Monday, October 13, 2008
The Last Stop
Well, I am on the last stop here in Peru. I´m ready to come home, and I expect the last two days to drag. Just one more sleep here in Lima! After the Nasca Lines I hopped onto an Ormeño bus. It was the only one I could find that went directly to Pisco...exactamente! When I boarded I discovered I´d entered some parallel universe where things are super-fancy! I was the only passenger on the bus, the seats were double-wide, it actually had functional bathroom (with toilet paper) and air conditioning. As the bus departed a movie started on the usually black tv screens, and low and behold...the movie was in english! All this, and then they brought me a snack! So posh. When I arrived in Pisco my newly found posh lifestyle continued as I checked into the Hostal Villa Manuelita. My room had TV, my own bathroom (with toilet paper), a fan, and a painting...in addition to the beautiful and comf0rtable beds. Turns out that was the only nice thing about Pisco. It was definitely the dodgiest place I visited in Peru. Most buildings were unfinished or in ruins, and the Plaza de Armas was not a place to hang out in alone. I booked my tour to the Ballastas Islands, then immediately booked my bus from Pisco to Lima. I mostly stayed safe within the walls of my hotel until my tour departed at 7.15 the following morning.
The tour of the islands was probably the least informative of all my tours. The guide spoke very little English, which was more of a mix between English and Spanish. The sights were worth the tour cost, though, as we saw sea lions and lots and lots of birds. The setting was a bit reminiscent of the Alfred Hitchcock movie ¨The Birds¨as thousands upon thousands swarmed around our boats. The birds of the islands are famous for their rich guano, which is harvested every 6 years and sold to farms as a fertilizer...I only got a little guano on me, which was to be expected, I suppose. The tour was the first time it has been rainy during any tour I´ve had here in Peru, and even at that it was just a slight mist.
When my tour returned to Pisco I planned to check my e-mail and surf the web inexpensively until my bus departed, as there was nothing else to do in Pisco and I had long since finished my only book. Unfortunately my plans were foiled as there was no electricity in Pisco at that time. So I waited impatiently for the bus departure, listening to a gentleman from California recount all the terrifying news he´d heard about people traveling alone in Peru....thanks dude! After all was said and done I made it onto the bus in Pisco, and the four hour journey seemed brief. I was in Lima where I got a taxi to Loki Hostal. The taxi drivers in the bus station tried to convince me it was 15 soles to get across lima ($3). I scoffed, and told them it should be 8 soles, but saw no alternative, so I agreed to go with them. As I stepped out of the bus station I asked another taxi driver how much and he told me 8 soles...ha! So I went with him for a lower price. I am tempted to stay in the Loki Hostal until my plane leaves tomorrow night, but I may force myself to get out a little bit and perhaps check out a museum or two.
I am looking forward to seeing everybody when I come home. I´ll be there in a the blink of an eye!
The tour of the islands was probably the least informative of all my tours. The guide spoke very little English, which was more of a mix between English and Spanish. The sights were worth the tour cost, though, as we saw sea lions and lots and lots of birds. The setting was a bit reminiscent of the Alfred Hitchcock movie ¨The Birds¨as thousands upon thousands swarmed around our boats. The birds of the islands are famous for their rich guano, which is harvested every 6 years and sold to farms as a fertilizer...I only got a little guano on me, which was to be expected, I suppose. The tour was the first time it has been rainy during any tour I´ve had here in Peru, and even at that it was just a slight mist.
When my tour returned to Pisco I planned to check my e-mail and surf the web inexpensively until my bus departed, as there was nothing else to do in Pisco and I had long since finished my only book. Unfortunately my plans were foiled as there was no electricity in Pisco at that time. So I waited impatiently for the bus departure, listening to a gentleman from California recount all the terrifying news he´d heard about people traveling alone in Peru....thanks dude! After all was said and done I made it onto the bus in Pisco, and the four hour journey seemed brief. I was in Lima where I got a taxi to Loki Hostal. The taxi drivers in the bus station tried to convince me it was 15 soles to get across lima ($3). I scoffed, and told them it should be 8 soles, but saw no alternative, so I agreed to go with them. As I stepped out of the bus station I asked another taxi driver how much and he told me 8 soles...ha! So I went with him for a lower price. I am tempted to stay in the Loki Hostal until my plane leaves tomorrow night, but I may force myself to get out a little bit and perhaps check out a museum or two.
I am looking forward to seeing everybody when I come home. I´ll be there in a the blink of an eye!
