas of significance to their beliefs. Often the local people read shapes in the environment that represent these beliefs, such as shapes of a Condor, Llama, or an Inka face. Most of the time we had difficulties seeing any of this.
The last day was of course a very big day for us. We woke up very early to prepare for the trek to Machu Picchu. Around 4.30am we were all waiting at the starting point for the gate to open for the day. People were sitting around with head lamps on, looking tired but excited...not all that different from an adventure racing start really! When the gate opened we were all hurrying down the trail to be the first to arrive at the Sun Gate (one of the entrances into the city of Machu Picchu) to see if we would be lucky enough to see Machu Picchu from above.....but no such luck since the whole mountain was stuck in a cloud. On the way down into the site we got our first glimpses of the wonder though. Wow, it was truly amazing to see the site come out of the clouds! None of the photos I have ever seen can paint the real picture and the real feelings you get from seeing this wonder for real! It was stunning! And again, there were not very many people there at this time of the day so we got several hours to explore the site with our guide. I am amazed at how these buildings were constructed. The work that went into just one stone would have been nuts in today's standards (and probably even in the standards back then). Tools only made out of stone and a few metals were used and the stones were polished totally smooth and the cuts were perfect. So perfect that they didn't even need any binding material, such as clay, for the finer buildings, just stone on stone. We explored every corner of the place and we also took some time to just sit around and enjoy the view. Seeing Machu Picchu had been a dream for both Mike and I and finally being here and seeing it all was incredible. I am so thankful to everyone and everything that allows us to have opportunities like this one. Peru and its people and culture are amazing and I feel like I have grown just a little bit more from having seen this place.
Pictures and a Swedish story will follow soon....we are back in Cusco tomorrow and can probably upload photos from there.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
We have found Jesus
Not every day that you meet both Jesus and Julius Ceasar. Jesus is not at all tall, blond or wears a beard. Julius Ceasar does not wear leathers or a skirt. Jesus was a short little thing that spoke Spanish fluently and English quite well. As history tells, he did know everything! At least about Inka history. When you felt lost, he helped us find the way. He gave it all, including awesome seats on the tour bus and tourist tickets to some very good Inka sites. He talked about the sun and the moon, about love and women and all kinds of other Inka related things. A really nice guy really. But against all sayings, he is married! Today we were true followers of Jesus and we finally understand the bumper stickers declaring "Jesus is alive".
Julius Ceasar was also a good guy. He was of great help ensuring that we didn't get ripped off when exchanging money.
Other than meeting the great men of the world, we were busy visiting many beautiful Inka sites in the Sacred Valley with Jesus.
Tomorrow is our last day in town before starting our trek to Machu Picchu via Salkantay Pass. We seem to have acclimitized well and today we were as high as 3800 meters during our Inka tour. We're both feeling great!
Julius Ceasar was also a good guy. He was of great help ensuring that we didn't get ripped off when exchanging money.
Other than meeting the great men of the world, we were busy visiting many beautiful Inka sites in the Sacred Valley with Jesus.
Tomorrow is our last day in town before starting our trek to Machu Picchu via Salkantay Pass. We seem to have acclimitized well and today we were as high as 3800 meters during our Inka tour. We're both feeling great!
Vi har sett Jesus
Inte alla dagar man traffar bade Jesus och Julius Cesar! Jesus ar inte alls blond, skaggig eller lang och Julius Cesar var inte kladd i lader och kjol som man kunde tro. Jesus var en kort liten sak som pratade flytande Spanska och valdigt bra Engelska. Som historien sager sa kan han allt, i alla fall om Inka historia. Nar man kande sig vilsen och bortkommen sa kom han och visade vagen. Han gav allt, inklusive turist biljetter till fina utflykter och en bra plats pa bussen. Han pratade om solen och manen, om karlek och kvinnan och manga andra Inka relaterade saker. Valdigt trevlig kille faktiskt. Det lustiga ar att han ar gift. Jag forstar antligen klistermarkena som folk har pa sina bilar "Jesus Lever". I dag var jag en trogen foljare.
