La Paz has been my last stop before heading home and it´s served up some good things and some bad things!
La Paz is a very busy city. Crossing roads is a mission in itself and you don´t dawdle in the middle of them - the cars will not stop for you! Like any capital there are a lot of people around and so you have to pay attention to where you are walking on the streets. It also has a reputation for a lot of petty crime.
I was also in La Paz about 10 days ago because of a bus connection and I had the day free. I had checked out of the hostal and was walking to the centre when somebody pointed out there was something on my back. Turns out someone had dripped something like toffee sauce all down my clothes. I had been warned about this scam - people steal your bag while you wipe it off and so I was very careful. However, it was even more annoying because I spent that night on a night bus and so didn´t have the opportunity to shower!
It does give a bad impression of La Paz but the city itself is lovely to walk around once you´ve got used to how busy it is and look after your things! Like all cities in South America it has many churches, and it´s best just to walk around and see the ones that aren´t always on the tourist trail and these are often just as nicely decorated.
I also saw the coca museum. This had been recommened by many people. Coca leaves are chewed by a lot of people in South America and tourists pick up the habit too. They can be purified into cocaine but the leaves themselves aren´t drugs. They help with altitude and reduce hunger and tiredenss but aren´t addictive. The coca musesum explained about the history of the leaves. They pointed out that until the Europeans came coca leaves were only used for altitude and were considered social and like any other herbal medicine. The Europeans then took it and made it into to cocaine and now blame Bolivia for the number of drug addicts in their countries. It was a very well presented museum.
I now have about 12 hours left in Bolivia and it´s amazing how quickly the past two weeks have gone! Overall it´s been an amazing 9 weeks and I´ve been so lucky to be able to explore a bit of this continent. My only regret is that I don´t speak more Spanish and didn´t learn any before I left. It would have made so much different to be able to communicate properly with people. Not just people in hostals or taxis but also people that sell you water or that you meet on a bus. There is always petty crime but I have found that just as many people want to help you in this country - whether it´s explaining what´s in a meal or giving directions, you can always find someone who is willing to give you a hand.
Monday, 5 September 2011
The Death Road
Just outside of La Paz is what is known as the World´s Most Dangerous Road and it has become a major tourist attraction to cycle down it. I had a day spare so I thought it would be fun and it´s not as dangerous as it sounds. The road got it´s reputation when it was used for traffic but, because it got such a bad name, the road was closed and a new one built. This means it is a completely deserted road that buses used to go down (and so therefore is reasonably wide) and so for bikes there is very little risk.
We had to set off quite early and we drove to the beginning of our cycle route. We all got given our safety equipment - full face helment, knee/elbow pads, jacket and trousers and then got on our bikes. The first part is down the new road and so you are able to get used to the bike on full tarmac. I was in a group of 6 and you immediately realise who is going to be dangerous and who isn´t. And then stay far away from those who seem out of control!
It was an easy ride down the new road and very quickly we were at the Death Road. Here the guide stopped us again and gave us more instructions, explaining them in Engish to make sure that every detail was fully understood! And then we began...
You can immediately see why the road is dangerous for buses. None of it is paved - it´s all stones and gravel and at some parts I don´t understand how a bus fit round the corners. However, for bikes it´s brilliant. The fact that buses were able to go round the corners mean it is easily big enough for a bike. I also had a bike with decent suspension which was needed as the road was not smooth!
It was brilliant fun though - you followed the guide and this meant that you had to keep to a certain speed. I still went slower than the guide for most parts because I like being in control. The road was wide enough but if you made a mistake then you didn´t go into a wall you went off the cliff. I decided that it was worth keeping the speed a bit lower than normal.
Inevitably there was one person who looked out of control the whole time. I refused to cycle in front of her because I didn´t want her crashing into me. And, after going round a particularly tight corner, I saw her off her bike with scratches on her side. She wasn´t hurt but I think she was a little more careful after that.
It was an easy bike ride as the whole way was downhill - we went from 4,700m to 1,100m in a couple of hours. It the lowest altitude I´ve been at in about 4 weeks! At one point the route was quite flat and so you needed to peddle for the first time and I though I should have been more out of breath until I realised I was at about half the altitude that I had been that morning.
Despite being downhill all the way we were all still very tired at the end! You have to keep concentration the whole time, which is tiring in itself. We got a free lunch and there was a swimming pool to relax in and then we started the drive back up to La Paz - along the new road rather than the old one!
We had to set off quite early and we drove to the beginning of our cycle route. We all got given our safety equipment - full face helment, knee/elbow pads, jacket and trousers and then got on our bikes. The first part is down the new road and so you are able to get used to the bike on full tarmac. I was in a group of 6 and you immediately realise who is going to be dangerous and who isn´t. And then stay far away from those who seem out of control!
It was an easy ride down the new road and very quickly we were at the Death Road. Here the guide stopped us again and gave us more instructions, explaining them in Engish to make sure that every detail was fully understood! And then we began...
You can immediately see why the road is dangerous for buses. None of it is paved - it´s all stones and gravel and at some parts I don´t understand how a bus fit round the corners. However, for bikes it´s brilliant. The fact that buses were able to go round the corners mean it is easily big enough for a bike. I also had a bike with decent suspension which was needed as the road was not smooth!
It was brilliant fun though - you followed the guide and this meant that you had to keep to a certain speed. I still went slower than the guide for most parts because I like being in control. The road was wide enough but if you made a mistake then you didn´t go into a wall you went off the cliff. I decided that it was worth keeping the speed a bit lower than normal.
Inevitably there was one person who looked out of control the whole time. I refused to cycle in front of her because I didn´t want her crashing into me. And, after going round a particularly tight corner, I saw her off her bike with scratches on her side. She wasn´t hurt but I think she was a little more careful after that.
It was an easy bike ride as the whole way was downhill - we went from 4,700m to 1,100m in a couple of hours. It the lowest altitude I´ve been at in about 4 weeks! At one point the route was quite flat and so you needed to peddle for the first time and I though I should have been more out of breath until I realised I was at about half the altitude that I had been that morning.
Despite being downhill all the way we were all still very tired at the end! You have to keep concentration the whole time, which is tiring in itself. We got a free lunch and there was a swimming pool to relax in and then we started the drive back up to La Paz - along the new road rather than the old one!
Sucre and Cochabamba
As I had such a short time left I ended up seeing three cities in three days - Potosi, Sucre and Cochabamba. It was very rushed but nice to be able to compare them.
Sucre is an old colonial town and is the constitutional capital of La Paz. It was were the declaration of independence was signed and, incidentally, neither Bolivar nor Sucre were present at the signing. It is a very nice city - a lot of the buildings are white washed and the old colonial towns always have very impressive architecture.
Just outside of Sucre there are also dinosaur footprints. I didn´t really know what to expect but it was surprisingly impressive. The rock that they found the footprints on is now vertical because of tectonic plate activity. It made it slightly confusing when you see a diagram of it as our guide didn´t explain this at first! It´s amazing how well preserved the footprints are. You can see the tracks and some of them go on for several hundred metres and there are lots of different tracks made by different dinosaurs. You can´t get very close as the hillside that the tracks are on isn´t very stable and can collapse but we were able to see a photo of some people close to the footprints - they´re huge!
After exploring Sucre I got on a nightbus to Cochabamba and arrived very early in the morning - there´s very few reasons for being awake at 5.30am but it meant there was plenty of time to explore Cochabamba. It was very differnt from Sucre as it seemed much busier and is much bigger.
The most famous thing about it is the Cristo de la Concordia which is the largest statue of Jesus in the world. I climbed up the stairs to it - originally it seemed a better choice than taking the cable car. It was quite a warm day though and Cochabamba is known for having a warmer climate than the rest of Bolivia. However, after struggling up the stairs it actually turned out to be a relativley short walk. The Cristo de la Concordia is fairly impressive, and absolutely huge! The views of Cochabamba were much better though and I hadn´t realised how big the city was but it seemed to go on for miles.
Out of the three cities they all had a very different atmosphere to them and very different histories. Potosi is known for the mining and that is were most of it´s industry comes from, Sucre is famous for being the constitutional capital and is proud of the fact that it is where the declaration was signed and Cochabamba is much busier and more bustling than the other two. I wish I had more time in Bolivia to explore them all properly!
Sucre is an old colonial town and is the constitutional capital of La Paz. It was were the declaration of independence was signed and, incidentally, neither Bolivar nor Sucre were present at the signing. It is a very nice city - a lot of the buildings are white washed and the old colonial towns always have very impressive architecture.
Just outside of Sucre there are also dinosaur footprints. I didn´t really know what to expect but it was surprisingly impressive. The rock that they found the footprints on is now vertical because of tectonic plate activity. It made it slightly confusing when you see a diagram of it as our guide didn´t explain this at first! It´s amazing how well preserved the footprints are. You can see the tracks and some of them go on for several hundred metres and there are lots of different tracks made by different dinosaurs. You can´t get very close as the hillside that the tracks are on isn´t very stable and can collapse but we were able to see a photo of some people close to the footprints - they´re huge!
