Inca Trail - Day 1: 12/9/08

We began our journey at 9am at Km 82 - a town called Piskakuchu.  From the start, the view were amazing.  Hiking along the Sacred River, we were surrounded by mountains, endless fields of corn, and the little local towns.  Throughout the hike, we shared the sacred pathe with Incan descendants still living in the area (and their many mules).  Periodically the porters, each carrying 50-60kg of our belongings, zipped past us with their ripped calves flexing as they rapidly trekked up the path.  

This first day was the "easy one."  With little incline and varied terrain, it was cake compared to what was to come.  We stopped frequently and our guide Percy explained to us the incredible history of his ancestors.  It seemed that around every turn there were more ruins, expertly crafted by the Incas in the 1500's.  We stopped for our first meal, which was cooked for us by the chef that traveled with our group.  After lunch, we hiked for another 90 minutes and reached our campsite for night 1, which was nestled in a valley surrounded by green mountains (some still snowcapped, even in the summer).  Our tents were set up, and the group quickly hiked over to the adjacent soccer field, where the boys proceeded to play 4 games against the village locals.  Despite the altitude and obvious disadvantage of being gringoes, our team (Inca Kola) had an impressive showing and although they ultimately lost the majority of their games, they still kicked ass.  

Emma and I sat on the sides to be team cheerleaders.  The prospect of tomorrow's hike (which will be grueling) combined with my lack of soccer skills made sitting this one out an obvious choice.  As I sat and looked around me, I tried to fully take in the beauty of my surroundings.  I feel bad because the pictures will not do this place justice.  The only way to truly experience the Peruvian Andes is to be encompassed by them, breathe in the fresh air, and feel the sun warm you.  A simple photo only captures a few degrees of 360 degree panoramic amazement.

Now It's about dinner time and while I hiked in shorts and a T-shirt, I am now clad in a wool hat, gloves, scarf, and 3 layers of clothes.  I can see my breath in the glow of my headlight and it is FRIGGIN' COLD OUT HERE!  I pray that tomorrow will be ok for me and that I can maintain the positive attitude that Fred has taught me.  Good Karma...and OFF I GO!

Journey on the Inca Trail

 

Last week, I returned from Peru, which was INCREDIBLE.  I met up with Emma, my favorite adventure buddy and dear Aussie friend (who moved back to Australia after our trip and I don't want to talk about it).  The trip was a 2 weeks adventure in Peru. The second week was spent prancing around Lima and Cusco, and exploring the jungle (which was surprisingly mediocre). But the first week was the highlight of the trip - and certainly one of the highlights of my travel life - hiking the Inca Trail for 4 days to reach Machu Picchu. 

 If you haven't already done it, you MUST put it onto your to-do life list.

Since we went through GAP adventure tours, we were joined with 9 others for our excursion to Machu Picchu.  And what a group we were!  I could not have asked for a better crew of people to spend the week with, and it made the trip even more amazing than it would have been otherwise.  Almost everyone else was from Australia, save for 3 other Americans, a guy from Ireland, and another from the UK.  I have never met an Aussie that I didn't adore, and that has not changed.  We all bonded quickly, and became the Yellow Llamas, the most kick-ass group to ever hit the Inca Trail

Once I arrived in Cusco (2 days before the trail), I began to keep a travel diary so that I could record exactly how I was feeling at the end of each day.  So, here it is...

Cusco: 12/7/08...The Drama of Getting Here

Today we arrived in Cusco, which is the historical "hub" of Peru.  After a 630 am wake-up call, which actually came at 5:10 am and made me close to pulling a Russell Crowe on the hotel front desk, we headed to the airport.  After a one hour flight, we landed and Cusco...and thus the fun of altitude sickness began!  Despite the fact that I am taking Sorochi tablets (Peru's version of Diamox), drinking roughly my body weight in water, and relaxing today, I am still getting my ass whooped by Team Altitude.

I have had a hard time catching my breath after 1 fight of stairs (which sucks when your hotel room is on the top floor).  My breathing feels labored, even at rest, and despite the 10 gallons of moisturizer I have applied to my face and body, I am still thoroughly dehydrated.  But, tomorrow is a new day and I hope to be adjusted to the altitude.

