Leanna's Andean Adventure

So You Want to Go?

2008-02-13T10:22:00.000-08:00

So let's say you've read this blog....and you've fawned over the photos of the amazing sites and very cute animals...and you want to go. Moreover, you've noticed that I dropped no names of airlines, hotels, agencies, guides, etc. And you want some down to earth travel advice.

PERU
If you do not book a prepaid tour, you can hire guides and drivers on an adhoc basis or buy a combination of one to four day package tours and treks from one of the many agencies in Cusco or Lima. Typically the smaller agencies have less overhead and more of your fees go directly to goods and services (rather than administrative middle men). The Cusco/Machu Picchu area is a destination for many Latin Americans who do not have large budgets and thus there is a tremendous amount of very inexpensive group travel. The Cusco-area City Tour which includes a bilingual guide and a six hour visit to four different sites sells for $12. The full day tour to the Sacred Valley which includes a sumptuous buffet lunch sells for $25. Comfortable hotels in Cusco with a full breakfast can be booked for $35/single and $50/double. And there a tons of cheap hostels which go for under $10/night. The treks can also be booked by Cusco agencies (both in-person as well as online). A standard Inca Trail trek (4 days; 3 nights) which includes bilingual guides, porters, cooks, food, tents, pick-up in Cusco and the train ride back from Machu Picchu sells for about $280. While the trip from Lima to Cusco is about an hour by air, it can be upwards of 25 hours by bus, so book your own flight in advance for at least this portion. LAN and TACA are reputable airlines which fly this route. Travel between Puno and Cusco can be done either by bus or train. The train only goes certain days of the week, while there are plenty of safe/comfortable tourist-oriented buses that go every day. In Puno you can go down to the wharf and book a day-trip to Uros. While there are agencies who sell the overnight visit/homestay to Amantani and Taquile Islands, more of your money goes directly to you host family if you book this $30/trip at the wharf as well.

If you do not have enough time to travel overland between Peru and Ecuador, you can purchase an open-jaw air ticket flying into Lima and out of Quito. In that I flew on American Airlines which has a partnership with LAN, they included the flight from Lima to Quito in my flight package.

ECUADOR
While Otavalo can be visited as a day-trip from Quito (typical cost for such a trip is $45), one can catch a local bus for $2 each way and spend a night or two in this very indigenous and quite prosperous town. The Saturday markets (that spill out from the plaza and through all of the streets) are not to be missed. In addition to the usual market fare (food and housewares for the locals) and weavings for the tourists, there are countless artisans with some delightfully original creations. Quito is a modern city with much well-preserved colonial architecture. Allow a couple of days to visit museums and the equator site.

GALAPAGOS
There are basically three ways to visit the Galapagos Islands. You can see it ship-board by booking a 6-10 day trip which includes the flight from Quito (or Guayaquil) and full transfers and accomodations. These ships vary from super-luxury oceanliners with room for upwards of 100 guests to small chartered houseboats with room for about 15 passengers. Typically, the more you pay, the better your food and accomodations will be. You can book at hotel in Puerto Ayora on the very touristic island of Santa Cruz and book day-trips to snorkel and visit neighoring islands. Most islands are at 2-3 hours away...and thus any day-trip is likely to involve a fair amount of transit time. The final version (which we did) involved booking a trip-package which included staying in quite comfortable hotels on four of the islands, a plethora of activities (snorkeling, biking, hiking, horsebackriding and museum visits) as well as passage by means of a comfortable motor boat between islands. While such a trip might be down independently, booking hotels and arranging passage between the islands (e.g. chartering your own yacht and crew) could be quite pricey. Our ten day tour which included the flight to and from , just about every meal, bikes, snorkeling equipment, as well as a stay at a spiffy Quito hotel was about $2,000. The ship-based tours tend to average between $300 and $500 per day, while the land-based Puerto Ayora version would depend on the hotel and day-trips one booked. Puerto Ayora has a full complement of different hotels to choose from, with a growing number catering to the interests of budget travellers.

The Culture of Tourism

2008-02-13T09:25:00.000-08:00

The moment I stepped off the plane in Peru, I was thrust into a dynamic. There were roles I was expected to play--and a country-filled with counterparts to engage these presumed roles. I was expected to be interested in seeing indigenously dressed natives--in taking their pictures and purchasing their crafts. Moreover I was expected to be interested in viewing ancient Inca and Aymara sites...and being photographed visiting these places. This was just all a given. Who would go to Peru or Ecuador as a tourist and not want to do this?

To support such activities there has developed a whole complex of businesses and trained professionals. Many young Peruvians go to tourism school to become guides, translators, travel agents and hotel and restaurant managers. Being that there is a constant influx of tourists to Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, few Peruvians living in these areas even think of engaging in non-touristic occupations. Those who don't acquire professional training may make and/or sell crafts or wear indigenous attire and pose for "voluntary" tips. They were all primed for my presumed tourisitic appetite. Moreover, I was expected to play a certain part in this fixed exchange.

Of course we tourists come with their own agendas...especially to physically challenging places like the Peruvian highlands. We want to avoid altitude illness, we don't want to be taken advantage of financially...and we want to feel safe. So then the intercultural dance begins. Some tourists arrive on their prepaid tours and their guides watch over them like hawks. Others of us arrive a bit more independently and are immediately regarded as marks for the panoply of Peruvians who might potentially profit over our presence in their country.

In private corners the Peruvians chat about who tipped them well, who bought pricey stuff from them...and who didn't. And then we tourists have our chats. What's a good price? What's a good place to eat? sleep? and to take those ubiquitous photos? Who are the good agencies? guides? And where can you go when you just want to shake the whole thing off...when you've heard enough factoids about the ancient Incas and bought enough alpaca products?

And the Galapagos? Well the whole archepelago is sustained by tourism. Interestingly it is far more European than it is Ecuadorian. European pirates and whalers sought refuge there in the 15th and 16th centuries...and then beginning in the 19th century, European colonies and outposts sprouted up. While the habited cities on the islands do offer touristic-based employment to many Ecuadorian families, they are ultimately rarified places. Crime barely exists while the islands' best and brightest become naturalists and guides in the spirit of Charles Darwin.

