2009.09.11 - Vacation in Peru Sep 5, 2009 by Nicole |
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Peru - The Pics!
We sorted through our 1000+ pictures, and whittled it down to the best of the best. Enjoy!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Lazy Dog Days in Huaraz
On Tuesday, we arrived at the Anta airport, after flying in a small prop plane (only twenty passengers!) over the Andes Mountains. It was an amazing flight, a great start to the second half of our Peruvian vacation: we were headed to Huaraz, for some killer trekking.
But first, before trekking, we were scheduled to spend a few days relaxing at The Lazy Dog Inn. We weren't sure what to expect of this mountain lodge, as the Lonely Planet recomendations can be hit or miss. However, this one was a major hit! Top 40!
We were greeted at the airport by a friendly taxi driver. Much to Jeremy's dismay, he was not holding a sign that said, "Bolton" on it. No worries, though. Within an hour we were driving along a rocky road past ruins and small pueblo towns (in a Toyota Corolla wagon that could go toe to toe with any Jeep Rubicon).
The sky was blue and the sun was shining. Upon arrival at the Inn, we practically skipped to our personal cabin, the place was so perfect... The entire property was built by hand, without machinery or electricity. The walls of the lodge and cabins were constructed with adobe bricks, made from the mud and nearby land. The bathrooms include dry compost toilets. The ceilings have skylights to promote natural light. Our cabin also had its own fireplace.
We dropped off our bags to head to the lodge for lunch, walking past gardens of fresh vegetables that were incorporated into all of our meals. We stayed in the best cabin at the inn, we were served breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day we stayed here, and we spent less than $100 per day. In addition, as this place is 100% sustainable, we made no negative impact on the environment. :)
We spent most of our time just relaxing. However one morning, we rode the inn keepers' personal horses around the local country side. Neither one of us had been on a horse in many years prior to this ride. I was absolutely terrified at first, while Jeremy, who grew up with horses, was a regular cowboy. I got the hang of things soon enough, and for the next two hours, I couldn't stop smiling. Jeremy was all grins, as well.
And when we finished our ride, I asked, "Can we move to Colorado and have our own horses?" I don't think I have ever seen Jeremy happier...
But first, before trekking, we were scheduled to spend a few days relaxing at The Lazy Dog Inn. We weren't sure what to expect of this mountain lodge, as the Lonely Planet recomendations can be hit or miss. However, this one was a major hit! Top 40!
We were greeted at the airport by a friendly taxi driver. Much to Jeremy's dismay, he was not holding a sign that said, "Bolton" on it. No worries, though. Within an hour we were driving along a rocky road past ruins and small pueblo towns (in a Toyota Corolla wagon that could go toe to toe with any Jeep Rubicon).
The sky was blue and the sun was shining. Upon arrival at the Inn, we practically skipped to our personal cabin, the place was so perfect... The entire property was built by hand, without machinery or electricity. The walls of the lodge and cabins were constructed with adobe bricks, made from the mud and nearby land. The bathrooms include dry compost toilets. The ceilings have skylights to promote natural light. Our cabin also had its own fireplace.
We dropped off our bags to head to the lodge for lunch, walking past gardens of fresh vegetables that were incorporated into all of our meals. We stayed in the best cabin at the inn, we were served breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day we stayed here, and we spent less than $100 per day. In addition, as this place is 100% sustainable, we made no negative impact on the environment. :)
We spent most of our time just relaxing. However one morning, we rode the inn keepers' personal horses around the local country side. Neither one of us had been on a horse in many years prior to this ride. I was absolutely terrified at first, while Jeremy, who grew up with horses, was a regular cowboy. I got the hang of things soon enough, and for the next two hours, I couldn't stop smiling. Jeremy was all grins, as well.
And when we finished our ride, I asked, "Can we move to Colorado and have our own horses?" I don't think I have ever seen Jeremy happier...
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Inka Jungle Trail Day 4: Machu Picchu
We woke up at 3:30 AM and set out on foot from Plaza de Armas in Aguas Calientes down the main road (which doubles as train tracks) to the base entry of Machu Picchu. About 300 other trekkers joined us at this hour. We were all eager to be one of the first 400 to enter for the day, securing one of the limited spots to hike up Wayna Picchu, one of the mountains overlooking the lost city.
Honestly, the climb to the Main Gate of Machu Picchu was a real bitch. 300 people with flashlights and headlamps scrambling up ~1000 meters all trying to get there before everyone else to secure that Wayna Picchu entry slot. While completing this ascent, Jeremy and I noticed we were probably some of the oldest people making the climb. I'm not joking - everyone was 23 and touring the world after college. The only thing that sucked more than feeling our age was getting passed by these "children" while we huffed and puffed up the mountain. (Sigh.)
About three quarters of the way to the top, we started to hear the busses making their way up the fourteen switchbacks in the road to the Main Gate. Yes we were completing this bitch of a climb by choice! But we had to reach the gate before the busses, otherwise those lazy, non trekking folks who did not wake up at 3:30 AM would get our tickets for Wayna Picchu! With this motivation, we continued our climbing and made it to the top. We were persons 264 and 265 on the list of 400 to climb Wayna Picchu.
At 6:00 AM, the gate opened and we took our first steps into the lost city. There isn't much to say about Machu Picchu, really. Few words can adequately describe how amazing of a place it is, so just wait for the pics we will post when we get home, and you'll see why we wanted to take this trip so badly. We took a two hour tour of the ruins, and then at 8:30 AM, had "lunch" as we had already been awake for five hours!
After lunch, it was time to decide which mountain to climb. Get this, Machu Picchu mountain, for which the lost city is named, is a higher climb than Wayna Picchu, is less crowded, and offers better views. It takes longer to complete, but the lack of crowds and better views sounded so appealing, that we decided to skip Wayna Picchu entirely to climb Machu Picchu instead. (All that early morning climbing in the dark for nothing! Other than pride, I guess...)
