Peru Trip Journal

. My 15-day trip to Peru was great... these are some excerpts from my travel journal::: •Puerto Maldonado• I am met at the one-runway airport by our Guide, Luis. Luis is a native to the region. He studied intensively to become a guide. Of all the applicants/students for nature tour guide position only the top 40 in the class are chosen. Not only is an in-depth knowledge of the rainforest and its flora and fauna required, but also speaking english is necessary, and some guides even speak 3 languages. We stopped briefly in Puerto Maldonado to visit the large community market that has everything from various grains of rice avaiIable to locally grown fruits and vegetables, to machetes & a sickle and axes and tools, to clothing & shoes, sunglasses, candy & cookies, to electronic items, to various types of meats hanging from the ceiling. It's best to come here in the early morning for the best meats and produce. I had no expectations, so I got easily excited, even about the ride in the vintage safari-style bus... complete with canvas roof and very bumpy riding conditions on a dirt road. There was alot of dust in the air and my eyes were beginning to water, but that's all part of the experience. The trees and shrubs beside this dirt roadway were all covered in a light layer of dust. We'd cross small rivers on a one lane bridge, and the truck bounced back and forth as it regained its point of center. However, it was noticeably clean, hardly any litter or trash strewn about the roadside ---very unlike the United States, where, sadly enough, litter is common place all over. We again boarded our vehicle and continued forward. Puerto Maldonado (pop. 50,000 to 60,000) is a smaller sized community with the tallest building being 4 stories high. There are *many* motorcycles on the road, with just the driver wearing a helmet (passengers are not required by law to don a helmet). The temperature is hot with some humidity, but not as hot as Miami has been. We exit the vehicle and walk towards our next vehicle::: a motorized canoe. We're told not to change seats once we've sat down, as the shifting of weight could throw off the canoes balance, and topple the canoe. Life Vests are available, they're hanging above us, tucked under the canvas roof of the canoe. The sun is strong, so that covering provides a necessary shield from the intense sun. The boat speeds through the cloudy river, following each bend in the river. We are given our lunch on the boat::: it's a wrapped/rolled banana leaf filled with rice and mixed with finely cut veggies... and it is delicious. We're told we can toss the banana leaf overboard when we're done with it, as the leaf came from the region, and it will naturally break down back into the environment. But hold on to your (plastic) forks! We can dispose of our apple cores the same way (toss overboard). Also in our lunch basket: a fruit drink and Brazilian (Peruvian) nuts. The boat driver slows down and we're told to look to the left... turtles are sunning themselves on the rocks. Cool!!! We see gold-miners--there's gold in the Tambopata River, parrots, macaws, and a yellow-headed vulture, and lots of butterflies, We're also shown birds that are flying overhead and near the shore. •Amazon Rainforest• After a while we reach our destination::: Posadas Amazonas Lodge. In the lobby (an open-air lobby) we're served refreshing lemonade... mmmmm. We're given some simple rules::: don't touch the oil lamps-- only the housekeepers may do so. Be very careful with candles, never leave a candle burning unattended. Fresh, safe drinking water is provided here in the lobby... feel free to fill your drinking container as you need, this water is boiled and then cooled, and is safe to drink. Please be mindful of your water use in your lodge, the water from the sink and shower is not drinkable. Lunch is served daily at 1 pm and dinner is served daily at 7 pm. Do not be late for the meals, or there may not be food left for you. Breakfast times will be told to you by your Guide. The meals were great. A pitcher of fresh juice--- various kinds served throughout our visit, and I was never able to identify what the juice was, just that I liked it =) Three course meals (appetizer, main course, and dessert) were absolutely delicious... with a nice mix of meat and vegetarian options. Electricity (in the kitchen and bar and to charge your camera batteries) is from a generator that runs from 5 pm to 9 pm daily. There was no electricity in the rooms, which is part of the lodge's design. Oil lamps and candles were the sources of light during