As for the touristic appetite on the Galapagos...largely it is to share space with the many fearless species of birds, tortoises, iguanas and those oh so cute sea lion pups. And considering that we come there for that...they make very sure that we readily find all of them...and as often as possible. Scratching beneath the touristic veneer, we do find out that this wonderland is being genetically engineered for our enjoyment. If it weren't for touristic appetites, the six nearly extinct strains of tortoises would not be living in breeding sanctuaries with master plans to repatriate all of the niches that were nearly lost to the very hardy goats (on board with the early colonists' ships). After a couple of days on the Galapagos, it becomes very clear that there are no pristine places....except for the touristic imagination.

Wind Down

2008-02-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

My final night in Ecuador I faced I'd caught a fever (my skin was crawling with the chills) and that my tummy felt yucky. It was cold and rainy and I could barely sleep. In the early morning, I jammed my months-worth of purchases into two bags, alongside of sandy clothes from the Galapagos and wet socks from traipsing around Quito's torrential rains. My hostal manager made me some chamomile tea and after sipping as much as I could, I caught a cab to the airport.

After paying a pricey departure tax, I was informed that the only way I could take my Inka Trail walking stick back home was to incorporate it into one of my two official bags.... Either that or pay $100 for an extra checked item. The airline folks advised me to have it plastic-wrapped against my smaller bag (a cloth Ecuadorian duffel bag) for $7. Initially, I didn't believe it would work as the bag kept collapsing as more plastic was imposed on it and the stick....eventually it did work and I made it over to the final waiting room. As I took a seat (next to Amanda, an Australian woman who had been on the Galapagos tour), I faced that I really felt sick. She'd been sick (with some version of this bug) during the tour...and confirmed that whatever I was feeling was "real."

I went over to the airline desk and told them I didn't feel well. I must have looked pretty bad in that they immediately offered to let me fly another time. The thought of taking a cab back into rainy Quito sounded worse, so they changed my window seat to an aisle seat to enable me to get up and down more easily. Then I proceeded to take all the possible remedies I could: tylenol and ibuprofen to reduce the fever...and Bonine and Immodium for my tummy. Amazingly, I survived the first stretch to Miami, even partaking in a bit of breakfast. Miami was a total zoo. First there were passport inspections. Then all baggage had to be reclaimed, inspected by customs and re-checked. The first sign of American life was a Starbucks which was absolutely teaming with customers. Then there were all the business people on cell phones, blackberries, and laptops. For a moment I thought, wow Americans are so industrious! Then I remembered all the ladies in Ecuador with pails of mangos, all the barkers selling chips and sweets on city buses, and the countless Peruvians who engage the tourist dollar around Cusco and Machu Picchu. I went through one more (huge) inspection line in which terrorist contraband was again investigated (in Quito I'd gotten a nearly-full water bottle through inspection with no problem). This time I ran no such private tests...and again passed. Eventually I was seated on my last flight of the trip. Still feverish, I wrapped myself in the flight blanket and hoped for the best. The flight had yet to take off....and suddenly I found myself ruffling in the seat pocket for the airsickness bag. My worst travel fears began.... I began puking, first in the bag...and then just all over--the airline blanket...and one of my jackets. Two flight attendants rushed over and began to bag up all the soiled items...a nearby passenger, handed me several wads of baby wipes, another puke bag and a bottle of water. The attendants asked if I would prefer to fly another time, advising that it was completely feasible to wheel the plane back to the terminal. In that moment I felt better....and opted to stay on the flight. All I did for the next six hours was to drink ginger-ale, and stare at whatever movies/TV programming were playing. I arrived into the cold of LA, still sporting a Galapagos suntan. My cell phone was completely dead (I'd burned out the charger by plugging it into a 220 volt outlet on my first night in Lima). Fortunately a woman on the curb allowed me to use hers to call Don. He eventually came (the traffic that evening around the airport was so thick that he took him several tries to access airline curb in which I was waiting.)

Images from the Mitad del Mundo (equator park)

2008-02-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

Visiting Around Quito

2008-01-29T15:25:00.000-08:00

Over the last couple of days we´ve taken in many of Quito´s attractions. Yesterday we took a series of local buses out to the Equator Park, El Mitad del Mundo. Aboard the bus were mothers nursing babies, women with pails of mangos, a guy trying to hawk embroidery thread, and an endless supply of guys selling little packets of potato chips. The park was a bit empty in that it was a weekday, making it easy to take lots of clear photos of the monument. The monument itself houses an impressive exhibit featuring dioramas of the many tribal peoples of Ecuador. After looking through a well-designed exhibit on the history of man´s efforts to measure the earth (beginning with the Greeks and featuring lots of French scientists) and poking around many of the gift shops we headed back to our hotel in Mariscal district of Quito. Rather than another colorful busride, we shared a cab with a delightful couple from the Boston area that we´d met on the flight to the Galapagos.

Today I again attempted public transit, this time on a metro-bus over the the Grand Plaza. It´s an impressive set of government buildings, churches, exhibition halls and of course a well-appointed plaza. After surveying a heavily gold guilded church, I found my way into a photo-exhibit featuring winners of the world press association´s annual contest. It was an amazing display, some of my favorites were tourists (in bathing suits) attending to African refugees on an island off of Spain and the wedding photo of an American girl and her Iraqi war vet husband whose face was so mangled by injuries he barely looked human.

In the afternoon I hooked up with Andy for a visit to Quito´s Cultural Center which houses museums, a dance company, a library and a theater company. We spent several hours looking through a fabulous museum which looks at Ecuador´s social and artistic history, beginning with pre-columbian artifacts, onto the Spanish conquest (with all of its challenges) onto Simon Bolivar´s successful fight for independence and finally a selection of work from a variety of contemporary artists.

Inside a Lava Tunnel / Cave

2008-01-28T07:31:00.000-08:00

Galapagos Tortoises

2008-01-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

The small ones are about five years old and were hatched in a breeding program. The big one is part of a line of tortoises, living on Santa Cruz Island, that has never faced extinction.

