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)