the night, as well as your own flashlight. Between two one-floor buildings I see 4 large water tanks that supply our buildings with water for the sink & shower and for the toilet. And there was no hot water (also part of the lodge's design). I quickly learned to take a shower in the late afternoon, when the sun was still shining, because once the sun set, the temp got a little cooler. The rooms have 3 walls and an open floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall window (no glass or screen) that's totally open air to the very nearby jungle, providing an intimate connection with the jungle. COOL!!! Beautiful!!! A mosquito net was above each bed, but wasn't really needed this time of the year-- I'm sure during rainy season the mosquitoes are more abundant. In the deep parts of the jungle. During some of our jungle hikes we'd notice their presence, but the bug repellant we were using was sufficient. The entire complex is raised about 1 meter above the ground, crawling bugs and creatures generally stay on the ground and usually won't be a bother. Our first walk is through the jungle to the Canopy Tower. On the way we pass by a large colony of Leaf Cutter Ants, awesome... I saw those on the Discovery Channel -- but they are *much* better in person hehehe. We arrive at the Canopy Tower, 35 meters high with 185 steps to the top. We hear a variety of interesting birds. As the sun begins to set into the rainforest, we begin to see the stars in the sky, and they are very bright (no city lights to obscure their viewing) we also see planet Venus-- really bright. On our return we see a coiled venomous Green Viper Snake. Luis warns us not to get too close, as Hospital is pretty far away from this remote region. The night is REALLY dark, and we see a zillion stars... and it is stunningly quiet !!! The next morning I woke up at 4:14... wide awake... so I get up. I heard a sound sort of like a distant motor (chain saw) or something motorized... but not a smooth-running motor. As I walked to the lobby the sound was gradually getting louder (could it be a frog?)... closer, now, it sounds like two animals growling/fighting. I later find out that it's the Howler Monkey... the dominant males make this sound to mark their territory. We meet Luis @ 5:30am... it's just beginning to get light. We walk to the Macaw clay licks. The Macaw is a bird in the Parrot family... it feeds on clay to help digest its food. Patiently we wait for them to head lower from the higher trees, and eventually they make their way to the clay lick, once they are sure it is safe to do so. Bird-watching is easy here, birds are an inherent part of the rainforest. We spotted a variety of birds and I also realized how much I really enjoy bird-watching (also called birding). Parrots, parakeets, and macaws are commonly seen flying overhead... beautifully colored birds... it saddens me when I see them caged. The days get kinda hot (everybody perspires) and the nights cool enough to wear long pants and maybe even a long sleeved shirt, but short sleeves are good, too. We also go to see the local Shaman and take a tour of the plants that the shaman have been using for a very long time. Natural anesthetics, sexual arousal mixtures, dye for clothing, pain relievers, Cat's Claw, and a 600-year old tree with very dense wood. Another part of our rainforest tour is to go to an oxbow lake. This still, calm lake used to be part of the river, but as the river changed course, this lake was formed. There are birds and butterflies and fish in this 3 to 4 meter deep lake. Part of the preservation prevents us from passing an imaginary line in the lake. Our mere presence in that area could create stress for the animals, and the naturalists certainly don't want that. Giant River Otters also live in this lake, and one comes up to our boat, which is quite unusual behavior. This Giant River Otter (approx. 2 meters in length!!) has finished feeding on the fish in the lake and now is curious about us. He swims away and we turn back to where we were coming from. There are many smells in the rainforest, we smelled wild pigs, but didn't see them (Luis tells us we probably missed them by 10 minutes). The next day we saw where the wild pigs roll around in the mud, in the middle of the trail (but we didn't see any pigs). Monkeys are common in this jungle, too. Of the eight species of monkeys residing in the Amazon Rainforest, we saw 6, which, as our guide told us, is a lot (most groups see 4 or 5 species). We also saw a Helicopter Dragonfly and Giant Army Ants and Fire Ants. Another creature Luis