Written Images of La Paz

While I was sick in bed for those 3 solid days in La Paz, I had plenty of time to think about the outside world. It made me realize that we haven`t really described La Paz to all of you. So here are a few mental pictures I`ve taken, and I`ll try to bring them to life for you to imagine...

· Outside of the Plaza de San Francisco, at the bottom of Calle Sagarnaga where all the touristic shoping is, one will come across the fruit juice ladies. There must be at least 20 of them around the plaza - some men, but mainly plump, round, cheery, gossipy women. They sell fresh squeezed mandarin, orange and grapefruit juice (increasing in acidity respectively). One cup of the grapefruit juice and all the pores across your nose would open up and your face would involuntarily pucker. This was a common face seen around the plaza as the orange and grapefruit juices were popular. Some of the women use plastic cups, but save them to clean for the next day; some use glass and wash them there in front of you. Their juicers are large metal handles: they cut the citrus circle in half, plop in half by half, and squeeze every last drop out of them. Brian, of course, found his own juice lady - as he does with all his favorite street food.

· Everything is for sale. There are stores on the narrow streets, but the stuff doesn`t seem to stay in them. The colors, the fabrics, the little knit finger puppets and pachamama figurines flow out of the stores like blooming flowers. Going inside to shop is like passing through a tunnel into a cave. Amazing. And that`s just the stores: the streets also transform into markets. You have your fruits and vegetables street, your blankets street, your skirt-making-fabric street - everything is clumped together and looks confusingly similar. I`m pretty sure that every morning, the women and men haul their merchandise to the corner (their own slice of sidewalk) and every night they back it up and take it back home. They carry everything wrapped up in colorful blankets and strapped to their backs. Again, amazing.

· Traffic, traffic, traffic. Taxi rides are terrifying. Not only do you have to worry about pedestrians (who typically know to watch out for you), but dogs as well. The streets are narrow and steep and cars don`t seem to understand that when a car is coming your way on the other side of the street, you should not pass! There maybe isn`t much honking as there was in Trujillo, but the squeaking of brakes can be heard from miles away. The brakes work, they just like to be heard. The pollution rising from La Paz can be seen from the Huayna Potosi base camp: out in the middle of the mountains.

· Some restaurant has people dress up like animals and dance around on the streets. Strange.

Okay - we`re off for our last Peruvian dinner: pollo a la brasa (chicken), papas fritas (fries), and Inka Cola (this Mountain Dew looking, cream soda tasting pop). Delicious. Then, tomorrow morning, we`ll see the floating islands outside of Puno and then head home to see all of you!!!

Paz y amor.

The Finale in the Altiplano

For our final few days of our trip we took off on a 3 day trek in the altiplano. Here are the highlights:

It was cold! Our first night at Condoriri base camp there was ice on the inside of our tent. Our 35 degree F sleeping bags didn´t keep us too warm, and we were really happy for the sun to rise in the morning. Very little sleep was had. The next night we set up our tent inside an adobe house and were luckily much warmer.

It was high! We started at an altitude of 4,500 meters (about 14,850 feet) and we never went lower. Only higher to passes around 5,000 meters. It made it difficult to breath, it was impossible to drink enough water, and headaches were pretty common.

It was beautiful! The landscape was incredible. Big, glacier filled peaks that rise up above 6,000 meters contrasting with the brown, dry altiplano. We saw gorgeous mountain lakes, small mining communities, and llamas grazing everywhere.

We didn´t carry our gear! We payed about $10 a day to get our gear carried from camp to camp for us because we knew it would be difficult with the altitude. Our packs were first on a donkey, then a motorcycle, and finally with two porters on the final day. The porters were a 20 year old local and his 10 year old nephew. The 10 year carried Kim´s pack and was our guide. He was small for a 10 year old and there was still no way we could keep up with him. Luckily he was a great guide and constantly waited for us. It was unbelievable. The people that live in the altiplano are TOUGH. And they were also incredibly kind and fun to talk and hike with for the day.

Brian climbed Huayna Potosi! On the first day we hiked up to the Condoriri base camp with a guided group because we got transportation from the company. After speaking with one of the guides I found out that I had just enough time to summit Huayna Potosi. We were ending our trek at the base of the trail up the mountain. We arrived at the trailhead and a refugio in the afternoon of the third day. Kim stayed at the refugio, and myself and the guide hiked up to a higher refugio at 5200 meters. We woke up at 2:00 am and started hiking up the glacier. By 7:00 am I was at the top. There were incredible views of Lake Titicaca, La Paz, the fog above the Amazon Basin, and the Cordillera Real. It was amazing to be 6,008 meters (19,974 ft) above sea level. I got back to the refugio where Kim was waiting by 10:30 am, and we were off to La Paz.