Galapagos Green

2008-01-28T07:20:00.000-08:00

Golden Land Iguana

2008-01-28T06:26:00.000-08:00

These are a completely different species from the water iguanas that roost along the sea rocks.

Lava Flows on Isabella Island

2008-01-28T06:23:00.000-08:00

We climbed all over these...amazing colors and texture.

Brown Pelicans

2008-01-28T06:21:00.001-08:00

These guys were waiting for handouts on the fishing wharf at Santa Cruz Island

Horseback Riding on Isabella Island

2008-01-28T06:18:00.000-08:00

Backlit Galapagos Cactus

2008-01-28T06:15:00.000-08:00

Much of the island terrain is desert... These begin as plants and eventually grow into trees...

Perfect Beach at Santa Cruz Island

2008-01-28T06:12:00.000-08:00

Galapagos Wind Down

2008-01-27T15:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we visited the Charles Darwin center and took in yet another exhibit on the unique geology of the Galapagos. Then we met more tortoises that we being bred so as to "repatriate," the islands back to a time before colonists, pirates and an environmental movement. Afterwards we visited a huge lava flow-cave that took about 15 minutes to walk through. There were some parts that were so low that we had to crawl on our bellies. It was slippery, a bit unnerving and altogether amazine.

Later we wandered through a huge field that sported tortoises whose line had never gone extinct. Perhaps it was a confluence of living on an island with no natural water source (unlike Floreana and San Cristobal) which had discouraged the arrival of 16th century pirates and such. After lunch I took a 40 minute walk to a beach which sees very few tourists (due to the long walk). It had the whitest smoothest sand and perfect waves. I swam a bunch and then borrowed a friend's boogie board so as to seriously ride some of those delicious waves.

After a final dinner which featured a big hunk of tuna on a lava rock (which enabled one to cook it as little or as much as they desired), we had sea lion honking contests and called it a night. Today was largely dedicated to getting back to Quito. The trip involved a taxi to the edge of Santa Cruz Island, a short ferry to Baltra Island, a bus to the airport, a plane ride to Guayaquil, refueling the plane, another plane ride to Quito, a short bus ride to the terminal, and a van ride back to the hotel.

I can't believe that in a couple of days I'll be returning to winter rains and cold. I'm not ready.

Santa Cruz Island (the tourist center)

2008-01-25T17:00:00.000-08:00

Today we finished visiting laid back Isabel Island where the streets are covered with sand and the beach is just about empty. We took in more Iguanas and snorkeled amongst sea turtles and some of the most beautiful fish I´ve ever laid my eyes on.

After gathering together our things, we took one more long boat ride (about two hours) and landed on Santa Cruz Island, the center of Galapagos tourism. The streets are lined with curio shops, tour agencies, Internet Cafes, and non-stop restaurants. And the bay is filled with huge tour ships, each housing upwards of 100 people. Feels like a bit of culture shock compared to the slow-paced worlds of Isabel and Floreana Islands. The main good thing (as far as I´m concerned) is that there is broadband Internet, enabling me to easily load photos!

Two Day Old Tortoise

2008-01-25T16:51:00.000-08:00

Galapagos Lagoon

2008-01-25T16:48:00.000-08:00

Lagoons like this are fabulous for snorkeling

Iguanas Establishing Rank

2008-01-25T16:44:00.001-08:00

The Iguana on top is putting the lower one in it´s place...

Iguana Waiting for Action

2008-01-25T16:39:00.000-08:00

The most important thing for male iguanas is to find a desireable spot to see and be seen. Once properly placed, the females appear!

Snorkeling

2008-01-24T16:35:00.000-08:00

I have finally mastered snorkeling! The last time I´d tried (in Jamaica), my mask didn´t fit well and kept leaking water...and then I got horribly seasick from the rocking currents. This time our guide stuck with me until we found a properly fitting mask--one that would stay on steadily and not disrupt my contact lenses! With that in place I pushed through all of that anxiety of feeling like I was gasping for breath and allowed myself to just swallow gently and breathe through my mouth.

I dove off of our boat and onto an amazing site. Outcroppings of coral...the most gorgeous fish in the world (at least MY visual world)--gold, turquoise, black, bright orange, and then schools of sharks! And then sea tortoises....and finally the cutest sea lions--which seemed primed to play not just with each other, but with ME! No underwater camera...sorry. But believe me, it´s all true!

More Galapagos

2008-01-24T16:12:00.000-08:00

I´ve been offline a couple of days because we´ve been on some pretty remote islands. We visited Floreana island that has a very small human population (around 100) and a very intriguing history. Several German families were drawn to the island in the early 1900s to live an ascetic life...then a baroness came with three lovers and plans to build a 5 star hotel. The German families vetoed her plans..and then the lovers got into disputes (having no possibility of cooperating on a project to please the baroness) and ultimately did each other in. Before then, the island was a hide-out for pirates who helped themselves to the huge tortoises (which provided oil and portable food for those long sea journeys).

These days there is a rather spartan hotel on the island (which we stayed at) and a tortoise reserve. It was the closest to a desert island paradise that I´ve ever seen. While I could imagine just sitting on the edge of the sea for weeks, writing up a storm and engaging in the sort of ascetic life those German families sought, we were scheduled to leave the next day for Isabella Island.

Isabella has about 2,500 human inhabitants and a gradually increasing population of tortoises. Five different subspecies are being bred so as to repopulate those that were destroyed by pirates and a maniacal farmer named Antonio Gil. So why repopulate the island with slow-growing tortoises? Obviously it´s not for their meat nor their fat nor their speed. Simply it´s for tourism. "Galapagos" means giant tortoise...and thus they must be restored! And all of those goats that have inhabitated tortoise niches are in the process of being eradicated. There is no such thing as a pristine ecological niche. All that they are doing here is re-creating a vision of one!

Today we rode horses and then hiked along the lava flows of several of the volcanoes that have formed this island. It´s the largest of the Galapagos Islands and amazingly diverse. This morning we were in a light rain storm up amongst the still-warm volcanoes...and then descending we passed through coffee plantations...and then finally back to the edge of the sea with beautiful beaches.