Friday, October 10, 2008
In Nasca
Well, I blew doors on Arequipa! The road out of town was amazing, and the views from the bus on the Pan American Highway were dramatic. As far as the eye could see in one direction were sand dunes, and as far as the eye could see in the other direction was the Pacific Ocean. Breathtaking! I made some Spanish smalltalk on the bus, and a kind woman patiently talked with me, even offering me one of her bananas. The ride seemed very long, though it was only about as long as the ride from Cusco to Arequipa. It was better when I realized that it was the last long bus ride I had in the country. We pulled into Nasca where I hooked myself up with a room at the Alegría Hotel. It was more expensive than I expected at a whopping 40 soles per night (about $13) for a basic room. Basic. Beds, nightstand, outlets. No additional amenities. Not even toilet paper in the bathroom across the corridor. I booked my tours of the lines and one other site in the area with the travel agency within the hotel. If I thought the hotel was expensive, the tour was outrageous, but, like Machu Picchu and the Uros Islands, they kind of have a corner on the market so they can charge what they like. Last night I ate at a restaurant called Grumpy´s, though it was the first time in several days that I didn´t feel grumpy. I turned in early after a long day on the bus and slept remarkably well for essentially being in the basement of a fancy hotel.
When I woke this morning I thought I had plenty of time, since I wasn´t supposed to be picked up until 8am to head to the airport. At 7.30am a knock came on my door and my ride had arrived. A half hour early is very unusual for Peru time. We went to the airport where I was told that I would have until about 9.30 am to wait ( though when I booked my tour I was told 9am). At 11.30am I boarded the small plane to view the Nasca Lines. There were 6 seats on the plane, and we all wore headphones to hear the pilot. I sat co-pilot. The lines were pretty amazing from the plane, and some of my pictures came out well, but it was over in the blink of an eye, and I was back on the ground before I knew what was happening. I had to wait for another 45 minutes for a ride back to the city, but that wasn´t too bad because when I got back to the city I had a couple hours to kill before my next tour commenced. I had a quick bite and waited for the tour to Chauchilla Cemetary.
On this tour we learned that the dead in this cemetary were not, in fact, Nasca people. They were from much later in time than the Nasca, who had died off in about 500ad. The cemetary was really just desert with lots of bones. Supposedly there are 400 graves out there, but only 12 were recognizable by archeologists. We learned quite a bit from our knowledgeable guide about the people who were buried there. They were warriors, cannibals, and their shamans wore hair very long. There was only one woman whose body was found here, but since many of the bones had been exposed to the desert elements for a long time there were remnants of bones scattered everywere. It was a remarkable sight, and definitely worth the stop.
Tomorrow I have a bus ticket to Pisco at 1.30pm. Not quite sure how I will occupy myself in the morning before my bus leaves, but once I get to Pisco I need to hit the ground running to find a tour of the Ballestas Islands, a bus ticket to Lima, and a hostel to stay at once I get to Lima...I´m exhausted just thinking about it. My countdown is on, and I can´t wait to get home. In four days I will be heading to the airport to come home!
When I woke this morning I thought I had plenty of time, since I wasn´t supposed to be picked up until 8am to head to the airport. At 7.30am a knock came on my door and my ride had arrived. A half hour early is very unusual for Peru time. We went to the airport where I was told that I would have until about 9.30 am to wait ( though when I booked my tour I was told 9am). At 11.30am I boarded the small plane to view the Nasca Lines. There were 6 seats on the plane, and we all wore headphones to hear the pilot. I sat co-pilot. The lines were pretty amazing from the plane, and some of my pictures came out well, but it was over in the blink of an eye, and I was back on the ground before I knew what was happening. I had to wait for another 45 minutes for a ride back to the city, but that wasn´t too bad because when I got back to the city I had a couple hours to kill before my next tour commenced. I had a quick bite and waited for the tour to Chauchilla Cemetary.
On this tour we learned that the dead in this cemetary were not, in fact, Nasca people. They were from much later in time than the Nasca, who had died off in about 500ad. The cemetary was really just desert with lots of bones. Supposedly there are 400 graves out there, but only 12 were recognizable by archeologists. We learned quite a bit from our knowledgeable guide about the people who were buried there. They were warriors, cannibals, and their shamans wore hair very long. There was only one woman whose body was found here, but since many of the bones had been exposed to the desert elements for a long time there were remnants of bones scattered everywere. It was a remarkable sight, and definitely worth the stop.
Tomorrow I have a bus ticket to Pisco at 1.30pm. Not quite sure how I will occupy myself in the morning before my bus leaves, but once I get to Pisco I need to hit the ground running to find a tour of the Ballestas Islands, a bus ticket to Lima, and a hostel to stay at once I get to Lima...I´m exhausted just thinking about it. My countdown is on, and I can´t wait to get home. In four days I will be heading to the airport to come home!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
On My Own
Well, I took my first bus on my own, and it went off almost without a hitch. When I got on I overheard some people talking about going to Puno, but I was headed to Arequipa. I asked the driver 4 different ways if this was the right bus to Arequipa, and he confirmed that it was. I rode the bus almost all the way to Puno, and was assuming that I would have to do something about my ticket when I got to Puno, but suddenly there were people talking about Arequipa just outside the door. I rushed down with my day bag and they wanted to hustle me over to another bus. I had to stop them to get my bag from down below. I got on the other bus without a hitch, and was in Arequipa before I knew it (10 hours in all).