Actually, I really can't complain, as it's a minor miracle that I even made it here!  You see, being a dumb and naive traveler, I didn't THOROUGHLY check the Brazilian embassy website before leaving.  I knew I needed a yellow fever vaccination and I knew I needed it 10 days before hitting the Amazon (which will be 10 days into my trip).  What I did not know until my friend Melissa (another American living in Rio) pointed out is that I needed the vaccination 10 days before LEAVING Brazil.  If you are flying out of AND returning to Brazil, the government requires that the vaccination be fully effective before you leave the country and enter into Peru.  This means a person needs to get vaccinated at the very least 10 days before the flight out of Brazil.  My flight was December 5, and I had gotten the shot (and dated certificate that proved it) on Dec. 1.  So, when Melissa told me on Wed night that I would likely not be allowed on my 6am flight Friday morning (the same exact thing happened to her last year), I panicked.  

Thursday is a blur in my head- a day spent FREAKING out and trying to figure out a solution.  Enter my incredibly stable and resourceful boyfriend, and we wound up at the Peruvian embassy in Rio.  I found out that if I flew out of a different country, such as Uruguay or Argentina, I would not be asked for the yellow fever vaccination (since those countries do not require a traveler to get the vaccine before going to Peru).  Alas, this meant that all I had to do was change my early morning flight from Rio-Peru, to Rio-Argentina, and then Argentina-Peru.

Armed with this advice and a credit card, I proceeded to change my flights (and dole out an extra few hundo).  Sure, it was 5pm on Thursday by the time I figured it all out.  Yeah it was expensive and made my travel more complicated...but guess what?!  I am HERE IN PERU and nobody asked to see my damn vaccination certificate!!  WOO HOO!!

Tomorrow it's off to Ollytatumbo for my last night in civilization (and my last hot shower) for the next 4 days.  And then...THE INCA TRAIL...

Ilha Grande

Last week, Fred andI spent a few days in Ilha Grande, which is portuguese for "big island."  After hopping on a 2 hour bus ride (at 5 am), the very cranky and tired couple boarded the ferry for the 90 minute ride from Mangaratiba to Ilha Grande.  The ferry dropped us off  on the beach of Abrao, which is the mainland of Ilha Grande.  We began our journey by hiking for about an hour to Praia Palmas, where we found a charming campsite and set up our tent.  Then, it was off to hike and explore other beaches!

Ilha Grande is famous for it's incredible beaches, and each one is aesthetically unique.  You can hike all around 

the island, and each trek opens up onto pure paradise.  Praia Maria Lopez Mendes  frequently makes the magazine lists of The World's Most Beautiful Beaches due to its turquoise water, white sand, and 

lucious green backdrop.  Praia Palmas is 

surrounded 

by jagged rocks, stray dogs,  and pebbly sand, and San Antonio...well, get there early on a Monday morning and you just may have a private beach all to yourself (which we DID!)

We spent the first day hiking and exploring Palmas and Maria Lopez beaches.  Fred found some rocks to climb, and I consequently found some nice back muscles to take pictures of :)  (see for yourself)!  We hung out on the rocks, played in the sand, and decided to head back to our tent around 5 for an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT EVENT:  The Flamengo futeb

ol game.  Somehow, on this tiny beach waaaay in the middle of BFE, Fred found a guy with a TV who was happy to bring it to the little cabana bar and broadcast the soccer match.   Sadly, Flamengo lost the game, but it was loads of fun to watch drunk-ass beach bums slur cheers for the team!  

Night 1 brought tons of rain, but Day 2 started with a beautiful sunrise!  We awoke and decided to hike to San Antonio beach, where for the 4 hours we spent there, we were the only people

 But alas, where there was a lack of humans there was an abundance of another type of creature...THE SIRI CRAB.  

