Thursday, June 30, 2011

An end and a beginning....

I look out over the cotton wool sphere that fills the sky, so tired that I am wide awake. After six months I am North bound, the South American chapter of my adventure has closed and it is the dawn of something new....

I feel both somber and fulfilled by my incredible journey this year so far. Amazing adventures, remarkable experiences, new friends, all of which have brought about my personal reinvention, blessed me with happiness and given me some answers to my big questions from the beginning of the year.


The last destination of my action packed Peruvian itinerary delivered on its promise plus a little extra, in the way of some unexpected Dutch charm.

After a day lost to a tediously long journey, courtesy of the oversize truck which side swiped our bus, at a bewitching hour I wearily arrived in Huaraz. When I awoke and ventured out the next morning I fell a little bit in love. Huaraz is not only gorgeously framed by snow capped mountains; it brought me espresso, funky cafes, an incredible hostel and yet another fabulous food market...and that was just the beginning!


Another mountain biking stint was on my agenda, I have been a few times before but can undoubtedly say that my day out in Cordillera Blanca was the first time I have truly been mountain biking! I have the scrapes and bruises to prove it after getting up close and personal with the maize fields on more than one occasion.


My last four days on the continent I would spend notching up another 40 or so trek kilometers as I set my sights on Santa Cruz, known for its altitude and captivating beauty.


The mountains of Cordillera Blanca did not disappoint, it is one of the most breathtaking places I have visited. The landscape is incredibly majestic; dotted with wildflowers, yellow, blue, white and violet. Snow covered peaks rise up surrounding the lush green valleys, cows graze and the odd curious calf is partial to sharing your Milky Way.


When I arrived at the camp site on Day 2 I felt completely overwhelmed, a spectacular glacier covered peak dominated the vista and I couldn't think of a better way to be spending my last days in Peru. At 4200m, despite a few rays of sunshine, the air was crisp to say the least. Not long after dusk and an early dinner the only place to be was thermalled and snugly inside sleeping bags and tents, recharging and reviving, ready to tackle the 4750m pass upon sunrise.


Following a bright starry night was an opulently clear morning, the snow caps shone brilliantly under the early sun beams while the valley remained asleep a little longer. As we made our way to the pass it was difficult to stay focused, the lake we passed the day before came into view and as we gained height sitting just below the glacier was another icy shimmering pool. Standing at the top was amazing, a peep hole into two stunning valleys; but, what goes up must come down and after a few moments of accomplishment we gradually made our way down to camp.


By Day 4 I felt like I was just getting into my rhythm and could have easily continued for a few more days, but at the same time welcomed a hot shower and clean clothes.


My last evening was spent in very good company with some vino tinto, several hours of shared trekking, travel and life experiences and a few indelible moments of magic...


An end and a beginning....









Tuesday, June 21, 2011

8 buses, 6 destinations, 7 days - It´s been a busy week!

Now that I had a big tick in the Inca Trail box of my Peru to do list it was back to my cyclonic itinerary. I survived a turbulent bus journey to Puno, a crappy little city with one big natural attraction - Lake Titicaca, and as a friend of mine once said "Everyone loves Titi´s". Lake Titicaca is a shimmering sapphire expanse that borders Peru and Bolivia, the highest lake in the world sitting at 3811m and the largest lake in South America.

During the couple of weeks prior to my visit there had been demonstrations in and around Puno over mining of the area’s natural resources, as a result it was a bit of a ghost town for tourism, after a long wait at the docks my small boat filled and we set off across the lustrous lago to scope out the floating islands of Uros. After a few dull hours caught in an obvious tourist trap I made it back to shore, booked myself an early morning bus and climbed up to get a panoramic view of Titi before I flaked out for the evening.

I had a birds eye view from seat 1A on the first floor of the slightly nicer bus I caught to Arequipa. The winter sun glared in, I dozed dreamily and roused to realise I was missing some beautiful scenery. During my 6 hour journey we passed lagoons, miles of barren land dotted with tufts of grass and then as we drew closer the landscape changed, reminiscent of a rocky wasteland as jagged mountains began to rise up all around. As we approached Arequipa a dusty haze hovered over the city and I started to doubt the reviews of the charming white city I had been promised. 

Fear not, on arrival Arequipa lived up to its reputation, filled with dazzling sillar architecture and a stately bustling square. That evening I took in an ethereal night time visit to Monasterio de Santa Catalina, a convent founded in 1580 which only accepted nuns from the most privileged of Spanish families. The following morning I received an education on the customs of ancient Incan human sacrifice in the Andes. I eyeballed "Juanita - Ice Princess", the almost perfectly preserved 500 year old frozen mummy of a 12 year old girl sacrificed to the gods at the summit of volcano Nevado Ampato.