Galapagos Sunset

2008-01-21T20:02:00.000-08:00

Galapagos Heron

2008-01-21T19:54:00.000-08:00

This one was tame enough to rest on our boat´s motor.

Galapagos Sea Lions

2008-01-21T19:51:00.001-08:00

Sea lions have free reign here, sleeping on park benches, stairways and hanging in large camps on the beaches.

Galapagos Launch

2008-01-21T19:15:00.000-08:00

The evening before last I arrived in Quito to connect with my tour of the Galapagos Islands. Andy and I had searched the net for days and settled on a 10-day GAP tour that was land-based. Many tours are ship-based, meaning that one lives on board a ship during the time they spend on the islands. We wanted to get to know the islands more intimately (by sleeping on them). I was also anxious about being in a constant state of seasickness (before discovering the power of Bonine) and thought that a land-based tour would be more settling.

First impressions: I had this idea that the Galapagos Islands were (and always had been a pristine) national park. Hardly. They were the outposts of pirates and whalers in the 1500s who ruthlessly destroyed tortoises and such. When Darwin came to study adaptation (which led to his theory of Natural Selection) in mid-1800s, there were already settlements in place on several of the islands.

Arrival: We flew into Baltras which houses the primary airport on the island of Santa Cruz. That airport was absolutely filled with tourists who were either leaving after their week or so long stays or who were arriving. Tour guides thrust signs into the air to gather their groups. Tim, an athletic guy with sandy blonde hair from New Zealand met our group. After claiming our bags we were whisked into a bus for a quick ride over to a motor boat. We then took a nearly 3 hour ride bouncing through rough seas to get to San Cristobal Island. Despite having drugged myself up with Bonine, I suffered. I sat quietly closing my eyes, hoping that ride would end...

San Cristobal is home to many Spanish speaking Ecuadorians, many who were born on the island. There are ranches and farms as well as low-keyed tourist offerings like day-trips, a number of small hotels, and a bunch of cozy restaurants. The first afternoon we went bike riding
through groves of coffee, papayas, etc. Today we took the boat out and snorkled in two amazing coves. I could not believe my eyes! I frolicked amongst baby sea lions, swam amidst countless schools of fish, and got upclose and personal with sea tortoises and sharks. Later we visited a culture and nature interpretive center and then went over crunchy lava fields (all of the islands are volcanic).

Tomorrow we´re off to Floreana, a small island that sports a rich social history including a 19th c. woman who came here with her three lovers with the intention of growing rich through opening a successful hotel. Instead the lovers fought each other other jealousies, with several ultimately losing their lives.

We have a super-early morning wake-up call, so I´ll write more the next time I can get online.

Butcher Counter with Canine Freeloader

2008-01-19T20:27:00.000-08:00

Every meat department has a cadre of dogs looking for handouts!

Otavalan fruits

2008-01-19T20:23:00.000-08:00

Condor Park Bird with Message (video)

2008-01-19T20:13:00.000-08:00

Otavalan weavings...

2008-01-19T20:10:00.000-08:00

Otavalo Markets and Such

2008-01-19T19:34:00.000-08:00

I gave myself a couple of days to explore Otavalo which is a major indigenous stronghold. Quichua (not Quechua) speaking peoples live here...and the region is known for excellent crafts production. Master weavers and leather workers create exquisite work...and then there are the new age artists who work with "ecologically correct" materials like seeds and bark as opposed to plastics and glass.

The hotel I stayed in is run by an expat American who has called Ecuador home for the last 30 odd years. We chatted for awhile, noting all the American anthropologists we've both know. Then she launched into her astrological analysis of my personality...somewhat accurate, but hey we all believe what we want to!

While in town I wandered through a small anthropology museum at the university campus and then caught a cab up to a nicely designed condor park The park was designed by a Dutch NGO and fits beautifully into the hilltop landscape. After peering over the entire town, I proceeded to walk about 4 miles through Indian villages on my way back to town. That evening the hotel offered a special Quichwa concert featuring charangas (small guitars) and Andean flutes and drums. It was quite exquisite.

Then this morning I jerked myself awake at 6 am to check out the Saturday animal market. There two-week old calves, baby pigs, goats, chickens and sheep were offered for sale. It was a rather informal affair wherein buyers approached purveyors and/or purveyors shouted out their prices to all interested parties. Being a tourist with a camera, I was hit upon, too. Knowing I was unlikely to buy a goat or a pig, enterprising women with photos of themselves weaving, approached me to buy their beautifully woven scarves. And yes, I spent some money, too.

Afterwards I wandered through more of the Saturday markets--fruits and vegetables, housewares and then for the busloads of tourists: a sprawling crafts market. I bought things I'd never even realized I wanted, like a painting of an ancient Quichwa calendar on a lightly processed bark. With my daypack brimming with stuff, I decided I'd made my contribution to the artisans of Otavalo and packed up my púrchases. I caught a dollar taxi which took me to the bus terminal where I boarded a two dollar bus back to Quito. I sat in front with the bus driver, the fare collector and a young women. Between bites of sugar cane cubes (juicy and delicious), they decided to tell me about about the dating and mating practices of Ecuadorians. The guys would proclaim one thing while the young woman would laugh in their faces. Can't say I learned any take-home facts, but nonetheless we were all in stitches over each sex's claim over what the other one was like!

On the edge of Quito, I was dropped off at a spot where I caught a cab over to my hotel. Andy was already settled in (he{d arrived yesterday). After awhile we met with the 14 others (largely Europeans) who will be part of our Galapagos tour group. It promises to be a great tour. Tomorrow we catch a 7 am flight, leaving the hotel right before 6 am. I{m excited.

Inka Architectural Details

2008-01-18T05:18:00.000-08:00

This last image features a hook for attaching a wooden door.

Machu Picchu Details

2008-01-18T05:12:00.000-08:00

In this last image one can peer through a succession of windows.

Classic Views of Machu Picchu

2008-01-18T05:06:00.001-08:00

It was cloudy and overcast the morning we arrived....

