We left Arequipa at 6am and had a slightly stressful ordeal getting bus tickets 15 minutes before the bus left. But we made it! Our tickets were 15 soles each then we went to the exit terminal and the guard told us, in Spanish, that we had to buy something, we couldnt figure out what he was telling us. Finally, about a long minute later we realized we had to buy an exit ticket for one sole each. We loaded and the bus and left only 15 mins late. The bus ride was a bruttle six hours long. Every time the driver shifted the whole bus felt it and Jason and I had bets as to how far the bus would go till it broke down.
The road was a bumpy dirt path for quite some time and then shifted in to very sharp turns; which were enhanced by the drivers swerving and tailgating. We made it safe and sound so neither one of us won. There was an old man on the bus who most definitely did not win, he pooed his pants. The bus driver had to stop and the ticket taker guy got out shovled dirt and then swept the poo off the bus. The entire time we were all still on the bus and it smelled terriable!! On the bus ride back a girl got on and she put her baby llama under the bus with all the bags. She then got off about 45 mins later and got out her pet and was kinda inspecting it for damages as we drove away.
The hike started out a bit confusing, the maps here do not give a great description of trails nor are there markers so we were kind of guessing. We eventually made it past the pampa (plane) and down the trail to San Juan de Chuchoo. Jason and I started measuring the width of the trails by how many donkies wide they were. Some parts were four donkies wide and others only one. The locals in San Juan can make it up to Cobanaconde in 1 hour 45 mins and down in one hour. Not to mention that they are hiking in sandles, well sandles whoses tread are made from Goodyear tires! It took Jason and I five and half hours down with 20 pounds or so on our backs. On the way down two boys passed us with a chair, it was a funny site. The locals also use donkies to carry down all the supplies they need for daily life.
We stayed in San Juan for 2 days it was beautiful very lush and lots of flowers! We then trekked over to Coshnirwa then to Malata. We stayed at Veronica´s in Malata. She had a museum and a place to camp for five soles. She also had a cute little puppy with huge paws that fell in love with Jason. The museum was full of traditional Peruvian tools and outfits for men and women.
As we were hiking we ran across two girls and guy from CA that were also trekking around and heading to Malata. We passed rio colca and decided to jump in because it was a hot day. They proceded to strip down naked and jump in. It made for an awkard yet very funny experience. These same people passed through Glorias house (where we were staying) as we were leaving and asked to pick some fruit from the trees. Her answer was "go ahead they are not my trees." This gave Jason and I a long conversation to go over why socialism may not work. To me this is very disheartening, but there will always be people who do not put in any work and want to reap the rewards. This very same group of three told us they asked another man early in their hike for some of his fruit he said they had to pay and when they told him they did not have any money he said "Oh, you must be Isreali." Proving that the Jew joke makes it all the way down to the bottom of the Colca Canyon in Peru.
One of the fruits that grows wild, but is also harvested in the canyon is tuna. It is the prickly fruit on top of the cactus. It is sweet and has edabile seeds like a watermelon. There is parasite that grows on the cactus that kills the cactus but it´s blood is used for coloring makup. They get about 35 to 40 soles per 2.2 pounds. So they are intentionally harvesting this bug for the blood.
We hiked out of the canyon in about seven hours, should of only taken four and half but we were tired from six days of hiking and being sunburnt at the oasis.
When we finally got back up to Cobanoconde we ordered ravollis and we were so exicted about it. The menu had three options one with meat, the other two no meat but with white or red sauce. So Jason and I ordered the white sauce one with meat and one without. However, when our food arrived both ravollis were stuffed with meat!!! I was sad, but Ceaser (the cook/busser/hostel manager) made me a plate of spagettii that I had to pay for of course. Thankfully Jason was hungry and ate both portions of ravollis and I had my meat free spaghetti.