After exploring Sucre I got on a nightbus to Cochabamba and arrived very early in the morning - there´s very few reasons for being awake at 5.30am but it meant there was plenty of time to explore Cochabamba. It was very differnt from Sucre as it seemed much busier and is much bigger.
The most famous thing about it is the Cristo de la Concordia which is the largest statue of Jesus in the world. I climbed up the stairs to it - originally it seemed a better choice than taking the cable car. It was quite a warm day though and Cochabamba is known for having a warmer climate than the rest of Bolivia. However, after struggling up the stairs it actually turned out to be a relativley short walk. The Cristo de la Concordia is fairly impressive, and absolutely huge! The views of Cochabamba were much better though and I hadn´t realised how big the city was but it seemed to go on for miles.
Out of the three cities they all had a very different atmosphere to them and very different histories. Potosi is known for the mining and that is were most of it´s industry comes from, Sucre is famous for being the constitutional capital and is proud of the fact that it is where the declaration was signed and Cochabamba is much busier and more bustling than the other two. I wish I had more time in Bolivia to explore them all properly!
Saturday, 3 September 2011
Potosi
Originally I wasn´t planning to stay in Potosi but then I read a bit more about the city and decided it was worth staying for a day.
It´s the highest city in the world and used to be very very rich. The mountain nearby is full of silver and has been mined since before the Spanish came to South America. When the Spanish did come they, unsuprisingly, exploited the people and millions died in the conditions they were forced to work in the mines. This left Potosi smaller and without the riches it deserved. The mines are still running, however, and you are able to visit the working mines.
We first got our equipment - a very attractive set of blue waterproof trousers, jacket, boots and hat. Worryingly they were probably cleaner than the clothes that I was wearing at the time...
We then saw the processing plant. It seemed very basic, but did involve a lot of chemicals and had to grind the rock. Unfortunately Europe and other countries still make a lot of money because Bolivia doesn´t have the ability to complete the final part of the processing. They are trying to develop it and hopefully a plant will be built in Cochabamba soon.
And then we went to the mines. The first thing we saw was one of the wagons coming out of the tunnel filled with rocks and then we were following the tracks into the tunnel. It was, unsuprisingly, dark in the tunnels and they are supported by wood and by rocks at the tunnel entrance. All along the tunnels are pipes that carry pressuarised air for the drills. Apparently in the deeper parts of the mine were there is less oxygen the miners make small holes in the pipes and so they can get more air. We weren´t going down that far.
The wagons were going along the track and they were pushed by two men with two at the front guiding it. Each time one came past we had to move over to the side to let them pass and this meant that we got a chance to talk to the miners. I was shocked by how young some of them were and I asked our guide. He said they could start as young as 10 or 12 and later we met one who was 14. He had been working in the mines for 3 years and he looked much older than 14.
The miners are very superstious and above ground they are all Catholic but once they are in the mine they all worship the devil - called Tío. Each Friday (I think) they give coca leaves (they chew these to give them energy and it helps with the lack of oxygen) and alcohol to a statue that is made of him. We saw one and it´s a life-sized statue with a huge face and eyes and it´s covered in coloured streamers. On the floor at it´s feet there is a huge pile of coca leaves and bottles of alcohol. They worship him in the hope that they will mine more minerals and that they weren´t get killed in the mine.
Our guide told us the statistics and 22 people died last year in the mine. They use dynamite everyday and our guide explained that this can go wrong. Losing fingers can happen relatively easily - two wagons can crash or the hammer can be misaimed. The average life-expectancy of a miner is also very low - less than 56 years. Most die because of the dust they´ve inhaled. Many people work in the mines for a couple of years and then find other work because they want to avoid the same thing happening to them. Some of the miners are covered by health insurance, but many aren´t and the government only gives a pension to those who have worked more than 20 years.
It was really eye-opening going to the mines. It was like going back to 16th century Britain. Many people in Potosi have no choice but to work in the mines and it´s often a family business - which is why you get such young people in the mines. We were only walking around for an hour and a half but it was dusty and at some points you really felt you were struggling for air as you´re also over 4,000m above sea level. I can´t imagine working down there for hours every day of the week - it´s claustraphobic as very few of the tunnels you can stand up in.
It was an amazing experience to go into the mines and it makes you look twice at the silver being sold in the street when you think how little of the money goes back to those who dug it out of the ground.
It´s the highest city in the world and used to be very very rich. The mountain nearby is full of silver and has been mined since before the Spanish came to South America. When the Spanish did come they, unsuprisingly, exploited the people and millions died in the conditions they were forced to work in the mines. This left Potosi smaller and without the riches it deserved. The mines are still running, however, and you are able to visit the working mines.
We first got our equipment - a very attractive set of blue waterproof trousers, jacket, boots and hat. Worryingly they were probably cleaner than the clothes that I was wearing at the time...
We then saw the processing plant. It seemed very basic, but did involve a lot of chemicals and had to grind the rock. Unfortunately Europe and other countries still make a lot of money because Bolivia doesn´t have the ability to complete the final part of the processing. They are trying to develop it and hopefully a plant will be built in Cochabamba soon.
And then we went to the mines. The first thing we saw was one of the wagons coming out of the tunnel filled with rocks and then we were following the tracks into the tunnel. It was, unsuprisingly, dark in the tunnels and they are supported by wood and by rocks at the tunnel entrance. All along the tunnels are pipes that carry pressuarised air for the drills. Apparently in the deeper parts of the mine were there is less oxygen the miners make small holes in the pipes and so they can get more air. We weren´t going down that far.
The wagons were going along the track and they were pushed by two men with two at the front guiding it. Each time one came past we had to move over to the side to let them pass and this meant that we got a chance to talk to the miners. I was shocked by how young some of them were and I asked our guide. He said they could start as young as 10 or 12 and later we met one who was 14. He had been working in the mines for 3 years and he looked much older than 14.
The miners are very superstious and above ground they are all Catholic but once they are in the mine they all worship the devil - called Tío. Each Friday (I think) they give coca leaves (they chew these to give them energy and it helps with the lack of oxygen) and alcohol to a statue that is made of him. We saw one and it´s a life-sized statue with a huge face and eyes and it´s covered in coloured streamers. On the floor at it´s feet there is a huge pile of coca leaves and bottles of alcohol. They worship him in the hope that they will mine more minerals and that they weren´t get killed in the mine.
Our guide told us the statistics and 22 people died last year in the mine. They use dynamite everyday and our guide explained that this can go wrong. Losing fingers can happen relatively easily - two wagons can crash or the hammer can be misaimed. The average life-expectancy of a miner is also very low - less than 56 years. Most die because of the dust they´ve inhaled. Many people work in the mines for a couple of years and then find other work because they want to avoid the same thing happening to them. Some of the miners are covered by health insurance, but many aren´t and the government only gives a pension to those who have worked more than 20 years.
It was really eye-opening going to the mines. It was like going back to 16th century Britain. Many people in Potosi have no choice but to work in the mines and it´s often a family business - which is why you get such young people in the mines. We were only walking around for an hour and a half but it was dusty and at some points you really felt you were struggling for air as you´re also over 4,000m above sea level. I can´t imagine working down there for hours every day of the week - it´s claustraphobic as very few of the tunnels you can stand up in.
It was an amazing experience to go into the mines and it makes you look twice at the silver being sold in the street when you think how little of the money goes back to those who dug it out of the ground.
Friday, 2 September 2011
Salar de Uyuni
Bolivia is known for the salt flats more than anything else and I soon discovered why this was.
The only way to see the salt flats is to take a jeep trip and I choose the 3 day trip. It sounds very lazy but it was nice to spend a bit of time doing nothing and not having to worry about meals / hostels. My feet appreciated the break from walking, I have lots of blisters on my toes!
The first thing that we went to visit was a train cemetary. This sounds like it was just something to keep us occupied (and it probably was) but it was cool to see. The trains have just been left there to rust away and are still sitting on the tracks in the middle of the desert. It is very different to England´s policy on making sure that everything is environmentally friendly!
We then saw were the salt was processed and bagged. There was salt everywhere. Even the buildings were built out of salt bricks (although they said that houses weren´t as the salt isn´t good insulation but hostels are built out of it). It´s all a family business and there were three girls, no older than 12 bagging up the salt for sending on. They filled the bags and then used a flame to seal the edges. The fact that tourists were allowed in just to watch them felt like a violation on their part but their father was collecting tips at the door for their trouble. There is plently of salt for them to sell but the price of it is still very cheap and it is necessary to import iodine from Chile, which is not so cheap.
After seeing this we went to see the salt flats and they´re impossible to imagine! It is just white for miles and miles. Some parts are organised into squares and then in each square (about 1m by 1m) the salt is gathered into a pile in the middle and water collects around it. It´s amazing to see, and so bright! You really squint in the sunlight. Our jeep had UV protected windows and you don´t notice the difference until you get out and are suddenly hit by the glaring sun!
The next stop was the Isla del Pescado. This is in the middle of the salt flats and is a rock with lots of cactuses on it, why it´s called the island of fish I´m not sure. The salt flats go on for miles and to suddenly see a load of cactuses is definetely a surprise, it´s so out of place compared to everything else. Standing at the top and looking down you can see cactuses, miles of salt and then mountains - a very surreal view.
