Hardly Hobos...

Believe it or not, these two hobos are taking the plunge into home ownership! Within a week of arriving in Richmond, we have found a house and made an offer. Our offer was accepted and both the home inspection and survey were completed. Yesterday we signed early possession papers and will be moving next Wednesday, June 5th. Thankfully for us, the owner (who also happens to be our realtor, weird we know!) understands our time crunch and is willing to let us get in early. Our closing date will around the first of July.

Our "Rivah" Cottage in New Point, Virginia

The beach at the end of our road

We have also decided that it is no longer ideal to borrow or rent a car during our summer visits home, especially now that we will have kayaks...so we also bought a vehicle! Crazy, we know! We found a used Hyundai Santa Fe, which is perfect for our needs. In the near future I will post a photo, but for now you will just have to be satisfied with house pictures. Here they are:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/324SandbankRoad?authkey=Gv1sRgCMmH1-X70YKe_QE#

We have spare beds ready to welcome guests!

Anyone interested?

Hobos Heading Home

With a week left to go before heading back to the US, Liz and I decided to leave Baños and make our way north to Quito with a stop or two along the way. Apparently one of the ´must-dos´in Ecuador is the Quilotoa Loop. Surprisingly, however, we asked a Danish girl in Baños (who had been living in Quito for 3 months) about the Loop and she and her friend seemed to have no clue what we were talking about. Had I asked them about a specific discoteque I believe they could have given us all the details in regards to cover charges, drink specials, etc. Just one more tourist on a different trip than us.

So the gist of the Loop is that you leave Latacunga early in the afternoon and approximately 2 buses run in each direction. There are a couple of small towns along the way with basic accommodation and it is suggested that you spend about 3 days making your way around the circuit. No bus does the entire loop in one shot, but it would take roughly 6 hours to do so if that were possible. A dirt road takes you through an incredible valley with a number of canyons and mountain views along the way. The road is about a bus and a half wide so it is always an interesting and nerve wracking situation when you come head on with another bus. If you are ever to do this trip, and heights are an issue for you, then I would highly recommend that you sit on the side of the bus opposite the valley. There are times when the tires of the bus are inches from the road´s edge which then becomes a straight drop to the valley floor. I was quite surprised not to see the occasional heap of twisted metal a few hundred feet below us, but then again, there is probably not much left at that point.

After four hours of some very impressive driving we got off at the final stop in Chugchilian and found a hostal we had heard good things about. Since there was basically no where to eat in this very small town our hostal included breakfast and dinner in their $8 per person rate. After talking to some other travelers about things to do we decided to catch the 5 am bus the next day to head to the town of Quilotoa and see the crater lake which it is famous for. Unfortunately all the buses run at unreasonably early hours.

The next morning we caught the bus along with a guy named Renee (Dutch) who was also staying at our hostal. After getting off the bus we made our way over to the rim of the lake and took a long look down. One of us said, ´Well, should we walk down?´Liz and I were hesitant since we had already seen a similar lake and our plan was to hike back to Chugchilian which would take six hours or so. Despite admittedly not being in that great of shape, and at an altitude of 3,800 meters, Renee was all for going down to the bottom. Liz and I kind of decided, ´Why not, we don´t want to deny the guy the chance to be awed by nature and snap a few photos.´Long story short, we made our way down, and then very slowly made our way back up. By this point we were all a little tired and had already ate all the food we had for the rest of our upcoming hike. I should mention that the night before when Liz and I searched Chugchilian for some food to take there was absolutely nothing except a ton of bananas. We decided to make a go of it anyway by using the map that had been passed on to us by the couple who hiked the trail the previous day. We had been warned of wrong turns, crazy dogs, and missing trail markers. After only half a mile of walking we were already lost and even more tired and hungry. Unfortunately we have found the trails in Ecuador to be poorly marked. So after a brief discussion we decided the best thing to do would be to turn around and get some food. In hindsight this was a very smart thing to do.

Quilotoa Crater Lake

Renee and Liz making their way down

After eating we headed out to the main road to see if we could flag down a car or catch the day´s only bus that would be passing by around 2:00. After being offered a ride for $20 the bus came and we got on. Buses will stop for just about anyone in order to make an extra buck regardless of how much room is available. In our case, no room was available in terms of western standards, but we were allowed on regardless. Not only was the amount of room enough to keep a sane person from getting on this thing, but the smell was extremely intense to say the least. Liz and Renee squeezed on and then it was my turn. The only spot unfortunately at this time was one that allowed me to hover above a woman sitting on the ground breast feeding her child along with a woman next to me who had a couple of baby chicks in her bag. So I now have to say that I am astounded by the number of women breast feeding in public that I see on a daily basis. I am not trying to be immature at all here. I just can´t get over how old some of these women look from working outdoors there entire lives and how old and big some of these children are. Some must easily be two or three years old. They are huge and it is happening wherever you go.

