So, I left Sucre on the Monday after the first two days of Carnaval. I left at 8 AM and got a bus to Potosi, where I was hoping to get a bus from there to Uyuni where I planned on doing a three day tour of the salar (the world´s largest salt flat, basically a huge desert that has salt instead of sand). Once in Potosi, I found out I had missed the last bus to Uyuni and wouldn´t be able to get a bus until Wednesday. This was due to the fact that on Tuesday there was absolutely no public transportation in the entire country because, supposedly, everyone is drunk after Carnaval. I had planned to meet Ed, a good friend of mine that I met a few weeks before in Sucre that night in Uyuni, so I didn´t know what I would do. Luckily, I got an email from him saying that he was also coming to Potosi that day and didn´t think he would be able to get a bus to Uyuni until Wednesday. So I met Ed that night and we spent the next day in the main square engaging in a water fight that lasted the entire day. We were in the square, throwing water balloons and dumping buckets of water on people in the back of pickup trucks for five or six hours. It was so much fun.
I forgot to mention that before Carnaval I came to Potosi for a day (it isn´t far from Sucre) to do a tour of the Cerro Rico Silver mine in Potosi. It was an incredible experience. We spent about two hours in the mine, trudging through mud, climbing up and down ladders that would´ve sent my Mom into shock, talking the the miners, giving them gifts of soda and coca leaves, and learning about the mining process. I was not absolutely horrified by the working conditions, but they were bad. Many of the workers work up to 2 km into the mountain, so they do not get to leave the whole work day. We were there in the morning towards the beginning of the shift, and I saw several guys covered in head to toe with thick mud. Our guide also informed us that kids as young as 14 worked in the mines, full time. To make things worse, these guys make only 2000 bolivianos a month, about 265 USD. Allthought this isn´t a bad salary by Bolivian standards, it is by no means adequate for the job they are working. At one point, we all tried the alcohol that the workers drink throughout the day. This stuff makes vodka taste like grape juice. 96% sugar cane alcohol that left my throat burning for a good ten minutes, even though I had a sip that probably wasn´t more than a sixth of a shot. The miners drink this horrible substance straight, based on the superstition that drinking pure alcohol with bring them finds of pure silver. In my opinion, it just brings them a drunkenness that happens to be involved in and a huge cause of the leading cause of death in the mines (miners falling down open shafts). All in all, I consider this tour of the mine a very valuable experience. I saw, once again in Bolivia, how hard the lives of so many people are, especially in comparison to mine.
So, on Wednesday Ed and I caught a bus to Uyuni and arrived there around 7 PM. We didn´t do much that night besides checking out a few tourist agencies to get info on tours of the salar. The next morning, we booked a three day tour for 65 USD, all inclusive. An incredible price, if you ask me. Even better if you look at all the places we visited. We left at 11 in the morning, and I was in utter amazement for the next three days. Never before in my life have I seen so many incredible places that are all so different in such a short period of time. We were taken to places that were so cool I wanted to stay for the whole day, but nope, we would be hurried off to yet another place that blew my mind. Our first stop was the salar itself. As I mentioned earlier, Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world, but because there was tons of rain in the past few weeks, it was flooded. At first I was very dissapointed to hear this because we wouldn´t be able to visit one or two sites, but once we got out onto the salar my dissapointment dissolved. It was unreal. The surface of the water reflected everything. Clouds, the blue sky, cars, the mountains, people, etc. It was great. Then we were off the the train graveyard, where we were able to walk around and on several ´dead´ trains that were in use in the 1880s. The next day, our first stop was a valley near a volcano filled with volcanic rock! It was awesome! All sorts of rocks with crazy shapes and the lava tracks were clearly visible. We visited several lagoons, the most incredible of which was called Laguna Colorada. It was mainly a deep red with some blue and white along the sides. Not only was the color very bizarre, the lake was full of flamingos.
The third and final day began nice and early at 4 30 AM. We got to an area with tons of geysers right at sunset. It was, once again, a spot that instantly found its place among the coolest landscapes I´ve ever seen. After the geysers, we drove to some hot springs that are, hands down, the best hot springs I´ve every seen. Not only was the water perfect, especially after bearing the freezing temperature at the geysers, they were right next to a beautiful lagoon and we were there right after sunrise. After a good chunk of time in the springs, we had a great breakfast before moving on. Our next and final spot was Laguna Verde. When we first arrived, it was quite impressive, with a massive volcano on one side, but not that green. Our guides had explained that the colors of all these lagoons are really brought out when there is lots of wind, because the chemicals causing the crazy colors get mixed up. After half an hour and a lot of wind, Laguna Verde was very green indeed. All in all, I absolutely loved this tour and was very glad it worked out for Ed and I to do it together.
After Uyuni, I went back to Sucre and ended up staying for another week. It was great. All in all, I was in Sucre for four weeks and really enjoyed myself. After my extra week, I took an overnight bus to Santa Cruz, a big city that is quite weathly, very hot, and very big. Straight away, I didn´t like it and resolved to leave the next day. I bought my ticket on the infamous ´Death Train´ that would take me to Quijarro, a small town on the border with Brazil, for the next day. I strolled around the city, visiting the central plaza and a small park with an excuse for a lagoon. The next day I visited the city´s zoo, which was actually really cool. It had a large variety of animals from Central and South America that included pumas, jaguars, all sorts of birds, capibores, monkies, and a MASSIVE tapir. Later that day I boarded the Death Train at 4:30. The ride was mostly uneventful, except for one point when I was awoken from my sleep by a loud slamming noise. I looked out the window and saw that we were stopped on the tracks that were running through a swamp. The next five minutes we sat there without moving and I was very nervous. I arrived in Quijarro the next morning, Feb. 21st, and crossed into Brazil without any problems. Back in Brazil! Muito bom!
Monday, 25 February 2008
Sunday, 10 February 2008
Bolivia
So, unfortunately my flight out of Quito wasn`t until the evening of the day after my family returned to the states. I spent a lot of time on the internet taking care of this and that, and I took my first salsa lesson! It was enjoyable, but no easy task. My flight back to Cusco, Peru was horrible. I had arrived in Lima at 11 PM and my flight to Cusco wasn`t until 8 AM the next morning. I brought my sleeping bag along and tried to ignore light and noise without much success.
Once in Cusco, I got a bus to Puno, the city I visited before Christmas to see Lake Titicaca. The next day, I got a bus from Puno to Copacabana, Bolivia. The trip was quite uneventful, luckily, and I got my Bolivian visa at the border without any problems. Upon checking my email later that night, I found out that John was also in Copacabana and the two of us met up that night. It was great to see each other and to talk about what each of us had done since we last split up. Copacabana is a small city right on Lake Titicaca with mountains surrounding it`s other sides. Beautiful. John and I stayed in Copacabana for several days, checking out the sites, biking, kayaking, and relaxing. We even treated ourselves to the honeymoon sweet of a nice hotel and got ourselves our own awesome dome-shaped building with two floors, huge, comfty beds, chill hammocks, and huge windows overlooking the city and the lake. Brilliant.