Friendly Llamas near Machu Picchu

2008-01-18T05:02:00.000-08:00

Archaeological Remains Along the Inka Trail

2008-01-18T04:57:00.000-08:00

The trapezoidal windows and doors prevented earthquake damage.

Inka Trail Campground

2008-01-18T04:53:00.000-08:00

Each encampment had between 5 and 15 tents. The larger tents were for cooking and dining. The porters carried all of these plus cooking gear and food for everyone.

The Top of the Highest Pass of the Inka Trail

2008-01-18T04:48:00.000-08:00

The guys featured here were my very enthusiastic guides!

Andean Mountains Enveloped in Clouds

2008-01-18T04:46:00.000-08:00

Chicha Vendors Along Inka Trail

2008-01-18T04:43:00.000-08:00

Chicha is a locally made corn beer--the pink version is quite sweet.

White Andean Flowers

2008-01-18T04:40:00.000-08:00

Vendors Along Inka Trail

2008-01-18T04:38:00.000-08:00

Andean Flowers

2008-01-18T04:34:00.000-08:00

Ecuador Arrival

2008-01-17T18:35:00.000-08:00

I just blew into Ecuador today. My very first impressions are that generally it seems richer than Peru...at the minimum, most everything costs more here! It was one of those humungo journeys to get here. Forced myself awake at 5 am to shower and finish packing and then Jesus my (very hands-on-travel-agent) picked me up at my hotel to take me to the Cusco airport. There I and my stuff got screened, I paid an airport usage fee and eventually boarded a plane for Lima. There I paid a more extensive airport usage fee (about $30) and sort of slept for a couple of hours on a couple of armless chairs until my flight to Quito was ready for boarding. The flight seemed to have quite a few Americans who were on their way to the Galapagos. After we cleared customs they were all escorted by travel reps to their hotels. I meanwhile nabbed a taxi driver who drove me to a particular spot along the highway to catch a peoples bus to Otavalo. Even though I was the only foreigner on the bus, they knew exactly what I was after. They heaved my now quite heavy bag onto the bus and informed me that once we got to Otavalo I could catch a $1 cab to the hotel. (The bus ride was $2). The bus featured a dubbed American action movie and beautiful views of the countryside including an exquisite looking lake. The expected cab driver appeared the moment the bus pulled into Otavalo and I was whisked to my artfully decorated hotel.

My first Ecuadorian discovery was that THE currency in use is the American dollar. Unlike in Peru where dollars are an alternative currency to the sole, Ecuadorian crucero has not been in use for eight years. While in Peru, dollar bills are carefully examined for their veracity, here the bills in use are very beat up...and challenging them seems irrelevant.

Otavalo sports many markets (crafts, animals and food) as well as a complement of interesting museums. It´s late now (and I´m very exhausted from today´s journey), so much to explore tomorrow and Saturday!

The Inka Trail Trek

2008-01-16T12:36:00.000-08:00

I´m back from one of the toughest treks I´ve ever taken. It was 3 1/2 days of solid walking--along trails, up steep steps and down very slippery ones. The average trekker was about 25, though there was a scattering of older folks like me. Honestly it was the first time that I have ever felt a bit old. I could not sprint along the steep steps--every time I got winded I just stopped and sort of caught my breath for a bit. On the third day there was a tremendous amount of downhill, as I pounded down the interminable stairs, my toes would feel uncomfortably crammed into my boots. The next day I remembered the old hikers trick of wearing thin socks inside of thick ones, and that did help a bit.

So what´s the trek like? Well everyday about 10 tour groups (ranging in size from 4 to 20) descend upon the last portion of the Inka Trail. Each group has a bunch of porters who carry tents, tables, chairs, cooking gear and fresh food. Our group was served such things as beef, chicken and fish along with potatoes and rice as well as a creamed soup flavored with vegetables. Breakfasts included things like omelettes, hot cereal, bread, jam and tea. And the lunches were hot, too. The porters are super-fit men who run ahead of all of the trekkers, getting to the designated camp grounds (we stayed at three different ones) in time to set up the tents and make the meals.

Groups can enlist a trekking agency to arrange their trek or individuals (like me) can simply show up in Cusco and find a trek to join. My trekking group included three American guys (who I´d met on the boat in Puno), a Canadian girl from Alberta, a Chinese-American girl from San Francisco, two Argentinian guys, and a Brazilian woman. After four days, we did become a "family." On the last morning the cooks made a breakfast birthday cake which was covered with jam, they lit a candle and they all sang "happy birthday" to me.

We had two guides, very fit men in their early 30s who had attended guide school, in which they´d studied Inka archeology and group leadership. They were wonderful, pitching in to carry extra stuff as well as patiently answering all of my questions about every archeological site we stopped to explore.

On the first day we were all picked up at around 7 am at our respective hotels and then loaded into a bus which stopped at Ollantayambo. There quite a few other buses also stopped there to enable us trekkers to buy trip "essentials" like decorated walking sticks, pretty water bottle holders, rain ponchos and coca leaves (for energy). I bought just about everything...

Then a pile of porters boarded the back of the bus and we were driven a bit further to our starting point. Then more local sales people showed up to sell straps for attaching sleeping bags and foam mats to everyone´s backpacks. I took it easy and hired a porter to carry my rented sleeping bag (which was thin and had a broken zipper ugh!), my borrowed mat and my extra gear. After each group was processed by the authorities we began to walk. Our first stop was adjacent to a village where things like water, soft drinks and chicha (homemade corn beer) were for sale. As we walked further from village life, such products became increasingly expensive. Here in Peru I´ve paid between 30 cents and 3 dollars for a medium sized bottle of water!

The second day involved a hugely steep climb over a pass--at one point I doubted I´d make it, but I did. Being one of the last in my group to force my way up, they all applauded when I arrived:) The third day was a really long hiking day and by the time my tired body got into camp, it was already dark. That final camp was adjacent to a restaurant which became filled with loads of young Argentinian trekkers who whopped it up most of the night. I was just grateful that the restaurant staff willingly recharged my camera battery so I could shoot as much of Machu Picchu as I cared to the following day.