Julius Cesar var en bra kille han ocksa. Jatte stor hjalp nar vi skulle vaxla pengar. Han sag till att vi inte blev lurade. Annars var han ratt sa upptagen sa jag hann inte med att umgas sa mycket.
Forutom att ha traffat tva av historiens starsta man har vi hunnit med tva utflykter for att se pa Inka ruiner. Otroliga konstruktioner som ar valdigt valbevarade. Mellan alla Inka mal sa stannade vi pa marknader dar folk gjorde sitt basta for att fa oss att handla. Blev inte mycket for varan del.
I morgon har vi en dag kvar har i Cusco innan vi borjar varan 7 dagars vandring till Machu Picchu via Salkantay. Det ska bli spannande. Vi har anpassat oss bra till hojden har. Var uppe pa 3800 meter idag och kande oss bra. det hjalper att vi leker i bergen hemma tror jag.
Julius Cesar var en bra kille han ocksa. Jatte stor hjalp nar vi skulle vaxla pengar. Han sag till att vi inte blev lurade. Annars var han ratt sa upptagen sa jag hann inte med att umgas sa mycket.
Forutom att ha traffat tva av historiens starsta man har vi hunnit med tva utflykter for att se pa Inka ruiner. Otroliga konstruktioner som ar valdigt valbevarade. Mellan alla Inka mal sa stannade vi pa marknader dar folk gjorde sitt basta for att fa oss att handla. Blev inte mycket for varan del.
I morgon har vi en dag kvar har i Cusco innan vi borjar varan 7 dagars vandring till Machu Picchu via Salkantay. Det ska bli spannande. Vi har anpassat oss bra till hojden har. Var uppe pa 3800 meter idag och kande oss bra. det hjalper att vi leker i bergen hemma tror jag.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Mike in the dog house
Nu har vi kommit fram till Cusco, Peru efter manga langa timmar pa resande fot. Dagen var lugn med lite vila och ett par goda maltider. Passade pa att smaka pa Alpaca vilket var valdigt gott. Imorgon utforskar vi omradet runt staden. Tyvarr kan jag inte fa igang Svenska tangentbordet sa det kansk blir svart att folja texten. Jag far skriva mer i morgon da jag hoppas att hitta en battre dator.
What a trip! Start by getting up at 3:30 am to be at the airport nice and early for a 7:00 am flight. Fly to Houston, then to Lima Peru, then spend the next night trying to sleep in the airport (we all know how well that works... don't you just love how they always remind you every 10 minutes to not leave your bags unattended?...) and then catch a 5:25 am flight to Cusco. Oh... and before all of that, your good friends Bart and Courtney from Revelstoke call you at the end of the workday on Friday and say "hey, we're in town, wanna go out tonight?".... ;-). I then returned home to all of my unfinished packing and kept VJ awake until 1am. She was really not happy about this. In addition to my plane tickets I got one free ticket to the doghouse.
So, it's been a loooooong "day" of travelling. Found a good little place in Cusco and grabbed a few hours of sleep this morning before venturing out. We can already tell that this town will grow on us. Great colonial architecture, local people who are kind and even accept a polite "No, gracias" when you aren't looking to buy what they are selling, llamas in the street (okay, I admit, it's set up for tourist photos, but it's kinda fun).
We've filled ourselves with alpaca steaks (excellent) and Inka Cola and are ready to do some touring tomorrow.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Snart är det dags
Fyra dagar kvar tills våran resa börjar. Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador och Galapogos öarna, Chile och Argentina är alla i planerna. Det ska bli väldigt spännande. Vi börjar med Peru och 4 dagar i Cusco innan en vandring på Inka lederna tar plats. Vi försöker att lägga upp kort och historier här så ofta vi kan, så skriv upp er så får ni automatiskt en e-mail när vi lägger upp något nytt.
Counting down the days to departure
We're only 4 working days away from our next adventure, our trip to South America! Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador & the Galpagos, the Amazon, Chile and Argentina are all in our plans. It stills feels a little surreal that we are actually going. I bet the early morning flight on Saturday will change that.
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