I´ll try to post some pictures along with this some time soon. So our trip is coming to an end. We are in Puno right now, and fly home tomorrow night. We´re both looking forward to seeing a lot of you soon.

Views of La Paz

These pictures are too incredible not to share. Both we´re taken from our hotel window in La Paz last week. Illumani is the peak in the distance. This city is pretty amazing, my only complaint is the car exhaust can be horrible on the busy streets.

Hippie Heaven

La Paz was not the ideal place for me to be recovering from my third stomach bug. This bug was not as mean ast the 1st, more predictable than the 2nd, but by far the most stubborn. After 2 full days of HBO movies and chicken soup, Brian and I decided to bag the Choro Trek and just head straight to the end destination: Coroico.

I was talking with this woman who owns a store that I can`t afford to shop in, but like to hang out in, asked me the other day if we were planning to go to the jungle. No, I said, we don`t have enough time - but this woman went on and on about the amazing sensations: the smells, the sounds, the temperatures. And when she said it was only 3 hours away, I knew I had to go to this place. And let me tell you, it was everything she said and more.

May and June are the months when the coffee, the coca and the citrus trees are all in season. You could walk down the street, go for mini hikes, relax by the river, and all the while munch on ripe mandarins that we just plucked from the tree while butterflies of all shapes and colors whirl around you. The weather is humid, but not too humid (my skin has finally recovered from the Altiplano). In the mornings a fog covers the whole town. Sometimes it is right in your face, making it feel like the middle of winter; sometimes it is in the valleys below and swirls up the mountains and over the houses; sometimes it`s right above you and you think that the sun will never come out, but it always did. The birds create the orquestra in the morning and the bugs take it over at night. Truly, this place was a slice of paradise.

Our hotel was the actual "hippie heaven" however. Mandarin trees on the grounds, hammocks, our own cabin: every morning, Brian and I would open up our double doors and watch the hummingbirds wizz through the trees. The birds got us up at 7, breakfast (an all natural, from their own garden, delicious vegetarian breakfast) was at 8:30. And after 8:30. the birds would die down and Enya would do the singing for the day. The owners of the hostel also led meditation sessions and yoga. Beautiful.

We spent our last day (yesterday) by the river with our good friends we met in Huaraz, Max and Shaina. We swam in swiming holes and hiked up stream between small canyons and through vines. Then we laid out on the hot rocks to dry off as the sun went behind the hills.

You may all think that I`m exaggerating, but this place was a dream. Maybe I should work on just one more stomach bug... No. Back up to high altitude we go. And this time with our own donkey! And donkey driver of course. We`ll keep you posted!

Thanks for all of the great comments!!

Kimberly

11 days left...

Our trip is winding down fast. The past couple days Kim has been layed up in La Paz. She´s having another stomach issue, and is now getting better. Luckily we found a good hotel (with a sweet shower) and have done nothing the past few days. The down time has made me realize how soon we will be back in the States. Bolivia has been difficult to explore between road blocks and sickness so it gives us more reason to get back down here some day. We are still planning to do the El Choro Trek when Kim is healthy, and we´ll have a bit more time to explore Sucre or another area near La Paz.

The thought of coming back home is weird. I´m probably ready, but at the same time feel very comfortable down here. I´m excited to see friends and family and enjoy the Northwest summer. But I´ll miss the simplicities of life here. Travelling around with just a backpack filled with my necessities and living cheaply. It has not always been comfortable. We´ve been too hot, too cold, on hellish bus rides, in dingy hotels, and much more. But I ¨enjoy¨ (or maybe the better word is appreciate) being in these situations, probably for the same reasons I enjoy climbing and skiing; it makes me feel more alive. While travelling there isn´t such thing as a routine day. We´re moving around, changing plans and always seeing new sights. And even when we were in Trujillo we would have a weekly routine but walking through the barrios to teach each morning could never feel normal. After growing up in Libertyville and living in Seattle it is impossible to feel numb to the living conditions of the people in those places. Anyways we have done a lot. The time has gone fast at times and slow at other times. It probably will take a while to digest everything we´ve seen and done on this trip. But luckily I´ll have some great pictures and stories to share with all you when we´re back.

