The Galapagos Islands - Better than a day at the zoo

So we have just returned from an eight day cruise around the Galapagos Islands and all I have to say is WOW!!! This is a must visit for everyone, and I would recommend going ASAP because it isn´t going to get any cheaper and who knows when a cap will be put on how many people can visit annually. This place is awesome!

Rather than giving a day to day overview I´ll just give some of the highlights and lowlights. We arrived on Baltra Island via plane and when we stepped onto the tarmac you quickly realized you were on an Equatorial Pacific Island. It was hot! Our boat would be home to sixteen tourists over the next few days. Those joining us made up a variety of travelers. We had a family from Canada, couples from various parts of the world, and some singles as well. Some had already been on the boat for a few days, some would only be on for five, and one other couple would be joining us for the full eight.

Over those eight days we would be making our way to different islands each day. For those that like to examine maps they included: Baltra, Islas Plaza, Santa Fe, Espanola, Floreana, Santa Cruz, Rabida, Bartholomew, and North Seymour. Every island provided a new experience. Each was unique in regards to fluara, fauna and geology.

We would begin our days at either 5:45 or 7:00 am in an effort to beat the heat. We were served three fantastic meals a day by our chef who kept us incredibly well fed. After a morning excursion and breakfast back on the boat we would then go snorkeling or travel to another not so distant island. In the afternoon we might go snorkeling once again as well as have another land or water excursion. There was plentyof time in between activities to have a nap, chat, read, or do whatever you so pleased.

We had a guide for the first five days who was quite nice, but unfortunately very inexperienced. We were in fact his first tour group. This bothered a number of people, ourselves included. When you are paying a couple thousand dollars to go on such a tour you would think that an experienced guide would be provided. On the fifth day, however, most left our boat as their tours came to an end, and our guide moved on as well.

We received a new guide, and although he was incredibly knowledgable (he could do bird calls, name constellations, and spot animals hundreds of yards away) he too had faults. This particular guide was very strong minded and self absorbed. He was friendly as well, but it was easy to end up on his bad side if you were late for an excursion, walked off the path or made some other kind of mistake. At one point he saw it fit to humiliate a grown man in front of our group to the near point of tears. I know what you are thinking, and no I was not that grown man.

Another group of travelers also came aboard at this time. Everyone we met was unique in their own way and had something interesting to share. Our favorites, however, were a couple whose names were Phong (Vietnamese/Australian) and Jaana (German). Both have a really good sense of humor which led to me and Liz laughing more than we have in a long time.

All in all it was an incredible trip. We learned a great deal of information and it is simply amazing how close you can get to the animals. A few highlights for us were when a large group of bottlenose dolphins came swimming along and proceeded to swim in the wake of our boat. Snorkeling with penguins, sea lions, a hammerhead shark, a white tip reef shark, large rays, sea turtles and numerous other forms of marine life was spectacular. Watching blue-footed boobies and frigate birds make mating calls and even seeing two sea turtles mating was incredible as well. We were also awe struck by the geology of BartholomewIsland. You could see first hand how lava created these islands. I could go on and on about the beauty of this archipelago and the excitement it creates in you, but the best thing to do is go an see for yourself.

We are down to a little over two weeks and our now back in the highlands away from the humidity in Cuenca, Ecuador. Look for more updates but at the same time we look forward to seeing most of you in the near future.

As always, if you would like to see more photos then please go to the following two links. Sorry they are all not combined but we saved them at two different times.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/GalapagosIslands?authkey=Gv1sRgCIDg4a-12v7ikwE

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/GalapagosIslands02?authkey=Gv1sRgCNrJ97-mj6mB9QE

Bottlenose dolphins. Three of many that played in the

wake of our boat as we headed to Santa Fe Island.
Sea lion at Santa Fe Island


Santa Fe Island
Blue-footed booby on Espanola Island

Christmas iguana on Espanola Island

Blow hole on Espanola Island
Albatross on Espanola Island
Post Office Bay on Floreana Island. You can put a postcard in this mailbox and hopefully one day someone who lives near by will take it home, put a stamp on it, or deliver it personally.