In Peru it is really hard to find change for anything so it is best to travel with small bills/coins if possiable. We were in a shop buying a soda so we could pay the internet cafe 80cents and the shop lady went outside looking for change. She ended up not finding any and just pulling some out of her own box! Why she didn´t just give us that change in the first place is beyond me. As I am reading there is an ambulance waiting behind a taxi! Only in Peru well maybe more of South America, but sirens and authority get no respect!
That was a really long post my neck is hurting from sitting here. It took three times longer to type because the German girl next to me keeps talking. It´s fine, just slowed me down.
Sending all my love from South of the Equator
PS there is no spell check that I can get to work on blogspot so excuse all the spelling errors!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Arequipa
We took a bus from Ica to Arequipa. The bus was late by about an hour, but this is very typical in Peru. We asked if there was wifi at the bus station in Ica, because Jason and I had about seven hours to kill an he has his iphone that we use to keep up with the world, but the lady said no there was not wifi. So, we walked around town for awhile sitting in the Plaza de Arams, ate lunch and went to an internet cafe. We leave the internet cafe with an hour before the bus arrived and just for the sake of it Jason takes out his iphone and what do you know there is wifi!! It was so funny, and very Peruvian.
We rode on the second story of the double decker bus in the very front so we could watch traffic, the roads and scenary. It was like a rollar coaster! The driver was passing milk and fuel trucks on an up hill and sometimes with blind turns, he tailgated every car and would speed up and hit the breaks. It was quite the experience. We did arrive to Arequipa safe at about 9 am we walked into the bus terminal and we were bombarded by taxi drivers.
We walked up to an information stand and the lady had hostels that she was recomendeing. After much debate (between Jason and I, as to what would be most efficiant a) to walk around and look for a hostel in town with our stuff on our backs or b) just take what she had) and hageling (between the lady and I on room prices) we decided to go to a hostel that she recomended. We thought she would call an book the room and we would show up. But oh no, she packed up her entire stand and went with us from the bus terminal in a taxi to the hostel. It was the strangest thing. Clearly she is making commission on booking rooms or why else would she pack up her entire stand and leave.
Our hostel is nice it has a real bed. By that I mean it is not made of carboard, hay/cotton mix or a foam pad. It has a bathroom and there is wifi and bread and butter with instant coffee in the morning.
We planned on staying for three days, but on the third night our plan was derailed by some shady chicken that Jason ate. He had a food poisoning and was feeling terriable that night and yesterday. Today we took it slow hung out in the plaza, had lunch, ran into friends from PSF and chated with two local girls for a minute, then decided to go get some cake. The cake was good but not what I was expecting. The layers were crumbly cookie and cool whip, alternating, very interesting.
We plan on going to Colca Canyon tomorrow (Friday) and staying for around a week in the canyon and then heading to Chivay where there are hot springs for a day. The bus ride to Colca Canyon is six hours so we are leaving on the 6am bus and arriving at noon. After Colca we plan to come back to Arequipa for a day and then either hike Mt. Misti or head South to Chile. We decided it would be wiser to go as far South as we can get before winter hits.
Food here in Arequipa is good, because there are lots of choices, I am still really tired of rice. We think Jason got sick, because we ate around 9:30pm, the food was probably cooked at five and sat around for four hours and was then reheated when we arrived. He had chicken and I did not, but other then that we ate the same thing, I was totally fine. The resturants here are not like resturants in the USA they are just the front of people´s homes (well not all, not the nice expensive ones, which we are trying to avoid) but most.
We rode on the second story of the double decker bus in the very front so we could watch traffic, the roads and scenary. It was like a rollar coaster! The driver was passing milk and fuel trucks on an up hill and sometimes with blind turns, he tailgated every car and would speed up and hit the breaks. It was quite the experience. We did arrive to Arequipa safe at about 9 am we walked into the bus terminal and we were bombarded by taxi drivers.