That night Liz and I decided that we had had enough of the Loop and it´s poor marked trails and we should try to move on to something a bit better. After some thought we decided to head northwest to another little place called Mindo. Mindo has some of Ecuador´s last remaining cloud forest and some outdoor activities as well. We figured this would be a much better place to pass some time rather than heading to Quito right away. So after another early morning bus (3 am this time), a change in Latacunga, and a failed bus catching attempt in Quito which led to us paying for a cab, we arrived in Mindo around noon.

We have been using the Lonely Planet along our trip to help us get from point A to point B, as well as to find places to sleep and eat. Going by what the LP had written about the hostal we chose in Mindo we thought we were in for a great budget option, but unfortunately we ended up with a complete dud. Why we didn´t just walk out I do not know. This place was easily the worst place we stayed in on our entire trip. Musty, dirty, a room that didn´t lock from the inside, a hole in the wall to the outside for vermin to come and go, damp, etc. etc. We already paid our ten dollars but decided to switch as soon as we woke up the next morning, if we could even ever fall asleep. Liz heard scratching noises above her bed at times during the night.

Over the last 6 years Liz and I have been very dedicated to the LP, but have now decided to support another guide book that meets our needs. LP has some great maps but we have also found alot of their information to be inaccurate and out of date. Apparently alot of the writers don´t even visit the places that are mentioned. We do realize that tourists do make contributions and that collaboration does take place, but there are also better options for travel guides out there. Also, once a hostal gets mentioned in the LP you can be sure that the price of that place is going to go up too.

Mindo was a cool and fun experience in the end. We had fun hiking around the surrounding areas, went swimming at a waterfall, visited a really cool butterfly sanctuary, and simply relaxed and had the occasional ice cream. One thing that humored us were the number of stray dogs around Mindo and how they would follow you around for extended periods of time. I guess they hoped to be adopted or at the very least to get some food off of you. One day we actually had three follow us in the span of only an hour or so.

The cute but not to helpful cartoon map of Mindo

Two of our companions

Once we had had enough of Mindo we decided to head to the capital and spend our last 2 and a half days in South America seeing what Quito has to offer. We have heard mixed reviews about Quito so we were not in any rush to get there. Mostly what we had heard was about crime. Everyone knew someone who had been mugged if they themselves had not. Liz and I, however, were not too concerned despite the negative reports. I hope I am not about to jinx us, but we have been lucky over the last six to seven years of serious travel and we feel we are fairly aware of our surroundings. Most of the people we have heard about we assume were out late at night and using poor judgment.

When you have money to burn, why not splurge for the finest linens and towels Quito´s hostals have to offer.

This towel seriously came with the room

So after two days of cruising around Quito, and four hours left before we head to the airport, I can only cross my fingers and hope that we don´t become unfortunate victims of street crime. Luckily Liz still has her can of mace which has only been used once, and that was on me after a late night trip to the bathroom - I am only kidding. All in all though this has been an absolutely amazing trip and we have been very fortunate that nothing has gone wrong over the last 3 months. I am quite surprised when I look back on our travels through South America because in a way it could not have gone off more perfectly.

As for the next two months before we head to Jakarta, Indonesia... well, the plan is to buy a home on the Virginia coast so we have a place of our own during the summer months. We plan to get that in order as soon as we return to VA on the 18th. Other than that, a few road trips to see some friends, maybe camp some more, and hopefully be in our own place come the end of June. I am sure we will see some of you, and if not, our doors will always be open in Indonesia and VA. Keep following our travels here and be sure to keep in touch.

As always, click on the following links if you would like to see more photos:

Quilotoa Loop
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/QuilotoaLoopEcuador?authkey=Gv1sRgCOPg1pDQp-DDggE

Mindo
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/MindoEcuador?authkey=Gv1sRgCPqrnbGT0rnj6wE

Quito
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/QuitoEcuador?authkey=Gv1sRgCKzCnomnqJ3QUA

A Little Bit of Everything in Baños...

What do you possibly do after eight amazing days in the Galapagos? You relax of course! Which is why we headed south to the beautiful colonial town of Cuenca. After walking through cobblestone streets, taking in a few museums, reading a few books and spending plenty of quality time lounging we decided we were ready for more adventure.