By now, Jeremy and I had been trekking about ten miles a day with lots of climbing for five days. Our legs were tired and in general, we were pretty much spent. Still, we trudged the ~1500 more meters to the top of the mountain, stopping to rest as much as we needed. It took us almost two hours to reach the summit, but the view from that point was amazing. Pictures to come, of course!
Exhausted but satisfied, we climbed down the mountain after resting at the top and talking with the other Trekkers for a bit. Trekking to and visiting Machu Picchu was everything we were hoping it would be, and much more. We are so grateful for this trip.
-- Posted from my iPhone
Honestly, the climb to the Main Gate of Machu Picchu was a real bitch. 300 people with flashlights and headlamps scrambling up ~1000 meters all trying to get there before everyone else to secure that Wayna Picchu entry slot. While completing this ascent, Jeremy and I noticed we were probably some of the oldest people making the climb. I'm not joking - everyone was 23 and touring the world after college. The only thing that sucked more than feeling our age was getting passed by these "children" while we huffed and puffed up the mountain. (Sigh.)
About three quarters of the way to the top, we started to hear the busses making their way up the fourteen switchbacks in the road to the Main Gate. Yes we were completing this bitch of a climb by choice! But we had to reach the gate before the busses, otherwise those lazy, non trekking folks who did not wake up at 3:30 AM would get our tickets for Wayna Picchu! With this motivation, we continued our climbing and made it to the top. We were persons 264 and 265 on the list of 400 to climb Wayna Picchu.
At 6:00 AM, the gate opened and we took our first steps into the lost city. There isn't much to say about Machu Picchu, really. Few words can adequately describe how amazing of a place it is, so just wait for the pics we will post when we get home, and you'll see why we wanted to take this trip so badly. We took a two hour tour of the ruins, and then at 8:30 AM, had "lunch" as we had already been awake for five hours!
After lunch, it was time to decide which mountain to climb. Get this, Machu Picchu mountain, for which the lost city is named, is a higher climb than Wayna Picchu, is less crowded, and offers better views. It takes longer to complete, but the lack of crowds and better views sounded so appealing, that we decided to skip Wayna Picchu entirely to climb Machu Picchu instead. (All that early morning climbing in the dark for nothing! Other than pride, I guess...)
By now, Jeremy and I had been trekking about ten miles a day with lots of climbing for five days. Our legs were tired and in general, we were pretty much spent. Still, we trudged the ~1500 more meters to the top of the mountain, stopping to rest as much as we needed. It took us almost two hours to reach the summit, but the view from that point was amazing. Pictures to come, of course!
Exhausted but satisfied, we climbed down the mountain after resting at the top and talking with the other Trekkers for a bit. Trekking to and visiting Machu Picchu was everything we were hoping it would be, and much more. We are so grateful for this trip.
-- Posted from my iPhone
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Inka Jungle Trail Day 3: Tracks and Ladders
To preface our third day on the trail to Machu Picchu, we were given an "option" by Pablo to skip the first half of today's trek and bus from Santa Teresa to the hydroelectric plant. In turn, we'd get into Aguas Caliente early enough to have lunch and get a glimpse of Machu Picchu by climbing a nearby mountain. Eager to get out of the jungle (cicadas and biting flies who'd left welts all over our bodies) and closer to our goal, we agreed to pay the 10 soles each for the shortcut and we weren't too disappointed to lose some hiking time as the trail was pretty drab.
We had no problems waking up early on day 3. A swarm of huge turkeys ruffling feathers and picking a fight with our tent had us up scared at dawn. We had a quick warm shower worth mentioning only because Nicole was attacked again by a huge cicada while lathering - scary, gross. We were off!
Our trekking group jumped in a van to head to the hydroelectric plant. The van was not empty. It consisted of a family of four, who after 5 minutes of driving - get this - jumped out of the van, walked into the jungle and returned with loads of fallen trees and branches, loaded them onto the roof of the van, and then hauled them to the next town. Please note, while sitting on top of the van with the logs. Yep, we paid 10 soles each (60 in total) for this family to run errands. Quite cheeky, as the South Africans put it! At least the ride allowed us to get into Aguas Calientes earlier in the day, albeit after a couple of uneventful hours hiking on railroad tracks.
After a meal and checking into our hostel, we met the team in Plaza de Armas to begin our trek up Putucusi - a mountain that overlooks the ruins of the Machu Picchu citadel. In Quechua, Putacusi translates to steps and ladders. (OK, probably not, but it was a hard slog. And interestingly enough, Juan Pablo did not lead us on this outting...)
Basically, we scrambled up stone stairs and wooden ladders that were bolted to the mountain in order to gain 1000 meters, and reach the peak of the mountain. Nicole gasped with what air she had left when we reached the top because the view was incredible. Our first sighting of Machu Picchu. It was unforgettable.
And now, ee can't wait for tomorrow, when we finally reach out goal. (Bring on the 3:30 AM wake up!).
-- Posted from my iPhone
We had no problems waking up early on day 3. A swarm of huge turkeys ruffling feathers and picking a fight with our tent had us up scared at dawn. We had a quick warm shower worth mentioning only because Nicole was attacked again by a huge cicada while lathering - scary, gross. We were off!
Our trekking group jumped in a van to head to the hydroelectric plant. The van was not empty. It consisted of a family of four, who after 5 minutes of driving - get this - jumped out of the van, walked into the jungle and returned with loads of fallen trees and branches, loaded them onto the roof of the van, and then hauled them to the next town. Please note, while sitting on top of the van with the logs. Yep, we paid 10 soles each (60 in total) for this family to run errands. Quite cheeky, as the South Africans put it! At least the ride allowed us to get into Aguas Calientes earlier in the day, albeit after a couple of uneventful hours hiking on railroad tracks.