An energising afternoon of mountain biking through the surrounding agricultural terraces followed, 5597m Volcan Misti loomed in the background, hairless Peruvian dogs trotted alongside and one of Arequipa´s 300 days per year of sunshine unfurled across the province.

Another trek, another early morning.... this time 2 days, 1 night and 23km of canyon country, Colca Canyon, one of the world’s deepest, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon at 3191m. Despite the early morning Day 1 was an easy but dry and dusty decent into the canyon, after about 6 hours we arrived at The Oasis complete with clear blue swimming pools, hammocks and bungalows. Having decent what from the opposite side looked like an impossible rock face, the next morning at 5:00am we began our 3 hour accent to the rim of the canyon for a well earned breakfast and relaxing soak in the hot springs of Chivay.

No rest for the wicked, after my 6 hour journey back to Arequipa, a quick doble alto cappuccino (yes to my joy there was a Starbucks), I boarded my overnight bus bound for Nasca. After the risqué downing of a big Americano breakfast I took to the skies in a 6 seater Cessna for a 30 minute viewing of the Nasca Lines. Spread across hundreds of desert kilometers the lines remain a great mystery of the world, some span hundreds of meters and are elaborately designed animals and others are geometric shapes and lines strewn over the rocky sandy plain.

Following my stomach churning morning I boarded yet another bus, this time bound for the sandy oasis of Huacachina. Being back amongst the sand dunes reminded me of Dubai, without the multitude of 5 star hotels and Friday brunches but with an old friend. As I checked in who walks through the door - Laura, my mission partner from Buenos Aires! 

My only mission this time however consisted of two activities; Sand boarding and Sun baking! I´ve decided that I am much better suited to Sand boarding over Snowboarding; its hot and sunny and falling on your ass is less painful, the only down point being you get sand everywhere, and I mean everywhere. After my morning of dune buggying and sand boarding I reveled in the few hours I had no longer at altitude, baking my bikini clad and somewhat pasty body in the scorching oasis sunshine and taking in a few leisurely laps of the sparkling piscina before it was back to the bus terminal.

It´s my last week in Peru (Boo) and I am making my way North to Huaraz, back to altitude to take in one last trek before I close out South America Round 1 and head for Tinsel town and a few days with my Antarctic room-mate Jamie (Yay).

Everyone loves Titi´s

I will be back to conquer Volcan Misti in the future

Condors - up close and personal. They are MASSIVE

Colca Canyon

Hard to believe we came down that rock face

The vast pre-incan terraces in canyon country

Some big ass lines in the rocky and sandy landscape

By this point I was trying not to hurl!

Sand boarding - I am so cool right now!

Oasis of Huacachina


Sunday, June 12, 2011

The magic of the Incas

Peru is my last South American destination (for now) so I engineered my itinerary to maximize my time. I arrived in Cusco a day ahead of schedule and spent the day wandering the city streets, acclimatising to the altitude and planning an action packed week leading up to my Inca trail trek.

First stop was a short hike to Sexy Woman (Saqsaywaman) the closest Inca ruins to the city, followed by the uncovering of Greens Organic which would become my haunt over the coming week, then onto the local market where I picked up everything I needed for dinner for the bargain price of $1.34! 

The next day I took a Collectivo an hour and a half into The Sacred Valley, hiked half way up a mountain and perched myself on some Inca terracing to catch some rays and eat lunch as I marveled at the beautiful valley below and the sharp rocky mountains surrounding me. That afternoon I visited the ruins of Ollantaytambo and was blown away, almost quite literally but more so by the vast terracing and ruins that roost protruding from the side of the mountain. As the day progressed I was ailing and notched it up to an active couple of days and the high altitude. 

My bustling program was set to continue the next day as I was booked to tackle Via Feratta. I awoke feeling crap but wasn't about to let that stop me scaling a mountain! What was actually more painstaking than my advancing cold was the group of 14 American college students that were in my trip group, complete with the token wise ass frat jock. My horror was pleasantly deferred upon arrival where I met my group of no less than 5 climbing guides. My tall, handsome, athletic, Peruvian climbing guides! 

Scaling Via Feratta, a trail of grip and foot holds up the side of a mountain was adrenalizing, zip lining and abseiling back down was titillating, but I have to say my favorite part of the day was having a handsome Peruvian wrapped around me as we tandem zipped a kilometer long line!  Is that wrong? Yeah... not caring!!

