The last few days in Peru

A pic from Lima

Greetings everyone! I didn't want to leave anyone hanging about our trip! It makes me very sad to say that both Jenny and I are back in the states (even more sad to say we are in different states!). The last entry left off when we were just about to leave for a bus to Lima. We made the 8 hour bus journey with no problem (other than the ridiculous selection of movies played on the bus- one being Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1629440/ , it's so bad it's worth clicking the link). Let me just say that Lima is HUGE. It couldn't be anymore different than most all other towns we saw in Peru. Let me just preface this by saying that we were in Miraflores which is the touristy and safe area of Lima- ok done prefacing. First off, it's very metropolitan. We hardly saw any old Peruvian women or men walking around with their traditional hats or brightly colored clothes- we may have well have been walking around Chicago. There were restaurants, shops, coffee bars (including Starbucks) everywhere. I didn't see any open air markets where people were peddling half pigs or chicken feet, which I always found entertaining- Jenny not so much. Lima was a good stepping stone for coming back to the states. It would have been full blown culture shock coming straight from Huaraz back to the USA. Anywho, we found a hostel no problem and spent the last two nights in Peru there. We spent one night going to a water fountain laser light show. It sounds goofy, and is seemingly out of place, but Lima has a huge park where there are a bunch of water fountains all lit up. There is also a laser show where the fountains are synced up to music- it was actually awesome. After the show we met up with a friend from high school who has been living in Peru for over two years now. We went to this super fancy bar, which was known for having the best Pisco sour in the country. Wasn't I going to the bathroom in a shallow hole a few days before? haha. Anyways, we had a few drinks and caught up on things that we have been up to the last few years. It was a really great way to end our trip. The next day we headed to the airport for our flights out. Jenny's flight was approx 12 hours before mine so I got intimate with the Lima international airport- so much so that I got kicked out of a restaurant because I was there so long- apparently a cup of coffee buys you about 3 hours in a peruvian restaurant. As it turns out, both Jenny and I made it home just fine.

I already miss Peru, but it is always nice to be home. Here are a few things I will miss the most:

1. Getting your adrenaline rush of the day from a taxi ride. It's true. It seems every taxi ride was like gambling your life with the jackpot prize being the arrival at your destination- alive. It seemed that every driver has a little Mario Andretti in them- trying to out drive everyone else in a never ending race. Stop signs were merely a suggestion, seatbelts almost NEVER worked, the painted lines on the road seemed to me to be decorative, and we were usually in this TINY cars driving alongside huge trucks. I would say the national adventure sport of Peru is driving. We survived. I am not even going to talk about the gravel mountain roads with drop offs of thousands of feet, hairpin turns and no guardrails. Mom doesn't need to know about those! Driving in the US just seems boring now. I will miss those crazy peruvian drivers!

2. The Markets. It's hard to fully understand the markets down there without experiencing them. Think hundreds of vendors yelling at you as you pass trying to sell you everything from keychains to guinea pigs. You could find ANYTHING there! There were avocados three or four times the size of the kind you find in the US, there are rows of ladies selling every sort of cheese, and bread of every shape, size, and smell. In Cusco, Jenny and I would usually buy lunch for both of us for about 3 dollars and have leftovers. Markets are a much more fun and exciting way to shop- I have a feeling I am going to feel bored next time I'm in a grocery store (I might have to haggle cereal prices to spice things up).

3. The landscape. It's hard to describe the landscape because it is so varied and diverse, but they have everything from mountains, to jungle, to beach, and everything in between. We spent the majority of our time on our trip in the mountains. I was awestruck at the mountains outside Hauraz. Those mountains simply dwarf the hills of the lower 48. These mountains make getting around Peru much more difficult, which in my mind makes you feel that much better when you actually get to your destination (add some Peruvian drivers into the mix and you are REALLY happy when you make it there). I would say the trip down to Peru would be worth it just to see those mountains in the National Park outside Hauraz. I believe the pics from this blog justify this point.