Giant land tortoise in Santa Cruz highlands

Galapagos penguins on Rabida Island
Liz doing her best at a jump shot from the summit of Bartholomew Island

View from the summit of Bartholomew Island

Lava cones on Bartholomew Island

Pinnacle Rock on Bartholomew Island

Blue-footed booby with eggs on North Seymour Island

Frigate bird puffing out its chest on North Seymour IslandOur boat the Yolitta II in Barrington Bay off Santa Fe Island

Ecuador...Already?!?!

It is difficult to believe that we are already in Ecuador! This is the last country stop on our South America trip and the fact that two months have flown by does not cease to shock us! Seriously, where has the time gone?

We have spent the last few days in Otavalo, a small town north of Quito. Otavalo is famous for the Saturday market. The locals sell handicrafts to bus loads of tourists who come in from Quito for the day. Thankfully we were able to enjoy a smaller version of the market without all the tourists since our visit occurred midweek. The only things we bought were ¨Panama¨ hats, which actually originated in Ecuador and not Panama.

We also did some hiking around Otavalo. One day we walked through the country side to get to the Condor Park to see birds of prey. We also hiked around Lake Cuicocha, which is a beautiful volcanic crater lake. It was a nice and enjoyable walk, although a little hot. I was entertained to hear a guy say, ¨That was too much...very difficult.¨ I was thinking, ¨Really...it was only four hours.¨ I guess after trekking in Patagonia I have a little different take on ¨difficult.¨

While in Otavalo we also go haircuts. Jim, thankfully, decided that it was time for a trim. He had an entertaining experience with a barber named Pepa who insisted that he try some of the local spirits made from sugar cane. Even after three glasses, Pepa was still able to give him a proper cut, but I can´t help wonder what sort of a chop job he did on any customers who came in after we left. Speaking of chop jobs, that was pretty much what happened to me when I went in for a trim. How I got talked in to letting a woman, who used a razor to shape my eyebrows, layer my hair...I don´t know! I left with what probably best resembled a mullet and was definitely not smiling. I went to a different salon the next day and had her cut off the bottom layer so I am back to a short bob. Oh well, it´s only hair!

Our days in Otavalo have been relaxed and enjoyable...which is just what we needed. Below is the link for more photos. You might enjoy seeing how the locals dress. They have really maintained their traditions despite the number of tourists that pass through every weekend.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/InAndAroundOtavalo1?authkey=Gv1sRgCJber5j2s9nyfw#

Jim sporting his new hat at the market. Condor Park

Farmers we passed on the way to Condor Park

Weaving demonstration

Can you see how much Pepa cut off?

Hiking at Cuicocha Lake

We are going to the Galapagos this weekend. You can expect an update on that trip in about a week and a half.

Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley

Despite waking up at 4:30am to catch the bus to Machu Picchu, we were still greeted with a line of sleepy, anxious travelers. We arrived at Peru´s number one tourist destination as the sun was coming up only to see mist, fog and a growing number of people frantic to get inside and get the best photos. We found it somewhat humorous that after days of trekking we finally arrived and could not see anything! This didn´t bother us too much because the weather added a certain element of mystery to the morning.

Luckily, we told our guide to meet us later so that we could check things out on our own before our tour. We hung out with some llamas and did a fair bit of people watching. One thing that humored us was how desperate people were to climb Huayna Picchu, despite the fact that it was so foggy you could not actually see anything. Jim saw one guy sprint past in order to be one of the 500 people allowed up the mountain that overlooks Machu Picchu. We passed on that mountain climb.

Thankfully by the time Guido arrived, the fog had lifted and the mist was moving. We spent roughly two hours touring the site and digesting the knowledge Guido had to share. He explained the history of the Incas at Machu Picchu and showed us the most important areas of the ruins. We were really thankful for Guido´s excellent tour because we felt like we learned so much more than we would have from a guidebook and a map. Machu Picchu is truly an incredible place that should not be missed!

We had some good laughs that morning, but the best was as we were leaving. Jim noticed some young American females standing near the entrance point. He turned to Simon and said, ¨Did you get a good picture of Oprah by the sundial?¨ Simon responded with ¨Yeah, she´s lost a lot of weight.¨ Jim said, ¨It was tough for me to get a good photo because there were so many people around her.¨ Then the ring leader of the group said, ¨You guys...quick...get over here!¨ After some hushed whispers, squeals and a few jumps from the group I had to rush up the stairs because I could not contain my laughter. It was so incredibly funny! I can only imagine how long they walked around in search of Oprah. I hope they weren´t too disappointed when they didn´t find her!

