Mary and Mike in Peru

Mary and Mike in Peru
August 14, 2009
Sayausi
2:45pm
65F, partly cloudy

(It seems as if the email update is not working as well as it should be, so we will be counting on word of mouth amongst our loyal followers to get out the word that a new post is up.)


A few weeks ago Mike and I went to Peru and though we only had twelve days we did our best to pack in as much as we could. Below is a rough outline of what we did each day. For those wanting all the colorful details a more expanded account follows.

The Itinerary
Day 1: Fly from Guayaquil to Lima, night bus to Huaraz
Day 2: Hike to Pre-Incan ruins in Wilcahuain and Monterrey Hot Springs
Day 3: Cordillera Blanca Trek
Day 4: Cordillera Blanca Trek
Day 5: Cordillera Blanca Trek
Day 6: Cordillera Blanca Trek
Day 7: Happy Birthday Migi, night bus to Lima
Day 8: Bus to Huacachina, Dune buggy tour and sandboarding
Day 9: Bus to Paracas, Mountain biking in Paracas National Reserve
Day 10: Boat tour of Islas Ballestas, Bus to Lima
Day 11: Lima
Day 12: Fly from Lima to Guayaquil, then home to Sayausi


Day 1: Traveling to Lima
We left our humble abode in Sayausi around 10:00am to catch our five o’clock flight to Lima. The drive goes right through Cajas National Park (my Dad will remember the curvy road with precipitous drop offs well) then drops over 4,000 vertical meters to reach the industrial coastal city of Guayaquil. Even though Guayaquil is an international airport, compared to any international airport in the States it is quite small. As such we were checked in and waiting for our flight exceptionally early.

Our plane arrived on time (LAN Airlines - which we now love), we boarded, and then we were off to Lima enjoying all the movies, games, and nonsense that each passenger is provided on their personal digital console (Mike and I played each other in chess and though neither of us play regularly it was clear I possessed a knack for, if not chess itself, then at least beating Mike at it).

We arrived in Lima about two hours after taking off (if we had taken a direct bus from Guayaquil to Lima it would’ve taken 26 hours), went through customs, changed some money (Peru uses Soles), and got a cab to the MovilTours bus station.

Our original bus was scheduled to leave at 10:50pm but was running about 15 minutes late so the woman at the counter bumped us up to the 11:00pm bus which was the Super Cama 180 bus (cama meaning bed and 180 meaning your chair reclines to 180 degrees). However, it was only 8:00 o’clock when we got to the bus station and so decided to go get some dinner. Dinner that night was our first insight into how much better Peruvian food is than Ecuadorian food. I mean motecito (the big, watery, flavorless corn that rules Cuenca cuisine) is edible but Peruvians have so much more! First, there were vegetables in something approaching a normal serving size (as opposed to the essentially nonexistent portions given north of the Peruvian border) and there were spices other than culantro! After filling up on the first of what would be many tasty meals we went back to the bus station to await our chariot, I mean bus.

I will say here once, and maybe one or two times later, that the buses in Peru are incredible. Granted we were traveling on the fancy bus line but they have a fancy bus line, which is huge in and of itself. The busses are two stories, you have the option to have a seat that really reclines, the TVs work, they play decent movies, they give you a real meal, there are fleece blankets and pillows with every seat, the bathroom is nice, there are two bus drivers that switch off every four hours during the route, the drivers are given a breathalizer test before leaving and upon arriving in their destination, they video tape your face and seat number (prevents crime, I guess), and they actually have direct routes which means no stopping a thousand times to pick up random people on the side of the road in the middle of the night! To put it mildly bussing in Peru was a treat. We slept like babies on the bus and arrived in Huaraz at 6:30am ready to go.

See pics of Lima dinner and the Super Cama 180 in Day 2 Slideshow of Lima and Huaraz.