Once in Arequipa I checked into the Los Andes Bed and Breakfast and promptly went out for dinner. There had been no bathroom on the bus so eating and drinking all day didn´t really work out. When I woke the following day I went out and booked a bus to Nazca for Thursday, booked my tour to the Colca Canyon, and saw myself to some of the local sights. I went to the Santa Catalina Monestary, and to the museum which houses Juanita the Ice Maiden. Perhaps you remember when they discovered her in 1995.
I went to bed very early last night because I was to be picked up at my hostel at 2.30 this morning to go to the Colca Canyon. Five hours of sleep will never be enough for me! During our tour to the Canyon we stopped by several small villages all with beautiful vistas of the surrounding snow-capped mountains and volcanos. At one point it was even snowing where I was. I bet it isn´t snowing in Maine yet! We arrived at the Mirador to watch for the famous condors, and sat for an hour and a half without seeing a-one! Just as I got up to walk away some people saw one in the distance. I snapped a few shots, but was rather disappointed in their size, though in their defense they were far away. We got back in the bus and headed in the direction of Arequipa once more. When we pulled off for a new vista there was a sudden rush of activity and a condor swooped low over our small crowd. We were able to snap some better pictures, though mine are lacking because I wasn´t as ready at that point as I had been for the past hour and a half. On our return trip we spotted some small herds of vicuñas and some alpacas as well. I saw all I hoped to see, and now I need to get ready for the next leg of my journey...to Nazca! and beyond.
Once in Arequipa I checked into the Los Andes Bed and Breakfast and promptly went out for dinner. There had been no bathroom on the bus so eating and drinking all day didn´t really work out. When I woke the following day I went out and booked a bus to Nazca for Thursday, booked my tour to the Colca Canyon, and saw myself to some of the local sights. I went to the Santa Catalina Monestary, and to the museum which houses Juanita the Ice Maiden. Perhaps you remember when they discovered her in 1995.
I went to bed very early last night because I was to be picked up at my hostel at 2.30 this morning to go to the Colca Canyon. Five hours of sleep will never be enough for me! During our tour to the Canyon we stopped by several small villages all with beautiful vistas of the surrounding snow-capped mountains and volcanos. At one point it was even snowing where I was. I bet it isn´t snowing in Maine yet! We arrived at the Mirador to watch for the famous condors, and sat for an hour and a half without seeing a-one! Just as I got up to walk away some people saw one in the distance. I snapped a few shots, but was rather disappointed in their size, though in their defense they were far away. We got back in the bus and headed in the direction of Arequipa once more. When we pulled off for a new vista there was a sudden rush of activity and a condor swooped low over our small crowd. We were able to snap some better pictures, though mine are lacking because I wasn´t as ready at that point as I had been for the past hour and a half. On our return trip we spotted some small herds of vicuñas and some alpacas as well. I saw all I hoped to see, and now I need to get ready for the next leg of my journey...to Nazca! and beyond.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Breathtaking
I wonder if I can consider my adventure to have truly begun now. I am on my own with no school or school friends to make me feel like I have a place. Actually I find that a little unsettling! Friday was my last day at school and Friday night was a night out with the friends that I had made in Cusco. I was a little anxious to get to bed at a reasonable time, since I was being picked up for the train to Machu Picchu at 6am. I packed up all my things, and was waiting on the step when my ride arrived. The train to and from Cusco was much nicer than I expected, but getting out of Cucso was quite a trick. The train goes up the hill, but of course, it can't go straight up, so it needs to go back and forth four times to zigzag up the hill, each time all the cars slamming into each other as the train stops. The views were lovely from the train of snow-capped mountains, and the four hour ride was quite manageable. We pulled into Aguas Calientes at 11am and were seen to our hostal. I was under the impression that the town would be generally a waste of time, but I must say that there were things I felt I missed by only staying for one day.
The Peru Lonely Planet alluded to a hike in the area with nice views. There were a total of two sentences about it, and the small group from the school decided it would be nice to go for a bit of a hike...after no sleep...after a train ride...after a trying week. We hiked for about 30 minutes up and up Putukusi before we came to our first ladder. I wanted to see if I could do it, so several of us (the ones who weren't afraid of heights) climbed up the first long ladder. There ended up being about 7 in all going up and up the mountain. The hike took about 3.5 hours, but in the end the vista was worth it. It was my first view of Machu Picchu, and made me truly excited for the next day. That night we met with our guide and arranged to get together at the gate to Machu Picchu at 7am, though we w0uld take the bus up the hill at 5.30am in order to try to get tickets ot hike up Waynapicchu.