From Copacabana, we got a three hour bus to La Paz. Both John and I were astounded with the city`s beautiful location in a valley surrounded by mountains, the city`s modernity, and the AMAZING juices and fruit salads found in the `mercado´ (market). John and I booked a tour on mountainbike of ´The World`s Most Dangerous Road.` It was so good, we did it a second time two days later. The road starts at 4800 meters, way up in the mountains, and ends at 1200 meters, down in the jungle. The first 2 hours or so was on a steep, curvy concrete road with awesome views and huge trucks that sometimes had to be passed at high speeds while going around sharp turns (just kidding mom!). The second leg of the ride was on a rocky dirt road that at times was no more than 6 feet across with hundred foot cliffs on the sides (not a joke). The views were spectacular and the path was often covered by huge waterfalls that had to be ridden through. The first day we did it, the weather was real bad. We got out of the van at the top and stepped into pouring rain which didn`t let up for the entire ride. The second day, we got lucky and by the end I was biking down in shorts without a shirt on. Oh man it was so much fun.
The day in between our two biking adventures, John and I did a private city tour. It was great. We visited a few awesome spots with views of the entire city, and a strange place called ´La Valle de la Luna´ (the valley of the moon). I am not even going to try to describe this place. Check out pictures on the internet. John and I also did a tough 5 hour hike to Lago Condorirri, a stunning lake located about an hour from La Paz. It was awesome, with crazy colored lakes and insane looking mountains. Unfortunately, at the lake I decided to walk across a path of rocks going across a small part of the lake. The rocks crumbled under my weight and before I knew it I was totally soaked, with camera in pocket. The camera stopped working, but luckily a week or so later I was able to get it fixed for a decent price.
I left La Paz to go to Sucre feeling like I had really gotten a feel for the city and had packed many activities into the week I was there. The busride to Sucre was about twelve hours long, and horrible. Not only was the road very bumpy, a few hours before I left John and I had a tasty but evidently toxic dinner of street burgers that left my stomach painfully churning for days.
In Sucre, I figured out my housing and the volunteer work I would be doing for the next three weeks. I stayed at a nice hostel 2 blocks from the main plaza with a great balcony, nice beds, a kitchen, and lots of space outside. I volunteered at Tata San Juan de Dios, an government funded, Christian ran orphanage. It was great. The orphanage houses 50 kids between the ages of two months and five years. All of the kids were either abandoned or abused by their parents before coming to the orphanage. I worked with the 23 big kids, who are between 2 and 5 years. They are nuts! My first whole day, I was left alone with them for a significant period of time and I soon realized I had basically no control over these kids. They swarmed me, hitting, kicking, and yelling when I asked for silence. One of the rascals even spit on my pants!
My days began at 7 AM. I would wake up, get some breakfast (fruit salad at the mercado central was a big hit), and get the bus to the orphanage. Once at the orphanage, I would help the kids eat breakfast, after which play time started. During playtime, I did many things. I played with the kids, broke up fights, punished children that hit others or stole toys from others, and comforted crying children (sometimes there were at least 5 kids crying at once). After the kids at lunch, I would take off around 12 and get lunch. I took spanish lessons for my first week there in the afternoons, but decided they weren`t worth my money so decided to stop.
I spent Carnaval (Feb. 2 and 3) in Sucre, and it was great. The only problem was that the friends I had made had all left, so I was alone. Since my arrival in Sucre, there were always people on the streets throwing waterballoon. The main targets were girls and gringos! As a result, I was often targetted. During Carnaval, the water fights were taken to a whole new level. I went to a few parades, and there was a constant flow of balloons flying through the air. It was great! Only problem was, as a gringo, a couple times at least 20 all started throwing balloons at me! The Carnaval took place on a weekend, and on the Sunday I went to the orphanage to help take the kids to the parade. When I walked in, I was totally surprised to find all of the kids dressed up in fancy costumes! They were going to dance in the parade. Someone asked me if I wanted to dress up with them, and of course I say yes! When myself, one other volunteer, and all the children were dressed up we took off. At first we marched/danced down a street with very few people. After a while, I noticed up ahead the sidewalks were completely packed! There must have been well over 500 people there. Right before we finished the march, all of the spectators decided to nail the big gringo! I got hit with 15 or 20 balloons, shot by countless water guns, and covered in foam!
All in all, my time in Sucre was great. The kids were great, and I felt like I really made a difference in their lives while working with them. I am still a little behind, and I will do my best to write another post in the next few days!
Once in Cusco, I got a bus to Puno, the city I visited before Christmas to see Lake Titicaca. The next day, I got a bus from Puno to Copacabana, Bolivia. The trip was quite uneventful, luckily, and I got my Bolivian visa at the border without any problems. Upon checking my email later that night, I found out that John was also in Copacabana and the two of us met up that night. It was great to see each other and to talk about what each of us had done since we last split up. Copacabana is a small city right on Lake Titicaca with mountains surrounding it`s other sides. Beautiful. John and I stayed in Copacabana for several days, checking out the sites, biking, kayaking, and relaxing. We even treated ourselves to the honeymoon sweet of a nice hotel and got ourselves our own awesome dome-shaped building with two floors, huge, comfty beds, chill hammocks, and huge windows overlooking the city and the lake. Brilliant.
From Copacabana, we got a three hour bus to La Paz. Both John and I were astounded with the city`s beautiful location in a valley surrounded by mountains, the city`s modernity, and the AMAZING juices and fruit salads found in the `mercado´ (market). John and I booked a tour on mountainbike of ´The World`s Most Dangerous Road.` It was so good, we did it a second time two days later. The road starts at 4800 meters, way up in the mountains, and ends at 1200 meters, down in the jungle. The first 2 hours or so was on a steep, curvy concrete road with awesome views and huge trucks that sometimes had to be passed at high speeds while going around sharp turns (just kidding mom!). The second leg of the ride was on a rocky dirt road that at times was no more than 6 feet across with hundred foot cliffs on the sides (not a joke). The views were spectacular and the path was often covered by huge waterfalls that had to be ridden through. The first day we did it, the weather was real bad. We got out of the van at the top and stepped into pouring rain which didn`t let up for the entire ride. The second day, we got lucky and by the end I was biking down in shorts without a shirt on. Oh man it was so much fun.
The day in between our two biking adventures, John and I did a private city tour. It was great. We visited a few awesome spots with views of the entire city, and a strange place called ´La Valle de la Luna´ (the valley of the moon). I am not even going to try to describe this place. Check out pictures on the internet. John and I also did a tough 5 hour hike to Lago Condorirri, a stunning lake located about an hour from La Paz. It was awesome, with crazy colored lakes and insane looking mountains. Unfortunately, at the lake I decided to walk across a path of rocks going across a small part of the lake. The rocks crumbled under my weight and before I knew it I was totally soaked, with camera in pocket. The camera stopped working, but luckily a week or so later I was able to get it fixed for a decent price.