After spending most of the day at Machu Picchu, we returned to Aguas Calientes to catch the train to Ollantaytambo. We spent two days enjoying the ruins and small village that has large walls and doorways built by the Quechuans. (Quechuans were the common people during the Incans rein.)

After Ollantaytambo we caught the local bus to Pisac to see more ruins and a market. In the late afternoon, we headed up the mountain to visit the massive complex of ruins that wraps around and around. We toured through farming terraces, mudbrick buildings and ceremonial baths. After several hours, we noticed that the sun was setting and had to quickly make our way down the mountain before night set in. Our timing was just right because we stepped off the path and into the glow of the streetlight just as the last shred of light disappeared. I can´t imagine trying to climb down stairs built by the Quechuans in the dark...that rates right up there with scree!

Unfortunately at this point our memory card was full and both batteries were dead. (We left most of our things, including our charger, back in Cusco while we were trekking.) We missed out on taking photos of the locals in Piscac celebrating Good Friday. The streets were decorated with massive murals made from a multitude of flowers, saw dust, and dirt. After a church service, a glass paned casket with a figure of Jesus inside was paraded throughout the streets followed by a processional of people carrying candles. It was beautiful.

Be sure to check out our other photos at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/MachuPicchuAndTheSacredValley?authkey=Gv1sRgCOfO_4rm5Z3GHw#

At Machu Picchu

At the ruins in Ollantaytambo

Local Girl in Ollantaytambo

Some of the Many Ruins Near Pisac

Marching to Machu Picchu

Most people during their childhood or teens see a photo of Machu Picchu and they say to themselves, “Where is that? I want to go there some day.” I had the opportunity to visit Machu Picchu with my close friend Andy back in 2003, but it is one of those places everyone should visit at some point in their lives. As Liz and I planned our South America trip we decided this was one place to stop by so she could check it off of her list.

There are a number of ways to get to Machu Picchu but we decided that we wanted to complete another trek there. Prior to arriving in Cusco we did some research at South American Explorers in Lima for an alternative Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu. A lot of people make it their goal to hike “The Inca Trail” but the reality of it is that it is crowded and there are just as good of alternative treks out there. Only 500 people are allowed to hike the so called Inca Trail which makes it more like Disney World in my opinion than a natural outdoor experience. After researching various hikes and companies we decided on a reputable one with good reviews and two treks we were interested in. Turns out that neither of the two treks we liked fit our schedule so we had to basically pick the one that did. The trek we chose is called Salkantay and it begins in Mollepata and ends in Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu. The trek itself lasts 5 days and we had heard good things of this one as well.

This would be a slightly different experience than what we had done before. In this case you pay to have a guide, cook, and porters to set up tents and secure your backpack on horses that go along. Although we have enjoyed our previous challenges we figured it would be nice to be catered to this go round.

The plan was for a company van to pick us up at 5:30 AM so we could drive to the trailhead. I was in and out of it that night and at one point woke up at 4:50 just before Liz’s alarm was to go off at 5. I drifted off again only to wake up and think to myself “I haven’t been asleep for 10 minutes.” I shot up, looked at Liz’s watch and saw that it was 5:23. Luckily most of our things were packed so we hopped out of bed, threw the rest of our belongins in our bags and raced out to the street just as the van was pulling up. Some people might not have cared about being late but we did not want to make a bad first impression.

Nevado Salkantay

We made our way about 5 hours up a valley, stopping at some Inca ruins along the way to have breakfast, and then began our trek. Our guides name was Guido and we were lucky to only have one other trekker in our group. Simon is from Sunderland, England in the north and he was a great guy to have along for some added comic relief. Some groups unfortunately have 13 or so people which leads to alot of waiting around for the slower hikers. Guido was a Peruvian from the south who had studied anthropology and was very knowledgable of history, flaura and fauna along the entire journey. Our cooks name was Rolly and he was a local Quechuan who cooked our great meals. Three members of Rolly’s family helped with horses and food as well.

The trekking itself was challenging at times but the days themselves were fairly short. We would have periodic breaks and lunch was a large meal that took an hour at least. We would get up at about 6:30 with coffee or tea brought right to our tents. We would then have breakfast and begin hiking around 8:00. Our days would end anywhere between 4 and 6.