We walked up to an information stand and the lady had hostels that she was recomendeing. After much debate (between Jason and I, as to what would be most efficiant a) to walk around and look for a hostel in town with our stuff on our backs or b) just take what she had) and hageling (between the lady and I on room prices) we decided to go to a hostel that she recomended. We thought she would call an book the room and we would show up. But oh no, she packed up her entire stand and went with us from the bus terminal in a taxi to the hostel. It was the strangest thing. Clearly she is making commission on booking rooms or why else would she pack up her entire stand and leave.
Our hostel is nice it has a real bed. By that I mean it is not made of carboard, hay/cotton mix or a foam pad. It has a bathroom and there is wifi and bread and butter with instant coffee in the morning.
We planned on staying for three days, but on the third night our plan was derailed by some shady chicken that Jason ate. He had a food poisoning and was feeling terriable that night and yesterday. Today we took it slow hung out in the plaza, had lunch, ran into friends from PSF and chated with two local girls for a minute, then decided to go get some cake. The cake was good but not what I was expecting. The layers were crumbly cookie and cool whip, alternating, very interesting.
We plan on going to Colca Canyon tomorrow (Friday) and staying for around a week in the canyon and then heading to Chivay where there are hot springs for a day. The bus ride to Colca Canyon is six hours so we are leaving on the 6am bus and arriving at noon. After Colca we plan to come back to Arequipa for a day and then either hike Mt. Misti or head South to Chile. We decided it would be wiser to go as far South as we can get before winter hits.
Food here in Arequipa is good, because there are lots of choices, I am still really tired of rice. We think Jason got sick, because we ate around 9:30pm, the food was probably cooked at five and sat around for four hours and was then reheated when we arrived. He had chicken and I did not, but other then that we ate the same thing, I was totally fine. The resturants here are not like resturants in the USA they are just the front of people´s homes (well not all, not the nice expensive ones, which we are trying to avoid) but most.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Still Heading South
We hung out in Huachachina (sp?) for a few days before we decided to go to Arequipa. Huachachina was really nice, it is an oasis surronded by sand dunes. There is sand boarding and buggys everywhere. After two days there is nothing else to do; the town is so small, we walked around the whole city in ten minutes. It was originally built as an oasis for the wealthy to escape, there were some colonail looking buildings around the lagoon but a few that were out of comission. We ate a bunch of different food- sandwiches, lasgana, pizza, french fries, burgers and NO rice, it was GREAT!! We sat near the pool, but did not swim becasue I hurt my toe and did not want it to become infected by any strange something that could be in a Peruvian pool. And to top that off we did not bring bathing suits with us! I do not know why we decided not to bring them. Our pack weighted 28 pounds, that is very light for six months of traveling we could have squeezed in a bathing suit. We just didnt forsee a pool or clear lakes to swim in. So, now we have to buy one or have my lovely parents send me one of my own. The other item we both wish we would have bought were tevas or keens those sandel shoes that can be worn any where and would protect my toes from the rocks that sometimes jump out of no where.
On a more philosophical note Jason and I have noticed and now dubbed the Peruvian White Pant Revolution. This is the more upscale Peruvian individual that shows what they have by wearing it on there body generally there legs. We noticed these people few and far between in Ica and Pisco, but in Huachachina there were plenty. It is so interesting to notice a social class just by the color of their pants. Women here from age, one wear high heels and often the higher the heel the classier or wealthier she wants to project herself. Some women can hardly walk in their heels. And many of the streets are not paved, they are dirt and cobble stone, these women are CRAZY! So, more on the Peruvian White Pant Revolution as we research further in Arequipa. We leave tonight at 8pm and should arrive around 9am tomorrow morning.
Sending all my Love from South of the Equator
On a more philosophical note Jason and I have noticed and now dubbed the Peruvian White Pant Revolution. This is the more upscale Peruvian individual that shows what they have by wearing it on there body generally there legs. We noticed these people few and far between in Ica and Pisco, but in Huachachina there were plenty. It is so interesting to notice a social class just by the color of their pants. Women here from age, one wear high heels and often the higher the heel the classier or wealthier she wants to project herself. Some women can hardly walk in their heels. And many of the streets are not paved, they are dirt and cobble stone, these women are CRAZY! So, more on the Peruvian White Pant Revolution as we research further in Arequipa. We leave tonight at 8pm and should arrive around 9am tomorrow morning.