I left La Paz to go to Sucre feeling like I had really gotten a feel for the city and had packed many activities into the week I was there. The busride to Sucre was about twelve hours long, and horrible. Not only was the road very bumpy, a few hours before I left John and I had a tasty but evidently toxic dinner of street burgers that left my stomach painfully churning for days.
In Sucre, I figured out my housing and the volunteer work I would be doing for the next three weeks. I stayed at a nice hostel 2 blocks from the main plaza with a great balcony, nice beds, a kitchen, and lots of space outside. I volunteered at Tata San Juan de Dios, an government funded, Christian ran orphanage. It was great. The orphanage houses 50 kids between the ages of two months and five years. All of the kids were either abandoned or abused by their parents before coming to the orphanage. I worked with the 23 big kids, who are between 2 and 5 years. They are nuts! My first whole day, I was left alone with them for a significant period of time and I soon realized I had basically no control over these kids. They swarmed me, hitting, kicking, and yelling when I asked for silence. One of the rascals even spit on my pants!
My days began at 7 AM. I would wake up, get some breakfast (fruit salad at the mercado central was a big hit), and get the bus to the orphanage. Once at the orphanage, I would help the kids eat breakfast, after which play time started. During playtime, I did many things. I played with the kids, broke up fights, punished children that hit others or stole toys from others, and comforted crying children (sometimes there were at least 5 kids crying at once). After the kids at lunch, I would take off around 12 and get lunch. I took spanish lessons for my first week there in the afternoons, but decided they weren`t worth my money so decided to stop.
I spent Carnaval (Feb. 2 and 3) in Sucre, and it was great. The only problem was that the friends I had made had all left, so I was alone. Since my arrival in Sucre, there were always people on the streets throwing waterballoon. The main targets were girls and gringos! As a result, I was often targetted. During Carnaval, the water fights were taken to a whole new level. I went to a few parades, and there was a constant flow of balloons flying through the air. It was great! Only problem was, as a gringo, a couple times at least 20 all started throwing balloons at me! The Carnaval took place on a weekend, and on the Sunday I went to the orphanage to help take the kids to the parade. When I walked in, I was totally surprised to find all of the kids dressed up in fancy costumes! They were going to dance in the parade. Someone asked me if I wanted to dress up with them, and of course I say yes! When myself, one other volunteer, and all the children were dressed up we took off. At first we marched/danced down a street with very few people. After a while, I noticed up ahead the sidewalks were completely packed! There must have been well over 500 people there. Right before we finished the march, all of the spectators decided to nail the big gringo! I got hit with 15 or 20 balloons, shot by countless water guns, and covered in foam!
All in all, my time in Sucre was great. The kids were great, and I felt like I really made a difference in their lives while working with them. I am still a little behind, and I will do my best to write another post in the next few days!
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Ecuador con la Familia!
So my first day in Quito was a nice one. After getting my bags no problem at the airport, I got a cab to 'Mansion del Angel,' the hotel my family was staying in that night. I checked in and soon after was in paradise, lounging in my nice robe with tasty food on my big comfy bed. It was so nice to get a really nice hotel room after more than three months of lousy accomodation.
I expected my family to arrive at 10 PM, and my anticipation was high as I waiting, watching TV. Come 11:30, there was still no sign of them so I decided to investigate. The hotel receptionist made a call for me and found out that the airport in Quito was closed due to bad weather so my family`s flight had gone to Guayaquill, a city to the south of Quito. He also said the airport would not open until the morning, so I went to bed alone and dissapointed.
In the middle of the night, there was loud knocking at my door. I got up and opened to the door, dazed and still half asleep. I was so surprised to see Annie followed by Ellie jump into my arms! then followed Will, Dad, and then Mom. I was so happy to see them and even though it was 3 or 4 in the morning, we stayed up talking for a while. It felt so good to see them all after three months.
The next morning after a deliscious breakfast in the hotel, we cruised around the Old Town of Quito, before getting a nice lunch at an Italian restaurant. After lunch we got our car that took us to our hotel just outside of `Parque National Cotopaxi.` It was a nice, old hostel with nice gardens and open spaces. After an intitial problem that came up regarding our rooms, we settled in and went for a `walk` that lasted about five minutes and took us halfway down the hotel`s driveway. The rest of the day we relaxed, playing car, reading, and chatting.
The next day, we got a car that took us to the park entrance, where we rented bicycles. Unfortunately, the bikes looked like they were about to fall apart and riding them assured one of the validity of this observation. We got a car that took the bikes and ourselves to the very same parking lot where I began my trek up to the top of Volcan Cotopaxi months ago. We got out of the cars and got right back in when we felt how cold and windy it was. Once the bikes were unloaded, we got on our bikes and took off, wanting to get to lower, warmer, and less windy grounds asap. After half an hour or so, the temperature became tolerable and we were enjoying ourselves. The views were amazing, just like my previous visit. However, I was experiencing them in a very different mindstate than my first time, being with my family and having done so many things since my visit back in September.
The ride was a lot of fun, but the lack of functioning breaks and gears made it somewhat difficult and sometimes scary, when Annie or Ellie went flying past me at high speeds approaching sharp turns.
Back at the hotel, we relaxed doing much the same thing we did before. The only difference was that it was Christmas Eve, and we all couldn`t believe it.
The next morning, Ellie, being the first one awake, woke everyone up at 8:30 and we had a nice morning opening presents. At 11, the kids all went horsebackriding. We met our guide, who accompanied us on an old bike. The ride lasted two hours and took us down nice roads with nice views and through a nearby town`s center. My horse, which I gladly traded to William halfway through the ride, was nuts. I was constantly pulling back on the reins as hard as I could. If I let my guard down for even a moment, the great beast would take off at frightening speeds.
For dinner, we got a car to a nearby hotet and had a nice dinner that was preceded by a small firework show and all sorts of problems with our car, a snotty couple, and a long wait. It was a great Christmas day, but not being at home or in the home of a relative felt strange.
The next morning, we were picked up at 5:30 AM and drove back to the airport in Quito where we got out flight to The Galapagos Island. Oh man, it was incredible. As we stepped out of the plane, we instantly felt the extreme heat that was so different to what we had been experiencing on the mainland. We packed into a crowded bus then got a little boat across a channel. Then we got in out nice, air conditioned private bus with other people staying at our hotel. We visited huge sink holes and a massive, naturally created tunnel created by eruptions of the island`s volcano before going to see the world famous Galapagos Giant Tortoises. They were similiar to the Giant Tortoises at Santa Martha, but there were many more and some of them were much bigger. These things are massive, dinosaur-like creatures whose top speed is simply laughable. Then we drove into Puerto Ayora, the main city on the island, Isla Santa Cruz. We got a boat from our hotel to a path leading to our hotel. One of the first thing we saw as we strolled down the walkway towards our hotel was a group of marine iguanas at the beach, chilling out taking in the sun. Our hotel was right on a nice beach, and shortly after checking in Will, Annie, Ellie and I rushed off to Las Grietas, a strange but incredily beautiful place. It is a spot where freshwater and saltwater are combined, and the turqoise-blue body of water is long and skinny and flanked by high cliffs. Cliffjumping time! After checking the depth, I climbed up about 15 feet and jumped down into the cool, refreshing water. Then being totally sure of the depth, I climbed up to the top (about 50 feet high) and jumped in. It was awesome. The girls had a good time watching, swimming, and jumping off the low ledge. Will took a few jumps from the low ledge before gaining confidence in himself and jumping off the big cliff. Oh man, he decided to do the old lifeguard jump, and the resulting SLAP frightening but funny. The undersides of his arms were bright red and he was definitely hurting. We hung out at the hotel that night, enjoying a nice dinner and the hotels comforts. Unfortunately, Mom was feeling sick and turned in early before dinner. During the night, Ellie also got sick so the two of them decided to skip the next day`s excursion.