Feeling tired from my day of stimulation I was looking forward to a good nights sleep before I headed off to Pisac for another day of hiking and scouring ruins. My alarm echoed and through my sickly haze, a combination of a night of insomnia and my ill state I clambered out of the wrong side of the bed determined to stick to my schedule. Cold smould, I downed a Berocca and a couple of panadol, overhauled my attitude and soon enough I was at the top of another mountain amidst Incan ruins surveying the small village of Pisac below.

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Its 4:00am, after an evening of lost laundry stress I wait for the pick up that will take me to KM82 in The Sacred Valley, the beginning of the 43km Inca Trail that leads to Machu Picchu. 

By the time we stopped for lunch on the first day we had covered 10km and that was the easy part of the day. That afternoon as we aimed towards our first camp we embarked up what would the next day become known to all of us as ¨the infinite stairway of HELL¨. A combination of lack of sleep, high altitude, the kilometers already covered and my lungs still choked with cold made the 750 meter uphill climb gruelling, to say the least. We arrived at our 3750m campsite just on dark, just as the chill of the evening began to set in, and all of us exhausted we retired to our tents moments after finishing dinner.

The next morning I woke feeling rested, with a positive attitude and ready to tackle the mountain; the highest peak of the trek, known as Dead Woman's Pass. Within about 15 minutes I knew exactly why. It was up. Straight up. Rock step after rock step. An hour and a half later, gasping for what little oxygen I could swallow I reached the peak and gazed across the Andes while simultaneously stuffing myself with sugary sweet jelly buttons. One peak conquered I welcomed the downhill stint into lunch. 

The pleasantries of downhill were short lived that afternoon as we headed towards our second mountain pass and up a few hundred or so more stone steps. As we ventured further along the trail the landscape changed from stony dry desert to a greener cloud forest, we visited archaeological sites, explored ruins and watched hummingbirds hover as we descended towards our campsite. We arrived mid afternoon, all of the group feeling a sense of achievement and relief in completing the second and most intense day of the trek.

Each morning we were pleasantly woken with tea in our tents, followed by an amazing breakfast before we headed off to tackle the days´ trekking. Day 3 was a breath of fresh air after the previous two as we had a rather relaxed eight hours of hiking up and down two more passes. 

At 3950m I stood and silently surveyed the boundless Andes. The wild white daisies paled under the luminous glow of the glacial clad peak of Salkantay and clouds swept thin and low over the landscape of mossy pinnacles. I breathed in and for the first time ever I really heard the sound of silence. Silence is audible, but more than that it is a feeling, a combination of a subdued resonance and a consciousness of quietude. 

As the day wore on, the kilometers passed and we edged ever closer to Machu Picchu, the warm winter rays beamed brightly but only for as long as the sun dangled high in the sky; the crispness of dusk taking hold before the day was out. Our group enjoyed our last delicious dinner together, strategized on our approach for the following morning and again retired early in preparation for the 3:40am assault towards our ultimate goal.

After 38km, 3 mountains and 3 days we stood at the Access Control Point. It was 4:30am and over the next hour hundreds of trekkers queued awaiting the 5:30am opening and the 5km charge towards The Sun Gate. Despite the early hour energy buzzed electrically in the atmosphere and there was a definite sentiment of competition in the air. Each group, each individual, eager to be the first standing in a moment of solitary triumph, overlooking the divinity and grandeur of the Incan city of Machu Picchu. 

When the control gate opened our group, second in the queue, bounded, adorned in headlamps into the blackness of the narrow trail, over rocks, along ledges and up countless steep steps. Of the five kilometers, for me the last one was undeniably punishing, I managed to stand at The Sun Gate 50 minutes after I had set out, among 20 or so other trekkers.

I caught my breath and gazed over an opaque Machu Picchu feeling victorious and at the same time a little pensive that the journey was now complete. We made out way down into the lost civilisation of the Incan Kings and although my backpack had almost become an extension of my body I was relieved to stow it and spend a weary but enjoyable day exploring the ruins.

Cusco, The Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu is a phenomenal region; bursting with culture, history, enigma and an endearing modern antiquity that places it firmly in the world of travel unmissable list.

Day 1...ready and rearing to go!

Dead Woman´s Pass....not this woman!!

A much needed breather before more steps...

One of many beautiful vistas

Inca terracing...vast and incredible

The sound of silence across the tops of the Andes

50 minutes and 5km later....no view but plenty of triumph

A very pleased group of trekkers very early on day 4

Magical Machu Picchu

Take that Inca Trail....

So worth the lung straining, leg busting, heart racing 43km