Overnight we stayed in a hostal that was made of salt and everything was salty - even the floor!
The next day we stopped off in San Juan for a little longer than intended. There was something wrong with the oil in our cheap. However, our driver was fantastic and managed to fix it while we had a chance to wander around San Juan. It´s tiny, I think there was one or two buildings above one storey and you could walk from one end to the other in less than 5minutes if you were dawdling. I can´t even imagine living in a village like that - you would be completely isolated from the rest of the world.
Once we got going again we went to see the lakes and they had flamingoes in them. What suprised me most about them was that they make a noise like seagulls and they make it constantly. The second lake we saw was absolutely fillled with flamingoes - they were everywhere! It was also surrounded by mountains which were reflected in the lake.
To get to the next lake we drove through a desert. Except it´s winter here and cold - there was snow in parts of the desert. Apparently sometimes the pass gets blocked because of the snow, I was glad it didn´t as it would have meant we got stuck! The second lake was a dark red colour and apparently changes colour during the day because of the algae in it. And it had more flamingoes in it!
That night was very cold. Although we had been warned about this so I was wearing about 4 layers plus a sleeping bag plus all the blankets they gave us. I don´t think it was possible for me to be cold. However, the next morning we had to get up at 4 and outside of the many layers it was very very cold. We all sat shivering in the jeep waiting for the sun to rise. Before that we got to see geysers. It was a great way to warm you hands, but you could smell the sulphur in the air!
Our jeep then had another mishap - we decided that our jeep didn´t like mornings. This time it was a flat tyre and our driver fixed it in under 10 minutes. However, the jeep then took another 10 minutes or so to start. Luckily it did and by this time the sun was up - it was getting warmer!
To aid in returning the circulation to my toes we also got a chance to go in some thermal baths. At first I was unsure whether I wanted to remove my 5 layers to go in the water but I braved it and it was well worth it. I had feeling in my toes for the first time in hours and the scenery was gorgeous. Most thermal paths are just a swimming pool but in this one it was stones surrounding it and no swimming pool tiles. You were right next to the lake which you could see steaming. It was a good way to spend half an hour!
The final day was mostly driving. We went right to the border of Chile as some people crossed the border but then we drove back to Uyuni. I then spent a couple of hours here before getting on another bus. The salt flats tour was amazing and you see so many different things, each day is different from the one before. However, Uyuni has been ruined by tourism and most people couldn´t wait to get out and away from the over-inflated prices!
The only way to see the salt flats is to take a jeep trip and I choose the 3 day trip. It sounds very lazy but it was nice to spend a bit of time doing nothing and not having to worry about meals / hostels. My feet appreciated the break from walking, I have lots of blisters on my toes!
The first thing that we went to visit was a train cemetary. This sounds like it was just something to keep us occupied (and it probably was) but it was cool to see. The trains have just been left there to rust away and are still sitting on the tracks in the middle of the desert. It is very different to England´s policy on making sure that everything is environmentally friendly!
We then saw were the salt was processed and bagged. There was salt everywhere. Even the buildings were built out of salt bricks (although they said that houses weren´t as the salt isn´t good insulation but hostels are built out of it). It´s all a family business and there were three girls, no older than 12 bagging up the salt for sending on. They filled the bags and then used a flame to seal the edges. The fact that tourists were allowed in just to watch them felt like a violation on their part but their father was collecting tips at the door for their trouble. There is plently of salt for them to sell but the price of it is still very cheap and it is necessary to import iodine from Chile, which is not so cheap.
After seeing this we went to see the salt flats and they´re impossible to imagine! It is just white for miles and miles. Some parts are organised into squares and then in each square (about 1m by 1m) the salt is gathered into a pile in the middle and water collects around it. It´s amazing to see, and so bright! You really squint in the sunlight. Our jeep had UV protected windows and you don´t notice the difference until you get out and are suddenly hit by the glaring sun!
The next stop was the Isla del Pescado. This is in the middle of the salt flats and is a rock with lots of cactuses on it, why it´s called the island of fish I´m not sure. The salt flats go on for miles and to suddenly see a load of cactuses is definetely a surprise, it´s so out of place compared to everything else. Standing at the top and looking down you can see cactuses, miles of salt and then mountains - a very surreal view.
Overnight we stayed in a hostal that was made of salt and everything was salty - even the floor!
The next day we stopped off in San Juan for a little longer than intended. There was something wrong with the oil in our cheap. However, our driver was fantastic and managed to fix it while we had a chance to wander around San Juan. It´s tiny, I think there was one or two buildings above one storey and you could walk from one end to the other in less than 5minutes if you were dawdling. I can´t even imagine living in a village like that - you would be completely isolated from the rest of the world.
Once we got going again we went to see the lakes and they had flamingoes in them. What suprised me most about them was that they make a noise like seagulls and they make it constantly. The second lake we saw was absolutely fillled with flamingoes - they were everywhere! It was also surrounded by mountains which were reflected in the lake.
To get to the next lake we drove through a desert. Except it´s winter here and cold - there was snow in parts of the desert. Apparently sometimes the pass gets blocked because of the snow, I was glad it didn´t as it would have meant we got stuck! The second lake was a dark red colour and apparently changes colour during the day because of the algae in it. And it had more flamingoes in it!
That night was very cold. Although we had been warned about this so I was wearing about 4 layers plus a sleeping bag plus all the blankets they gave us. I don´t think it was possible for me to be cold. However, the next morning we had to get up at 4 and outside of the many layers it was very very cold. We all sat shivering in the jeep waiting for the sun to rise. Before that we got to see geysers. It was a great way to warm you hands, but you could smell the sulphur in the air!
Our jeep then had another mishap - we decided that our jeep didn´t like mornings. This time it was a flat tyre and our driver fixed it in under 10 minutes. However, the jeep then took another 10 minutes or so to start. Luckily it did and by this time the sun was up - it was getting warmer!
To aid in returning the circulation to my toes we also got a chance to go in some thermal baths. At first I was unsure whether I wanted to remove my 5 layers to go in the water but I braved it and it was well worth it. I had feeling in my toes for the first time in hours and the scenery was gorgeous. Most thermal paths are just a swimming pool but in this one it was stones surrounding it and no swimming pool tiles. You were right next to the lake which you could see steaming. It was a good way to spend half an hour!
The final day was mostly driving. We went right to the border of Chile as some people crossed the border but then we drove back to Uyuni. I then spent a couple of hours here before getting on another bus. The salt flats tour was amazing and you see so many different things, each day is different from the one before. However, Uyuni has been ruined by tourism and most people couldn´t wait to get out and away from the over-inflated prices!
Isla del Sol
My first stop in Bolivia was Copacabana. However, I spent all of about half an hour here before jumping onto the next boat to the Isla del Sol - an island in Lake Titicaca about an hour and a half away from Copacabana. It has a reputation for being beautiful and my first taste of Bolivia was not disappointing!
The boat ride was enjoyable and nice to relax, although I think one of the ladies opposite wasn´t feeling quite the same. When we docked the first thing that we were all faced with were people asking for money. For each of the towns on the island you had to pay entry and they wanted the money for the ticket. We had barely reached land! The next challenge was to climb up to the village. As I had got off the bus from Peru and got straight on a boat I had all my stuff with me and climbing up the stairs at about 4000m above sea level wasn´t easy.
Once this had been accomplished and I´d had a much-needed shower (a night bus does very little for hygiene) I started to explore the island. It really was beautiful. It was about 4 so there was plenty of sunlight but all the day tourists had left. This meant that the island was relatively empty of people and was so peaceful to walk around.
Lake Titicaca is huge an it was like being off the coast rather than in a lake - you couldn´t see the Peruvian side of the lake at all. You can see some of the mountains on the mainland of Bolivia and they seem to have been painted against the sky - it was a gorgeous walk.
The next morning I watched the sunrise over the mountains. It really was beautiful and it was an added bonus that I got to watch it from my bed. Although in the sunshine it´s very warm - especially because of the altitude - during the night it can get very cold so I appreciated being wrapped up in blankets!
The previous day I had just walked in the south of the island and I got up early to walk across the island to see some ruins. I had been told this was a ´moderately hard, 3 to 4 hour walk´. It was a very easy one and a half hour walk. It was an easy path to follow and you could always see the lake on both sides (the island is very small). You walked over the ridge and got to see most of the island. Although there was that was rare or not found anywhere else (that I know of, it´s veyr possible I´m just ignorant) it was great just to walk along with the lake in sight. As it was quite early there was also no-one else there, which was brilliant!
I saw the ruins in the north of the island and I have to admit I wasn´t massivley impressed, but after seeing so many in Cusco I wasn´t too worried about seeing them. Although the French people camped in the middle of them was interesting.
To walk back to other end of the island I was able to walk a different route that was nearer the shore. This went through some forest and you could see more of the shore on the east side. Nice to have something different and I also walked through a village were some children ran up and asked me for photos. They were very enthusiastic!