Arriving at Machu Picchu by foot is pretty amazing. One approaches the sun gate...and then gradually the classic overlook. As we got closer to the main site, day-trippers began to appear, people who were neatly dressed and bathed and who were being led around by guides in many languages. Having gotten up at 4 that morning (so that our porters could pack up the entire camp and get onto a train back to Ollantayambo in time to meet another group), I was truly exhausted during our tour of Machu Picchu. And then a couple of hours into exploring this once hidden city, it began to rain. Not just a little rain, but enough to pour down my plastic poncho and absolutely soak my pants. I began to feel progressively more and more miserable--the combination of being horribly sleep deprived and wet led me to take the tourist bus into Aguas Calientes. There I met up with the rest of my trekking family for a final meal, goodbyes and then a hot shower and much needed sleep.

Today I did very little other than take a long soak in the thermal baths that give this town its name and buy a T-shirt that proclaims that I survived the Inka Trek. Tonight I catch the train back to Cusco. And then tomorrow I fly to Lima and then onward to Ecuador, arriving in Quito. My plans are to catch a bus to Otavalo for a couple of days before connecting with Andy to go to the Galapagos Islands.

Off on a Trek to Macchu Pichu

2008-01-11T17:58:00.000-08:00

Today was a day of pulling things together to get ready for my 4-day trek up to Macchu Pichu. This morning I took an extremely uneventful bus ride from Puno back to Cusco. It was one of those very safe tourist busses which showed some American action adventure movies to complement the serene Peruvian countryside filled with corn, potatoes and herds of sheep. I´ll be visiting Macchu Pichu on my birthday (Jan. 15)...and then staying at a hotel in Aguas Calientes where there are nearby aguas calientes (hot springs). If you want to try to call, I´ll be getting into my hotel (Oro Verde) after 6 pm (EST) (after 3 pm PST) and the number there is 011-51-84-400507

Around Taquile Island

2008-01-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

Taquile Island

2008-01-10T14:47:00.000-08:00

After one of the roughest boatrides I´ve ever experienced, I slowly walked up hundreds of cobblestone steps onto the island of Taquile. Unlike Amantani, homestays are rare here. Craftworkers abound, spreading their wares the moment they sense another boat of tourists is about to explore their otherwise quiet island. Women spin wool as they walk, perhaps in an effort to not waste a moment of time in making the many hats, belts, and purses that are their specialties. Ultimately the island prospers as a result of tourism....and everyone who is interested in more soles does all they can to dress native, make stuff and sell stuff. After several hours of exploring, including running into tourists from all over the world, we piled into our boat and enjoyed a relatively placid three-hour ride back to Puno. Tomorrow I return to Cusco and the following day I´ll partake in a 4-day/3-night trek along the Inca Trail, ending in Machu Picchu.

Views from Amantani

2008-01-10T14:44:00.001-08:00

Beatriz Makes a Soup

2008-01-10T14:40:00.000-08:00

Potato farming on Amantani

2008-01-10T14:37:00.000-08:00

I Become an Inca Woman

2008-01-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

Children of Amantani

2008-01-10T14:29:00.000-08:00

The Island of Amantani

2008-01-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

Next we travelled about three more hours out on Lake Titicaca to a real island, filled with 2,500 Quechua speaking people. The ride got a little rough, but fortunately I´d taken my new favorite drug of choice, Bonine, and didn´t turn green for a minute! Next a bunch of local housewives boarded the boat and each of them took 3 to 4 travellers into their homes for the night. I was assigned a woman named Beatriz whose husband was off in Puno picking up her 19 year old daughter who was studying tourism at the university. Meanwhile I got to chat with Beatriz and her 13 year old daughter. She cooked a bunch of typical dishes which included lots of potatoes, quinoa, barley, carrots and onions. And we talked about her very clear choice to live on the island rather than following the footsteps of her siblings who have gone to live in Puno and Lima. She likes how peaceful it is--there are no cars and very limited electricity. (The electricity that does exist is produced by solar panels--a delightful jump into the 21st century!) I wandered around taking pictures, distributing balloons to small children and chatting up a variety of the island´s residents. After dinner there was absolutely nothing to do -- the cobblestone streets were pitch black so I went to sleep. The next morning Beatriz invited me to play dress-up in some local clothes and then we took pictures. After that it was time to get back on the boat for one of the roughest rides I´ve ever experienced (thanks to Bonine I survived beautifully) and onto the island of Taquile.

Visiting Around Lake Titicaca-Uros

2008-01-10T13:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I boarded a slightly rickety boat along with about 15 other travellers (largely backpackers doing Peru on the super-cheap) for an overnight visit to several of the islands near Puno. First we visited Uros which is a man-made island formed from sod-blocks made from dried reeds. It´s quite close to Puno and collects a huge amount of tourist traffic. When we arrived we received an orientation that verged on the hillarious as our local guide placed a series of miniature (Monopoly game style) reed houses on a platform to demonstrate the two housing styles on the island, then he produced a small reed boat and finally he produced a small pail full of fish to demonstrate the local diet! Next we were invited to buy things (of course) and then we took a short ride on one of the reed boats. The whole thing was too fun for words!

Peruvian Potatoes

2008-01-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

There are many varieties of potatoes that are grown in the Peruvian Highlands. Here are some that were being sold at the Mercado Central. (The last ones are peeled and soaked in water.)

Puno Market Foods and Vendors

2008-01-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

A Second Life for Las Cosas Electronicas

2008-01-08T19:48:00.000-08:00

In one of my many walks through Puno I found the Mercado Central--a bit like LA's Grand Central Market, but with a uniquely Peruvian flair. My favorite was the Electronics Department wherein all fashion of discarded American TVs, computers and DVD players were receiving a second life. I would love to find a way to ship things down here! (This city is completely littered with Internet Cafes in that everyone loves to chat, play games and surf the web and almost no one can afford a home computer.)