The next morning, Dad, Will, Annie, and I got up early and met the hotel`s group that was going on the excursion. We got on the Sea Finch, our hotel`s beautiful boat that would be taking us to various spots on different island for the next few days. After a two hour trip, we arrived at a beach on another island, and we were greated by an enthusiastic group of baby sea lions! They were adorable, and lost no time flopping over each other to get a better look at the strange humans. Adult sea lions were sprawled out all over the beach enjoying the sun`s warm rays.
We took a short hike around the area, seeing cactuses with odd shapes and land iguanas. We went back to the Sea Finch and had a light snack before cruising to a nearby spot for some snorkling. This was, HANDS DOWN, the best snorkling I have ever done in my life. The water was crystal clear and I saw huge schools of big fish with colors vibrant and varied, ominous galapagos sharks, and big rays. Then we went to a new spot to snorkel with sea lions. They were in a little cove, but out guide warned us to be careful of the alpha male who was relaxing nearby. I got in the cove and one big sea lions took a great interest in me. He was so eager to see me that his nose touched my mask, and we stared at each other for a brief moment. Then the alpha male started barking and coming towards us, so we jetted out of that cove and back to the boat real fast.
Back at the hotel, Mom, Dad, Will, and I walked over to Las Grietas. Will and I did some cliff jumping then snorkled for a bit. That night we relaxed as usual.
The next day held another great excursion for us. We went to a spot on Isla Santa Cruz to see a huge colony of sea lions. Then we took a hike around the area, and the landscape seriously looked like it would be better at home on Mars than on Earth. Big, funky cactuses all around and some low, red plant that was growing all over. We saw lots of blue footed boobies (awesome birds endemic to the Galapagos) and what our guide explained was the `bachelor`s pad,´ an area where alpha males would come to recover after being beated by another male in a fight. It was great.
After the hike we snorkled nearby, and today it was much foggier than the day before but it was still awesome. We went back at the hotel and enjoyed another evening of relaxation in the hot tub or by the pool reading.
The next day was amazing. We were on the Sea Finch in the morning, and someone spotted a few dolphins, ahead in the distance. 15 minutes later, they were EVERYWHERE! There must have been well over twenty of them. A group of 5 or 6 started swimming right in front of the boat, and one did a massive jump out of the water less than 10 feet away from the front of the boat. It was as if they were greeting us. After we stopped, we went out in the small boat for a closer look at the dolphins. It was just as cool as before, except we were much lower and had a better view. Then we snorkled with them, and it was definitely one of the top three experiences I`ve had with animals in my entire life. There were dolphins all around us, swimming all over the place. At one point I counted 7 or 8 swimming together in a group. These animals have such a majestic way of moving through the water. Allthough some of them are huge, they cut through the water smoothly, with an amazing grace. Oh man it was incredible. A sea turtle also decided to check the scene out and slowly swam by under o ut feet. A fat shark appeared out of nowhere and we hurried back to the boat, all more than satisfied with what we has seen. We moved closer to shore where we snorkled around, seeing lots of fish before finding a sea lion. The first thing I saw was Will, floating vertically in the water while one of his flippers was gnawed on by this sea lion. We were joined by another sea lion, and we played with them for a while. It was so much fun, they swam along with us and right up to us. Myself and several others received a couple of playful bites that did not really seem playful. Then we got in the boat in search of the Galapagos Penguins, but we only found one lone fellow standing by himself on a rock.
Back at the hotel, we all sat down together after cleaning up for me to open presents. Whoops! I forgot to say that it was my 19th birthday, and could not have asked for a better day. I got lots of good gifts from everyone and we had a great dinner. All in all, it was a fantastic birthday.
The next day we got up early and went to the Charles Darwin Center and saw baby tortoises no bigger than the palm of my hand, more HUGE tortoises, and Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his species. Then, sadly, we drove to the airport to get our flight to Quito. The Galapagos were awesome. Most definitely one of the main highlights of my trip.
Back in Quito, we checked back into Mansion del Angel and went out for an awesome dinner at an Argentinian steakhouse. Will and I went to Finn McCools, an Irish pub I had visited when I first arrived in South America.
The next day, we walked around the Old Town again doing a little shopping and getting some tasty food. Then we went back to our hotel before going to a nearby `parade` which was actually just tons of stands and huge stages with big dolls that were mainly poking fun at various politician. One stand titled The Fantastic Four impersonated George Bush as Dr. Doom! It was lots of fun.
We chilled for a while back at the hotel before going out for our New Year`s Eve dinner. It was a good meal at a nice place, but it was somewhat hard for me to enjoy it, knowing that it would be the last family dinner we would have in a long time. After dinner, we went back to the hotel and everyone hit the sack, except for Will and I. We went out for some New Year`s festivites and hit the streets and were delighted to find fireworks and beer for sale all over the place (our excitement was almost totally for the fireworks). It was crazy, people were setting off huge fireworks right in the center of the city as police officers enjoyed the show. There were fires all over the street, the remnants of lifesize puppets made for the sole purpose of setting on fire.
The next morning, my family left the hotel early for the airport and I miserably crawled back into bed.
I expected my family to arrive at 10 PM, and my anticipation was high as I waiting, watching TV. Come 11:30, there was still no sign of them so I decided to investigate. The hotel receptionist made a call for me and found out that the airport in Quito was closed due to bad weather so my family`s flight had gone to Guayaquill, a city to the south of Quito. He also said the airport would not open until the morning, so I went to bed alone and dissapointed.
In the middle of the night, there was loud knocking at my door. I got up and opened to the door, dazed and still half asleep. I was so surprised to see Annie followed by Ellie jump into my arms! then followed Will, Dad, and then Mom. I was so happy to see them and even though it was 3 or 4 in the morning, we stayed up talking for a while. It felt so good to see them all after three months.
The next morning after a deliscious breakfast in the hotel, we cruised around the Old Town of Quito, before getting a nice lunch at an Italian restaurant. After lunch we got our car that took us to our hotel just outside of `Parque National Cotopaxi.` It was a nice, old hostel with nice gardens and open spaces. After an intitial problem that came up regarding our rooms, we settled in and went for a `walk` that lasted about five minutes and took us halfway down the hotel`s driveway. The rest of the day we relaxed, playing car, reading, and chatting.