Salar de Uyuni and Southwest Bolivia

This past Friday we took a 12 hour, bumpy and cold night bus from La Paz to Uyuni. Then we quickly booked a 3 day tour around the Southwest Corner of Bolivia. We piled into a Toyota Land Cruiser with 3 other travelers and set out. The first day was spent exploring the Salar de Uyuni. It is an enormous salt flat. That night we stayed in a salt hotel... the building was actually made out of salt blocks! The next day we drove on passing smaller salt flats, volcanoes, lakes and expansive deserts. The final day started by exploring a geyser basin at 4900 meters at sunrise. Then we took a dip in a hot springs to warm up, and went back to Uyuni via a long, and often bumpy, road. We were mostly expecting to explore the Salar de Uyuni, but were pleasantly surprised to get to see so many other sights. It was a fun trip and we were definitely ready to get out of the Land Cruiser by the end.

Once we got back to Uyuni we found out there were roadblocks in Potosi, so our plans to go there and on to Sucre changed. We spent an extra day hanging out in Uyuni waiting for a bus to get back to La Paz. And by hanging out I mean playing cards, reading, and having a bit of tea... there isn´t much to do in Uyuni! But we made it back to La Paz and are now planning our next trekking adventure.

We took a ton of pictures and here are some of the good ones.

Crazy perspective photos on the salt flat... Kim holding a mini Brian by the head.

The Salar de Uyuni from the Isla de Pescado.

More fun pictures on the salt flat.

Flamingos.

La Piedra de Arbol (the Tree Rock)

Amazing sky.

Reflections in a steaming lake.

Reflections of Laguna Colorada.

Pictures from Isla del Sol

We took a lot of pictures on Isla del Sol, and here a few of the best ones... enjoy.

The three of us on Isla del Sol.


Kim and Laura chilling with a view at our hostal in Isla de Sol.

A condor flying by us... gorgeous!

Laura´s 15 observations of South America

15. Everything is extremely cheap
14. I am tall
13. Brian´s purse is cuter than mine
12. It´s cold, but you still get tan (or burned)
11. I cannot breathe in high altitude (or I´m out of shape)
10. Getting from one place to another in a van with less than 12 people in it, is impossible
9. I don´t remember any spanish and would be lost without Kim (and Brian too)
8. The sunset is BEAUTIFUL
7. People wear blankets instead of coats
6. Anything you need can be bought on the street
5. I like coca tea
4. There is really a place called Copacabana (it´s not just in the song Kim keeps singing)
3. Llamas are real
2. It´s ok not to shower every day (especially when its cold)
1. I have the best brother ever!

Laura (If you come and visit you get to write your own blog too!)

In Bolivia!

Laura`s debut on the blog!!

Plaza de Armas: Arequipa, Peru

The three of us (Laura is with us now) made it into Bolivia this afternoon, after spending a couple days in Arequipa. We arrived in Copacabana around sunset and it was beautiful. Lake Titicaca is gorgeous. We found an awesome hostal and good restaurant for dinner. It is exciting to be in a new country. We had gotten pretty comfortable in Peru.

Anyways that is the quick update. We´ll be spending a few days around here exploring Isla del Sol and then it is off to La Paz to finish Laura´s whirlwind tour in South America. Hopefully we´ll have some good pictures to post soon.

The 3 of us in Copacabana, Bolivia! We literally ran across the border and this was the perfect little town to relax in. It`s gorgeous.

DIY Trekking

After doing the Santa Cruz trek we felt ready to ditch the guides and donkeys and head out on our own backpacking trip. First we heard of a recommendation for a lightly travelled area from another traveller at the California Cafe. After getting more advice we decided on a route starting in the Quilcayhaunca Quebrada, going over a 5,000 meter pass, and going out the Cojup Quebrada. Next we found a place to rent some gear: tent, stove, pots, and sleeping pads. Finally we went shopping for food, and quickly realized that normal backpacking food isn´t very easy to find in Peru. We made due with Snickers, Ramen, oatmeal, and PB&Js.

We started at the trailhead for Lake Churup and soon entered the Quilcayhaunca Quebrada. It was beautiful. A perfectly glacier carved, U-shaped valley that was flat in the middle from sediment deposits. The walking was mellow and only slightly uphill. We found a great spot to camp near the end of the valley, and set up camp just before some afternoon rain came.

The next day we started for the pass and were quickly climbing switchbacks out of the valley. The switchbacks lead us to an open valley and the trail dissappeared. We were told that the route finding to the pass was tricky. We followed the advice we had recieved in town (or so we thought) and soon we were gaining elevation and breathing harder and harder. Finally we reached a ridge with a view and realized we were not aiming for the pass we were looking for. Instead we were looking at a steep, snow covered moutain col. We took a break and enjoyed the spectacular view for a bit. Then we tried traversing to the correct pass, and quickly found that this was impossible. The only way to get to the pass would be to go way down, and way back up! We made a unanamous decision to head back down to the Quilcayhuanca and camp the night at a more comfortable, lower elevation. The hike down ended being nearly as difficult as going up. The route finding was difficult: weaving through soggy marshes and steep rocky sections. We finally made it back to camp and were exhausted.