This are three of countless points I could make about the things I will miss about Peru. I am sad to say that this is the last blog entry of the trip! Peru is a truly incredible place and if you are looking for somewhere to travel next look into Peru (and know that there are a million different things to see other than Machu Picchu). I hope you have all enjoyed reading about our adventure in the southern hemisphere and if anyone has any questions or want to know anything about Peru don't hesitate to email me- mac.fraley@gmail.com

Cheers and hasta la vista!

One of the fountains

Another fountain

Me and Jenny at the fountain park

Me and Kelly in Lima

Santa Cruz Trek

Hola amigos! We have successfully completed the Santa Cruz trek! It was a 4 day trek which covered 36 miles, passing through the Huayhuash National Park, which is home to the tallest mountains in Peru- many over 20,000 feet high. At the highest point of the trek we were at 15,583 feet above sea level, which is over 1,000 feet higher than the tallest peak in the lower 48 states- there was a definite lack of oxygen up there. I am getting ahead of myself though- I shall start from the beginning. We started with a 3.5 hour ride from Huaraz to the little town of Vaqueria. I must say that it was the most terrifying road I have ever been on. There was switchback after switchback on a ridiculously bumpy road that dropped off straight down several thousand feet. Sorry Mom! I couldn´t help but think how much you would not approve me being on that road. At any rate, we survived the journey to the Vaqueria and started our trek. The first day was realitively easy so everyone on the trek got to know each other. We were 2 of 5 trekkers on this trip- two of the others were a young couple from Israel, and the other was a lady from northern England. All very nice people. We made it to the first camp and I decided to get sick from the altitude for a few hours. Let me tell you altitude sickness sucks- think being REALLY hungover without the fun of booze. A few ibuprofens from my favorite pharmacist, some cocoa tea, and a few hours later I was cured (thank goodness)! It rained hard that night so we all went to bed early. The next day we had to ascend over Punta Union Pass which tops out at 15,583feet- we all celebrated (in the snow and sleet) with pictures and lunch at the top of the pass looking over glacial lakes and the surrounding peaks. After a brief celebration we headed down to the next camp which sat right in the middle of this immense valley with mountain peaks covered in glaciers. The weather was poor so we couldn´t really see all of the peaks. The camp sat at just under 14,000 feet so it was a COLD night (after that night I have decided it´s time for a new sleepingbag). We awoke to perfectly clear skies and excellent views of the surrounding peaks- many of the pics on this post are from that morning. One peak is the mountain in the Paramount Pictures logo! After breakfast and a lots of shots on the camera we headed of to see a glacial lake that was below Alpamayo (which is continually ranked as the most beautiful mountain in the world). Sadly, the clouds moved in as we approached the lake and Alpamayo, but we still got a few shots of it from afar. We hung out at the lake for a bit and headed to the 3rd camp (which was really really far away). We spent the last night next to a creek on in a huge canyon with walls thousands of feet high- unfortunately the pics don´t do it justice (but everyone knows that). The last day was a quick walk out to the tiny town of Cashapampa followed by yet another death ride, followed at last by a shower and a nice meal out on the town with all the fellow trekkers. Jenny wanted me to say that she is feeling 100% again and didn´t get sick at all on this trek! I suppose it was my turn for that :-). Anywho, we are headed to Lima today by bus to spend our last two nights in Peru before heading back to the states. As promised, I put up a crap load of pics because I have been slacking on that. Normally, I would add a caption to all the pics, but it´s getting late and we need to pack for this bus journey. I hope you all enjoy the pics and if anyone wants to know about the pics just comment on the blog and I´ll get on that! Alright, gotta run. Enjoy!

Alpamayo in the center



Camp on day 2

The paramount pictures mountain

A friendly cow along the trail

The group at the end of the trek!

A few extra days in huanchaco

Hello and sorry for yet another long delay in trip updates. I am attempting to write this from jenny's iPhone so it's gonna be a short one. At the end of the last entry we were scheduled to arrive to haidas but as it would turn out Jenny got the stomach bug from hell and we ended up staying in Trujillo for like 4 extra days. We found this awesome hostel though that cost us about $5 each a night- one block from the ocean. The owner of the hostel even drove us to the doctor's office- so nice! Anyways, we finally made it to huaraz and we are headed out on a 4 day trek. It's called the Santa Cruz trek and we will be walking past 20,000+ ft tall mountains. Needless to say we are excited. That's what is going on and that's about all I can handle from this iPhone so I gotta go! Sorry about the lack of pics again- there is sure be plenty of good shots in the next one! Adios!