The next day, we got a car that took us to the park entrance, where we rented bicycles. Unfortunately, the bikes looked like they were about to fall apart and riding them assured one of the validity of this observation. We got a car that took the bikes and ourselves to the very same parking lot where I began my trek up to the top of Volcan Cotopaxi months ago. We got out of the cars and got right back in when we felt how cold and windy it was. Once the bikes were unloaded, we got on our bikes and took off, wanting to get to lower, warmer, and less windy grounds asap. After half an hour or so, the temperature became tolerable and we were enjoying ourselves. The views were amazing, just like my previous visit. However, I was experiencing them in a very different mindstate than my first time, being with my family and having done so many things since my visit back in September.
The ride was a lot of fun, but the lack of functioning breaks and gears made it somewhat difficult and sometimes scary, when Annie or Ellie went flying past me at high speeds approaching sharp turns.
Back at the hotel, we relaxed doing much the same thing we did before. The only difference was that it was Christmas Eve, and we all couldn`t believe it.
The next morning, Ellie, being the first one awake, woke everyone up at 8:30 and we had a nice morning opening presents. At 11, the kids all went horsebackriding. We met our guide, who accompanied us on an old bike. The ride lasted two hours and took us down nice roads with nice views and through a nearby town`s center. My horse, which I gladly traded to William halfway through the ride, was nuts. I was constantly pulling back on the reins as hard as I could. If I let my guard down for even a moment, the great beast would take off at frightening speeds.
For dinner, we got a car to a nearby hotet and had a nice dinner that was preceded by a small firework show and all sorts of problems with our car, a snotty couple, and a long wait. It was a great Christmas day, but not being at home or in the home of a relative felt strange.
The next morning, we were picked up at 5:30 AM and drove back to the airport in Quito where we got out flight to The Galapagos Island. Oh man, it was incredible. As we stepped out of the plane, we instantly felt the extreme heat that was so different to what we had been experiencing on the mainland. We packed into a crowded bus then got a little boat across a channel. Then we got in out nice, air conditioned private bus with other people staying at our hotel. We visited huge sink holes and a massive, naturally created tunnel created by eruptions of the island`s volcano before going to see the world famous Galapagos Giant Tortoises. They were similiar to the Giant Tortoises at Santa Martha, but there were many more and some of them were much bigger. These things are massive, dinosaur-like creatures whose top speed is simply laughable. Then we drove into Puerto Ayora, the main city on the island, Isla Santa Cruz. We got a boat from our hotel to a path leading to our hotel. One of the first thing we saw as we strolled down the walkway towards our hotel was a group of marine iguanas at the beach, chilling out taking in the sun. Our hotel was right on a nice beach, and shortly after checking in Will, Annie, Ellie and I rushed off to Las Grietas, a strange but incredily beautiful place. It is a spot where freshwater and saltwater are combined, and the turqoise-blue body of water is long and skinny and flanked by high cliffs. Cliffjumping time! After checking the depth, I climbed up about 15 feet and jumped down into the cool, refreshing water. Then being totally sure of the depth, I climbed up to the top (about 50 feet high) and jumped in. It was awesome. The girls had a good time watching, swimming, and jumping off the low ledge. Will took a few jumps from the low ledge before gaining confidence in himself and jumping off the big cliff. Oh man, he decided to do the old lifeguard jump, and the resulting SLAP frightening but funny. The undersides of his arms were bright red and he was definitely hurting. We hung out at the hotel that night, enjoying a nice dinner and the hotels comforts. Unfortunately, Mom was feeling sick and turned in early before dinner. During the night, Ellie also got sick so the two of them decided to skip the next day`s excursion.
The next morning, Dad, Will, Annie, and I got up early and met the hotel`s group that was going on the excursion. We got on the Sea Finch, our hotel`s beautiful boat that would be taking us to various spots on different island for the next few days. After a two hour trip, we arrived at a beach on another island, and we were greated by an enthusiastic group of baby sea lions! They were adorable, and lost no time flopping over each other to get a better look at the strange humans. Adult sea lions were sprawled out all over the beach enjoying the sun`s warm rays.
We took a short hike around the area, seeing cactuses with odd shapes and land iguanas. We went back to the Sea Finch and had a light snack before cruising to a nearby spot for some snorkling. This was, HANDS DOWN, the best snorkling I have ever done in my life. The water was crystal clear and I saw huge schools of big fish with colors vibrant and varied, ominous galapagos sharks, and big rays. Then we went to a new spot to snorkel with sea lions. They were in a little cove, but out guide warned us to be careful of the alpha male who was relaxing nearby. I got in the cove and one big sea lions took a great interest in me. He was so eager to see me that his nose touched my mask, and we stared at each other for a brief moment. Then the alpha male started barking and coming towards us, so we jetted out of that cove and back to the boat real fast.
Back at the hotel, Mom, Dad, Will, and I walked over to Las Grietas. Will and I did some cliff jumping then snorkled for a bit. That night we relaxed as usual.
The next day held another great excursion for us. We went to a spot on Isla Santa Cruz to see a huge colony of sea lions. Then we took a hike around the area, and the landscape seriously looked like it would be better at home on Mars than on Earth. Big, funky cactuses all around and some low, red plant that was growing all over. We saw lots of blue footed boobies (awesome birds endemic to the Galapagos) and what our guide explained was the `bachelor`s pad,´ an area where alpha males would come to recover after being beated by another male in a fight. It was great.
After the hike we snorkled nearby, and today it was much foggier than the day before but it was still awesome. We went back at the hotel and enjoyed another evening of relaxation in the hot tub or by the pool reading.
The next day was amazing. We were on the Sea Finch in the morning, and someone spotted a few dolphins, ahead in the distance. 15 minutes later, they were EVERYWHERE! There must have been well over twenty of them. A group of 5 or 6 started swimming right in front of the boat, and one did a massive jump out of the water less than 10 feet away from the front of the boat. It was as if they were greeting us. After we stopped, we went out in the small boat for a closer look at the dolphins. It was just as cool as before, except we were much lower and had a better view. Then we snorkled with them, and it was definitely one of the top three experiences I`ve had with animals in my entire life. There were dolphins all around us, swimming all over the place. At one point I counted 7 or 8 swimming together in a group. These animals have such a majestic way of moving through the water. Allthough some of them are huge, they cut through the water smoothly, with an amazing grace. Oh man it was incredible. A sea turtle also decided to check the scene out and slowly swam by under o ut feet. A fat shark appeared out of nowhere and we hurried back to the boat, all more than satisfied with what we has seen. We moved closer to shore where we snorkled around, seeing lots of fish before finding a sea lion. The first thing I saw was Will, floating vertically in the water while one of his flippers was gnawed on by this sea lion. We were joined by another sea lion, and we played with them for a while. It was so much fun, they swam along with us and right up to us. Myself and several others received a couple of playful bites that did not really seem playful. Then we got in the boat in search of the Galapagos Penguins, but we only found one lone fellow standing by himself on a rock.