After a meal and checking into our hostel, we met the team in Plaza de Armas to begin our trek up Putucusi - a mountain that overlooks the ruins of the Machu Picchu citadel. In Quechua, Putacusi translates to steps and ladders. (OK, probably not, but it was a hard slog. And interestingly enough, Juan Pablo did not lead us on this outting...)
Basically, we scrambled up stone stairs and wooden ladders that were bolted to the mountain in order to gain 1000 meters, and reach the peak of the mountain. Nicole gasped with what air she had left when we reached the top because the view was incredible. Our first sighting of Machu Picchu. It was unforgettable.
And now, ee can't wait for tomorrow, when we finally reach out goal. (Bring on the 3:30 AM wake up!).
-- Posted from my iPhone
Friday, September 18, 2009
Inka Jungle Trail Day 2: The Real Deal
After an early wake-up call and a quick breakfast, we began our first real day of trekking to Machu Picchu. The early part of the trek was mostly uphill, so thank goodness we had our trekking poles, which The Aussie referred to as sticks. It was grueling at times, but Juan Pablo stopped for breaks plus nature and history lessons whenever he saw us doubled over, gasping for air.
We viewed Coca bushes, mango trees, papaya trees, coffee trees (yes it grows on trees!), banana trees, cacao trees, and Inka war paint trees. I can't remember what those trees are called, but the berries make for excellent neon orange face paint.
The day's trek put the "Jungle" in the Inka Jungle Trail, as we even stopped to rest at local homes with monkeys and huge beaver-guinea pig creatures that seriously look as if they are charcters from Narnia, about to smoke a pipe and tell a story.
We climbed over mountains, ascending nearly 2000 meters, then dropping 1500 or so, arriving just outside the town of Santa Teresa in the late afternoon, after 8 hours and 18 km of hiking. To rest, and much to our liking, we took oroyas (zip lines) across the river and rested our tired bodies in the hot springs of Cocalmayo. Amazing.
We had a nice dinner while listening to one minute excerpts from our favorite Spanish discotecha versions of 90s rap songs (would have made for an awesome Power Hour / Centurion playlist...). We probably would have stayed longer at the dinner table, talking with our trekking friends, except that the dive bombing cicadas the size of baseballs kept interrupting our conversations. So we retreated to our tents and again, passed out quite early.
Closer to Machu Picchu every day!
-- Posted from my iPhone
We viewed Coca bushes, mango trees, papaya trees, coffee trees (yes it grows on trees!), banana trees, cacao trees, and Inka war paint trees. I can't remember what those trees are called, but the berries make for excellent neon orange face paint.
The day's trek put the "Jungle" in the Inka Jungle Trail, as we even stopped to rest at local homes with monkeys and huge beaver-guinea pig creatures that seriously look as if they are charcters from Narnia, about to smoke a pipe and tell a story.
We climbed over mountains, ascending nearly 2000 meters, then dropping 1500 or so, arriving just outside the town of Santa Teresa in the late afternoon, after 8 hours and 18 km of hiking. To rest, and much to our liking, we took oroyas (zip lines) across the river and rested our tired bodies in the hot springs of Cocalmayo. Amazing.
We had a nice dinner while listening to one minute excerpts from our favorite Spanish discotecha versions of 90s rap songs (would have made for an awesome Power Hour / Centurion playlist...). We probably would have stayed longer at the dinner table, talking with our trekking friends, except that the dive bombing cicadas the size of baseballs kept interrupting our conversations. So we retreated to our tents and again, passed out quite early.
Closer to Machu Picchu every day!
-- Posted from my iPhone
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Inka Jungle Trail Day 1: Bicicletas!
The famous Lorenzo of Lorenzo Expeditions met us at our hotel at 7:40 AM to begin our four day trek to Machu Picchu. He informed that the family of four who was to join us on the trek had bailed, due to "stomach issues" from which the mother was suffering. I guess some of us (Jeremy) are pretty strong, as no dysentery could prevent us from making it to Machu Picchu.
Lorenzo brought is to meet our guide for the trek, Juan Pablo, who discussed with us logistics for the trip. We'd be by ourselves with Juan Pablo. Yep, that's right - a romantic four day trek alone. We were both pretty nervous about this turn of events, since we already to pretty much everything together; secretly and not so secretly, we were both seeking some variety in this excursion.
Well, that variety showed up 15 minutes later, in the form of an Australian and two South Africans. A bit more after that, an Argentine who now lives in Hawaii also joined the mix. After a rather confusing shuffling of guides, bikes, and souvenir T-shirts, We were whisked away from Cusco in a van.
While listening to a mix of Bob Marley and 80s one hit wonders ("In the back seat of my Cadillac...") we traveled through the towns of Chinchero, Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo. (Note: Ollantaytambo is the scene of Misadventure #4, on which we will elaborate further at a later time.)
After four hours of driving, and upon reaching the summib of the mountain Abra Malagra, 4350 meters above sea level, Juan Pablo yelled, "Vamos, chicos!" we hopped out of the van and into the chilly high altitude air. We were literally in the clouds.
We donned our cycling gear, which we lovingly referred to as body armor: knee pads, elbow pads, gloves, helmet, and neon yellow reflective vests. We hopped on our bikes and began our descent to the town of Santa Maria, a distance of 60 km and an elevation drop of over 3000 meters. The riding was both on and off road, and really fun.
Exhausted from the day's activities as well as the general excitement of being on the road, we fell asleep that night before 8 PM. Our trek Machu Picchu had begun!