Anthropology and Tourism

2008-01-08T19:31:00.000-08:00

Today I released myself from the blaring world of Peruvian Tourism. For once no one was hounding me to buy stuff, listen to factoids about Inca history or begging me for a sole for the privilege of posing for a photo. Instead I just wandered around this rather normal city--a city nestled on the edge of Lake Titicaca. I found my way to the local university and over to the anthropology department which appears to include the tourism department. I started to wonder whether tourism majors (a most popular field of study here in Peru) took just enough anthropology classes to become tour guides! And then from my very American perspective, I faced that it would be quite unlikely that anyone here engages in anthropological studies of tourism. (Something that at this moment I have way too much to comment upon!)

People Looking very Native

2008-01-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

Inka Archeology

2008-01-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

The Inka Empire achieved many architectural feats. The trapezoidal shapes prevented destruction during earthquakes. (The earthquakes were considered punishment from their gods.) The last image is a gateway along the famous Inka trail (a portion of which I´ll be trekking along next week.)

Folkloric Dancers

2008-01-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

One evening in Cusco I had the opportunity to watch this fantatic dance troup. Their costumes and choreography was just amazing.

Andean Dogs and A Couple of Pigs

2008-01-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

The Altitude Knocks Me Out

2008-01-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took a tourist bus from Cusco to Puno which is on the edge of Lake Titicaca. The ride was extra long because it included stops at several archeological monuments, another look at Llamas, another buffet lunch and a lot of commentary from a largely Spanish speaking tour guide. When I was placed in seat 23 in the bus (about the middle) I already felt a bit nervous. Could I keep my eyes on the road enough to avoid motion-sickness? (For anyone who knows me even a little, I must either drive or sit in the front passenger seat, otherwise I turn green within minutes.) Anyways, trying to be a good sport about it, I lasted about a half-hour and then felt so nauseous I faced I had to deal with it. I stumbled to the front, looking so pale that they quickly placed me in the seat next to the driver. All went reasonably well as we pulled into one touristic spot after another and had many many chances to buy alpaca sweaters, woven belts, cute little knitted hats with ear extensions and painted gourds. Every church, remnant of the Inka Trail, view of the snow-covered Andes featured indigenously dressed vendors. Unlike India, there is no begging here. Everyone is selling something, even if it´s just the opportunity to pose for a picture (looking National Geographic-native)

The day went reasonably well as I tried to take pictures recording all of this. The only one I couldn´t get was a Llama posing in front of a sign declaring that American Express is accepted! (The Llama kept moving in that it wasn´t getting a tip for posing...) Then when we pulled into the last archeological monument based in some small town, my whole body began to shiver. Figuring I had a fever, I took some ibuprofen. Nothing much happened. Then one of the bus assistants told me I looked like I was really sick. ¨Si,¨ I told her. I could barely walk. So they summoned a young woman who had a bicycle taxi to get me over to the local clinic which was about five blocks away. At the clinic, a wise looking nurse took my temperature and blood pressure and confirmed that I had a really bad fever. In centigrades I was registering 38 while normal is 28...and my blood pressure had skyrocketed as well. They gave me three different pills, two to take right away...and one for an hour later. I have no idea what they were. All I knew was I needed help! Anyways eventually my hands felt warm enough that I no longer needed to wear the cute little Inka mittens I´d bought the day before. Upon arrival in Puno, I was given some coca leaf tea and slept for many many hours. And when I awoke I felt much much better!

Street Sales Children

2008-01-05T18:47:00.000-08:00

Llamas

2008-01-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

Travelling Alone

2008-01-05T18:17:00.000-08:00

It´s been awhile since I did a completely solo adventure and I was a slight bit trepidatious, considering that this part of my trip was completely unplanned. So far, it´s working out. The Cusco Hotel I´m staying at is a family-run place that´s about a 10 minute walk into the center of town. Called ¨Hostal Pension Alemana,¨ it attracts quite a few Europeans as well as a scattering of Americans. At the daily breakfast which features Muesli and Yogurt as well as standard breakfast fare, everyone wants me to sit with them, perhaps because they´re a bit bored with each other and I´m this free-spirited interesting person.

And yesterday while on the city tour (which visits a bunch of the nearby churches and archeological sites) I sat with a Peruvian woman from Connecticut who had such a good time chatting that she asked if I´d come out for her wedding next summer! And then today at lunch, I wandered into a pretty restaurant and saw a Dutch young woman sitting by herself. She was delighted to have me join her...and again another not-to-be missed conversation.

Considering that Cusco is absolutely littered with travel agents (many blocks have 4-5 adjacent to each other), I don´t know how I found the ones that I did. And at this moment, I can´t imagine a better fit. They, Jesus and Charo are a no-longer married couple who have a six year old daughter. They have spent endless hours working out minute details, often personally picking me up and joining me in the activities I have booked. Within days, they have come to feel like family.

Making a Living in Cusco

2008-01-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

Tourism is hugely important to the Cusco economy. Moreover there are tourist academies where one can study how to be travel agent, run a hotel, or be a guide. And then there are all the shops selling arts and textiles...and the locals who pose for pictures (for a donation) and all the street sales people. Today, noting that I didn´t have too much time left here (I´m off to the Sacred Valley tomorrow and then Puno and Lake Titicaca the day after), I bought a couple of woven belts and hats on the street. Suddenly I was acosted by all itinerant salespeople and told that I must buy from them as well! Two small children just would not let up. To them it was completely irrelevant whether I liked their stuff--all that mattered was that I was the apparently rare "tipo" who would buy. Eventually I had them explain to me why no one else on the plaza was an appropriate mark. I pointed to an elderly German couple and they explained that Germans don´t buy from street children. Then I noted a bunch of hippie type Americans and they told me that they live in Cusco and are broke themselves. Then I asked about the many Latin Americans (from Lima, Brazil, Argentina, etc) and I was told they were all on tight budgets and that only Americans like me will buy. There logic was impeccable and so all I could possibly do in that moment was buy more stuff!