By the time I got back to the hostal I was very tired as I had ended up walking for about 6 or 7 hours. However, it was well worth it and I headed straight down to the boats to Copacabana. I wasn´t the only one who was tired - during the boat trip everyone was asleep!
The boat ride was enjoyable and nice to relax, although I think one of the ladies opposite wasn´t feeling quite the same. When we docked the first thing that we were all faced with were people asking for money. For each of the towns on the island you had to pay entry and they wanted the money for the ticket. We had barely reached land! The next challenge was to climb up to the village. As I had got off the bus from Peru and got straight on a boat I had all my stuff with me and climbing up the stairs at about 4000m above sea level wasn´t easy.
Once this had been accomplished and I´d had a much-needed shower (a night bus does very little for hygiene) I started to explore the island. It really was beautiful. It was about 4 so there was plenty of sunlight but all the day tourists had left. This meant that the island was relatively empty of people and was so peaceful to walk around.
Lake Titicaca is huge an it was like being off the coast rather than in a lake - you couldn´t see the Peruvian side of the lake at all. You can see some of the mountains on the mainland of Bolivia and they seem to have been painted against the sky - it was a gorgeous walk.
The next morning I watched the sunrise over the mountains. It really was beautiful and it was an added bonus that I got to watch it from my bed. Although in the sunshine it´s very warm - especially because of the altitude - during the night it can get very cold so I appreciated being wrapped up in blankets!
The previous day I had just walked in the south of the island and I got up early to walk across the island to see some ruins. I had been told this was a ´moderately hard, 3 to 4 hour walk´. It was a very easy one and a half hour walk. It was an easy path to follow and you could always see the lake on both sides (the island is very small). You walked over the ridge and got to see most of the island. Although there was that was rare or not found anywhere else (that I know of, it´s veyr possible I´m just ignorant) it was great just to walk along with the lake in sight. As it was quite early there was also no-one else there, which was brilliant!
I saw the ruins in the north of the island and I have to admit I wasn´t massivley impressed, but after seeing so many in Cusco I wasn´t too worried about seeing them. Although the French people camped in the middle of them was interesting.
To walk back to other end of the island I was able to walk a different route that was nearer the shore. This went through some forest and you could see more of the shore on the east side. Nice to have something different and I also walked through a village were some children ran up and asked me for photos. They were very enthusiastic!
By the time I got back to the hostal I was very tired as I had ended up walking for about 6 or 7 hours. However, it was well worth it and I headed straight down to the boats to Copacabana. I wasn´t the only one who was tired - during the boat trip everyone was asleep!
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Machu Picchu
As I have been told by almost everyone - if you´re in Peru you have to see Machu Picchu. Especially as this year is the 100th anniversary of it´s rediscovery.
After going through the fairly long process of buying a ticket in Cusco (the system had crashed) we were going to visit Machu Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain on the 21st August. The traditional way of getting to Aqua Callientes (the village nearest to the ruins) is by a very overpriced train. However, there is an increasingly used cheaper, if longer, route to get there.
From Cusco to Santa Maria and from there to Santa Teresa and then a short (2 hour) walk to Aqua Callienetes. The views to Santa Maria were absolutely spectacular and definetely made the longer trip worth it. I´ve seen many mountains but these were different - they were so green! After the dryness of the Colca Canyon it was quite nice to see some rain and with the clouds were also low around the mountain tops it looked gorgeous.
The walk to Aqua Callientes was very easy but Aqua Callinetes is not my favourite place to visit. It is just a huge tourist trap, like many parts of Cusco. The tourism has taken over the main part of the town and it is just full of over-priced restaurants all claiming to sell ´Peruvian Style Food´. Howver, the boy at the hostal showed us to his mum´s restaurant and we got some proper Peruvian food.
The next day we set off very early for Machu Picchu - at 5am. The walk up isn´t easy either - it´s about an hour and a half of stairs straight up. You arrive at the queue sweating and cursing the lazy people who got the bus. You can immediately tell who´s who by who is wearing their hats and scarves!
We entered and then we had our first sight of Machu Picchu - you can´t see it at all when climbing up. As the guide said it´s the picture that National Geographic took and I have to admit it was stunning. It´s huge and well preserved and very intricately built. We got a guide as otherwise you understand nothing.
He showed us the temples - Temple del Sol, Temple of the 3 Windows (originally named), Temple del Condor. It´s all built based around the sun and on 21st June the shadows line up and many of the sights become clearer than if you just see it on a random day. It was still very impressive and strange to think that so many people used to live here when now it´s so full of tourists!
There was also a rock that was meant to be a llama, one that was meant to be a guinea pig and one that´s a condor. The guinea pig looked more like a whale, you could see the condor with a little imagination and the llama was a square rock. They also grew hallocinogenic plants in the grounds. I don´t know if this is a conincidence.
After our tour we had a nap in the sunshine and watched some Peruvian school kids playing a game in the grounds - it´s amazing how much fun kids can have with nothing. And then there was our assault on Machu Picchu mountain.
Most people climb Huyna Picchu mountain but there were no tickets avaliable so to get the views of the ruins from higher up we climbed Machu Picchu mountain. It was not the climb I had anticipated. It was the most difficult walk I have done so far.
Again, it´s just stairs straight up and, wisely, we decided to try this around midday and so the sun was very strong. It is also much more humid than we were used to and so I have never sweated so much in my life. It wasn´t a very long climb - I think it took us less than an hour - but it felt like much longer. The workers maintaining the stairs seemed to find us entertaining. Although at that point I just wanted to get to the top!
And it was worth it. The views of Machu Picchu were amazing, let alone the surrounding landscape, it was absolutely stunning. There were snow-capped mountains and the cloud hung low, just reaching the mountains and you could see into the valley and were we had walked. It was also my favourite view of Machu Picchu. From 600m higher you really get an idea of how big it is and how long it must have taken them to build it. It´s an amazing construction.
Cusco and Machu Picchu were the last stops in Peru and next is Bolivia. I have only heard good things about it and so am looking forward to getting there although with such a short time left I think it will be quick visit to very few places!
After going through the fairly long process of buying a ticket in Cusco (the system had crashed) we were going to visit Machu Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain on the 21st August. The traditional way of getting to Aqua Callientes (the village nearest to the ruins) is by a very overpriced train. However, there is an increasingly used cheaper, if longer, route to get there.
From Cusco to Santa Maria and from there to Santa Teresa and then a short (2 hour) walk to Aqua Callienetes. The views to Santa Maria were absolutely spectacular and definetely made the longer trip worth it. I´ve seen many mountains but these were different - they were so green! After the dryness of the Colca Canyon it was quite nice to see some rain and with the clouds were also low around the mountain tops it looked gorgeous.
The walk to Aqua Callientes was very easy but Aqua Callinetes is not my favourite place to visit. It is just a huge tourist trap, like many parts of Cusco. The tourism has taken over the main part of the town and it is just full of over-priced restaurants all claiming to sell ´Peruvian Style Food´. Howver, the boy at the hostal showed us to his mum´s restaurant and we got some proper Peruvian food.
The next day we set off very early for Machu Picchu - at 5am. The walk up isn´t easy either - it´s about an hour and a half of stairs straight up. You arrive at the queue sweating and cursing the lazy people who got the bus. You can immediately tell who´s who by who is wearing their hats and scarves!
We entered and then we had our first sight of Machu Picchu - you can´t see it at all when climbing up. As the guide said it´s the picture that National Geographic took and I have to admit it was stunning. It´s huge and well preserved and very intricately built. We got a guide as otherwise you understand nothing.
He showed us the temples - Temple del Sol, Temple of the 3 Windows (originally named), Temple del Condor. It´s all built based around the sun and on 21st June the shadows line up and many of the sights become clearer than if you just see it on a random day. It was still very impressive and strange to think that so many people used to live here when now it´s so full of tourists!
There was also a rock that was meant to be a llama, one that was meant to be a guinea pig and one that´s a condor. The guinea pig looked more like a whale, you could see the condor with a little imagination and the llama was a square rock. They also grew hallocinogenic plants in the grounds. I don´t know if this is a conincidence.
After our tour we had a nap in the sunshine and watched some Peruvian school kids playing a game in the grounds - it´s amazing how much fun kids can have with nothing. And then there was our assault on Machu Picchu mountain.
Most people climb Huyna Picchu mountain but there were no tickets avaliable so to get the views of the ruins from higher up we climbed Machu Picchu mountain. It was not the climb I had anticipated. It was the most difficult walk I have done so far.
Again, it´s just stairs straight up and, wisely, we decided to try this around midday and so the sun was very strong. It is also much more humid than we were used to and so I have never sweated so much in my life. It wasn´t a very long climb - I think it took us less than an hour - but it felt like much longer. The workers maintaining the stairs seemed to find us entertaining. Although at that point I just wanted to get to the top!
And it was worth it. The views of Machu Picchu were amazing, let alone the surrounding landscape, it was absolutely stunning. There were snow-capped mountains and the cloud hung low, just reaching the mountains and you could see into the valley and were we had walked. It was also my favourite view of Machu Picchu. From 600m higher you really get an idea of how big it is and how long it must have taken them to build it. It´s an amazing construction.