pointed out to us, climbing in the tree above us, was an Anteater (Southern Tamandua)... I asked Luis how often he sees an Anteater, the last time was about 2 months ago c-o-o-l !!! We learn about the local community and visit the community garden (very large). Locals all help to contribute to its producing fruits and vegetables, that are either consumed by the locals or taken to a close-by market to sell. I liked the Canopy Tower so much I asked our guide if we could come back here before we leave, and he accompanied my request::: we got to watch the sunrise. The early morning is foggy, and the slight breeze moves the fog around, obscuring some trees, and opening up to reveal others. Moisture from the fog accumulates on the tree top leaves and when enough has gathered, gravity pulls the water droplets down, slowly, gradually, allowing many creatures to drink from that fog-cloud water. From the forest floor it sounds like a light rain. We see macaws fly over to the clay licks. We hear birds in the trees, but the trees are pretty thick, so we don't make visual contact, but hearing the bird songs is satisfaction enough for me. Our Guide is spectacular!!! Our group gives him a nice gratuity for his work. I loved watching him::: he would be watching the birds and wildlife and it was easy to see that he is really enjoying his work. His smile was big and he'd always make sure that everybody in the group saw what he spotted. A true naturalist. •Lima, Peru• The next part of my trip took me to Lima for 2 days. I didn't really like Lima (the city itself)... and not because I kept hearing about how unsafe it was. An energy of sadness seems to linger in Lima, but its people are very nice (I had absolutely no incidents of threats-- so to me it was safe, but I was in a good neighborhood). Hardworking is a good word to describe Lima residents, everybody seems busy going to or coming from work, and it was easy to see how hard they work. There is a heavy amount of air pollution, my eyes actually burned when I was outside, so I consciously breathed through my nose. While in Lima I met the people I was going to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Therese and Jahn, from Norway; Ariem and Jenny from Korean, but studying in Canada, and David (my tent-mate) from the UK. There were also Rick and Lori and their son Jim, in our group, but they weren't hiking the Inka Trail. I also met the Pacific Ocean. And I had the BEST hot chocolate I've ever had in Lima... which makes sense, as the best coco beans are grown in the Andean Mountains, relatively close to Lima. From Lima we flew (a quick 45 minute flight) to Cuzco (elevation 3450m) and were there for a day to acclimate to the high altitude. I had a slight headache all day, a common symptom of the high altitude affecting me. But that's all that I experienced from the altitude. The next day our group took a bus to do some sightseeing, including Planet Terra Project, a sustainable, eco-tourism effort GAP Adventures is involved with to help the development and prosperity and infrastructure of this area. As we drive up a one-lane road we are faced with a large truck coming towards us. The truck driver stops, and goes in reverse until the road becomes wide enough for us to pass. The truck driver has his truck precariously perched on the lip on the road-- his one tire is barely clinging to the earthen road. We cautiously pass by. This days travels also brought us closer to the Inca Trail. We stayed over night in a small hotel in Ollantaytambo (ele 2850m). •Inka Trail• The next morning we drove an hour and started the Inka Trail. The Inka Trail is located in the Andean Mountain Range and leads to Machu Picchu. The Inka's (or Inca's) inhabited this region in the 13th century. The Sacred Valley is where they built many of their structures and some are still being uncovered today. The Inkas were very in tune with nature and astronomy, and also had a deep spiritual understanding. They cultivated a variety of crops, the most prominent one being maize (corn). They had terraces all over the region and also experimented growing different crops on different altitudes, noting the altitude effect on each crop. Being stargazers, the Inkas built their structures in relation to the solstices (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter), with specific results. For example, the orientation of a structure would allow the sun in the winter solstice to shine specifically upon one area, while other areas were intentionally in shadow. This was not by accident. Our guide, Roberto, tells us the hike has 3 