Andean Weavers

2008-01-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

Cusco Horseback Ride

2008-01-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

Cusco Spinners

2008-01-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

Lima at Night

2008-01-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

Gold Museum Mask, Lima

2008-01-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas Decorations in Lima

2008-01-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

Lovers Point, Lima

2008-01-05T13:59:00.000-08:00

Earrings from the Gold Museum

2008-01-05T13:57:00.000-08:00

Nose Ring from the Gold Museum

2008-01-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

Lima Launch

2008-01-04T05:37:00.000-08:00

I left LA during the first hours of the New Year, cramming the last bits of travel gear into an already filled-to-the-brim travelling bag. It was still dark when I arrived at LAX, joining line upon line of travellers to process passports, tickets and bags. Pretty much everyone slept (as well as one might) on the trip to Miami. In Miami I scoped out a great Cuban restaurant, gorged on fried plantain, yucca, and chicken and then got myself and carry on bags searched over again for the second flight into Lima.

Relative to arriving in Delhi last year, Lima was a breeze. Whatever chaos there was barely blipped my radar screen. I changed some dollars into soles and then a cab driver asked me if I´d like a lift into town. We chatted about everything under the sun--politics, poverty, teen pregnancy, AIDS, and climate change. Through what seemed like an extraordinary number of backstreets (Lima has very few freeways), we arrived in Miraflores, a district that houses lots of hotels and is right along the beach. The hotel I thought I had booked through the Internet did not have any rooms left and so my driver found me something else. It was fine. The staff were friendly and I found what I needed: a bed to get horizontal in.

The next morning I set out on a personal walking tour down over to the coast. I wandered through a modern city with marked contrasts between those with access to resources and those who dream of more. One of my favorite spots was a romantic lovers spot where there was a statue of a smitten couple embracing. Amidst the surrounding gardens countless couples followed suit. Clearly Lima, unlike India, has no restrictions on public displays of affection! Next I found a Museum of Gold, an outpost of the primary museum. Nonetheless it was fun. I took pictures of gold nose-pieces, headdresses, and explored the gold casting process. On top of the pre-programmed audio tour, a guide came over and threw in comments. Enventually our conversation moved from Inca gold into his desires to move the LA and earn a lot more money!

After a seaside lunch I caught a cab over to the anthropology museum. There I took in the grand story of Peru and it´s many indigenous peoples. The European conquests...and the emergence of new cultures and new ways. As I wandered into the gift shop there were a couple of spiffed up Inca artisans who were demonstrating weaving and doing whatever they could to stimulate sales...

Afterwards I wandered a bit more, taking in whatever appeared to me. I´d heard there was a night tour that seemed like a safe way to take in the nightlife of this purportedly dangerous city. I caught another cab back to Miraflores where the tour was supposed to start. Upon arrival I was told the tour had just sold out. Meanwhile I´d begun to chat with my driver David, who happened to be born on the same day I was (Jan. 15), but many years before... Nonetheless it seemed like a fun coincidence and he offered to stop being a cab driver for the rest of the night and instead offer me a personal tour of Lima.

We went to the central plaza which was still decked out with Christmas decorations. It was filled with energy and light. Then we found a "peoples tour" (30 cents each) in a micro-bus up to a mountain that overlooks the city. The bus took at least an hour filling up each and every seat before it would proceed. The guide rambled on in Spanish while the tourists (all South American) carried on their private conversations... The view on top was fantastic. Serene black hills encased in a gold-studded city. Eventually we returned to the cab and then made our way to a delicious dinner. There were just a couple of hours until I had to be deposited at the airport for my early morning flight to Cusco.

We slept a little as he spun "what if" fantasies...of the life he might have if I would take him home with me. He´d work hard, study hard and make something of himself...and we´d raise a family filled with Peruvian children. Interesting. And certainly a big change for both of us. Same time I could largely sense that we had nothing much in common other than shared birthdates! Being somewhat an astrology afficianado (his screen name includes the word "capricornio"), he may have been a bit more convinced than I.

Travelling in Spanish

2008-01-03T16:44:00.000-08:00

This is the first time in many years that I´ve travelled in a place where I very much speak the language. And it has been a complete blast. I have fun conversations with EVERYONE--cab drivers, hotel staff, Inca women selling their wares, museum docents, etc. Talking Spanish I have a different personality--lighter, more playful, curious and with all the time in the world for things to unfold.

Much of the time I´m told that my Spanish is really good (which basically means to me that I don´t sound like a native, e.g. no one tells me my English is really good!) I´ve had fun getting lost, yesterday wandering around Lima and today in Cusco, after emerging from a bad case of altitude sickness (its 3,200 feet here!) Cusco is filled with picturesque cobblestone streets that all look quite similar--and they wind up and down the hilly landscape. Today I wandered kind of nowhere..but then it was ultimately successful. Found a low-keyed travel agent with no particular agenda and worked out all of the details of my next two-weeks here. I´m beginning slow in that my body is just slowly emerging from breathlessness, headache and nausea. After eating a little dinner I felt completely spun around and could not for the life of me figure out where my sweet little hostal was. Eventually a local walked me back here...unlike last year at the Kumbha Mela there are plenty of locals who do know where things are...and speaking Spanish makes a huge difference!

Nearly Ready...Just About Set

2007-12-30T16:44:00.001-08:00

My adventure sets off from LAX at 7 am on New Years Day for Lima, Peru (with a leisurely plane change in Miami)...somehow I trust I'll get from here to there (still sorting what to take, what to still buy, what's optional and what I had better get my ass in gear to do!) So far this is the skeleton of my adventure:

First Two Days in Lima--getting a whiff of Peruvian big city life
Next Two Weeks based in Cusco--I'm hoping to trek up to Machu Picchu, visit islands around Lake Titicaca, and take in a bit of the Amazon Jungle
Then a flight up to Ecuador with a couple of days in Otavalo, an indigenous stronghold with a major crafts market.
Next a bus ride over to Quito and an 8-day tour of the Galapagos Islands (joined by my friend Andy Papp), followed by a couple of more days around Quito.
If all goes as planned I'll be back home on January 30.

Consider subscribing to my blog posts, so that every time something goes up, you'll be alerted by email. And if you do want to write to me while I'm away, I'll be checking my in box at LAWolfe@aol.com

Meanwhile, have a Happy New Year!