Cusco and Machu Picchu were the last stops in Peru and next is Bolivia. I have only heard good things about it and so am looking forward to getting there although with such a short time left I think it will be quick visit to very few places!
Friday, 19 August 2011
Colca Canyon
The Colca Canyon is just outside of Arequipa and you are able to trek and also see the condor there. A must-see if you´re in Peru.
We had to leave very early to get to the Cruz del Condor - on the 1am bus. This meant a fairly cold and intermittent night´s sleep. We sat and ate breakfast at the Cruz del Condor and waited for the birds. It was warming up and more and more people gathered. It was very peaceful sitting there, even if there were lots of people. Everyone was quiet and peaceful and it was lovely in the dawn just sitting there and waiting.
At first there were only a few birds - far away and very small. Everyone got out their cameras and started clicking but you needed a very good zoom to get good pictures! At first I was inclined to agree with what one girl had told us in Baños - the most overrated bird. However, as time went on the birds flew closer and closer to the Mirador (viewpoint) where we were standing and the numbers of them increased.
As they got closer you really got an idea of how big the birds were - they´re huge! The birds were different colours; some brown and some black and white. They seemed to be showing off for us. They circled around the Mirador and they really were beautiful to watch - not overrated at all. Of course, my pictures really don´t reflect how amazing they are.
After seeing the condors we then trekked in the Colca Canyon. I had been told my some-one in Lima that it was dry, but I hadn´t prepared for how dry it was. We first descended into the canyon and the pathway was nothing but dust. It was so thick in places that you really had to watch your step on the downhill, I think we all slipped at least once!
We stayed the night near the bottom of the canyon - we chose the place because of the hot springs and after a long day of walking they were more than welcome!
The next day we started early so we could get back that day. All the trekking I´ve down so far has been in the mountains and so by the time you´re heading back you´ve done the hardest part. Canyons, unsuprisingly are the other way round. After lunch we had the ascent out of the canyon. This was a 1,107m ascent.
Luckily, it turned out to be easier than I expected. I´m not saying that it was a walk in the park but I kept trudging up all the way to the top, and it was a beautiful sight when I got there. As I am already acclimatised I think it made it easier as I wasn´t struggling for breath so much.
There was definetely a well-earned dinner when we got to the town though!
Arequipa
Arequipa is a city in southern Peru and we were lucky enough to be there for Fiesta de Arequpia which celebrates their anniversary. Peru may not do fiestas like Brazil but they certainly don´t do badly!
The first we heard about the fiesta was music. We heard this a lot. There was a parade that went around most of the city and we could hear it coming a long way off! We then watched it coming down the road from the top of our hostel and decided we should go down to the street to watch.
There were so many bright colours! The first people we saw were dancers all dressed in yellow. All along the parade there were bands playing and there was constant music - mostly the same song, but everyone was dancing to it.
There wasn´t just dancers and music. There was also horses, followed by donkeys and then a herd of alpaca. Along the parade there were also trucks and on them were people eating and drinking traditional food - this meant lots of chicha morada (a drink made of purple corn); which they were also giving out for free.
There were also more unexpected things - like dancing clowns. They were all wearing very bright colours, a costume normally made of two different ones - red and yellow, blue and green etc. They were very enthusiastic and one even danced with my friend Verena and then lifted her up! I think that was what was so amazing about the parade - the people taking part were having as much fun, if not more, than we were. Everyone was very proud to be Arequipan and were enjoying celebrating their city.
We did get our turn at joining in as well. The dancers sometimes picked people to dance with them and, as we definetely stood out from the crowd, we were picked more than once. The dance was fairly simple and easy to pick up, but I didn´t dance it half as well as all the little children. It seemed to come so naturally to them, while I felt quite clumsy.
I ended up dancing all the way to the Plaza de Armes (main plaza) and there I stopped to watch having decided that I´d done plenty of dancing. However, a small boy of no more than 6 had other ideas and, even if I had tried to protest, the old women behind me was going to make sure that I joined in the fun. And so, once more, I was part of the parade and I´ve never had so many cameras in my face! I wish I had a photo on my camera as the boy was almost half my size.
The whole celebration was great fun and there was one in the evening as well. This one was made up of slightly older people and the dancing was better. It still had the same energy and enthusiasm that the one during the day had. We only saw the day before the official Fiesta day and apparently on that day there was even more dancing in the streets. You didn´t get anywhere fast by car during the fiesta in Arequipa!
The first we heard about the fiesta was music. We heard this a lot. There was a parade that went around most of the city and we could hear it coming a long way off! We then watched it coming down the road from the top of our hostel and decided we should go down to the street to watch.
There were so many bright colours! The first people we saw were dancers all dressed in yellow. All along the parade there were bands playing and there was constant music - mostly the same song, but everyone was dancing to it.
There wasn´t just dancers and music. There was also horses, followed by donkeys and then a herd of alpaca. Along the parade there were also trucks and on them were people eating and drinking traditional food - this meant lots of chicha morada (a drink made of purple corn); which they were also giving out for free.
There were also more unexpected things - like dancing clowns. They were all wearing very bright colours, a costume normally made of two different ones - red and yellow, blue and green etc. They were very enthusiastic and one even danced with my friend Verena and then lifted her up! I think that was what was so amazing about the parade - the people taking part were having as much fun, if not more, than we were. Everyone was very proud to be Arequipan and were enjoying celebrating their city.
We did get our turn at joining in as well. The dancers sometimes picked people to dance with them and, as we definetely stood out from the crowd, we were picked more than once. The dance was fairly simple and easy to pick up, but I didn´t dance it half as well as all the little children. It seemed to come so naturally to them, while I felt quite clumsy.
I ended up dancing all the way to the Plaza de Armes (main plaza) and there I stopped to watch having decided that I´d done plenty of dancing. However, a small boy of no more than 6 had other ideas and, even if I had tried to protest, the old women behind me was going to make sure that I joined in the fun. And so, once more, I was part of the parade and I´ve never had so many cameras in my face! I wish I had a photo on my camera as the boy was almost half my size.
The whole celebration was great fun and there was one in the evening as well. This one was made up of slightly older people and the dancing was better. It still had the same energy and enthusiasm that the one during the day had. We only saw the day before the official Fiesta day and apparently on that day there was even more dancing in the streets. You didn´t get anywhere fast by car during the fiesta in Arequipa!
Thursday, 11 August 2011
Santa Cruz Trek
The Santa Cruz Trek goes from Huaraz - which is a city that is surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges. It is known for being a beautiful trek. We weren´t to be disappointned.
We had to start very early in the morning - 5.15am on the bus. However, we then got to sleep as we drove up into the mountains. It was gorgeous scenery, but very cold before the sun rose. On the way we got a chance to take some photos of a gorgeous lake - bright blue. This was to be one of many.
Once we had arrived at the start of the trail we waited for the donkeys (we were lucky enough not to have to carry all our things!) and then set off downhill. The first day was relatively easy. We started going down and only had a little bit of uphill. It was very warm as when the sun is shining it gets very hot. It´s just when the sun goes in that you have to make sure you wrap up warm!
Once we got to camp we all put up the tents. It probably took us a little longer than necessary but we did prove the point that boys aren´t necessarily good at putting up tents... We all sat in the communal tent and had tea. A common drink here is mate de coca which is just coca leaves and meant to be very good for altitude. It tastes ok, but I did add lots of sugar when drinking it.
That night was very cold. We had camped above 3000m and you needed lots of layers. It was colder than I expected and we all woke up a lot during the night. Although this may have been partly because of the altitude as well. Unfortunately one of our group had to go back to Huaraz in the morning because of altitude sickness. It was such a shame for her as she had been very excited about the trek.
Day 2 meant we were attempting the pass. This is the highest part of the trek at 4750m, after this we would descend before camping. In the morning, however, the last thing on my mind was altitude. It was freezing! There was frost on the ground and as we were camped in a valley the sun hadn´t reached us when we started walking. Even after walking for 15mintues I still couldn´t feel my toes. I have never seen so many adults get so excited about seeing the sunshine. And 2 minutes later we all were back in t-shirts.
Trekking in a group means you naturally walk at different speeds and so we all trudged up the slopes and across (a little bit of) flat at our own speeds. The scenery was, as always, gorgeous. We were walking in a valley to start with and could always see mountains. The most beautiful were the ones that we saw were just before we started the last climb up to the pass. Which was 500m up. This doesn´t sound like much but when going up to 4750m it is.
The path wasn´t hard. There were huge rocks making up the landscape and you zig-zagged your way between them on the path. It was a case of just keep on walking as once you have a pace going at that altitude you just keep walking up. And once we got over the pass it was definetely worth it. Apart from the feeling of satisfaction the view was amazing. You could see down the valley and straight down to the right there was a gorgeous lake. The mountains rose up from the shore of the lake right to the snowy peaks - my photos definetely don´t do it justice.