Day 2: Huaraz, Pre-Incan Ruins, and Thermal Springs
First impression of Huaraz: Holy cow, can you see all those mountains?!! Huaraz is located northeast of Lima smack dab in the middle of the highest tropical mountain range in the world. To the north and east of Huaraz is the Cordillera Blanca and to the west is the Cordillera Negra (the blanca being snow capped and the negra being un-capped). To the south is the Cordillera Huayhuash (a mix snowcapped and un-snowcapped mountains). Huaraz is a hub for mountain climbers and trekkers alike and although Mike kept suggesting that we climb a mountain, his reason won over and we continued with our plans for a nice trek instead as my body refuses to act normally above 5,000 meters and all of the mountains peak at much, much, much higher than 5,000 meters. In the Cordillera Blanca within Parque Nacional Huascaran there are 27 peaks over 5,400 meters, which is 17,716 feet (in Colorado the highest peaks are just above 14,000 feet). In Ecuador there are four peaks that are that high and we have attempted to climb two with zero success on my part and only mild success on Mike’s (he made it to around 6,000m on Volcan Chimborazo). All the mountains and snow make for a gorgeous location however they are also the cause of a type of major natural disaster called an aluvion. In 1941, and then again in 1970, an aluvion essentially destroyed the city of Huaraz. They are caused by earthquakes, or rapid melting, which dislodges glaciers (there are 663 glaciers in the Cordillera Blanca) which in turn creates a terrible combination of avalanche, waterfall, and landslide. In 2003 there was a warning for a potential aluvion that would hit Huaraz in under 15 minutes, however the warning was based on a satellite image from 2001 (there was no warning in 2001). Since then the crack in the glacier has supposedly frozen over. I tried very hard not to think about any of this during our trip.

Our guide met us at the bus station and took us to the nearby hotel. Our room had huge windows that looked out onto at least seven surrounding nevados (snow capped peaks), cable TV, hot water, a lazy boy, clean towels, and did I mention the view?

Later that morning we met up with our guide at the agency to go over all of the details, schedule the next morning’s pickup, and of course pay. Paying in Peru can be a somewhat complicated affair as they are extremely picky about the condition the bills are in, especially if you are paying in dollars. Luckily, most of our bills were in good condition but he wouldn’t accept one ten dollar bill which looked like it may have been chewed on by a dog after going through a washing machine too many times (that is how all of the bills look here in Ecuador where they use the US dollar).

With all of the details worked out we headed off for Wilkawain, some nearby Pre-Incan ruins that you can hike to. Fortunately, we had planned to hike as there were scheduled transit strikes for that day (and the several days prior) which meant lots of rocks in the road to prevent any traffic from passing and some rock throwing and whistling at the cars that did try to pass. We really lucked out in that we were not delayed coming from Lima to Huaraz all because we had taken the night bus and apparently they don’t block the roads at night. The Peace Corps office in Ecuador had contacted the Peace Corps office in Peru and apparently several Peru PCVs were stuck in Huaraz for a couple of days due to the strikes.

It took about two hours to hike to the ruins which, as Joe Carbone would say, were “underwhelming”. But then again they are two thousand years old and it was only a mausoleum so I guess I shouldn’t judge too harshly. The hike was pretty and the stones used for the construction were quite large and it did survive the aluvions which destroyed the rest of Huaraz on two previous occasions. I guess they just don’t build ‘em like they used to.

While we were at the ruins we enjoyed a nice snack of chochos (an Andean bean served with lime juice and a type of roasted popcorn) and an Inca Kola (the pride of the Peruvian soda industry). It was quite the melding of old and new as chochos have been around for thousands of years and is a complete protein while Inca Kola is neon yellow and quite literally lacking in any nutrition value; we’ve come so far.

Later that afternoon we went to Monterrey where there are healing hot springs. I don’t know about the “healing” claim but the “hot” claim is definitely over exaggerated. While the murky, brown waters were warm they were far from hot. That in combination with the chilly ambient temperature, an altitude of 2,800 meters, and slight winds made for quite a cold event. But who knows we may have healed many unknown, or known, ailments that would have impeded the rest of our trip (like Mike’s recently sprained ankle).

During the day Mike was able to practice his Kichwa a little as it turns out Kichwa and Quechua share quite a few similarities but are still very different. It was fun to try out some words and the locals were thrilled that a gringo would know anything in Kichwa/Quechua and they were very interested to hear how the Ecuadorian Kichwa compared to their own language as none of them had ever been to the sierra of Ecuador and very few indigenous Ecuadorians make it down to Peru.