One example of Cuenca´s beauty

The number one adventure destination in Ecuador is Baños. Travelers come to this hot spot for rafting, kayaking, biking, bridge jumping, horseback riding, etc. I had been looking forward to our visit to Baños for some time as I had decided that I would finally try rafting. (If you haven´t noticed already, I have been doing a lot of edge building this trip!)

Despite being very nervous, we booked a half day trip on a class III/IV river - perfect for beginners. We headed out the next day and because of the small size of our group our guide advised us to take the smaller boat so we could feel rapids better. On top of that Jim and I got put in the front, which only added to my level of nervousness. After getting suited up and having a safety demonstration, we got on the water and almost immediately hit rapids. I was a bit scared and so naturally what did I do? I grabbed on to Jim´s leg, of course! I only did this once because it was pointed out to me that I could have tipped the boat from not paddling. After I realized I was going to be fine, I really got into it. It was such a rush hitting rapids, having a huge gush of water hit you in the face and then paddling as hard as you could to make it through. By the end I was so thankful that I was in the front because you had the best ride and the best view. Rafting was definitely not as frightening as I thought it would be. I will definitely do it again, but want a little more experience before I hit a class V.

I don´t look so convinced here.

We stayed at a lovely little hostel, Timara, that had the most likable pets: three parrots and a dog named Gringa. On the bulletin board in the shared kitchen other travelers recommended taking Gringa for a walk in the mountains. We had already planned on going for a hike, so we decided why not take Gringa along. As soon as Jim asked the owner and started to move toward her leash, Gringa was elated in the doggie sense. She started jumping around and barely let us get her out the gate. It pretty much turned into Gringa walking Jim until we got to the mountain where we could let her off her leash. She was in doggie heaven, running up the hills, rolling in the dirt, sitting in a spring, etc. Despite being all over the place at times, Gringa always came right back to our side, showing that she knew her place. We went up to a look out point and made our way back down. Unfortunately the quality of the trail was not the best so we wouldn´t rate this as our top hiking experience, although we did enjoy watching Gringa. After that Gringa pretty much became our shadow, begging and whining to be taken on another walk.

Jim with Gringa

We spent another day biking down the road of waterfalls. It was a beautiful day and we especially enjoyed stopping at the Pailon del Diablo. We both had a great time being near the waterfall and getting absolutely soaked! After about four hours of biking and sight seeing, we decided to try to get ride back. I put out my thumb, because this is what the bike rental man recommended doing, and waited. Several trucks passed and no one would stop. Could it have been my helmet hair? Luckily after about ten minutes a bus came by, with bikes on the roof, and let us get on. I was amazed that the bus attendant was able to swing the bike up to the roof one handed while standing on the side ladder!

Jim on the Ruta Cascadas (Road of Waterfalls)

Getting soaked by Pailon del Diablo

Pailon del Diablo

We decided to spend a morning horse back riding up to a viewpoint to see the Tungurahua Volcano. We rented two horses and a guide and made our way out of town. Once we got around the side of the mountain that had been destroyed by the eruption in 2006 we were lucky enough to get a clear view of the top, which is usually covered by clouds. Unfortunately we did not get to snap a photo in time because as we were admiring the scene, Jim´s horse was admiring my leg! I had noticed that he was a bit close, but it wasn´t until he bit my leg that I realized just how close he was. I was so stunned that as I screamed and grabbed my drool covered leg, I missed the shot as the clouds moved and covered our view. For me after that I was much more concerned about keeping my distance from the feisty horse than I was about what we were seeing. I wasn´t too excited about the idea of getting bit again. Who knows, maybe the first bite was just a warning! Luckily I made it back without any other wounds, but I do have a nice bruise as a momento of our time with Pinto the Vampire Horse.

He looks harmless...but looks are deceiving!

And finally, a trip to Baños is not complete without renting a dune buggy, which is exactly what we did our last day. For only $10usd an hour you can cruise around the surrounding areas in a little dune buggy. We had such a laugh, especially when Jim crammed in the driver side. We felt that after seeing Baños by raft, feet, bike, and horse it was only fitting that we round things up in a buggy.

Notice the size difference...

Enjoy more photos at the following links...

To see more photos from Cuenca, click here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/Cuenca?authkey=Gv1sRgCIOKpKKq3IyV7wE#

More rafting photos can be found at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/RaftingInBanos?authkey=Gv1sRgCIqWm5_H_4LRKA#

Other photos from our time in Baños:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/BanosEcuador?authkey=Gv1sRgCM6EgcKfnKfBMA#

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