Buenos Aires - Part 1

Adventures in Salta, Argentina

Salta is a city surrounded by mountains in the northeast part of Argentina. It came recommended to me by a friend in Bariloche, so I decided to spend 3 days exploring the mountainous region (via an organized Gap Adventures Tour) before jetting to Buenos Aires. I arrived in the charming city and was quite surprised at what I saw. Salta is kind of a mix of European and Spanish architecture, with some New York City boutique shops thrown in. Walking down any street, you will find a bodega, an empanada restaurant, a Citibank, and an adjacent high-fashion boutique (with a name like Rhapsody or Charming). Oh, and of course there’s a McDonalds, which is currently serving “cuisine prepared by the famous chef Pablo Something-Or-Other,” but thankfully, there is no Starbucks.

First let me say that my Spanish has gone to shit. Really. I have been fluent since high school – I never even had to think about speaking it came so naturally. Enter Fred and this decision to learn Portuguese, and POOF…there goes the Spanish. I guess it’s a testament to how well my Portuguese is going (and how similar the languages are) but seriously…I kept trying to talk to the guides and the locals, but all that came out was “Bom Dia” instead of “Buenos Dias,” and “Obrigada” instead of “Gracias.”

Salta is Argentina’s most Incan influenced region, and the people definitely look the part. Many are in traditional Incan dress with alpaca (similar to a llama) ponchos, and they have very Incan features – dark, straight hair, dark skin, high cheekbones, and deep-set eyes. If you don’t remind yourself, it’s easy to forget you’re in Argentina. One of the most remarkable things about Salta is the brilliance of the colors: the sky is SO blue, the trees are SO green, and the rocks are SO red!!

My first exploration was south of Salta to Cafayate Canyon, which was amazingly beautiful. On my tour bus were Winston and Kris, a gay couple from Amsterdam; Dieter from Germany (so cliché, right?); and Elaine from London. Throughout the 12-hour excursion, we trekked through the winding roads of this unbelievable gorge (Quebrado del Rio de las Conchas), with the strangest and most colorful rock formations I have ever seen. It was ever-changing: sometimes the rocks looked like giant candles with wax dripping down. Other times they were massive colorful plates jutting out of the ground at all different angles. But the most fascinating rock formations were the “castles,” which were eroded clay structures that looked like majestic buildings. It was truly one of the most fantastic things I have ever seen, and I really don’t think my pictures can do it justice.

After a traditional Cafayate lunch with the group and some shopping at the local markets, we visited the Nanni Winery, which was beautiful but somewhat disappointing – they say you have to look hard to find a bad Argentinian wine, but it seems I only had to look at my first winery! Who knows, maybe I’m spoiled by the California wines of Napa ;) (that’s a joke). Alas, I returned to Salta with a massive headache (likely from Elaine talking my friggin’ ear off for 12 hours…I considered using the “No Hablo Ingles” line, but by the time I thought of it, it was too late).

My second day-trip was a journey north of Salta- to Jujuy, Humahuaca, and some assorted towns/monuments along the way – defined by Gap Adventures as “a trip into the past along the Inca road.” I was informed as I got on the bus that I was the only English-speaking person on the tour that day and the rest of the group was from Italy. “Ok,” I thought, “the guide will speak in Spanish so we can all understand and it will be a good review for me.” But as we began our trek through the mountains, I was utterly dismayed to discover that I could not understand ANYTHING! I mean, I know Argentine Spanish is tricky to decipher sometimes, but this was ridiculous! So for the first hour, I gathered only words such as “mountains,” “colors,” and, of course, “McDonalds.” When we pulled over for a picture-stop, I told her that I thought her accent was so strong it sounded almost Italian to me…at which point she informed me that she HAD BEEN SPEAKING ITALIAN THE WHOLE TIME!! Hello!? Did anyone remember that there was an American on the bus, too? Is it not enough that I speak Spanish and Portuguese, people?? Both frustrated that I missed the first hour of information and very relieved that I was not as remedial as I thought, I asked her to please speak both languages on the tour. 10 minutes later, a couple from Ireland got on the bus, so the tour wound up being in English, too…

Though far less beautiful than Cafayete (except for the Seven Colors Mountain, which was gorgeous), the trip was culturally fascinating. We stopped to see some Incan ruins, present-day cemeteries (which consist of colorful tombs built on hills so the dead can be closer to heaven), and more craft markets, which all look the same after a while. I ate llama meat for lunch (surprisingly tasty), and we almost hit a wild horse in the road on the way back. But alas, the time came to leave Salta…and continue my adventures in Buenos Aires!!