Other Huaraz highlights included:
- Observing the Peruvian Chola who dons every color under the sun between her pollera and chalina and sports a wicked witch of the west styled hat adorned with a decorative side fan of satin.
- Getting my picture taken with a llama in the central park, taunting it, and the llama getting its revenge by attempting to spit on me.
- The food vendors in the park which included a small cart with an old fashioned hand operated popcorn popper and a woman walking around with a tray a fruit salads with honey, each treat selling for the equivalent of $0.30.
- The large “S” signs that were posted in all buildings which indicated zonas de seguridad in case of earthquakes
- Lunch in the market where we ate cuy that actually tasted good.
- Papa rellenas (a fried potato filled with cheese, olives, and veggies)
- Churros (deep fried dough that is then sprinkled with powdered sugar)
- Quinoa drink (a breakfast drink that is kind of like a thin oatmeal but made with quinoa instead of oats).
- Breakfast sandwiches for $0.15 each that come with your choice of fried egg, sweet potato, tortilla (mini spinach omelet), fish, cheese, or plain old potato.

To finish off our fun-filled day in Huaraz, we feasted on Chinese food (there is a large Chinese population in Peru), sampled some local cookie desserts, and then packed our bags for the next day’s trek.

Lima and Huaraz Pictures



Day 3: Cashapampa, Quebrada Santa Cruz, Campamento Lllamacoral
Special Note: We have included maps of the area so when we mention the names of towns, lakes, rivers, or mountains you can find them on the attached photos and follow along with us!

Maps


At 7:00am our guide showed up at our hotel to take us to the “terminal”. The terminal consisted of a dusty lot by the river packed with registered vans. There are no city busses in Huaraz, nor are there busses that serve the surrounding area. Instead there is a complex system of what are called combis (white vans with signs in the front windshield that indicate their destination). These vans, much like busses in Ecuador, have a limitless capacity i.e. people just keep piling in regardless of the absolute lack of space within the van. So, we strapped our gear to the already overflowing roof rack and sat like sardines in what was an extremely full van for a two hour ride to Caraz where we then got a taxi (shared between other trekkers and mountain climbers headed to the Cordillera Blanca) to Cashapampa which translates roughly to “frozen land”.

Cashapampa is the entry point to Parque Nacional Huascaran. However, the villagers have cleverly adopted a system where in addition to the park entrance fee that you pay at the end of the trek you also pay them a fee to enter the park (fair enough considering the number of gringos that traipse through their town on a daily basis during the dry season). In Cashapampa we met up with the arriero (mule driver) who would bring two mules to carry all of our bags plus the tents, gas tank, and all of the food. Although we hired a guide and the whole package deal, you can do the trek on your own and rent gear in town (which is what Eoin and Grainne, a very nice Irish couple we met who were doing the trek solo click here to see their website describing their trip around the world). However, it worked out well that we didn’t do that option as Mike’s ankle wouldn’t have held up under extra weight burdens. So, instead we were totally spoiled as the package we paid for was supposed to have six people in the group. But no one else signed up so it was just me, Mike, Florencio (the arriero), Roosevelt (our guide), and two donkeys.

Before starting into the canyon valley that was the starting point of the trek, I asked our guide if there was a bathroom I could use in Cashapampa. Imagine a large smile spreading across Roosevelt’s face as he tells me, “no hay.” In this town of 800 people there was not a single bathroom. As it turns out there was not a single usable bathroom for the next four days. Ick!

With a full bladder but high spirits we set out following Quebrada Santa Cruz through a steep valley with a landscape that reminded us of Sabino Canyon outside of Tucson; there were even cacti that closely resembled saguaro. The day was gorgeous; no clouds, light breeze, and tips of snow capped mountains peeking over the edge of the valley on all sides of us. After five hours of a mostly uphill hike we arrived at our first camp: Poo Camp I. We lovingly call it Poo Camp I as the only latrines in the area were so far beyond usable (overflowing) and had been for so long, that between the people, horses, mules, cattle, and dogs the entire camp was covered with excrement. That aside, it was a lovely campsite. It was right on the edge of a stream and had an incredible view of Taulliraju, a nevado looming off in the distance.