Trujillo and Huanchaco

Hello! I apologize for the lack of updates in the last few days. I have not been able to update because it was 27 hours in buses or bus terminals from Arequipa to Trujillo, then our hotel didn't have internets there in Trujillo, and it has been hard to find here in Huanchaco. Anyways, so the last time I updated we were in Arequipa and just about to head to Trujillo. Like I said it was just over a day of travel on a bus from Arequipa to Trujillo, but it really wasn't bad at all. We booked the first class section of the bus and it was totally comfortable. It cost us each about 70 dollars to get from one end of the country to the other- so awesome. We made it to Trujillo and spent the day walking around town and getting a feel for it. We did a tour which took us to Chan Chan, ruins of pre-Incan people. Jenny <3's ruins. We toured one of the 11 or so ruins. The one we visited was about 600 meters long and 400 meters wide and it was considered one of the small ones, although it's hard to believe they get bigger. Sadly, rains are ruining the ruins (pun!) and many of the walls are wasting away.

After the ruins we got dropped off in Huanchaco, which is 20 minutes north of Trujillo. Huanchaco is a little surf town that is right on the Pacific. It is the total opposite of high tourist season here so the town seems really sleepy and quiet. I can imagine this place at peak season is hopping with activity. We were lucky enough to score a sweet deal on a penthouse suite on the pacific ocean! Living large! We went out to dinner and had some beers with some locals and travelers alike that night and called it early. We spent the next day getting a surf lesson. Jenny KILLED it out there- total natural. I got up onto the surf board the first time, but struggled a little bit after that- just means I have to spend more time surfing! I was amazed at how much work surfing is- I mean, it just looks like surfers paddled a little bit, stand up, and you know, surf. Not the case. We were WORKED after like 2 hours out there. We were planning on surfing today, but we are both dealing with a stomach bug so hopefully tomorrow we can get back out there. I am running out of time on the internets here I'll put these pics up and that will be that! We are headed to Huarez tomorrow which is a big hub for mountaineers and trekkers. We are hoping to get on a trek in the Cordellia Blanca range which has some of the high peaks in the Andes mountains- some over 22,000 feet! Crazy! I gotta go, enjoy!
Damn, well the internet is slow here and I have like 2 minutes left on the computer so I don't think these pics are gonna be able to get posted until next time. Lo siento!

Arequipa

Arequipa- The White City

Hola amigos! As I said in the last entry, Jenny and I are in Arequipa, Peru. See: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=arequipa+peru+map&hl=es&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x91424a487785b9b3:0xa3c4a612b9942036,Arequipa&gl=pe&ei=AHZrTtvGONHn-gaDn_zPBA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CA8Q8gEwAA

Plaza de Armas in Arequipa

The volcanoes off in the distance behind the Plaza de Armas

Building on the Plaza at night

This is probably the nicest town we have seen so far in Peru. The town´s buildings and streets are in really good shape and there seems to be a different, more friendly feel to the people here (not to say that the other towns didn´t have friendly people). There are also huge mountains just outside town here and most of them are active volcanoes! We heard that Arequipa feels a little tremor (as in earthquake) a few times a week! Craziness! Anyways, we spent our time at Casablanca, which is about a block off the Plaza de Armas- which is the main hub of activity in pretty much all Peruvian towns. We had an awesome hotel room and have really enjoyed our stay here. We spent yesterday walking around, shopping a bit, afternoon coffee (ofcourse), and getting our bus tickets in order. We are slated to head to Trujillo with a layover stop in Lima. Trujillo is north of Lima and on the coast. From what we have heard it is the main spot for surfing and there is a beach kind of attitude to the town. Needless to say, I am very excited to see it. The bus ride is going to be 24 hours, which will test anyone´s ability to sit, but we are going through the night which hopefully means we can sleep a little bit. Hopefully Jenny brought some sort of drug that helps you sleep- the joys of dating a pharmacy student! haha. Anyways, I must be going- we are doing a city tour today before we head out at 6:30 tonight. Bien Viaje y hasta luego!