animals from this region associated with it. The first day is the serpent. The second day is the Puma. The third day is the Condor. A team of porters, locals who are treated well and with respect, carry most of our personal things (7 kilo max.) as well as the tents/gear, food, cooking gear, etc. We only carried what we needed for the day::: camera, sweater/rain jacket, snack, water, sunscreen/bug repellant, first aid kit, etc.::: my daypack was 11 kilo. The first day hike was 6 hours, with some slight hills, but not mountainous... the mountain hiking was the next day. Our porters applauded as each person arrived at the lunch site. They handed us a cup of fresh juice... mmmm. The dining tent and table, chairs, place settings and even a container of water and soap for each person to rinse off with was all in place. Lunch, as all the meals on this hike, was delicious. Soup to start off with, then the main course, with a visually beautiful presentation, then dessert. Our camp site for the night was @ Yunkachimpa (ele 3,300m). Once the sun sets beyond the mountains, the air temp gets cold really fast, and we were sooooo cold. BBrrrrrrr... we had on two layers of pants and a bundle of layers on top, and we were still cold. We were stargazing, Roberto was pointing out all kinds of stars and planets to us, visible in the very clear night sky. Someone on our group noticed a satellite going by... but I actually realized it's us (Planet Earth) that's moving. We were all kinda tired, but ready for the next day long hike. •My Birthday• The second day hiking the Inka Trail was 8 hours of hiking -- not including breaks, stops or lunch. We ascend 900m to Dead Woman's Pass (4200m), the highest in our elevation on our 4-day hike. At this altitude we're above the tree-line (trees don't survive above above 3,900m here). In our ascension and descent we notice the changes in our surroundings. Trees change, there are clouds present, the vegetation changes, and the temperature and winds change as well. Micro climates and cloud forest... awesome!!! We're all pretty tired at the top of Dead Woman's Pass, but now we need to descend 600m to our lunch site: Paqaymayo (3600m). Oh yeah, it's my birthday today. During the climb up I ask myself "Am I crazy?"... this hike is pretty intense, and I'm definitely feeling it physically. But then I reflect on how the Puma would be persistent and make it through, disregarding the physical discomforts. I also remember that I've been through tough things before, I will make it. And The Puma does each step with the outcome in mind. And I continued to climb. There are spectacular views of surrounding mountains, including Mt. Veronica (5783m), a snow capped mountain. Rock steps and stone is the consistency of much of the terrain, with small stone and dirt too. I prefer the dirt and small stones, as they provide a little more cushion for my feet. My feet don't hurt at all, my hip is ok, as are my knees. But I have diarrhea... and on my birthday I learned how to relieve myself ("number 2") in a hole in the floor, because the restrooms out here in the mountains don't have the 'fancy' porcelain thrones, but the hole in the floor has the flushing capability. At our camp for the night a Birthday Cake is presented to me. OK, the conditions for baking a cake are much less than desirable. There is no oven, our International 5-Star Chef Cesar baked this cake on an open flame. The inside was perfectly baked, and the outside was not burned anywhere!!! It was topped with Sprinkles and Raspberry Icing!!!! MMMMmmmmmmmm!!! I received the traditional Peruvian Birthday greetings and was sung the Birthday Song in Spanish!!! Later, the porters had the radio on, and a station from Machu Picchu was playing some music. The DJ came on and announced that Christo from Miami (elevation 1m), Florida, Estados Unidos is hiking the Inka Trail and it's his Birthday (all in spanish)!!! The DJ's then started singing the birthday song for me on the radio!!! Fun Stuff =) Another chilly night, but inside the tent (temperatures between 10 C to 20 C)... I got fever. I was so hot in the middle of the night that, although my tent-mate was warmly tucked into his sleeping bag, sound asleep, I was sleeping on top of my sleeping bag... with high fever. The next day I took medicine (fever reducers) that Therese (a nurse) had given me. And Immodium. During the day I got the chills::: meaning that the fever is strengthening. But that was the short day, only four hours of hiking. But my calves were still aching, and my fever returning, and my diarrhea still going. At our