This first campsite is the most heavily used of the three sites we would be visiting as all of the climbers attempting to summit Alpamayo stop here as well. Alpamayo (Alpa “Earth” and Mayo “River”) has been rated by some German group as being the #1 Most Beautiful Mountain in the World. I’m not sure how you quantify mountain beauty, but it was quite beautiful. Anyway, tons and tons of people come from all over the world to climb Alpamayo (a six day expedition) and to get to the base camp for Alpamayo you have to pass through this first campsite. Needless to say there were a lot of people with a lot of really nice gear that first night.

After arriving we took a walk around the area while Roosevelt and Florencia set up camp and made cafecito (afternoon snack). Around 4 o’clock we were invited into the food tent, which is also where Roosevelt and Florencio slept, for popcorn and our choice of tea or coffee. We then went on another walk until we were called in for dinner (I mentioned we were totally spoiled during the trip, right?). Dinner each night consisted of a giant bowl of piping hot soup, a huge main dish, and unlimited hot drinks. Roosevelt also heated up hot water to fill our water bottles each night to put in our sleeping bags.

Yes, hot water bottles for our sleeping bags, in addition to mountain tights, long johns, sweat pants, three longsleeved shirts, a fleece, two pairs of heavy socks, gloves, and an alpaca hat. To say it was cold at 3,760 meters, or 12,336 feet, would be a giant understatement. As soon as the sun goes down which in a steep valley in July in the Southern hemisphere at 9’S latitude is around 5 o’clock, it gets really, really cold.

Day One of the Cordillera Blanca



Day 4: Laguna Jatuncocha, Laguna Arhuaycocha, Alpamayo Basecamp, and Taullipampa
Each day of our trek started at 6am when we would wake up, pack up everything inside our tent (which was everything including our packs as we were advised not to leave anything outside because once someone’s boots were stolen), get dressed, use the nonexistent facilities, and then wait until 7 o’clock when Roosevelt would call us in for breakfast. Oh, breakfast. It was so delicious everyday. We were served a giant bowl of some breakfast soup i.e. hot chocolate quinoa oatmeal, creamy rice pudding, or sweet oatmeal, a plate of eggs, two rolls, jam, butter, and of course unlimited coffee and tea.
After being extraordinarily well fed we would set off for the day.

On Day 2 we were headed to Alpamayo Basecamp, passing Laguna Jatuncocha (“Big Lake”) along the way. Upon reaching the base camp, after half a day of hiking, we continued on for another half hour uphill to get to the glacial lake of Arhuaycocha. To say this hike was beautiful is a larger understatement than calling the nights cold. The pictures don’t do it justice but you can at least get the idea of the glacier sliding into the turquoise lake surrounded by snowcapped peaks a full two days hike away from the nearest dirt road.

At the lake Roosevelt made us a tuna salad to go with our Oreos, oranges, and rolls which we enjoyed on the shore of the lake beneath crisp blue skies to the sounds of crevasses opening on the glacier.

That night we camped at Taullipampa (4250meters/13,944feet) where from our tent we had 360’ views of the surrounding snowcapped peaks. One of those peaks was Artesonraju, which is the mountain shown at the start of every Paramount Pictures movie and won the title of being the 3rd Most Beautiful Mountain in the World (if you believe that such a thing can be ranked). Upon arrival in Poo Camp II, which wasn’t quite as nitrogen heavy as Poo Camp I, we attempted to wash off a little in the nearby stream. Pop quiz: Where did this stream originate? Yes, that’s right; it originated from the glacier on Taulliraju a mere 400 meters away. Needless to say our attempts at bathing were short lived. Fortunately, we had tea and coffee waiting so we were able to regain some of our lost body heat.

Day Two in the Cordillera Blanca



Day 5: Punta Union, Quebrada Paria, Campamento de Paria
On this, our last full day of hiking, we would cross the highest “on foot” point of our trek. Punta Union, which we passed after two and a half hours, has an altitude of 4,750 meters (15,584 feet) and, as to be expected, breathtaking views of the surrounding area.

From here we descended through an area which reminded me alternately of Middle Earth and the opening scene of The Sound of Music. Mike was of course treated to both renditions of the soundtrack to Lord of the Rings (just that one part da na naa, na-na-na-na-na) and every song from the Sound of Music. This was at about the same time that his ankle started bothering him again; I choose to believe they are unrelated events.