The view from our hotel room with the Plaza in the background

Our sweet hotel room in Arequipa! It was HUGE!

Looking good, Jenny

Lake Titicaca and Puno

Lake Titicaca!

Greetings faithful readers! I am sorry that I have not updated in a few days. It has been a few crazy packed days and I have not had time to get to a computer- despite my lack of computer time, my camera has been taking lots of pictures. I believe I left off just about to leave Cusco headed for Puno. We made our bus and traveled through the night to get to Puno at 5:30 in the morning. We didn´t have a place to stay so we asked a cabbie to drive us to a hostel. We arrived, at the cabbies choice of hostel, checked in and promptly passed out. I am still having a hard time believing the deals in this country- we checked in at 5:30AM and checked out the following night at 6PM and we were charged 35 soles (US equivalent of about 12 dollars) for our stay. I mean, we weren´t staying at the Ritz Carlton, but we had our own room and hot water. Amazingness. Anyways, after sleeping a bit we went to the docks to try to get on a boat to tour some islands, but all of them had left earlier in the day so we walked a ways over to the Yavari. This is a ship docked on lake Titicaca and was actually carried over the Andes mountains by men and mule way back in the day. I won´t bore you with details, go here if you are interested in the ship´s history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yavari_(ship) We did a quick tour of the boat then headed back into town.

The Yaravi

Anyways, we (more so me) were feeling the effects of riding a bus all night and not sleeping so we called it early and went back to the hostel to catch up on sleep. The next day we jumped on a boat tour that went to a few islands on Lake Titicaca. The first stop was on Uros Islands. These islands are not made of land- they are actually floating pieces of reeds and reed beds that the Uros people made. Yes, these people live on islands that they made. Insane. We got to tour two of the islands and I can assure you they are floating. These people live completely off reed´s and what the lake offers. Unfortunately, tourism seems to be changing the ways these people live. I think they don´t live as traditional as they used to 100 years ago, but alas they still live in reed houses on islands they built. Pretty incredible. If you want to learn more there´s a little more reading here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Titicaca#Uros

Uros



The reed floor of the island

The next stop was the island of Taquile. This was a 2.5 hour boat ride out from Uros. We had lots of time to meet the other people on the tour and take in views of the lake. Once we arrived at Taquile we watched (and even particpated) in a traditional dance of the people who have inhabitated the island for 100´s of years. I got to dance with a really old lady who was about 2 feet shorter than me. After that, we all had a trout lunch, which was amazing, then headed back to the boat. Taquile was really great because it is just a bunch of people living on the island- there are no resorts, no clubs, nothing like that. The only thing that seemed to have popped up due to tourism was 2 restaurants, other than that it was a bunch of farms and houses. I really enjoyed Taquile and would definitely recommend checking it out if you are ever down in this area.

On Taquile

Taquile

The top floor of the boat

After the trip we raced back to the hostel, grabbed our packs, and got to the bus station. We drove through the night to Arequipa and that is where I am updating from. Alright, that about does it for the last few days. Look for another post from Arequipa here. Adois!

Me and Jenny on our way back to Puno from Titicaca

Last day in Cusco

¡Hola hola! Today is our last day in Cusco! We are biding our time at the hostel until we catch the 10:30PM bus to Puno! It´s an 8 hour ride so that puts us in at 5:30AM, which leaves us the whole day to explore. Puno is home to Lake Titicaca, which sits at about 12,000feet above sea level. I am guessing the lake is cold. I just wanted to post a few pics I took while in Cusco. Enjoy the pics and look for another blog entry soon! Hasta luego!

Here is a pic from Moray- which is just a few miles outside of Cusco. I wrote about these ruins a few entries ago, but I didn´t put any pics up. This was the farming laboratory for the Incas.

Beers on the Plaza de Armas in Cusco.




One of the cathedrals at night on the Plaza de Armas.

Off the beaten path in Cusco.