-- Posted from my iPhone
Lorenzo brought is to meet our guide for the trek, Juan Pablo, who discussed with us logistics for the trip. We'd be by ourselves with Juan Pablo. Yep, that's right - a romantic four day trek alone. We were both pretty nervous about this turn of events, since we already to pretty much everything together; secretly and not so secretly, we were both seeking some variety in this excursion.
Well, that variety showed up 15 minutes later, in the form of an Australian and two South Africans. A bit more after that, an Argentine who now lives in Hawaii also joined the mix. After a rather confusing shuffling of guides, bikes, and souvenir T-shirts, We were whisked away from Cusco in a van.
While listening to a mix of Bob Marley and 80s one hit wonders ("In the back seat of my Cadillac...") we traveled through the towns of Chinchero, Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo. (Note: Ollantaytambo is the scene of Misadventure #4, on which we will elaborate further at a later time.)
After four hours of driving, and upon reaching the summib of the mountain Abra Malagra, 4350 meters above sea level, Juan Pablo yelled, "Vamos, chicos!" we hopped out of the van and into the chilly high altitude air. We were literally in the clouds.
We donned our cycling gear, which we lovingly referred to as body armor: knee pads, elbow pads, gloves, helmet, and neon yellow reflective vests. We hopped on our bikes and began our descent to the town of Santa Maria, a distance of 60 km and an elevation drop of over 3000 meters. The riding was both on and off road, and really fun.
Exhausted from the day's activities as well as the general excitement of being on the road, we fell asleep that night before 8 PM. Our trek Machu Picchu had begun!
-- Posted from my iPhone
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Misadventure Numero Tres: Dysentery
Let´s just say that Nicole and I reached a new level in our relationship during our first night in Cusco. To start, we had a great - but expensive - lunch at the organic restaurant Greens, on Plaza de Armas, for our first meal in Cusco. Soup, sandwiches, and a pear baked with goat cheese inside and drizzled with a wine-chocolate sauce on top. Very tasty. Muy bueno
Nicole was so excited after this meal that she turned to me and said, "Let´s get wasted and stay out all night!" We tried our hardest. After walking around the city for a few hours, we ended up at Norton´s Pub on Plaza de Armas. While watching an Andean sunset, we downed a few Cusqueña´s and hung out with the bartender. Hungry for pizza, we solicited recomendations for the best place in town, and promised to return to the bar after dinner for the back-packer / frat-party scene that was sure to get started at Norton´s later in the evening.
Chez Maggie was the restuarant we chose for pizza at the suggestion of multiple locals, inlcuding the bartender at Norton´s. The food was great, but our waiter was a total dickhead. He hit on mi novia (Nicole) while winking at me like I was in on it the entire time. He also said, to my face, that I must be gay, since I live in San Francisco. Since he was such a douche, we didn´t leave him a tip. And I´m pretty sure that as a result of our behavior, he poisoned me...
Long story short, we didn´t get wasted and go out to bars. Instead, I wasted the bathroom and Nicole heard everything. And she still loves me.
Needless to say, the next day I woke up with a massive headache, and my stomach hasn´t been the same. Writing this blog three days later, and all I´ve managed to kick is the headache.
Misadventure Numero Tres.
Nicole was so excited after this meal that she turned to me and said, "Let´s get wasted and stay out all night!" We tried our hardest. After walking around the city for a few hours, we ended up at Norton´s Pub on Plaza de Armas. While watching an Andean sunset, we downed a few Cusqueña´s and hung out with the bartender. Hungry for pizza, we solicited recomendations for the best place in town, and promised to return to the bar after dinner for the back-packer / frat-party scene that was sure to get started at Norton´s later in the evening.
Chez Maggie was the restuarant we chose for pizza at the suggestion of multiple locals, inlcuding the bartender at Norton´s. The food was great, but our waiter was a total dickhead. He hit on mi novia (Nicole) while winking at me like I was in on it the entire time. He also said, to my face, that I must be gay, since I live in San Francisco. Since he was such a douche, we didn´t leave him a tip. And I´m pretty sure that as a result of our behavior, he poisoned me...
Long story short, we didn´t get wasted and go out to bars. Instead, I wasted the bathroom and Nicole heard everything. And she still loves me.
Needless to say, the next day I woke up with a massive headache, and my stomach hasn´t been the same. Writing this blog three days later, and all I´ve managed to kick is the headache.
Misadventure Numero Tres.
Pisac and Beyond (Or Rather, Closer)
After a day of "rest" in Cusco, we (I) were eager to get in some exploring. So I loaded Jeremy up with a cocktail of drugs and we set outto see some ruins in the Sacred Valley.
We really wanted to visit Pisac, a small town 30 km outside Cusco that has a great market and Incan ruins 4 km from the Plaza de Armas. (Like Spain, every town has a main square. It was always Plaza Mayor in Spain; here in Peru it is Plaza de Armas.)
To get there, we hopped in a local taxi, which we found in a rather shady part of Cusco which our concierge said, "isn't on the map, but can be found by listening for men yelling 'Pisac!' just over here..."
It wasn't too dodgy of a walk, and we did easily find a taxi, that we shared with two locals. And 10 soles later, we were flying at 100 km/hr around curves, over mountain passes, and by ruins that we decided to visit more closely on foot on the way home.
We reached (but nearly missed) Pisac 45 minutes later. Our taxi driver was so focused on pushing the speed limit to new heights that he forgot to stop and let us out. A quick, "adonde vas?!" reminded him though, and we were soon walking through the very tiny town of Pisac.
We immediately began our journey to the ruins, figuring that the 4 km walk would take about an hour, leaving us a bit of time to snap pics and then return to Pisac Plaza for shopping and lunch. Boy were we wrong! The 4 km walk could be more accurately described as a 4 km mountain scramble, up old, tiny, steep Inca steps. Thousands of steps.