Piece of cake

The new challenge for us this time was altitude. Not that I ever thought so in the past, but I surely realize now that I am not cut out to be a mountaineer due to the lack of air at these elevations. We began our hike around 3,900 meters and you could definitely see and feel yourself moving more slowly. On day 2 we hiked to a pass at 4,600 meters. We were all moving a bit slower, gasping for air at rests, and we could all feel slight headaches too. The locals, and some tourists as well, will chew cocoa leaves in an effort to reduce hunger and thirst. It also helps with symptoms of altitude sickness. This is not actual cocaine they are chewing but the leaf which can be processed into cocaine along with a number of other substances.

Unfortunately on day 2 Liz was plagued with stomach issues as we made our way to the pass. Parts of this section reminded me of Patagonia as we heard and witnessed more small avalanches. We then began a long descent into rain forest which was a wild transition to see and feel. We were hit by strong rain at one point which made the trails more interesting.

One of us having a great day and the other...

Offerings to the gods

Guido, Simon and Liz

On day 3 I had the stomach bug which made things unenjoyable for me. Luckily Guido gave me some of the same meds he gave Liz the day before which cleared up our symptoms within an hour or so. We were still making our way down through the valley and forest at this point. On this particular day other groups had caught up with us and the trail was quite crowded. It was quite humorous to observe these other trekkers. Some looked unprepared, bored and unhappy. Some had on designer jeans, one guy had on no shirt even though mosquitos were horrible at times, and one guy stopped and photographed every flower he came across making for a fun slideshow for his future houseguests. That evening we went to the local hot springs and soaked our bones.

View back up to the 4,600 meter pass

Near our campground

The final full day of trekking required us to hike up to another pass where some Incan ruins were located. The weather was hot and humid and the land was tough on our legs. At the top, however, we got out first glimpse of Machu Picchu off in the distance. We then hiked down the mountain and to a train depot where we would catch a ride to Aguas Calientes which is at the base of Machu Picchu. We could only hope that the weather would be as good for day 5 and Machu Picchu as it had been the last few days.

Machu Picchu inbetween us off in the distance

As always if these photos are not enough then please click on the link below:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/SalkantayTrek?authkey=Gv1sRgCI64uvK-6dGbhgE

Quaint and Charming Cusco

I must admit that I have a little crush on Cusco. It is the quaintest and most charming city we have visited in South America. The city has a unique feel to it with carved wooden balconies, Spanish style roofs, cobblestone alleyways, Peruvian women in colorful clothing, excellent local and international food...need I say more? It is definitely a place to add to your list. Not to mention that Cusco is the jumping off point for visiting Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.

Cuso is surrounded by several Incan ruins. The four major ones being: Sacsayhuaman, Qenko, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay. All of which can be visited in one day. We took a local bus, which cost about 50 cents each, and was much easier to figure out than our chaotic experience in Lima. The bus dropped us off at the farthest ruin and then we visited each one, making our way back to town. It was a gorgeously sunny day and for me seeing the countryside full of mud brick homes and farms was just as interesting as the ruins themselves.

During our time here we have enjoyed some fantastic Mexican food. We have been frequenting a restaurant that has a menu of the day that costs 13 soles, or about $4usd. This means that you have about ten choices for either a soup or salad, main dish and a drink. You can´t beat that, especially when the burrito is full of guacamole, beans and chicken and beef. We have also enjoyed this same deal, but with Peruvian food. I had the spicy stuffed pepper and Jim tried a beef and rice dish, both were excellent. Today we are going to a place that claims they have the best avocados in town.

Tomorrow we head out on a five day trek: Salkantay. Unlike our other treks, we are using a tour this time. This trek will be a bit more on the posh side with a porter, cook and guide. It will be weird to not carry a backpack or cook or own food. It is possible to do treks independently, but with the high altitude and our lack of Quechuan language skills it is highly recommended. During the five days we will experience mountains, jungles, hot springs, Incan ruins and then finally arrive at Machu Picchu. You will be happy to read that the mountains have switchbacks and the trails are packed dirt, which is a relief after our last experience! And for those of you wondering, my bites are healing nicely.