Back at the hotel, we all sat down together after cleaning up for me to open presents. Whoops! I forgot to say that it was my 19th birthday, and could not have asked for a better day. I got lots of good gifts from everyone and we had a great dinner. All in all, it was a fantastic birthday.
The next day we got up early and went to the Charles Darwin Center and saw baby tortoises no bigger than the palm of my hand, more HUGE tortoises, and Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his species. Then, sadly, we drove to the airport to get our flight to Quito. The Galapagos were awesome. Most definitely one of the main highlights of my trip.
Back in Quito, we checked back into Mansion del Angel and went out for an awesome dinner at an Argentinian steakhouse. Will and I went to Finn McCools, an Irish pub I had visited when I first arrived in South America.
The next day, we walked around the Old Town again doing a little shopping and getting some tasty food. Then we went back to our hotel before going to a nearby `parade` which was actually just tons of stands and huge stages with big dolls that were mainly poking fun at various politician. One stand titled The Fantastic Four impersonated George Bush as Dr. Doom! It was lots of fun.
We chilled for a while back at the hotel before going out for our New Year`s Eve dinner. It was a good meal at a nice place, but it was somewhat hard for me to enjoy it, knowing that it would be the last family dinner we would have in a long time. After dinner, we went back to the hotel and everyone hit the sack, except for Will and I. We went out for some New Year`s festivites and hit the streets and were delighted to find fireworks and beer for sale all over the place (our excitement was almost totally for the fireworks). It was crazy, people were setting off huge fireworks right in the center of the city as police officers enjoyed the show. There were fires all over the street, the remnants of lifesize puppets made for the sole purpose of setting on fire.
The next morning, my family left the hotel early for the airport and I miserably crawled back into bed.
Saturday, 5 January 2008
Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu
So, I was so relieved to be in Cusco. I decided I would leave the next day to go to Puno, the city in Peru right next to Lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the world. I also ended up booking the four day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
I left Cusco the day after I arrived at 10 PM. I arrived in Puno at around 5 AM, exhausted. I walked into the bus terminal, and instantly I had two or three guys trying to get me to go on a tour of Lake Titicaca with their agency. I ended up getting together with another American and a Brit, and together with our increased bargaining power we were able to get a very good price for a 2-day and 1-night tour.
The man with whom we booked our tour took us to a hostel where we ate breakfast and met up with other members of our group. At about 7 AM, we were off. We squezzed into a van and drove to the port of Puno on the Lake. Our driver showed us to our boat, where we met more group members and our guide, Zakaria. After seeing how many people were in our group, I understood why we were able to get such a cheap price. We left the port, and Zakaria started giving us basic information on ´Las Islas Flotantes,´ the floating islands. These islands are completely made of reeds by people who live on the islands. Back in pre-Incan times, people decided to make and live on reed islands on Lake Titicaca to escape the conquests of other pre-Incan people who had said they must join them and adapt to their way of life or die.
We arrived at the reed islands about thirty minutes after leaving the port, and I was instantly in awe. There were many islands, and we landed on one and got out for a look around and an information session. As I stepped on to the island, I felt my foot sink down a few inches and it was very obvious that I was not standing on real ground. It was very cool to see the islas flotantes, but they were very touristy. It was clear that a large part of the lives of the people on these islands relies on tourism.
We left the islas flotantes and started the two hour boat ride to Isla Amantani, one of the two important island on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca (part of the lake is in Bolivia). Due to my lack of sleep the night before, I passed out and slept like a rock for most of the journey. When we arrived on the island, we were assigned our host family. I was put together with Joachim, a German carpenter and Jorgio, an Italian lawyer, and we stayed in the small and simple house of a man named Vicente.
We got to Vicente´s house and had a small lunch before walking over to the main plaza of the small town to meet our group. Once the group had assembled, we started the climb to the top of a small mountain on the island. Along the way, we stopped several times and Zakaria gave us information about the island, the way of life of the people, and how the people had lived in pre-Incan times. At the top of the mountain, the views were incredible. We could see nearby islands, and the lake seemed to go on forever at some points. It really looked more like a sea than a lake. We climbed back down to the town, met up with Vicente and went back to his house where we had dinner (unotunately, another small meal). After dinner, Vicente brought us tradition clothing of the men on Isla Amantani, and we all dressed up and went over to the community center where a dance was taking place. It was very funny. Our whole group was dressed up, and many of the locals were there dancing with us. We all tried to do the dance correctly, but I am positive not one of us was doing so.
That night, there was a huge storm that lasted all night long and into the next day. I woke up several times during the night, very disoriented due to the noise of the heavy rain on our sheet-metal roof and the total lack of light in our room.
The next morning, it was still raining but not quite as hard as during the night. We had a light breakfast before heading over to our boat. We left the island after saying goodbye to our hosts, and headed for Isla Taquile, the other important island on the Peruvian side of the gigantic lake.
We arrived at Isla Taquile and were dissapointed that the rain had not stopped. Nonetheless, we all threw on our rain jackets and started the walk towards the island`s small town center. Once again, we heard a lot about the island and saw some incredible views. It was great, but of the two island Amantani was my favorite. Before we got back on the boat to head back to Puno, I decided to take a quick dip in the lake. I stripped down to my boxers and jumped in the ice cold water. After about thiry seconds, I was more than ready to get out.
I had an amazing time on the tour, and decided that I had to see the Bolivian side of the lake. We got back to Puno around 4 PM, and I got a bus back to Cusco at 8 PM after relaxing and having a nice meal with several members of the group.
I got to Cusco at around 4 AM, and I went straight to my hostel and hit the sack. I woke up around 10, and started taking care of some last minute things I had to do before starting the Inca Trail.
The next day, I woke up at 6 AM and got dressed and ready to take off. I got picked up at around 7, and couldn`t wait to get started on the trek. We drove for about 2 hours total until we reached our starting point. It was here that I met all the members of the group, which proved to be very diverse and full of interesting people. There was an Australian couple travelling all over the world for 12 months, an Australian travelling for three months before going back to University, three Brazillians travelling for five weeks over vacation, one English man travelling around Peru for a month over vacation, and three Canadians (a son with his mother and step father) travelling around Peru. I was the only American.
The first day of the trek was awesome and easy. The scenery was awesome, and we got very lucky with the weather so I was able to hike in shorts and a tee shirt all day. When we were almost at camp, we arrived at a high point looking out onto an incredible Incan city. Our campsite was really nice, being situated on a small feild, looking out onto surrounding mountains. At tea time, our guide asked if any of us were Catholic, and said that there was a service for the nearby town. I decided to join him.
The church was a small, dark room lit only by three candles and full with people who looked like they just finished work on the feild. Many women had small babies on their backs, and children scampered in and out of the church laughing with each other.