We kept on climbing, wondering if we'd ever reach the top - can those Incas build! Two hours later, after many breaks to catch our breath (have you ever climbed 1000+ steps at 3000 meters above sea level?) we made it to the top.
It was so worth it! The Pisac ruins were our first glance at truly impressive Incan stone and terracing work. It is unbelievable to see what these people built with so little tools so long ago. And it is amazing that it is still standing.
After another hour of exploring, we made our way down the mountain. Quite the quad workout - our legs were shaking as we sat down to a delicious three course lunch at The Blue Llama, an adorable, eco-friendly, sustainable cafe. Invigorated after pumpkin soup, veggie lasgna, and a scoop of ice cream, we were ready for more ruins.
We hopped into another taxi - this one a major rip off at 20 soles -and headed back towards Cusco to view the ruins closer to town, including Tambomachay (ceremonial baths), Pukapukara (fort / hunting lodge), and finally Saqsaywaman (another fort and one of the last places captured by the Spanish in 1536.)
The walk back to Cusco from Tambomachay was about 8 km. Add that to the 8 km we climbed in Pisac, and we had a very long day, which we celebrated by packing up and preparing for our trek to Machu Picchu. If the lost city of the Incas is anything like Pisac, we are in for a treat!
We really wanted to visit Pisac, a small town 30 km outside Cusco that has a great market and Incan ruins 4 km from the Plaza de Armas. (Like Spain, every town has a main square. It was always Plaza Mayor in Spain; here in Peru it is Plaza de Armas.)
To get there, we hopped in a local taxi, which we found in a rather shady part of Cusco which our concierge said, "isn't on the map, but can be found by listening for men yelling 'Pisac!' just over here..."
It wasn't too dodgy of a walk, and we did easily find a taxi, that we shared with two locals. And 10 soles later, we were flying at 100 km/hr around curves, over mountain passes, and by ruins that we decided to visit more closely on foot on the way home.
We reached (but nearly missed) Pisac 45 minutes later. Our taxi driver was so focused on pushing the speed limit to new heights that he forgot to stop and let us out. A quick, "adonde vas?!" reminded him though, and we were soon walking through the very tiny town of Pisac.
We immediately began our journey to the ruins, figuring that the 4 km walk would take about an hour, leaving us a bit of time to snap pics and then return to Pisac Plaza for shopping and lunch. Boy were we wrong! The 4 km walk could be more accurately described as a 4 km mountain scramble, up old, tiny, steep Inca steps. Thousands of steps.
We kept on climbing, wondering if we'd ever reach the top - can those Incas build! Two hours later, after many breaks to catch our breath (have you ever climbed 1000+ steps at 3000 meters above sea level?) we made it to the top.
It was so worth it! The Pisac ruins were our first glance at truly impressive Incan stone and terracing work. It is unbelievable to see what these people built with so little tools so long ago. And it is amazing that it is still standing.
After another hour of exploring, we made our way down the mountain. Quite the quad workout - our legs were shaking as we sat down to a delicious three course lunch at The Blue Llama, an adorable, eco-friendly, sustainable cafe. Invigorated after pumpkin soup, veggie lasgna, and a scoop of ice cream, we were ready for more ruins.
We hopped into another taxi - this one a major rip off at 20 soles -and headed back towards Cusco to view the ruins closer to town, including Tambomachay (ceremonial baths), Pukapukara (fort / hunting lodge), and finally Saqsaywaman (another fort and one of the last places captured by the Spanish in 1536.)
The walk back to Cusco from Tambomachay was about 8 km. Add that to the 8 km we climbed in Pisac, and we had a very long day, which we celebrated by packing up and preparing for our trek to Machu Picchu. If the lost city of the Incas is anything like Pisac, we are in for a treat!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Typical food, Typical Arequipa
Typically, Nicole and I seek high end fusion joints for la cena (dinner). Instead, last night, Nicole busted out some improv and took us to a "typical" Arequipena restaurant.
The menu consisted of designer pets (guinea pig and llama/alpaca) and other local favorites, including hot peppers stuffed with mystery meats and avocados stuffed with mayonaise. We enjoyed all of the above, except for the famed guinea pig, or cuy. (I plan to dine on this delicacy in Cusco.)
Halfway through our meal, we were delighted to find a Peruvian quintet serenading us to typical Andean tunes. We loved them so much we bought their CD...
So much typical fare, but we just couldn't get enough. Luckily, our most favorite of the typical fare, Arequipena Cerveza, comes in 750 ml bottles. Salud!
-- Posted from my iPhone
The menu consisted of designer pets (guinea pig and llama/alpaca) and other local favorites, including hot peppers stuffed with mystery meats and avocados stuffed with mayonaise. We enjoyed all of the above, except for the famed guinea pig, or cuy. (I plan to dine on this delicacy in Cusco.)
Halfway through our meal, we were delighted to find a Peruvian quintet serenading us to typical Andean tunes. We loved them so much we bought their CD...
So much typical fare, but we just couldn't get enough. Luckily, our most favorite of the typical fare, Arequipena Cerveza, comes in 750 ml bottles. Salud!
-- Posted from my iPhone
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Livin Large in Araquipa
Let's just say the US Dollar holds up pretty nicely to the Peruvian Nuevo Soles; we feel like millionaires in this town!
To start, we are staying in a beautiful 18th century building constructed from the off white volcanic rocks called sillar used in most buildings in this town, thus giving Arequipa the nickname, "White City." A combination of Gothic and Spanish charm, Jeremy can hardly fall asleep at night. (Remember, he is a huge fan of entryways.) This place is like a castle and a campground at the same time. Heaven, for only $50 USD!