Sending all my Love from South of the Equator
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Heading South
We have decided to head South to Arequipa tonight and will arrive in the early morning tomorrow. The news says that the miners association has come to an agreement with the Peruvian government and will have futher talks in the future. Both sides have apoligized and the Pan-American is no longer blocked. I am excited to continue on with our travels and hike. I hope my big toe heals quick!!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Still in Pisco Itching to Travel
Frist things first, I just fell over. I was walking to the internet cafe, found it was closed turned around and began walking to the gas station which has everything, it is a gas station, internet cafe, resturant, bar, dance floor, gym and market none of which encompass the same space. So, I turned around to head to this all-in-one and looked up for a brief moment, which I never do, due to the rubal and rocks that are everywhere. And of course the one time I look up I fall over and skin my knee and take off a chunk of my big toe. This sucks even more than average, because the only shoes I have to wear are my hiking boots and sandles; now the sandels are a bit scary, because I would like to avoid getting dirt in my cut.
We were supposed to leave for Arequipa last week and decided not to because of the increased cost of travel during the week of Easter. So, we then decided to leave on Tuesday April 6th, but there were large protests going on in Arequipa due to the passing of some new enviornmental laws and taxes imposed on the mining community. The protests have been violent and have blocked the Pan-American highway, so we decided since we still have five months here in South America, there is no rush to head down south. We can hang in Pisco a couple more days untill this all blows over and continue the work we are doing here.
The biggest project Pisco Sin Fronteras (PSF) is working on now is the expansion of the new house. We are currently in three houses and we have out grown all of them (two weeks ago there were over 100 volunteers)and the landlord of one of the houses wants to sell. PSF found a hostel that was for rent and we are working on expanding it. We are adding a kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, and pouring more concrete so we can have our meeting area. The work that we do here in Pisco is manual labor, anything from cement floors, brick laying, digging trenchs, rewiring houses and everything in between.
Jason has found his favorite resutant here called El Pollo Gordo (The Fat Chicken), we went there this past weekend and he ate an entire half chicken and huge plate of fires and some salad. I had a heaping pile of fries and a salad for only 3 soles, that is one US dollar. That is when I knew he was feeling better. He was only eating once a day, mostly and I would have to beg him to go with to eat dinner or to boil water for soup. Now he is back on his two large meals a day, he never eats breakfast, and so am I so we are doing good. We went to a really nice resturant on Sunday where I ordered a capress salad :) and penne pasta with garlic, cheese and parsley. Jason had a chicken breast stuffed with cheese, he loved it. The food was delicious and tasted nothing like Pisco Peruvian food which was GREAT! On a daily basis I eat pasta, fired rice, beans and rice or a tortilla, which is like an omlete with vegtables, it is very good and served with, of course, rice. All resturants have aji which is a hot sauce and no two are alike the other day we went for lunch and the aji smelled so good and I was hungry after busting up concret and I ate an entire fork full of it. Terriable idea the aji was so spicy my ears were on fire, I could not believe it.
Every other house here sells something out of there front window at first it is very strange, because you sometimes have to knock on the window or yell HOLA to get someone to sell you something. I did learn a trick; all the locals tap there coins on the metal bars that cover every homes front windows. The other day one of the girls I was with was yelling and no one would come to the front, but I tapped my 50 centimos on the metal and the shop owner came right away, it was so funny. There is a lady on the end of our street that sells fresh baked cake out of her house it is scrupmtous and as I found out last night she sells beer as well. The locals seem receptive of having all us gringos here, I think they have heard of us or someone they know has been helped by PSF and everyone says hi as we walk by and the young kids say good morning in english then giggle. A strange thing that does happen here in South American culture is that people have no problem calling others, even complete stranges, by their outward phyiscal charictristics, such as us Gringos, or chubby kids gordo or some of the homeless loco. It is very interesting, we were in the Plaza de Armas which is the center of all Latin American cities and there was a homeless man walking around mumbling to himself and the adults and kids alike had no quams about teasing him out loud as he walked by, it was quite a different experience.