lunch camp, which was also our night camp, I got to take a shower. The water was fresh from the mountains (pretty cold) but it felt good on my fevered skin. I later found out that hot showers were available, but I know the cold water was better for me anyways. Good news was that I still had an appetite, actually I was almost always hungry hehehe. •Machu Picchu• After a half-days rest, but not such a good nights rest with persistent fever and aching calves (and still having diarrhea), we're only a few hours hike away from Machu Picchu. We get up at 3:50am... and are in line at the checkpoint for the last part of the Inka Trail to Machu Picchu. At 5:30 the gate opens, we pass through and and our final stretch. We pass through the Sun Gate... and get our first look at Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is hidden by the surrounding mountains encircling it. It is believed that the Inkas selected Machu Picchu as their center for this reason. Reaching Machu Picchu (ele 2472m) was great. I felt the vibrations even a few days before this point. We sit down on the terraces overlooking the City... Roberto instructs us to wait here for the sun to shine on the tower... and we see that occurrence, with the "Fingers of God" reaching through the clouds onto this sacred city. We also see Cameron Diaz with a flock of paparazzi about 10 meters away from her. Yes, I saw her with now-controversial green bag from China, with the insulting words on it. It's insulting to Peruvians due to the history of Peru and China. I wouldn't have know her bag was politically disruptive. I also wouldn't have known that was Ms. Diaz I just walked passed. We received a detailed 2-hour tour from our highly knowledgeable guide Roberto, and then we're told we should regroup by 2pm at Aguas Calientes. The rest of the group is hungry ---ok, I am too, but I know this is my once-in-a-lifetimme opportunity to hangout and explore the Ancient City of Machu Picchu. I'm not referring to it as "ruins", as it's an alive city. The culture and energy is very alive... to refer to it as ruins could be demeaning. I sit in the shade, the sun is intense in this high altitude. I take some creative pictures of this city. And just enjoy the vibrational energy. I reunite with the group and we take the train back to Ollantaytambo and take a bus from there back to Cuzco. I capture an amazing picture from through the bus window of Mt. Veronica. •Cuzco• Cuzco is at 3450m elevation and its population is about 350,000. The buildings are no higher than around 3 or 4 floors. But this weekend the population is growing much larger due to Inti Raymi... The Festival of the Sun, on 24 June. There are colorful parades that last all day long, with many, many people (including me) coming to experience South America's second largest celebration (#1 being Carneval in Brasil). I venture out for hours at a time, absorbing the people of Cuzco. It's really a fun, vibrant gathering. We're warned to be careful of pickpockets, that's the only danger. So I take appropriate precautions by leaving my shoulder bag in my room, and I'm very careful with my coin bag, I attach it to my belt loop. My camera is never out of my hand, if it's in my pocket, my hand in on it in my pocket, as well. My fever broke, and it just evolved into a runny nose. I enjoy Cuzco and the people. I get lost here and there, but I ask for directions and once again gain my bearings. Being in Miami for 8 years, I've acquired some spanish. Ok, I've made attempts to learn spanish, and I guess I can get by, if I really need to. I successfully went into a grocery store and asked in spanish where can I find large, black, plastic bags. In a pizzeria I ordered a personal size pizza with no cheese but instead tomatoes and a soda (personal, not pitcher sized). I was able to ask for a specific comic-book for work-collegue of mine. So, I guess I did ok... but when people (here in Miami) ask me if I speak spanish I still say no, only a little. But that's part of the fun and excitement and adventure of traveling, learning cultures other than my own and immersing myself into other worlds. I took about 800 pictures on this trip (thank the heavens for digital cameras)... to see some (not all 800!) of the pictures go here::: http://www.pbase.com/risto So being back home for a month already, I still feel different. I conserve more water now than ever. I can shave using 2/3 less water! I'm in the process of simplifying my life... purging (donating) things I no longer use or need, or things I haven't used in a while, including clothing. And I go birding. .