After getting settled last night, Jeremy decided to lead me to La Trattoria del Monasterio, one of Araquipa's most sought after restaurants. Gaston Arcurio is the famous Peruvian chef behind this place, and as Lonely Planet promised, it was an epicurean delight. For only $50 USD!
We spent today exploring the city, starting early at the Plaza de Armas. There we joined all 750,000 of Arequipa's inhabitants, out for a morning stroll/parade/protest. Viva Peru!
Next, we headed to Arequipa's prized touristic site, El Monasterio de Santa Catalina. This convent is a 20,000 square meter complex that has been around since 1580. We got lost in this city within the city, which really was quite beautiful, even if it did bore me rather quickly.
If you've followed our past travel and blogging tales, by now, even though it wasn't quite yet noon, we needed a drink, so in search of cerveza we went. We found a small cafe with a roof top patio and gorgeous views of El Misti, Arequipa's nearest mountain and volcano. And so we dined on "typical fare" that was spicy and delicious: rocotto relleno, a stuffed pepper full of meat, veggies, and cheese served over potatoes and eggs.
The relleno got our hunger started, which means only one thing in Peru: time for mas ceviche! Fory Fay was the destination of choice: no frills, authentic, diner-like in nature. We were served a bowl of fish and onions and seaweed swimming in a citric acid of lemon and lime juice. Scary, but superb. And way less than $50 USD! Our two course lunch probably cost us $25, drinks included. Ay caramba!
With money to spare, we headed to a local alpaca shop and dropped 100 soles ($33) on a bad ass hoodie and reversible stocking hat (Jeremy) plus a poncho sweater and striped hat (Nicole).
And here we are now, blogging on Jeremy's phone from the courtyard of our hostal, La Casa de Melgar, sipping an Argentine Malbec and figuring out plans for dinner. Viva Arequipa!
-- Posted from my iPhone
To start, we are staying in a beautiful 18th century building constructed from the off white volcanic rocks called sillar used in most buildings in this town, thus giving Arequipa the nickname, "White City." A combination of Gothic and Spanish charm, Jeremy can hardly fall asleep at night. (Remember, he is a huge fan of entryways.) This place is like a castle and a campground at the same time. Heaven, for only $50 USD!
After getting settled last night, Jeremy decided to lead me to La Trattoria del Monasterio, one of Araquipa's most sought after restaurants. Gaston Arcurio is the famous Peruvian chef behind this place, and as Lonely Planet promised, it was an epicurean delight. For only $50 USD!
We spent today exploring the city, starting early at the Plaza de Armas. There we joined all 750,000 of Arequipa's inhabitants, out for a morning stroll/parade/protest. Viva Peru!
Next, we headed to Arequipa's prized touristic site, El Monasterio de Santa Catalina. This convent is a 20,000 square meter complex that has been around since 1580. We got lost in this city within the city, which really was quite beautiful, even if it did bore me rather quickly.
If you've followed our past travel and blogging tales, by now, even though it wasn't quite yet noon, we needed a drink, so in search of cerveza we went. We found a small cafe with a roof top patio and gorgeous views of El Misti, Arequipa's nearest mountain and volcano. And so we dined on "typical fare" that was spicy and delicious: rocotto relleno, a stuffed pepper full of meat, veggies, and cheese served over potatoes and eggs.
The relleno got our hunger started, which means only one thing in Peru: time for mas ceviche! Fory Fay was the destination of choice: no frills, authentic, diner-like in nature. We were served a bowl of fish and onions and seaweed swimming in a citric acid of lemon and lime juice. Scary, but superb. And way less than $50 USD! Our two course lunch probably cost us $25, drinks included. Ay caramba!
With money to spare, we headed to a local alpaca shop and dropped 100 soles ($33) on a bad ass hoodie and reversible stocking hat (Jeremy) plus a poncho sweater and striped hat (Nicole).
And here we are now, blogging on Jeremy's phone from the courtyard of our hostal, La Casa de Melgar, sipping an Argentine Malbec and figuring out plans for dinner. Viva Arequipa!
-- Posted from my iPhone
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Lima: A Stop Over
A wise man once said to us... Well what he said isn't very nice, and he's not really that wise, so let's just say we had no intention of spending much time in Lima. That said, Jeremy and I are not the types of people to pass up a free warm cookie and a free welcome pisco sour cocktail, so we booked a free night's stay at the Doubletree El Pardo in Miraflores, a suburan city district of Lima.
And so we arrived for our brief stay to aclimatize ouselves to the ways of Peru. Constant honking, near death experiences crossing the street, air pollution, and a form of public transportstion that is beyond description seem to make up the majority of culture in Lima. However, those pisco sours are dangerously delicioso, and that ceviche is magnifico. Our night on the town in Miraflores was the perfect jump start to a two week excursion in Peru.
We awoke early on Saturday to make the most of the small amount of time we had to see the sights. In the end, we didn't even venture to down town Lima, but we did check out Parque del Amor along the coast, which somewhat reminded of us of Park Guell in Barcelona, but on a much smaller scale.
We strolled south to Larco Mar, a cheese tastic display of chain restaurants and an over the top, gaudy J.W. Marriott. Deciding against breakfast at Tony Roma's, we returned to our strip of Miraflores for desayuno de huevos, pan, y tamale. We chatted with some Peruvian natives, and then headed on to Parque Tahuantinsuyo Huaca Juliana.
Home of ancient Incan ruins, this adobe pyramidal structure dates back to the year 400AD. It promised to be chock full of Alpacas and history. If only we actually saw it!
Somehow, we walked directly past this site without noticing, which took us out of Miraflores and deep in San Isidro. Like a whole one or two miles deep. The neighborhood was pleasant with lots of cute shops, so I guess that's why we didn't realize we had strayed off course. And since the land of the Incas isn't hurting for Alpacas and history, we managed to stumble upon another adobe pyramid: Huaca Huallamarca, which translates to sugar loaf. (We don't get it, either.)