Our third and final camp (elevation 3,870 meters) placed us at the mouth of the Cordillera Blanca. So looking back our view consisted of (can you guess?) more, spectacular snowcapped peaks.

Third Day in the Cordillera Blanca



Day 6: Quebrada Paria, Vaqueria
Our last day we hiked out through a nearby village where the local children have learned several very important words in Spanish (Quechua is the first and only language of these secluded villages): galleta i.e. cookie and caramelo i.e. candy.

We eventually got to the real park entrance where we paid the entrance fee and Mike asked the park employee where all the money ($20 per person) went considering there were cattle in most of the park, no facilities, and no obvious trail maintenance. The answer: not to the park. Unfortunately, most of the money brought in goes to and stays in Lima, most likely filling the pockets of a few and leaving the park to be grazed, poo-ed on, and generally neglected. Fortunately, the park is still amazing and hopefully will remain as such so others can come and enjoy what really was a gorgeous area unlike anything we had seen before (the Irish couple kept referring to it as being more impressive than the trek they did in Patagonia).

The next part of our day consisted of waiting for one of these combis to arrive. When two hours later a combi finally showed up it was headed to a town an hour up the road in the opposite direction we wanted to go. We got on it anyway as there was a chance it would fill up and when it passed by again there wouldn’t be space for us. So, we got to go to Yanama, hang out there for a little over an hour, then head back to where we were originally picked up before actually starting on the way home.

On the way home is where we passed the highest point of our trip, 4,767 meters/15,640 feet. That is the highest we have ever been in a car. The pictures we have of the road should explain to all why roads usually aren’t made at this altitude and why when they are they usually don’t last very long. During the somewhat harrowing descent there were more spectacular views of mountains, glacial lakes, and rockslides.

We arrived back in Huaraz around 6 o’clock where we immediately showered and then went out for dinner. After walking over forty miles, over half of which were uphill at over 4,000 meters in essentially three and half days, we were ready for a big meal and a warm bed.

Day Four in the Cordillera Blanca



Day 7: Happy Birthday to Mike, Huaraz, Night-bus to Lima
Happy Birthday to Migi,
Happy Birthday to Migi,
Happy Birthday Viejito,
Happy Birthday to You!!

To celebrate Mike’s birthday we slept in then spent the day eating every delicious food we could find as well as doing some souvenir shopping.

That night we got on a bus headed back to Lima. This time we only had semi-cama seats but we were still given dinner and treated to a ten o’clock showing of The Day After Tomorrow in Spanish with English Subtitles and a baby who cried all night long.

See pics of Birthday Dinner in the Day 2 Slideshow of Lima and Huaraz.


Day 8: Huacahina, Dune Buggies, and Sandboarding
We arrived in Lima at 5:30 am, got some breakfast sandwiches and quinoa drink at the cart that had set up shop across the street from the bus terminal, and then got on a 7 o’clock bus to Ica.

The trip to Ica was four hours, most of which looked like a scene from the Sahara desert. Peru in general doesn’t get much rain and southern coastal Peru gets no rain. The view from our window showed unending sand dunes to the east and occasional glimpses of the waves crashing on the beach in the Pacific to the west. The weather was slightly warmer than Huaraz but instead of crystal clear skies a blanket of clouds covered the sky as far as you could see.

Several hours later we arrived in Ica where we took a five minute cab ride to Huacachina. Huacachina is a tiny town located around the perimeter of a small spring surrounded by endless, towering sand dunes. The sand dunes are the major attraction here and every hotel offers dune buggy tours with sand boarding each afternoon. So upon arrival in Huacachina we booked the four o’clock sunset tour with our hotel, grabbed lunch, enjoyed the warm weather, and then headed back to our hotel for some sand-themed adventures.

The dune buggy sat eight and the driver had been driving dune buggies for the last fifteen years (he was half Italian). The other passengers along for fun and sand were a couple from Denmark, a couple from Argentina, and a couple from England. All buckled up we went tearing off into the dunes.

After ten minutes of a rollercoaster-like ride where everyone understood the purpose of the tubulares (rollbar), we stopped for a photo op. Mike and I, having permanently damaged our last camera on sand dunes in Colorado, were cautious throughout and so took our photos quickly and, in our opinion, sparingly. Pictures taken we tore off for another ten minutes of climbing up and rocketing down dunes before starting the sand boarding segment of the tour.