Our final day we only needed to walk out the Quilcayhuanca Quebrada. We were treated with beautiful weather. The morning was incredible... see poem blog. We enjoyed the hike, the views, and the sunshine. Before long we were back at our room at Caroline Lodging in Huaraz, and taking some much needed showers.

It ended up being a great three days adventuring in a different part of the Cordillera Blanca. It was nice to be alone in the wilderness. The wilderness in Peru, in many ways, is similar to the US or anywhere else in the world. It was a nice little break to feel at home in the mountains and take a break from the cities of Peru.

The Quilcayhuanca Quebrada.

The mountains and blue sky in the morning.

Kim cozy in the tent.

The sunset on a 6000+ meter peak.

The same peak during the day.

The two of us right before we got stuck in the marsh behind us.

Pelo Bonito II

Brian Tracy: voted "Best Hair" of the Santa Cruz Trek 2008

Frosty Morning in the Quilcayhaunca Quebrada

Frost on the valley floor.

Sun painting the mountain tops.

Long shadows on peaks and cliffs.

The snow, high above, a blinding white.

Back on the valley floor,

It is in shadow.

Crisp, cold, fresh.

The frost crystallized on everything,

Lupine flowers and cow pies alike.

The only sounds are trickling streams.

The valley sleeps while the mountains look awake.

And here I am.

Bundled up with layers.

Leaning on a rock with hot coca tea nearby.

Admiring the view of the mountains above,

And watching my breath in the frosty air.

Enjoying the morning and the start of a new day.

(The picture I took while leaning on the rock)

Santa Cruz Trek in Pictures

Alpamayo (the peak on the right) at sunrise.

The scenery on the way to the high point of the trek.

The high point of the trek and Talluraju in the background.

Us, with Talluraju behind.

A condor flying above us. These birds are like small airplanes. They have wingspans of 15+ feet! We were incredibly lucky to see a group of them fly right over us.

The Quebrada Santa Cruz.

One of the donkeys that carried our gear.

Kim walking along the Quebrada... lindazo!

Alpamayo in the background and mountains across the valley in Kim´s glasses.

Lupine... the flower and the person (Kim´s outdoor school name).

Sleeping while we can get it.

It was sad leaving Trujillo. I cried. There are so many good memories. I´m missing strange, everyday things:

· Eugenia´s home cooking
· The combi drivers who took me to Huanchaquito every day: ¨La A, la A. HuanCHAgo! HuanCHAgo! Vas? Sube, sube, sube. Spera, spera, spera. DaLE!¨ That was the money collector´s way of communicating with the driver. ¨Dale¨ means give it, or hit it so the driver knows when he can start again. I think I´ll bring that term to the Lake to tell Dad or Uncle Bill to start driving the boat while waterskiing...
· I miss lots of the things my students used to say, like Fiorela´s counting: ¨Uno, dos, tres, cuatro... cINco... dos?¨ or Angel after I gave him his midday snack, ¨Plofesola! Glacias¨ or Diego´s singing when he got too antsy in his seat.

At the same time, it was awesome to arrive in Huaraz with friends to welcome us. One hike down (see Brian´s previous post) and we have a 4 day hike coming up tomorrow. I don´t think I´ve every even camped for more than 4 days... but I´m starting to like this whole hiking thing. We´re even thinking of heading up to some snowy areas.

It´s beautiful here. We have about 8 more days, and then LAURA COMES! This trip is going to be awesome!

To be continued.......

Poem for Churup

We tried it once in March

And the lake was not to be.

Rain, thunder, altitude and time in our way.

Now we are back in May.

Bluer than blue skies.

Nevada Churup rising high above us.

The lake a brillant blue-green.

Mountain air thin and fresh.

Feeling alive!

A great hike, a great day.

Que lindo: Churup

Back In Huaraz!

After two nights on buses we made it to Huaraz this morning. Our friends Teo and Rex picked us up from the bus station and we ate breakfast with the view of the Cordillera Blanca in the picture above. We even have the same room we stayed in last time we were here!

Kuelap in Pictures

On Monday through Wednesday we went to Chachapoyas and visited La Fortaleza (Fortress) de Kuelap. It was incredibleand as impressive as Macchu Pichu. An amazing ruin of a very interesting culture, and there were barely any tourists (we saw less than 20). There is too much to write about right now, so hopefully the pictures tell part of the story.

Kim at the base of the incredibly high fortress walls.