It was a nice easy day of touristing, but the fact that Jeremy and I - yes Jeremy and I - made it to the airport two hours ahead of our flight signals that we were eager to move on to Arequipa. Ciao, Lima! We will be back in two weeks!
-- Posted from my iPhone
And so we arrived for our brief stay to aclimatize ouselves to the ways of Peru. Constant honking, near death experiences crossing the street, air pollution, and a form of public transportstion that is beyond description seem to make up the majority of culture in Lima. However, those pisco sours are dangerously delicioso, and that ceviche is magnifico. Our night on the town in Miraflores was the perfect jump start to a two week excursion in Peru.
We awoke early on Saturday to make the most of the small amount of time we had to see the sights. In the end, we didn't even venture to down town Lima, but we did check out Parque del Amor along the coast, which somewhat reminded of us of Park Guell in Barcelona, but on a much smaller scale.
We strolled south to Larco Mar, a cheese tastic display of chain restaurants and an over the top, gaudy J.W. Marriott. Deciding against breakfast at Tony Roma's, we returned to our strip of Miraflores for desayuno de huevos, pan, y tamale. We chatted with some Peruvian natives, and then headed on to Parque Tahuantinsuyo Huaca Juliana.
Home of ancient Incan ruins, this adobe pyramidal structure dates back to the year 400AD. It promised to be chock full of Alpacas and history. If only we actually saw it!
Somehow, we walked directly past this site without noticing, which took us out of Miraflores and deep in San Isidro. Like a whole one or two miles deep. The neighborhood was pleasant with lots of cute shops, so I guess that's why we didn't realize we had strayed off course. And since the land of the Incas isn't hurting for Alpacas and history, we managed to stumble upon another adobe pyramid: Huaca Huallamarca, which translates to sugar loaf. (We don't get it, either.)
It was a nice easy day of touristing, but the fact that Jeremy and I - yes Jeremy and I - made it to the airport two hours ahead of our flight signals that we were eager to move on to Arequipa. Ciao, Lima! We will be back in two weeks!
-- Posted from my iPhone
Friday, September 11, 2009
We Be Trekin
Security show me love up in the club! Yay yay!
Apologies for the 1996 rap reference, but after three flights of double security checks due to lack of identification, I just made it through airport security with my very own passport! Thank you Jeremy for picking it up for me today. We are ready to go...
See you in the Southern hemisphere! I for one cannot wait to see the toilets flush counter clockwise. Yay yay!
-- Posted from my iPhone
Apologies for the 1996 rap reference, but after three flights of double security checks due to lack of identification, I just made it through airport security with my very own passport! Thank you Jeremy for picking it up for me today. We are ready to go...
See you in the Southern hemisphere! I for one cannot wait to see the toilets flush counter clockwise. Yay yay!
-- Posted from my iPhone
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Misadventures #1 and #2
Two weeks ago, I flew to Chicago. (Typical.) Much to my surprise, I was upgraded to First Class on a packed flight, so I thought luck was on my side. And although I took advantage of nothing that First Class has to offer - meaning the free refills on wine - and worked the entire four hour flight to Chicago. I got *everything* done, and left the flight on top of the world. A good night's leep prior to the week of intense meetings? Unheard of! Lucky me!
However, upon reaching the Hertz Counter to pick up my rental car, I realized my jacket and small change purse, in which I was carrying one credit card, one debit card, and one shiny California license, were still on the plane. Back to the O'Hare United Terminal I went, in search of my jacket and money and identification. But after calls to the cleaning, gate, and in flight crews, nothing showed up. Unlucky me.
At least I was not traveling alone. I was well fed though not lucky enough to be served alcohol, as that restaurant "Cards Hard." But luckily enough, another co-worker was joining me in two more days. So luckily, my passport and a back-up credit card made their way to Chicago, and I was able to deal with my hotel and food expenses, not to mention my travel home, with no issues. Misadventure #1 could have been worse.
For example, Misadventure #1 could have been Misadventure #2, in which yours truly journeys to Charlottesville, VA for a wedding. And while dancing the night away at the Bachelorette party, puts down her purse in a pile with everyone else's purses. Only to go back to the pile at the end of the night to find the purse - which was holding my passport and phone - gone. Very unlucky me!
Although again, as luck would have it, my lone remaining credit card was holding a tab at the bar the entire time, so it escaped the theft. It is still safe and secure with me, although at this rate, who knows for how long!
To make matters worse, Peru has been rescheduled and is set to begin Friday, September 11, at 12:05 AM! So I spent the weekend canceling cards and printing documentation. I spent Tuesday morning at the DMV. And I am spending Wednesday at the San Francisco Passport Agency, praying that my expired DC license is sufficient proof of photo identification so that I can get a new passport and make it to Peru - the vacation that seems to never get here...
Only two more days to go. Fingers crossed there will be no Misadventure #3.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Peru Postponed
Tuesday morning, 7AM. Six hours to go until we were set to take off for Peru. The phone rings, and it is my boss's boss. And yes, he asks the unthinkable: will we delay our trip in exchange for fame and fortune?
Accountability. Responsibility. Success. Dedication. Leadership. All qualities that are really annoying to posess when we're trying to take a vacation!
And so Peru is on hold until September. A few more weeks of hard work to go before rest and adventure in South America.
Accountability. Responsibility. Success. Dedication. Leadership. All qualities that are really annoying to posess when we're trying to take a vacation!
And so Peru is on hold until September. A few more weeks of hard work to go before rest and adventure in South America.