The next day, we woke up at 5:30 when two of the porters came around to each tent giving us ´mate de coca,´coca leaf tea. After packing up, we had breakfast at 6 and were on our way by 6:45. This day was not easy. The first four hours (or more, for some people) were pure uphill. Steep steps leading upwards that never seemed to end. Finally, I arrived at the top with legs of lead and lungs of fire. The next hour was pure downhill and I arrived at our camp with Duncan, the Australian student, at around 11 and we chilled out for the rest of the day.
The third day was almost pure downhill. I decided to take it easy and go nice and slow, and didn`t get to camp until around 5:30, we had left around 7 that morning. We didn`t get so lucky with the weather that day. It rained all day long and most views were obscured by the fog. We saw a couple Incan ruins and went through two tunnels that were also made by the Incans. Even though we had bad weather, I still enjoyed myself and had a great day.
The fourth and final day, we woke up at 4 AM so we could arrive at the Sun Gate, the first view of Machu Picchu, for sunrise. We didn`t get to the sungate until around 7 AM, well after the sunrise. When we arrived, I was very dissapointing. It wasn`t raining, but nearly the entire city was covered by fog. We relaxed at the Sun Gate for almost an hour, and as we left the fog started to clear. Thiry minutes later, the sun was shining and Machu Picchu was revealed in all its glory! It was incredible. Truly amazing to see this ancient city in the mountains and know that it was once full with people, thousands of years ago. I was so happy that the weather turned out well. In fact, it turned out great. I changed into my sandals, shorts and a tea shirt and ended up getting sunburned!
We all dropped our bags off at the main entrance, and stayed together as a group for a tour of the ruins, and then split up. Duncan and I left the group to climb Wayna Picchu, the tall mountain peak right next to the city. The climb up was very steep, but only about half an hour, a piece of cake for us Inca-trailers. The views from the top were unreal. We could see the entire city of Machu Picchu and all the surrounding mountains. Duncan and I relaxed up top for well over an hour, taking in the scenery and basking in the sun. Then we hiked back down to Machu Picchu, got our things, and started the hour hike to Aguas Calientes, the nearest town.
We met up with our group in Aguas Calientes, said goodbye to out two guides and hopped on the train back to Cusco.
That night, I went out with a few people from the group and had a really good time. Unfortunately, the next morning I had to be at the airport at 6:30 for my 8:30 flight to Quito, Ecuador where I would be meeting my family for Christmas. The next morning, I slept through my alarm, and woke up at 7:45 and started panicing. I still hadn`t packed, so I threw my stuff into my backpack, ran outside and got a taxi to the airport. Thank God, I got on my plane and arrived safely in Quito that afternoon.
I left Cusco the day after I arrived at 10 PM. I arrived in Puno at around 5 AM, exhausted. I walked into the bus terminal, and instantly I had two or three guys trying to get me to go on a tour of Lake Titicaca with their agency. I ended up getting together with another American and a Brit, and together with our increased bargaining power we were able to get a very good price for a 2-day and 1-night tour.
The man with whom we booked our tour took us to a hostel where we ate breakfast and met up with other members of our group. At about 7 AM, we were off. We squezzed into a van and drove to the port of Puno on the Lake. Our driver showed us to our boat, where we met more group members and our guide, Zakaria. After seeing how many people were in our group, I understood why we were able to get such a cheap price. We left the port, and Zakaria started giving us basic information on ´Las Islas Flotantes,´ the floating islands. These islands are completely made of reeds by people who live on the islands. Back in pre-Incan times, people decided to make and live on reed islands on Lake Titicaca to escape the conquests of other pre-Incan people who had said they must join them and adapt to their way of life or die.
We arrived at the reed islands about thirty minutes after leaving the port, and I was instantly in awe. There were many islands, and we landed on one and got out for a look around and an information session. As I stepped on to the island, I felt my foot sink down a few inches and it was very obvious that I was not standing on real ground. It was very cool to see the islas flotantes, but they were very touristy. It was clear that a large part of the lives of the people on these islands relies on tourism.
We left the islas flotantes and started the two hour boat ride to Isla Amantani, one of the two important island on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca (part of the lake is in Bolivia). Due to my lack of sleep the night before, I passed out and slept like a rock for most of the journey. When we arrived on the island, we were assigned our host family. I was put together with Joachim, a German carpenter and Jorgio, an Italian lawyer, and we stayed in the small and simple house of a man named Vicente.
We got to Vicente´s house and had a small lunch before walking over to the main plaza of the small town to meet our group. Once the group had assembled, we started the climb to the top of a small mountain on the island. Along the way, we stopped several times and Zakaria gave us information about the island, the way of life of the people, and how the people had lived in pre-Incan times. At the top of the mountain, the views were incredible. We could see nearby islands, and the lake seemed to go on forever at some points. It really looked more like a sea than a lake. We climbed back down to the town, met up with Vicente and went back to his house where we had dinner (unotunately, another small meal). After dinner, Vicente brought us tradition clothing of the men on Isla Amantani, and we all dressed up and went over to the community center where a dance was taking place. It was very funny. Our whole group was dressed up, and many of the locals were there dancing with us. We all tried to do the dance correctly, but I am positive not one of us was doing so.
That night, there was a huge storm that lasted all night long and into the next day. I woke up several times during the night, very disoriented due to the noise of the heavy rain on our sheet-metal roof and the total lack of light in our room.
The next morning, it was still raining but not quite as hard as during the night. We had a light breakfast before heading over to our boat. We left the island after saying goodbye to our hosts, and headed for Isla Taquile, the other important island on the Peruvian side of the gigantic lake.
We arrived at Isla Taquile and were dissapointed that the rain had not stopped. Nonetheless, we all threw on our rain jackets and started the walk towards the island`s small town center. Once again, we heard a lot about the island and saw some incredible views. It was great, but of the two island Amantani was my favorite. Before we got back on the boat to head back to Puno, I decided to take a quick dip in the lake. I stripped down to my boxers and jumped in the ice cold water. After about thiry seconds, I was more than ready to get out.
I had an amazing time on the tour, and decided that I had to see the Bolivian side of the lake. We got back to Puno around 4 PM, and I got a bus back to Cusco at 8 PM after relaxing and having a nice meal with several members of the group.
I got to Cusco at around 4 AM, and I went straight to my hostel and hit the sack. I woke up around 10, and started taking care of some last minute things I had to do before starting the Inca Trail.
The next day, I woke up at 6 AM and got dressed and ready to take off. I got picked up at around 7, and couldn`t wait to get started on the trek. We drove for about 2 hours total until we reached our starting point. It was here that I met all the members of the group, which proved to be very diverse and full of interesting people. There was an Australian couple travelling all over the world for 12 months, an Australian travelling for three months before going back to University, three Brazillians travelling for five weeks over vacation, one English man travelling around Peru for a month over vacation, and three Canadians (a son with his mother and step father) travelling around Peru. I was the only American.