Ruins, cloud forest, and llamas inside Kuelap... que fuerte!

Kim and Brian waving from an old window.

Kim in the main entrance to Kuelap. It narrows down to only fit one person at a time and was used to fend off invaders.

A puma inscribed in one of the bricks in the entrance.


In front of the main entrance to Kuelap.

The sky in Chachapoyas.

Chao Tortas

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

We´ve said goodbye to our Peruvian home and friends in good fashion: stretching out our goodbye party over 2 nights. We´ve found a wonderful community in Trujillo and while we can´t wait for our travels to start, it was hard saying goodbye to everyone: the kids especially. While our role in their lives was small, we were able to make small, positive changes. The kids in my class now play games that I learned at Outdoor School like ¨Rock, Paper, Scissors, Splits¨ and ¨Evolution¨. I learned a ton from the kids and I hope the best for them: Jorge Luis the artist, Sergio the poet, Manuel the comedian, Fiorela the independent-six-year-old (she may end up president of Peru one day... once she finally starts to recognize the numbers 3 and 7), Diego the scientist and Julissa the artisan worker. So much potential. Then there´s Erika and Cintia - the biggest challenges of the class. They need more help than I was able to give... while they were total pains in the patoot, they were also the hardest to say goodbye to. They have a tough road ahead of them. The class is being left in great hands, however: a commited teacher and good friend, Deisy; and a Canadian volunteer, Ivanka, whose energy, non-profit experience and brains are the amazing combo to keep the class in shape. I´m excited to hear about how the class comes along in the future.

I guess that´s it. During our last week in Trujillo, Brian and I tried as many cakes from Amaretto as possible, ate at our chicken sandwich place almost every day, and finally tried all the flavors of ice cream at our Huanchaco ice cream spot. I know Dad: ¨A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips¨... but hey - Brian and I are doing a 5-6 day trek here in a couple days so I figure I should pack on the calories while I still can. Mmmm.

Chao y Gracias

Our going away party! Party decorations, Aji de Gallina, Torta de Tres Leches, corsages in American flag colors, and hats identical to the ones that Señor Bruce himself wears every day. Dinner followed, of course, by dancing: it was quite the party.

We´ve made some amazing friends.

Pelo Bonito

"Best Hair" 2001 Libertyville High School

(See comments in this blog from a couple days ago)

Happy Mother´s Day From Cajamarca

Plaza de Armas, Cajamarca

This weekend we decided to check out Cajamarca. It is about a 7 hour bus ride into the mountains northeast of Trujillo. We arrived early Saturday morning and read about the sights to see around Cajamarca, and quickly learned there is a lot of history. Our first stops were to check out the colonial church and hospitals of Belen. We hired a guide (in Spanish) and it was very helpful to learn a bit more about the history. Our last stop of the morning was the El Cuarto del Rescate (¨Ransom Room). This is where the Incan king, Atahaulpa, was held ransom for gold and silver. The Spanish conquistadors captured Atahaulpa in Cajamarca. The history of the Spanish conquest and downfall of the Incan Empire is fascinating and it began right in Cajamarca. Here is a link if you want to read more (we recommend it!).

After grabbing a snack we hopped on a micro to the Baños del Inca. This is where Atahaulpa was before being lured to meet with the Spaniards in Cajamarca. Now it is a complex of different rooms with hot water from natural springs directed into bathtubs. It was amazing. We soaked for about an hour. Next we went for an hour long walk through the countryside to the pre-Incan ruins of Ventanillas del Otuzco. These were burial sites carved into a cliff face. It was interesting and the walk there was a lot of fun. We really appreciated being able to speak Spanish because we asked for directions about 8 times. It was a great day.

Today we woke up early and booked a tour to Cumbe Mayo. This is another pre-Incan archeologic site located about 12 miles from the city of Cajamarca. It consists of an aqueduct that strectches for 9 kilometers. There is not a lack of water in Cajamarca. The aqueduct was made for ceremonial purposes. Much of the 9 kilometer aqueduct was cut into rock! Once we got back to Cajamarca we decided since we are only here once we should take advantage of it. So we went back the to the hot springs at the Inca Baths (after calling our Mom´s, of course). The rest of the day was spent walking around Cajamarca. This town is really nice. Tons of history and archeology, cheap, and barely any tourists. In a few hours we´ll be heading back to Trujillo for our last week of volunteering.

Here are some pictures from today. We hope everyone had a great Mother´s Day.

Pre-Incan petroglyphs on the aqueduct at Cumbe Mayo.

Colonial church on the Plaza de Armas.

A rainbow at sunset!

Sunset on the street.