My Newest Brazilian Friend...

Some Interesting Facts About Brazil...

We all know that Brazil is beautiful.  If you didn't before, you should after seeing the pictures on my blog.  Everything you hear about Brazil is true - the beaches are amazing, the mountains are majestic, and the people are as warm and welcoming as you can imagine.  

But there are some things that you would not know about this beautiful country - or, specifically Rio de Janeiro - unless you've lived here.  As part of my  "semester abroad," I have been teaching English to Cariocas.  My favorite part of the class is "free conversation," where I can talk to them about anything I want to.  And this is where I learn the most about life in Rio de Janeiro.  So here are some interesting facts about Rio that you may not know...

1.  Voting is mandatory here for residents between 18 and 70 years of age.  If you do not vote, you can be fined and/or arrested.  While there is no law that applies to persons over the age of 70, many elderly Cariocas choose to vote anyway. People LOVE to talk about politics and are surprisingly informed about the upcoming presidential election in the US.   And so, while 100% of eligible voters cast a ballot in Brazil, in the US 2004 presidential election, only 56.7% of those eligible actually voted.  Many people are conflicted here on the law of mandatory voting...what do you think??

2.  Brazil is a very energy efficient country (I think) and continues to improve on its conservation.  In almost every building I have visited, hallway lighting is motion sensitive and only turns on when a person is approaching.  In the subway stations, the escalators going from the train platform to the entrance level only become activated when a person steps on the first step.  Otherwise, they remain motionless, which saves a lot of energy when nobody is using them.  Toilets are only half full of water.  There are separate trash bins for all types of materials.  Unfortunately, Fernando Gabeira, who was the mayorial candidate from the "Green Party" lost yesterday to Eduardo Paes.  Gabeira had plans to make Rio even "greener" than it already is, but he was defeated in the closest election in Brazilian history:  49.3% for Gabeira to 50.7% for Paes.  Now if that doesn't emphasize the importance of voting, I don't know what does...

3.  Brazilians never worry about terrorism.  The thought of an attack on this country is far from a Carioca's mind  It's amazing to live in a place where the news rarely discusses the middle east, and only briefly touches on the war in Iraq during the international news segment.  Brazil has no enemies [unless you count Argentina, but that's really only during the World Cup :) ]; however, their greatest problem is a threat from within.  Violence is a big problem here - of course, in America, we see films like Cidade de Deus and Tropa de Elite and we think we need bullet-proof vests just to walk out of the hotel.  This is not the case, but people do need to constantly be aware of what's going on around them.  Favelas (slums) CAN be dangerous, but they can also be very peaceful, like the one I am looking at right now outside of our living room window.  Random robberies are certainly more common here than in the United States, and there are many areas that look benign but are actually quite dangerous.  But like anywhere else, you just need to look over your shoulder and know your surroundings.  It certainly helps to have a big, strong, Brazilian boyfriend who was a Jiu Jitsu student for many years by my side...  

But despite the difference in the dangers that plague Cariocas and Americans, there is a common thread:  how we all choose to face our fears.  In America - and particularly in NYC -most people have committed to going on with their lives in a normal fashion and not living in fear everyday.  We know that if we stop flying in airplanes, stop driving through tunnels, and stop using our public transportation, we are letting the terrrorists win.  The same holds true here in Rio - I spoke with a woman last week who told me, "I work hard for my money and hard for this beautiful jewelry on my hands and wrists.  So what am I going to do?  Leave it all at home?  Not wear it because I am afraid?  No - I must go on with my life as normal and not live in fear or else the violence wins."  I couldn't have put it better myself! 

Here is a picture I am borrowing from Hayley and Ryan, who are visiting me this week in Rio! It was taken in Copacabana right along the beachfront...Can you guess who is the political favorite here in Rio??