Monday, July 20, 2009
but there are two i's
NMF and I had another late night crisis at work together (yes we work together). I dropped the ball on a big project that will basically cause us to suffer during the last week before Peru. Times like this make me so thankful that I have Nicole in my life.
You'd think that we are total opposites. I'm a dirty, disorganized mess with a bad haircut. Nicole loves baskets, a made bed and task lists. She is sporty, impulsive, and outgoing, while I resist social networking sites and showers. Neither I nor my friends thought that I'd end up falling for a girl from anywhere near the Marina.
I'm not going to say that opposites attract. Really what happened is that we discovered that under the dirt and crewneck sweaters, we really are similar. Similar enough to do everything together (cook, exercise, bike, travel, clean, watch the Tour), but different enough to be compatable. Nicole's impulse cures my lack of follow thru, my hugs cure her worries, her strength makes me grow and my patience gives her perspective.
I'm counting the hours until I get on that shitty American Airlines plane to Peru. To the start of another adventure with the one I love. Until then, I accept another late night of work knowing that we'll make it through this crisis because together we are unstoppable.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Peruvian Pilgrimage
Speaking of not quitting, the only way either of us is going to be able to last much longer at our day jobs is if we take a vacation. So that's just what we're going to do - journey to a faraway place without cell phone reception or Internet access. We are going to Peru!
We depart on July 28 - only ten days from today - and don't return until August 14, for two and a half glorious weeks of trekking.
- July 28: San Francisco --> Lima
- July 29: Lima --> Arequipa - A few days in the white city and a visit to the Colca Canyon...
- July 31: Arequipa --> Cusco - A few days adjusting to the altitude and exploring this ancient city...
- August 3: Cusco --> Machu Picchu - We will trek via the Inka Jungle Trail...
- August 6: Machu Picchu --> Cusco - We will recover for one more night in the city...
- August 7: Cusco --> Lima --> Huaraz - We will rest before starting another trek...
- August 8: Huaraz --> Cordillera Blanca - We will trek and camp on our own along the Santa Cruz Trek throughout the Andes Mountains
- August 11: Cordilleara Blanca --> Huaraz - We will recover for a few days at the Lazy Dog Inn
- August 13: Huaraz --> Lima - We'll wrap up the tour with a night in Lima, cashing in our Hilton points at the DoubleTree el Pardo
- August 14: Lima --> San Francisco - An overnight flight and we'll have a day to recover before we head back to the office!
Stay tuned for the adventures - and we are not going to kid ourselves, the misadventures - of our journey to Peru!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Starting Over, Together
It is safe to say that since we got back from Spain, our first trip together and first time spending more than just a few days and nights with just the two of us, we now spend quite a bit of time together. Hell, let's be honest - we spend almost all of our time together.
It only took a few weeks for JCB to realize that he was sleeping at my place even when I was out of town. He played it off by saying Puck needed to be fed, which was "la verdad;" but he wasn't fooling me. It was a slow progression in classic JCB style...
- XBox 360 appeared in my living room - no complaints from me, as I love a little Guitar Hero.
- Netflix Subscription was updated to reflect BluRay DVDs - but he didn't have a BluRay player, I did.
- Netflix Subscription was updated again to reflect my apartment as the delivery addresss.
- The battle of where to keep the Wustof knives was settled - and my kitchen won.
- A new subscription for video game rentals was initiated, yes, with my delivery address.
He has adjusted to my organization tactics, and knows that as long as his mess is contained within a basket of some sort, I will not complain. I have adjusted to the fact that his sneakers are always going to be dispersed throughout the apartment, and that it really isn't too big of a deal. Together, we have an impressive collection of bikes, snowboards, backpacking gear, cooking supplies, movies, and probably most importantly, wine.
Throughout March and April, we spent a lot of time getting settled in the apartment. Cooking together, shopping together, drinking together. In May we bought a car together - a Subaru Outback Sport - and we have been putting it to pretty good use so far.
By June we realized that we were both getting a little too round for our pants together, so we signed up for Boot Camp. Together. And for the past six - eight weeks, we have been waking up early to get our asses kicked. Together. JCB "somehow" got placed in the ADVANCED group while I was placed in the INTERMEDIATE group. (Yes, I was and still am jealous... I think it was because I was sick on assessment day...) However, together, we endured weeks of torturous decline push-ups and hill sprints and squats and hill sprints and push-ups and push-ups and more push-ups.
Seriously, this shit is tough! I regularly find it hard to believe that I have run five marathons, and several triathlons. In particular, every Saturday, while we work out on the beach at Krissy Field, staring out at Alcatraz, I shudder to think that only a year ago I swam from Alcatraz to shore in just over a half hour. What has happened to me? I am definitely NOT in the same shape I was in last year; but I'm getting there. I've been calorie counting and sweating and avoiding alcohol and I've dropped 7 pounds. My darling JCB, who wasn't too excited to start Boot Camp back in May but did it anyway, now weights in 15 pounds lighter than he was before.
Yes, again, I am jealous! But in the words of Ron Burgundy, "Heck I'm not even mad; that's amzing!" I guess I could have worked a little bit harder, anyway...
Nevertheless, we are in it together. He says he isn't a runner, but he can now run 1.5 miles in under 12 minutes. And he doesn't mind accompanying me on my 7 mile runs to the ocean and back. He has actually even considered training for a half marathon!
I am back on my bike, riding with him to and from work, as well as around Marin on weekends. We have barely missed a second of Le Tour de France, and we are planning to head to France next year to catch some of it in person.
Starting over, together, we have found new inspiration to be healthy. When Boot Camp demoralizes us as it does, quite regularly - during our first week, we couldn't even walk up the steps to our apartment without whimpering - we told each other we couldn't give up. That there's no we in quit! And now, we have no intentions of stopping...
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