I am really itching to travel and get out of the desert, but Jason is sucked into the consturction that is going on and now with the road blocks down south, who knows when we will leave. I am really excited to try different food and different weather.
All my love from South of the equator!!
We were supposed to leave for Arequipa last week and decided not to because of the increased cost of travel during the week of Easter. So, we then decided to leave on Tuesday April 6th, but there were large protests going on in Arequipa due to the passing of some new enviornmental laws and taxes imposed on the mining community. The protests have been violent and have blocked the Pan-American highway, so we decided since we still have five months here in South America, there is no rush to head down south. We can hang in Pisco a couple more days untill this all blows over and continue the work we are doing here.
The biggest project Pisco Sin Fronteras (PSF) is working on now is the expansion of the new house. We are currently in three houses and we have out grown all of them (two weeks ago there were over 100 volunteers)and the landlord of one of the houses wants to sell. PSF found a hostel that was for rent and we are working on expanding it. We are adding a kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, and pouring more concrete so we can have our meeting area. The work that we do here in Pisco is manual labor, anything from cement floors, brick laying, digging trenchs, rewiring houses and everything in between.
Jason has found his favorite resutant here called El Pollo Gordo (The Fat Chicken), we went there this past weekend and he ate an entire half chicken and huge plate of fires and some salad. I had a heaping pile of fries and a salad for only 3 soles, that is one US dollar. That is when I knew he was feeling better. He was only eating once a day, mostly and I would have to beg him to go with to eat dinner or to boil water for soup. Now he is back on his two large meals a day, he never eats breakfast, and so am I so we are doing good. We went to a really nice resturant on Sunday where I ordered a capress salad :) and penne pasta with garlic, cheese and parsley. Jason had a chicken breast stuffed with cheese, he loved it. The food was delicious and tasted nothing like Pisco Peruvian food which was GREAT! On a daily basis I eat pasta, fired rice, beans and rice or a tortilla, which is like an omlete with vegtables, it is very good and served with, of course, rice. All resturants have aji which is a hot sauce and no two are alike the other day we went for lunch and the aji smelled so good and I was hungry after busting up concret and I ate an entire fork full of it. Terriable idea the aji was so spicy my ears were on fire, I could not believe it.
Every other house here sells something out of there front window at first it is very strange, because you sometimes have to knock on the window or yell HOLA to get someone to sell you something. I did learn a trick; all the locals tap there coins on the metal bars that cover every homes front windows. The other day one of the girls I was with was yelling and no one would come to the front, but I tapped my 50 centimos on the metal and the shop owner came right away, it was so funny. There is a lady on the end of our street that sells fresh baked cake out of her house it is scrupmtous and as I found out last night she sells beer as well. The locals seem receptive of having all us gringos here, I think they have heard of us or someone they know has been helped by PSF and everyone says hi as we walk by and the young kids say good morning in english then giggle. A strange thing that does happen here in South American culture is that people have no problem calling others, even complete stranges, by their outward phyiscal charictristics, such as us Gringos, or chubby kids gordo or some of the homeless loco. It is very interesting, we were in the Plaza de Armas which is the center of all Latin American cities and there was a homeless man walking around mumbling to himself and the adults and kids alike had no quams about teasing him out loud as he walked by, it was quite a different experience.
I am really itching to travel and get out of the desert, but Jason is sucked into the consturction that is going on and now with the road blocks down south, who knows when we will leave. I am really excited to try different food and different weather.
All my love from South of the equator!!
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