In the back of the dune buggy were seven sand boards that were handed out to each of the passengers at the top of some very steep dunes. We were then instructed how to sand board while standing, which only Mike and one other guy attempted to do, and how to sand board as if the sand board were a sled i.e. sand-sledding. Sand-sledding turned out to be much easier and much more fun than the standing up version and eventually the entire group was flying down the dune bellies down, arms tucked, and legs sprawled.

The tour ended with a stop on top of dune to enjoy the sunset where we did risk taking some more pictures. However, once the sun went down it got pretty chilly (14’ South Latitude) so we piled pack into the dune buggy and headed back to the hotel.

Huacachina



Day 9: Paracas National Reserve and Fresh, fresh Seafood
We spent the next morning in Huacahina taking in the sun and generally relaxing before getting back on a bus and heading an hour north to Paracas.

Paracas is a small, almost nonexistent, coastal town that two years ago was not more than a fishing village, but even so it was flattened by an earthquake that measured 8-point-something on the Richter scale with the epicenter being just 10km off its coastline. Fortunately, it has been mostly rebuilt and whereas before it was a minor tourist hub (people used to come for the boat ride but stay the night in Pisco, a quaint colonial town twenty minutes up the coast that is still recovering from the earthquake and does not have any hopes of regaining its tourist market since all of its colonial architecture is in rubble heaps) it is now the tourist hub for all coming to see Paracas National Reserve and the Islas Ballestas. We, of course, were coming to do both of those activities starting with a bike tour of the National Reserve.

Paracas National Reserve boasts a large flamingo colony, sea lions, and of course miles and miles of rolling sand dunes that come right up to the coast (and, as we would later find out, intense afternoon winds).

To explore the reserve we decided to rent bikes and make our own tour instead of paying a taxi driver forty dollars to drive us around. We easily found a place to rent the bikes and by three o’clock we were on the road.

The bikes were great and the scenery was striking (sand dunes and ocean) but the wind made the leisurely bike ride a test of strength and endurance which I failed miserably. I made it with minimal grief to the flamingo colony, which was huge and amazing, but from there the road went up hill while the quality of my disposition went downhill fast. I ended up walking the big uphill and alternately walking and riding the rest of the three miles to a beach. We had intended to try and see the sea lions but those were another two miles into the wind and so we enjoyed Lagunillas, the super tiny fishing village where we were after two hours of what I thought was a pretty intense ride though Mike thought otherwise (the most arduous part of the ride for him being dealing with my huffing and puffing and less than charming mood), and then turned around and biked back to Paracas. In my defense I did much better on the way back and only had to walk the bike once, also the wind was at our backs. I think that afternoon gave me an honest appreciation for the terms headwind and tailwind that I will carry with me for quite some time.

After returning the bikes, we walked along the malecon (beachfront area) then had the first of what would be two incredible seafood dinners. I will admit that before this trip I was not the hugest fan of seafood. Paracas changed me. I want to say right here, right now that I love seafood. It may have taken twenty-seven years but I have finally arrived: seafood (when it is fresh) is delicious.

At seven o’clock our taxi showed up at the restaurant (as early planned with a travel agency in Huacachina) to take us to Pisco, the town where people used to stay before the giant earthquakes whose epicenter was 2km from the center of Pisco. We tried to stay in Paracas but being the new tourist hub that it is there were no available rooms. So we traveled up the road for about twenty minutes before we arrived in what was formerly the tourist hub that boasted colonial architecture and cobblestone streets.

Unfortunately, Pisco had not made the same successful rebound as Paracas and was still half built and half rubble. While there are still a few nice hotels the overall feel of Pisco did not suggest a return to its former state. However, it was nice to stay in a place where you know, small though it may be, you are contributing to an economy that could use all the help it can get. Our taxi driver, who was from Pisco, told us that six days a week he works fifteen hours. On Sundays he works all day trying to reconstruct his house which was destroyed over two years ago.

So, we stayed the night it a really cute hotel that had been rebuilt since the earthquake run by a really cute family in a town that used to be the “it” place to stay.