We all stumbled through the pass at different times. It was a climb that you do at your own pace. We then sat and had a well earned lunch and then began the walk to camp, at about 4200m. The walk down was nothing compared to the walk up - it was like walking in a park at sea level! We all looked absoutely exhausted when we reached camp and as we sat waiting for dinner we were almost asleep at the table. An early night was definetely needed.
The 3rd and 4th days of the trek were much easier. We walked up to see another lake (you can never get enough of them - sitting beside the shore is so peaceful) and then walked along the valley floor. This did get very hot, but you could see all the water coming down from the mountains on either side.
The 3rd night was also a good night´s sleep! The altitude was lower and we were used to the thinner air. Plus it was warmer. However, the first night we got back to Huaraz I don´t think I´ve ever slept so well in my life. Nor has a shower been more appreciated.
Saturday, 6 August 2011
Lima
After our 21 hour coach drive (and 5 films) we arrived in Lima! Glad to be off the coach and walking but Lima didn´t give a great impression to start with. We were staying in the touristy area; called Miraflores. We had a nice hostel with lovely people but the actual place is very Westernised and had a lot of American chains - McDonalds, Pizza Hut and lots of casinos.
We wondered down to the beach front hoping to be able to get down to the sand. Unfortunately it´s not possible to walk to as there´s a huge cliff so we just went for a walk instead. Lima is also very grey at this time of the year. Apparently it´s hot and sunny in January-March but seems to be quite grey the rest of the time. Getting out of Miraflores gave a more positive impression of Lima - less business like and rich, upper class Peruvians.
The next day, however, we headed to the centre of Lima. This is a much nicer area. There is a park in the centre that is filled with random art work and a theatre that looked like Hanzel and Gretel´s house! There were chalk drawings on the ground which were amazing and seemed to be there just for the sake of being there.
There are also two main plazas in Lima - Plaza de Armes and Plaza San Martin. We were very interested in the Plaza San Martin as there was meant to be a statue of a woman with a llama on her head. We weren´t disappointed! There was a mistranslation in the instructions for the statue - it´s meant to be a crown of flames. A llama is much better though. The other Plaza is gorgeous. It´s surrounded by impressive buildings and has a fountain in the middle. Like most plazas it´s very symmetrical and had lots of grass and flowers. Really nice to walk through.
We also visited a Church while in Lima. We felt we should be a little cultural (we also tried to visit a museum but after much walking around never did...). The Priory San Domingo is just off the Plaza de Armes and included in the entrance is a free tour. It was well worth it and very interesting. It´s a beautifully decorated Church with handpainted tiles in two courtyards that were painted in Spain in the 1600s and shipped across. There was some replacement work in the 1900s to fix the damage after an earthquake and you can really tell the difference in quality. The 1900s tiles are much more faded!
Although Lima gave a bad impression at first it really grew on me. I don´t think I could spend much more time there but it was great getting to know the city centre. It´s bigger and busier than Quito (Ecuador´s capital) and this has it´s disadvantages (Starbucks) but also meant that there is a lot more to do there, almost all of which I really enjoyed.
Tomorrow we´re trekking in the Huaraz region, which we´re both excited for. Time to burn off some of the food we´ve been eating! Hope all´s well in England
We wondered down to the beach front hoping to be able to get down to the sand. Unfortunately it´s not possible to walk to as there´s a huge cliff so we just went for a walk instead. Lima is also very grey at this time of the year. Apparently it´s hot and sunny in January-March but seems to be quite grey the rest of the time. Getting out of Miraflores gave a more positive impression of Lima - less business like and rich, upper class Peruvians.
The next day, however, we headed to the centre of Lima. This is a much nicer area. There is a park in the centre that is filled with random art work and a theatre that looked like Hanzel and Gretel´s house! There were chalk drawings on the ground which were amazing and seemed to be there just for the sake of being there.
There are also two main plazas in Lima - Plaza de Armes and Plaza San Martin. We were very interested in the Plaza San Martin as there was meant to be a statue of a woman with a llama on her head. We weren´t disappointed! There was a mistranslation in the instructions for the statue - it´s meant to be a crown of flames. A llama is much better though. The other Plaza is gorgeous. It´s surrounded by impressive buildings and has a fountain in the middle. Like most plazas it´s very symmetrical and had lots of grass and flowers. Really nice to walk through.
We also visited a Church while in Lima. We felt we should be a little cultural (we also tried to visit a museum but after much walking around never did...). The Priory San Domingo is just off the Plaza de Armes and included in the entrance is a free tour. It was well worth it and very interesting. It´s a beautifully decorated Church with handpainted tiles in two courtyards that were painted in Spain in the 1600s and shipped across. There was some replacement work in the 1900s to fix the damage after an earthquake and you can really tell the difference in quality. The 1900s tiles are much more faded!
Although Lima gave a bad impression at first it really grew on me. I don´t think I could spend much more time there but it was great getting to know the city centre. It´s bigger and busier than Quito (Ecuador´s capital) and this has it´s disadvantages (Starbucks) but also meant that there is a lot more to do there, almost all of which I really enjoyed.
Tomorrow we´re trekking in the Huaraz region, which we´re both excited for. Time to burn off some of the food we´ve been eating! Hope all´s well in England
Monday, 1 August 2011
Some Surfing and Lots of Falling
After the whales we stayed for a while on the beach and we both tried surfing. Tried being the important word.
Having never even touched a surf board before I didn´t really know what to expect but I guessed it would involve a lot of time in the sea - and it did! We got some instruction on land and I realised that jumping up and landing on your feet in the right place on the surfboard, at speed and on the water was going to be much harder than it looks.
The instructions became much clearer once we were on the water and had an example and then we were trying it ourselves. It was great fun but standing up is a difficult and rare occurance! Even when you are standing you need a lot of balance and concentration and I was always more surprised that I wasn´t in the water. I managed to stand up a couple of times and get to the beach - but most of the time we definetely spent in the water and swallowing it.
It was really tiring as we were spending most of our time hoisting ourselves onto the boards and then jumping up using mostly the power in our arms. An hour was more than enough!
There are some pictures that will be posted up soon. We´re now facing a long coach ride down to Lima - plenty of time to catch up on some reading...
Having never even touched a surf board before I didn´t really know what to expect but I guessed it would involve a lot of time in the sea - and it did! We got some instruction on land and I realised that jumping up and landing on your feet in the right place on the surfboard, at speed and on the water was going to be much harder than it looks.
The instructions became much clearer once we were on the water and had an example and then we were trying it ourselves. It was great fun but standing up is a difficult and rare occurance! Even when you are standing you need a lot of balance and concentration and I was always more surprised that I wasn´t in the water. I managed to stand up a couple of times and get to the beach - but most of the time we definetely spent in the water and swallowing it.
It was really tiring as we were spending most of our time hoisting ourselves onto the boards and then jumping up using mostly the power in our arms. An hour was more than enough!
There are some pictures that will be posted up soon. We´re now facing a long coach ride down to Lima - plenty of time to catch up on some reading...
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Huge Whales and Hundreds of Dolphins
As I mentioned to the few people I was lucky enough to speak to back home I planned to go whale-watching. I organised a tour for this morning and it was even more exciting than I´d hoped for!
It took me quite a while to choose a tour company as Puerto Lopez is based around the whale-watching industry and so it is full of lots of tour companies and lots of tourists. Because of the tourists I wasn´t too impressed with Puerto Lopez when I first got off the bus as it doesn´t have any of the charm that the smaller towns (like Salinas) have.
This morning, however, I jumped on the boat with an Ecuadorian family and a German family and we motored out for about half an hour. The nicer family by far where the Ecuadorians, despite the language barrier. They had three delightful kids and the two small boys were enjoying getting wet at the front of the boat.
Our boat then joined about 4 others that were idling in the water and the wait began. The first sight of a whale was it´s back and it was very exciting; lots of shouting and pointing. The boats all have equipment to sense the whales and so you to know to look in the direction they are going when they all suddenly head off in the same direction. In this way we saw the back of the whales and the tail quite a few times. I have to admit at this point I was wandering what all the excitment was. Every tourist that we´ve met who´s seen the whales raves about them and says it the most amazing thing they´ve ever seen. While it was very impressive I did think it had been over-hyped.
However, it was definetely a waiting game. We got closer and closer to the whales and they began to look more and more impressive. The last ones we saw were easily the best. We were about 20m away and up until then I didn´t realise how big the whales were. They are huge - up to 15m. This means nothing until you´ve seen them. You see most of their back as they break the water and the fin and then the tail and it seems to go on forever! I think the best word to describe them is majestic. They are gorgeous creatures and I was not disappointed in any way. The one we saw even had a baby with it which you could see surfacing right next to it´s mother.
After all the excitment we got lunch and were heading back to the coast when the captain suddenly pointed ahead. There was a whole school of dolphins. I saw dolphins in India but it was nothing compared to this. The photographer said there were around 200 of them - there were so many and they moved so fast! It might have been because of just seeing a whale but they were smaller than I expected. You got to see the whole dolphin as they were all jumping out of the water. It was a really amazing sight and we were so lucky to have seen them.
I hope that everyone at home is well and that I get to speak to you all soon!