More photos can be found at the following two links:

http://picasaweb.google.es/lizhaske/CuzcoPeru?authkey=Gv1sRgCI3_m5iJqYj3Bg#

and

http://picasaweb.google.es/lizhaske/CuzcoPeru02?authkey=Gv1sRgCL6hsem-oL2RYw#

Cathedral at the Plaza de Armas

Tambomachay Ruins

Llamas on the way to Sacsayhuaman Ruins

An Uncooperative Alpaca

Mud brick home outside of Cusco

Hot Town, Summer in the City...

After roughly a month of camping and treking in Argentina it was time to make our way north to Santiago, Chile and eventually to Lima, Peru for the second chapter of our journey. We were disappointed to leave that part of our trip behind, but the good thing about traveling so extensively is that there is always something new around every corner. In order to get to Santiago we took an overnight bus from Bariloche, Argentina to Osorno, Chile and then on to Santiago after a brief layover. The total length of the bus ride was 20 hours with the highlight easily being the 80s dance video compilation that was shown. If my Spanish were better I would have been tempted to ask the bus driver where he got this tape because I need one for those dull nights. I was dancing in my seat to videos from Footloose, Flashdance, Dirty Dancing, Cocktail, and Saturday Night Fever (1977). Unfortunately the bus ended up being more of a sleepover than a dance party minus the pillow fights and scary stories.

After getting into Santiago around 8 am and finding a hostel that would meet our needs we hit the town. Two things we noticed right away upon arrival was that it was much hotter in Santiago than what we had been experiencing previously, and the city was a ghost town since it was Sunday. We cruised our neighborhood regardless and made the best of things. We went to the fish market, the plaza, slept, read and ate. We also went by the local art school to see what was going on in the park nearby. It definitely didn´t look as though much studying was taking place. Guess they got it all in on Friday and Saturday night. This place, however, looked more like a school for jugglers. There must have been about 15 - 20 people juggling along with other street performers doing their thing. Unfortunately no pictures were taken. The next day we did some more of the same this time taking in the Japanese garden, some churros from a street vendor, and some neighborhood street dancing. Buenos Aires was more of my kind of a city than Santiago. I found Santiago´s air to be polluted, a number of areas smelled like urine, and unnecessary grafitti was sprayed on public and private buildings. If driving a car with high carbon emissions, using the bathroom in the street, and tagging random buildings is your thing then Santiago is your place.

After two full days in Santiago we caught a flight to Lima where it was even warmer. We have been trying to save a dollar here and there whenever we can so our plan was to use the public bus service rather than a taxi to get to our hostel. We hit the main road and stood with all the locals in the blazing sun waiting for our ¨collectivo¨. Now just to let you know these microbuses tend to be overflowing with people. One will pull up, a guy will hop off with a sign yelling the bus´s destination and people will hop on or off. Our collectivo pulled up, Liz walked over to hop on, and there was no possible way she, nor I, were ever getting on this thing. Too many people, not enough seats, and too big of backpacks. We laughed as our bus rolled off, looked at one another and hailed a cab instead.

We decided to stay in the upscale neighborhood of Miraflores for the night at an affordable hostel. Miraflores is a beach community which offers some green spaces and places to surf and sun. I actually had the opportunity to spend 8 hours at a bowling alley there back in 2003 as my buddy Andy and I killed time during a layover. My arm still hurts from bowling that much and I was sad to see that our local hangout had now closed. So it looked like bowling was out of the question for the day and instead we would have to explore the area on foot. We walked the streets at a snails pace trying not to sweat while snapping the occasional picture. Dinner and some reading was how we spent the evening. This trip as you can tell has been filled with late nights of dancing in clubs and enjoying what night life there is. After a quality rest we caught flight to Cusco in the morning on a plane that made me have second thoughts about flying. Hopefully we will get their ¨good¨ plane on the way back to Lima.

As always, if the following photos are not enough then please go to http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/SantiagoAndLima?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ7Z4ZOC-Zq7YA

Santiago, Chile

Our only souvenir purchase so far. We hope it makes it till May.
Santiago, Chile

Everyone has to have their go to churro vendor.

Santiago, Chile

Wishing they could be with all the street dogs.

Santiago, Chile

Empty and surprisingly good looking collectivo.

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

One of my favorite bowling alleys which is now closed.

Lima, Peru

Pale and pastey in Lima, Peru.

Breakers and surfers in Lima, Peru.