We ate breakfast at 4.30am before booking it down to the bus station for the first trip at 5.30...the line was already formed, and we didn't get on until the third bus! we did make it up, and humorously, when the gates opened, we ran across the breathtaking views of Machu Picchu in order to get tickets to hike up the other mountain. They only let 400 people go up each day, and though I got my ticket to go up, I found that my legs just couldn't do another hike of that caliber. It was a true privilege to see Machu Picchu in the morning with the clouds surrounding the mountains. I felt like Hiram Bingham himself! (The man who re-discovered Machu Picchu). In the early morning there were very few tourists, and we got some amazing photos without strangers in them. In the pictures of Machu Picchu look at the view that appears sideways to see if you can see something other than a sideways mountain...the whole thing felt mysterious and magical. I am saving many pictures to show those of you who are around when I get back, so hopefully this will whet your appetites! I stayed at the ruins for about 6.5 hours before taking the bus down to town again, where I enjoyed a Pisco Sour and began to read the book that I bought by Hiram Bingham.
The Peru Lonely Planet alluded to a hike in the area with nice views. There were a total of two sentences about it, and the small group from the school decided it would be nice to go for a bit of a hike...after no sleep...after a train ride...after a trying week. We hiked for about 30 minutes up and up Putukusi before we came to our first ladder. I wanted to see if I could do it, so several of us (the ones who weren't afraid of heights) climbed up the first long ladder. There ended up being about 7 in all going up and up the mountain. The hike took about 3.5 hours, but in the end the vista was worth it. It was my first view of Machu Picchu, and made me truly excited for the next day. That night we met with our guide and arranged to get together at the gate to Machu Picchu at 7am, though we w0uld take the bus up the hill at 5.30am in order to try to get tickets ot hike up Waynapicchu.
We ate breakfast at 4.30am before booking it down to the bus station for the first trip at 5.30...the line was already formed, and we didn't get on until the third bus! we did make it up, and humorously, when the gates opened, we ran across the breathtaking views of Machu Picchu in order to get tickets to hike up the other mountain. They only let 400 people go up each day, and though I got my ticket to go up, I found that my legs just couldn't do another hike of that caliber. It was a true privilege to see Machu Picchu in the morning with the clouds surrounding the mountains. I felt like Hiram Bingham himself! (The man who re-discovered Machu Picchu). In the early morning there were very few tourists, and we got some amazing photos without strangers in them. In the pictures of Machu Picchu look at the view that appears sideways to see if you can see something other than a sideways mountain...the whole thing felt mysterious and magical. I am saving many pictures to show those of you who are around when I get back, so hopefully this will whet your appetites! I stayed at the ruins for about 6.5 hours before taking the bus down to town again, where I enjoyed a Pisco Sour and began to read the book that I bought by Hiram Bingham.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Now I Can Say I Tried It
Today was one I´ve been waiting for. All the teachers insisted that going to Tipon was the best place to try the real Peruvian delicacy. After classes I tried to take the test for which the school can give students an actual grade. It didn´t go well at all since yesterday was the first day I have started studying in the intermediate group, and the test they gave me today was the intermediate test, but I have been studying the basic class for three weeks. I felt a bit set up to fail, and I know my Spanish is better than that test made me feel. I needed a break from school, and had plans to go out to lunch with several girls to a nearby town called Tipon. Five of us squished all into one cab, clown car style, and made the twenty minute drive full of excitement about trying this special dish. Our cab driver took us to a good place he knew of, where we ordered one cuy to share among us. A cuy is a guinea pig...yes, the beloved American pet! It is cooked in an adobe oven and generally served whole. We became a bit sqeemish as we watched cuys being delivered to other tables. The waiter would generally bring it to present, then divide it into portions with a cleaver for however many were at the table. I think because we were clearly tourists ours was delivered sin cabeza and was already portioned. I asked the taxi driver (who had remained with us) ¨¿donde esta la cabeza?¨ and he promptly brought it over, informing us it was one of the best parts. We found the meat very chewy with what I assume is a gamey type of taste. There was, obviously, very little meat on the poor beast, and it was a messy job trying to find it. It was generally pretty awful, and we went directly to a cake shop upon our return to Cusco to cleanse our pallets with some chocolate cake. Now at least I can say that I have tried it, and I would also like to say I think I have come a long way from being a vegetarian 2 months ago!
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