It took me quite a while to choose a tour company as Puerto Lopez is based around the whale-watching industry and so it is full of lots of tour companies and lots of tourists. Because of the tourists I wasn´t too impressed with Puerto Lopez when I first got off the bus as it doesn´t have any of the charm that the smaller towns (like Salinas) have.
This morning, however, I jumped on the boat with an Ecuadorian family and a German family and we motored out for about half an hour. The nicer family by far where the Ecuadorians, despite the language barrier. They had three delightful kids and the two small boys were enjoying getting wet at the front of the boat.
Our boat then joined about 4 others that were idling in the water and the wait began. The first sight of a whale was it´s back and it was very exciting; lots of shouting and pointing. The boats all have equipment to sense the whales and so you to know to look in the direction they are going when they all suddenly head off in the same direction. In this way we saw the back of the whales and the tail quite a few times. I have to admit at this point I was wandering what all the excitment was. Every tourist that we´ve met who´s seen the whales raves about them and says it the most amazing thing they´ve ever seen. While it was very impressive I did think it had been over-hyped.
However, it was definetely a waiting game. We got closer and closer to the whales and they began to look more and more impressive. The last ones we saw were easily the best. We were about 20m away and up until then I didn´t realise how big the whales were. They are huge - up to 15m. This means nothing until you´ve seen them. You see most of their back as they break the water and the fin and then the tail and it seems to go on forever! I think the best word to describe them is majestic. They are gorgeous creatures and I was not disappointed in any way. The one we saw even had a baby with it which you could see surfacing right next to it´s mother.
After all the excitment we got lunch and were heading back to the coast when the captain suddenly pointed ahead. There was a whole school of dolphins. I saw dolphins in India but it was nothing compared to this. The photographer said there were around 200 of them - there were so many and they moved so fast! It might have been because of just seeing a whale but they were smaller than I expected. You got to see the whole dolphin as they were all jumping out of the water. It was a really amazing sight and we were so lucky to have seen them.
I hope that everyone at home is well and that I get to speak to you all soon!
Sunday, 24 July 2011
Cheese, Chocolate and Salt Mines
After our jungle experience we thought we needed a bit of luxury and so headed to the mountain town of Salinas - famous for its cheese and chocolate.
It was a big change after the humidity of the jungle to head up to the mountains, and very refreshing. It´s given our mosquito bites a chance to heal as well!
Salinas is described the Lonely Planet as a ´charming little village´ and it really is. It´s got a lovely atmosphere with a real community feel. The first of the industries was cheese and it was started by an Italian priest in the 70s. Apparently he´s still alive and living there as well. Shows that cheese and chocolate have to be good for you.
We had a guide who showed us around the different industries. All the money they produce goes straight back into the community and none of the products are exported out of Ecuador. It seems to keep the community feel going though and the guide had real pride in Salinas.
They also have salt mines which neither of us realised. These sound much less exciting but are really interesting. It was less of a mine and more of a mountain side that salty water ran down. There were bowls that had been made by people leaving the shape for it and then the minerals hardening round the edge and so now the bowls stay there by just minerals. You could also taste the salt in the water which is also full of minerals and so the salt is good for you. Tell that Western doctors!
The cheese and chocolate lived up to expectations and I hope we added to the local community by our purchases :)
It was a big change after the humidity of the jungle to head up to the mountains, and very refreshing. It´s given our mosquito bites a chance to heal as well!
Salinas is described the Lonely Planet as a ´charming little village´ and it really is. It´s got a lovely atmosphere with a real community feel. The first of the industries was cheese and it was started by an Italian priest in the 70s. Apparently he´s still alive and living there as well. Shows that cheese and chocolate have to be good for you.
We had a guide who showed us around the different industries. All the money they produce goes straight back into the community and none of the products are exported out of Ecuador. It seems to keep the community feel going though and the guide had real pride in Salinas.
They also have salt mines which neither of us realised. These sound much less exciting but are really interesting. It was less of a mine and more of a mountain side that salty water ran down. There were bowls that had been made by people leaving the shape for it and then the minerals hardening round the edge and so now the bowls stay there by just minerals. You could also taste the salt in the water which is also full of minerals and so the salt is good for you. Tell that Western doctors!
The cheese and chocolate lived up to expectations and I hope we added to the local community by our purchases :)
Three Days in a Very Muddy Jungle!
Charlotte and I have just come back from 3 days in the jungle. It was fantastic, tiring and very very muddy!
We chose the tour company because we knew it had links to the local community and were told that one of the guides lived in the community. As it´s in what is called the ´primary jungle´ we got a taxi part of the way there and then walked the rest. I expected mud, but to say there were lots was an understatement!
The village was really welcoming - the chief offered us a local drink called ´Chicha´ which was very filling and slightly alcoholic. Our guide said you could drink it and it would suffice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We thought we might make the most of the delicious food though... There were kids all over the place as the families were huge. When we arrived they were playing with home-made kites, and happily posing for the camera.
After we had lunch we headed up to a viewpoint in the jungle. We walked up 200m of altitude to get there, and it was a real scramble! More mud and the path was quite steep and I was pouring with sweat by the time we got to the top. It was well worth it though, the view was stunning. The rainforest just seems to go on forever, you can see nothing but green, it´s so breath-taking. Even though we were so high up we could still hear the river, which was just below us. Apparently it was quite full and with 3 days of sun it would become lower and greener. It just shows how quickly things change here.
Our guides were really interesting and knew so much about everything in the forest. It seems that every plant has a use and the guides knew about it all. They showed us trees they used as the columns in the houses and the leaves they used as the roof. One of our guides also made us a ´natural bag´ which the hunters used to make to carry the animals. He turned a palm tree-like leaf into a matter of minutes! Hopefully photos will come soon (or soonish).
The second day we were heading to the nearby caves. Again, these were amazing. The rocks were gorgeous, and surprisingly varied in colour - there was one that looked like a cows head! There was also more wildlife than I expected - the guides showed us a lobster, eel and fish. We had to scramble through some of the paths, but they are well trodden paths. Although at the end the path went into a pool of water and this pool of water went up to my chest. Little bit cold but we soon warmed up in the sun.
In the afternoon we ´played´ football. Or the kids played football and we essentially became spectators. I don´t think either of us added much to the team to be honest. We then went for a swim in the river Pastaza with lots of the local kids. As soon as we got in the water it turned into a water fight which the boys loved!
After we got out we played games with some of the younger girls. There was one particular 5 year old who was very keen to keep hold of our hands! It was great playing with the kids although we got covered with mosquito bites, and the kids happily counted the ones of my back the next day - they seemed surprised by the number of them!
The last day was spent very near to the village and we only went for a short walk close to the village to see the land which one of the guides owned although apparently the women do most of the work!
After lunch we had a very muddy and fast walk back so we didn´t miss the taxi. We arrived sweaty and completely filthy. It was very sad saying goodbye to the village, especially the kids. It was a great experience and about as remote as I think it was possible to get. The jungle is absolutley stunning and there is just so much fruit, plants and trees that we don´t have in England. It was well worth the sweaty walk there and back and a very loud taxi driver!
We chose the tour company because we knew it had links to the local community and were told that one of the guides lived in the community. As it´s in what is called the ´primary jungle´ we got a taxi part of the way there and then walked the rest. I expected mud, but to say there were lots was an understatement!
The village was really welcoming - the chief offered us a local drink called ´Chicha´ which was very filling and slightly alcoholic. Our guide said you could drink it and it would suffice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We thought we might make the most of the delicious food though... There were kids all over the place as the families were huge. When we arrived they were playing with home-made kites, and happily posing for the camera.
After we had lunch we headed up to a viewpoint in the jungle. We walked up 200m of altitude to get there, and it was a real scramble! More mud and the path was quite steep and I was pouring with sweat by the time we got to the top. It was well worth it though, the view was stunning. The rainforest just seems to go on forever, you can see nothing but green, it´s so breath-taking. Even though we were so high up we could still hear the river, which was just below us. Apparently it was quite full and with 3 days of sun it would become lower and greener. It just shows how quickly things change here.
Our guides were really interesting and knew so much about everything in the forest. It seems that every plant has a use and the guides knew about it all. They showed us trees they used as the columns in the houses and the leaves they used as the roof. One of our guides also made us a ´natural bag´ which the hunters used to make to carry the animals. He turned a palm tree-like leaf into a matter of minutes! Hopefully photos will come soon (or soonish).
The second day we were heading to the nearby caves. Again, these were amazing. The rocks were gorgeous, and surprisingly varied in colour - there was one that looked like a cows head! There was also more wildlife than I expected - the guides showed us a lobster, eel and fish. We had to scramble through some of the paths, but they are well trodden paths. Although at the end the path went into a pool of water and this pool of water went up to my chest. Little bit cold but we soon warmed up in the sun.
In the afternoon we ´played´ football. Or the kids played football and we essentially became spectators. I don´t think either of us added much to the team to be honest. We then went for a swim in the river Pastaza with lots of the local kids. As soon as we got in the water it turned into a water fight which the boys loved!
After we got out we played games with some of the younger girls. There was one particular 5 year old who was very keen to keep hold of our hands! It was great playing with the kids although we got covered with mosquito bites, and the kids happily counted the ones of my back the next day - they seemed surprised by the number of them!