Day 10: Islas Ballestas and Back to Lima
Early the next morning we were picked up at our hotel in Pisco and driven back to Paracas for a boat tour of the Ballesta Islands. The Ballesta Islands are a series of small islands located about a half an hour of the coast of Paracas. The islands host millions of birds, thousands of penguins, and hundreds of sea lions. So, as you can imagine, every morning hoards of gringos line the docks of Paracas to take a boat out to the islands and that Friday morning in mid-July we were a part of the hoard.

The boats seat anywhere from 15 to 30 people and everyone is given a life jacket with strict instructions to make sure not to take it with you when you leave. On our boat we had an almost bilingual guide, a boat driver, and about 15 passengers. We left the dock a little after eight and arrived at the first point of interest on the tour: the Candelabra.

The Candelabra is a formation in the side of sand dune ten minutes from shore. No one knows how it got there or how long it has been there. However, our guide shared with us several theories one of which included aliens. Other theories included pirates and conquistadors but after deep contemplation and reflection I say aliens.

Next stop: Islas Ballestas. We spent the next hour and half circling several islands surrounded by strange rock formations and teeming with sealife. When people first visited the islands there were two meters of guana (bird poop that is excellent for fertilizer) which of course was then sold, and is still sold, for use in fertilizer. On our tour we saw untold numbers of bird, penguins, sea lions (we even saw a baby sea lion), and of course lots of guana.

I wish I could explain or the pictures could show just how many birds there were but you’ll just have to take our word for it when we say, “lots and lots.”

When the tour was over we stayed and had another fantastic seafood lunch right on the beach in Paracas then headed to the nearby bus station to make our may back to Lima.

I know I already explained just how nice the busses we were taking were but in case you forgot, they were really, really, nice. However, as we learned that day in Paracas, it doesn’t matter how nice the bus is if the roads are bad.

The roads surrounding Paracas are sandy and the bus station was located on one of these roads. Shortly after boarding the bus (passport check and face filming complete) we had to disembark as a pipe had broken, wet the road, and our bus was stuck in the subsequent mudfest. Fortunately it only took a two by four, a shovel, and all available manpower to shove the bus the necessary two feet to free it from its earthen prison.

With that minor delay we were on our way to Lima.

Pics of Paracas y Pisco



Day 11: Lima
Our last full day in Peru we spent in the Miraflores section of Lima, this is where most the markets are and is generally considered safer than Central Lima, another neighborhood we considered staying in. The Miraflores section of Lima was nice, very, very nice. Our hostel was located in a residential area on the outskirts of Miraflores in a super, super nice neighborhood. The hostel itself was an old house with beautiful hardwood floors, wrought iron fixtures and an all and all lovely layout.

To get to the markets from our hostel required walking along the beachside park that stretches several mile along the coast of Lima and is slated for construction to cover the entire coast (Kind of like what Bloomberg is doing with the waterfront land in the city). This park was not only beautiful but also had clay tennis courts, playgrounds, dog parks, and parapenting (which Mike wanted to do but didn’t due to my incessant, though perhaps unwarranted, worries)!

We spent the day browsing the markets, tasting more delicious Peruvian treats, and generally relaxing.

Lima and Flight Home



Day 12: To Sayausi!
Our flight left at ten o’clock the next morning marking the official end to our Peruvian adventure. We arrived in Guayaquil at noon and were on van headed back to Sayausi at one.

On a final note, as no blog post would be complete without it, some news about Chuspi, Our old host sister Norma agreed to come over once a day while we were gone to clean the litter box (totally new concept) and feed Chuspi. When we got home Chuspi was alive and well so I guess everything went according to plan. However, an interesting surprise included the piece of half eaten bread, random bones, and bag of rice with a long string tied to one end all of which we found on the floor of our apartment near the front windows. After a moment’s confusion we figured out why there was a veritable cat buffet on our floor. The walls of our apartment don’t actually meet up with the windows, therefore there is a several inch space between the wall and the windows. Recently a family moved upstairs: mom, dad, and two girls. It appears the two girls had been lowering food down to Chuspi while we were gone! So, Chuspi was more than well taken care of (Norma later told me most of the family had come over each day to play with Chuspi as well). To this day whenever I see Heidi (the niece of Norma) she asks me to, “saluda a la Chuspi” translating to, “say hi to Chuspi!”