The last day was spent very near to the village and we only went for a short walk close to the village to see the land which one of the guides owned although apparently the women do most of the work!
After lunch we had a very muddy and fast walk back so we didn´t miss the taxi. We arrived sweaty and completely filthy. It was very sad saying goodbye to the village, especially the kids. It was a great experience and about as remote as I think it was possible to get. The jungle is absolutley stunning and there is just so much fruit, plants and trees that we don´t have in England. It was well worth the sweaty walk there and back and a very loud taxi driver!
Sunday, 17 July 2011
A Natural Shower in Baños
We´ve had a very busy two days, and got very wet on both!
On Friday we went white-water rafting as Baños is one of the main tourist destinations for it. We turned up at 9 and got given our wet suits, helmets and shoes. All of which looked very attractive when we tried them on. A bus ride to the river, safety talk and then we were off!
There were 6 to a boat, in two lines of 3. The two at the front - the ´captains´ - had to keep time with each other when paddling to make sure we were going in a straight line. Charlotte and I both decided against being captains and left it to the very eager Canadian boys.
White-water rafting isn´t all adrenaline, and there is a lot of calm water in between the rapids. Out guide was brilliant though and happily chatted his way through the calmer parts. It also gave you a chance to appreciate the jungle, as it is gorgeous. It was raining, which made it colder, but every now and then you would get a warm breeze from further down river.
When there were rapids, however, you had to be very focused. The guide shouted instructions and we all followed obediently and rowed (mostly) in sync. They generally ended with a wave which meant you got soaked, but I think the guide made this inevitable anyway...
It was great fun and a real adrenaline rush and lovely being on the water.
On Saturday we decided to go for a second active day and went for a bike ride. Baños has loads of waterfalls close by and the best way to see them is by bike. So we hired these from our hostel (which is run by lovely people and is one of the nicest we´ve been in so far) and headed out with the directions - left, up, right, route.
We did get there and there wasn´t really any way you could get lost. We both really enjoyed the bike ride and it was relaxing in a way, nice to see the scenery at a slower pace with the option to stop.
The smaller waterfalls were nice to see but there was a main one called ´Cascada del Diablo´ or Devil´s waterfall. I have to admit I wasn´t expecting anything like what I saw. The power of it was incredible.
The water came over the edge, at speed, and when it hit the pool the water shot up again about 10m, all completely white. We had been warned that we would get wet and to take a raincoat. You got soaked. The spray from the waterfall was everywhere and all the surfaces were covered with water.
You were also able to go behind the waterfall near where it came over the edge. To do this you had to clamber your way through what was more like a tunnel than a path and then climb onto the ledge. Behind the waterfall was great, very loud which just shows how powerful it was!
We´ve had two really great days that we´ve both really enjoyed. It´s currently pouring with rain in Baños and we´re heading to the jungle so I think we´re going to be in for a wet couple of days!
Thursday, 14 July 2011
First Impressions
It´s been a tiring first week and Charlotte and I have packed a lot in! We´ve explored Quito, been to some thermal baths, climbed to the top of a Church, seen the biggest market in Ecuador and been trekking around a crater lake.
Quito is the captial of Ecuador and the ´must see´ area is Old Town which, unsurpisingly, contains the more historical and colonial buildings. It´s a lovely place to walk around and get a feel for the place. It´s full of Churches and one of the most famous is the Basilica del Voto Nacional. What attracted us to this particular Church (there are dozens) was the opportunity to climb all the way to the top to get a fantastic view of Quito. To get there you went along a bridge (above the ceiling to the main chapel, so were a loft would be) and then up a series of ladders which, at that height, seemed a bit nerve racking and we were at the top. The view of Quito was stunning. It was far bigger than I first expected and it sprawls along the valley that it´s in. The sun was shining and it was well worth climbing up the ladders to see!
After our walk around Quito we decided to try the thermal baths for relaxation. And they were exactly that. Set a couple of hours outside of Quito they are in the middle of the Andean hillside and the scenery is gorgeous. Sitting in warm springs while looking at the green hillside through the steam is definetly worth travelling on a bus for! There were different temperatures and we made our way up to the hottest one. We even tried the freezing cold one which is suprisingly refreshing. So much so we tried it twice. And then got some warm coffee.
Next on our trip was the market Otavalo, which the Lonely Planet made out to be fantastic. It did sell lots of things, all in bright colours and very touristy. However, as neither of us like shopping and didn´t want to carry too much stuff around we didn´t spend as long at the market as most. We did find what we wanted though and then have some cake. Banana cake with ice cream. Well worth the trip.
After our many days on buses visiting places we decided to go for a very short trek. It started at a town called Latacunga, which is the beginning of what is known as the Quilotoa loop. Here we met a Aussie and American who told us about their plans to hike around the Quilotoa loop. And we decided to copy.
From Latacunga we got a bus to where we would begin the trek and stayed there over night. Unfortunately I must have picked up something there and woke early in the morning feeling ill. However, once it was out of my system I was fine and I was able to trek that day, although probably finding it a bit more difficult than normal and was very tired by the time we got the the next town!
However, the second (and last) day we trekked around the crater lake at Quilotoa, which the loop is named after and (shockingly) is the main point of the trek. The lake is amazing. It´s bright blue and completely enclosed by the sides of the crater which rise quite steeply from the lake. It´s breath-taking when you first see it. Half way around it still looks spectacular but you don´t appreciate it quite as much... The view on the other side is also beautiful though. The Andean countryside is smaller hills between the bigger ones with fields of both green and yellow, which the sunlight catches and really highlights. The people that live in the houses are so remote from everything, it´s something that you can´t see in England. Such a large stretch of land with so few people. The view encouraged the climbing up some of the ´hills´around the crater. ´Rim´implies it to be relatively flat. Don´t let that fool you.
We are now in Baños, which is a very touristy town and we´re looking forward to spending a few days here. From just walking round the shops I´ve just seen a man making a button which he gave to me. He made if from scratch and it took him less than 3 minutes, it just shows the generosity of the people here.
Hope all´s well back in England and that´s is sunny and bright there.
Quito is the captial of Ecuador and the ´must see´ area is Old Town which, unsurpisingly, contains the more historical and colonial buildings. It´s a lovely place to walk around and get a feel for the place. It´s full of Churches and one of the most famous is the Basilica del Voto Nacional. What attracted us to this particular Church (there are dozens) was the opportunity to climb all the way to the top to get a fantastic view of Quito. To get there you went along a bridge (above the ceiling to the main chapel, so were a loft would be) and then up a series of ladders which, at that height, seemed a bit nerve racking and we were at the top. The view of Quito was stunning. It was far bigger than I first expected and it sprawls along the valley that it´s in. The sun was shining and it was well worth climbing up the ladders to see!
After our walk around Quito we decided to try the thermal baths for relaxation. And they were exactly that. Set a couple of hours outside of Quito they are in the middle of the Andean hillside and the scenery is gorgeous. Sitting in warm springs while looking at the green hillside through the steam is definetly worth travelling on a bus for! There were different temperatures and we made our way up to the hottest one. We even tried the freezing cold one which is suprisingly refreshing. So much so we tried it twice. And then got some warm coffee.
Next on our trip was the market Otavalo, which the Lonely Planet made out to be fantastic. It did sell lots of things, all in bright colours and very touristy. However, as neither of us like shopping and didn´t want to carry too much stuff around we didn´t spend as long at the market as most. We did find what we wanted though and then have some cake. Banana cake with ice cream. Well worth the trip.
After our many days on buses visiting places we decided to go for a very short trek. It started at a town called Latacunga, which is the beginning of what is known as the Quilotoa loop. Here we met a Aussie and American who told us about their plans to hike around the Quilotoa loop. And we decided to copy.
From Latacunga we got a bus to where we would begin the trek and stayed there over night. Unfortunately I must have picked up something there and woke early in the morning feeling ill. However, once it was out of my system I was fine and I was able to trek that day, although probably finding it a bit more difficult than normal and was very tired by the time we got the the next town!
However, the second (and last) day we trekked around the crater lake at Quilotoa, which the loop is named after and (shockingly) is the main point of the trek. The lake is amazing. It´s bright blue and completely enclosed by the sides of the crater which rise quite steeply from the lake. It´s breath-taking when you first see it. Half way around it still looks spectacular but you don´t appreciate it quite as much... The view on the other side is also beautiful though. The Andean countryside is smaller hills between the bigger ones with fields of both green and yellow, which the sunlight catches and really highlights. The people that live in the houses are so remote from everything, it´s something that you can´t see in England. Such a large stretch of land with so few people. The view encouraged the climbing up some of the ´hills´around the crater. ´Rim´implies it to be relatively flat. Don´t let that fool you.
We are now in Baños, which is a very touristy town and we´re looking forward to spending a few days here. From just walking round the shops I´ve just seen a man making a button which he gave to me. He made if from scratch and it took him less than 3 minutes, it just shows the generosity of the people here.
Hope all´s well back in England and that´s is sunny and bright there.
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