The first day of the trek was awesome and easy. The scenery was awesome, and we got very lucky with the weather so I was able to hike in shorts and a tee shirt all day. When we were almost at camp, we arrived at a high point looking out onto an incredible Incan city. Our campsite was really nice, being situated on a small feild, looking out onto surrounding mountains. At tea time, our guide asked if any of us were Catholic, and said that there was a service for the nearby town. I decided to join him.
The church was a small, dark room lit only by three candles and full with people who looked like they just finished work on the feild. Many women had small babies on their backs, and children scampered in and out of the church laughing with each other.
The next day, we woke up at 5:30 when two of the porters came around to each tent giving us ´mate de coca,´coca leaf tea. After packing up, we had breakfast at 6 and were on our way by 6:45. This day was not easy. The first four hours (or more, for some people) were pure uphill. Steep steps leading upwards that never seemed to end. Finally, I arrived at the top with legs of lead and lungs of fire. The next hour was pure downhill and I arrived at our camp with Duncan, the Australian student, at around 11 and we chilled out for the rest of the day.
The third day was almost pure downhill. I decided to take it easy and go nice and slow, and didn`t get to camp until around 5:30, we had left around 7 that morning. We didn`t get so lucky with the weather that day. It rained all day long and most views were obscured by the fog. We saw a couple Incan ruins and went through two tunnels that were also made by the Incans. Even though we had bad weather, I still enjoyed myself and had a great day.
The fourth and final day, we woke up at 4 AM so we could arrive at the Sun Gate, the first view of Machu Picchu, for sunrise. We didn`t get to the sungate until around 7 AM, well after the sunrise. When we arrived, I was very dissapointing. It wasn`t raining, but nearly the entire city was covered by fog. We relaxed at the Sun Gate for almost an hour, and as we left the fog started to clear. Thiry minutes later, the sun was shining and Machu Picchu was revealed in all its glory! It was incredible. Truly amazing to see this ancient city in the mountains and know that it was once full with people, thousands of years ago. I was so happy that the weather turned out well. In fact, it turned out great. I changed into my sandals, shorts and a tea shirt and ended up getting sunburned!
We all dropped our bags off at the main entrance, and stayed together as a group for a tour of the ruins, and then split up. Duncan and I left the group to climb Wayna Picchu, the tall mountain peak right next to the city. The climb up was very steep, but only about half an hour, a piece of cake for us Inca-trailers. The views from the top were unreal. We could see the entire city of Machu Picchu and all the surrounding mountains. Duncan and I relaxed up top for well over an hour, taking in the scenery and basking in the sun. Then we hiked back down to Machu Picchu, got our things, and started the hour hike to Aguas Calientes, the nearest town.
We met up with our group in Aguas Calientes, said goodbye to out two guides and hopped on the train back to Cusco.
That night, I went out with a few people from the group and had a really good time. Unfortunately, the next morning I had to be at the airport at 6:30 for my 8:30 flight to Quito, Ecuador where I would be meeting my family for Christmas. The next morning, I slept through my alarm, and woke up at 7:45 and started panicing. I still hadn`t packed, so I threw my stuff into my backpack, ran outside and got a taxi to the airport. Thank God, I got on my plane and arrived safely in Quito that afternoon.
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Rejection and the Resulting Journey To Cusco, Peru
So, I left the community with the plans of going through Bolivia to get to southern Peru. I got to the border town of Brasileia the night after I left. I decided to go straight to Bolivia that night. Upon seeing my passport, the first thing the immigration official asked me was, "Visa?" Visa, what? I needed a visa? Apparently, starting at the beginning of that month, all citizens of the USA needed a visa in order to enter Bolivia. Well, thats great. I got rejected at the Bolivian border. The official told me that I could come back the next morning and get a visa, no problem. Ok, thats not so bad, I thought. I found myself a cheap hostel in Brasileia and hit the sack.
The next morning, I set out to get money from an ATM. My two cards were rejected by three different banks which happened to be the only three banks in the town. I used my last reia (about 50 cents) to buy myself a small snack and figured I would just have to get money in Bolivia. That meant I would have to walk to the border, and somehow get to the border town in Bolivia. I got my things together in the hostel, put on my rain jacket, and set out into the pouring rain to find the border. About an hour and a half later, after bad directions and broken flip flops, I arrived at the border. But then I was informed that I had to get a new exit stamp from the federal police in Brazil, because my exit stamp was yesterday. Half an hour later, I was back at the border, only to receive the very news I did not want to hear. I couldn´t get a visa. I did not have a passport photo, flight back to the states, or a hotel reservation. Great. I was rejected at the Bolivian border for the second time, flat broke, with no way of getting money.
Thankfully, God decided to show a little mercy in the form of great kindness by the border official. He did me a huge favor by taking me to a bank in the Bolivian town on the back of his tiny motorcycle and then back to the border. That guy really saved me, if he hadn´t done that I have no idea what I would have done. He also told me that, contrary to what I had previously thought, I could go directly into Peru from Brazil. I just had to get a bus to Assis, Brazil and then cross the border to Inapari, Peru.
Once in Inapari, I got a shared taxi to Puerto Maldonado. Right before arriving at about 1 AM, we had to cross a river via car ferry. This particular car ferry had a tiny motor and space for just one car. The man operating the ferry simply set up two planks of wood for the car to drive up onto the ferry. Getting on the ferry was easy and uneventfull, getting off was quite the opposit. Luckily, the other passengers and I got out of the car while we got on and off the ferry. When the driver backed onto the two planks of wood, on of the planks was pushed back and dropped, leaving the car on three wheels. It looked like it was about to fall off of the ferry. Luckily, after several minutes the driver was able to get the car back on it´s four wheels on the ferry before successfully backing down the two planks of wood.
The next day, I got on a bus that would take me directly to Cusco from Puerto Maldonado. Luckily, I got to the bus station right in time and got the last ticket available for the bus. This busride proved to be the worst one I have ever experienced. We left Puerto Maldonado at around 2 PM and arrived in Cusco around 7 AM the next morning. That is 17 hours, the first 14 of which were on one of the worst roads I´ve ever seen. To make things worse, we got a little rain making the road muddy. The bus was constantly rocking back and forth due to crater-like pot holes. We bottomed out numerous time on gravel, each time a horribly loud metal-on-rock sound was produced that could wake the dead. It certainly woke me up several times throughout the night. We also drifted around several turns and got stuck in several exceptionally muddy bits. It was scary. I got a terrible sleep, waking up at least once every hour. The next morning I felt horrible, due to the high altitude of Cusco, the infected cuts in my feet, and the soreness present throughtout my body. Regardless, I was there. I got there much faster than I thought I would have been able to, so, I guesse it was kindof a good thing I got rejected at the border.
I know I am way behind, and I will try to update again tomorrow.
The next morning, I set out to get money from an ATM. My two cards were rejected by three different banks which happened to be the only three banks in the town. I used my last reia (about 50 cents) to buy myself a small snack and figured I would just have to get money in Bolivia. That meant I would have to walk to the border, and somehow get to the border town in Bolivia. I got my things together in the hostel, put on my rain jacket, and set out into the pouring rain to find the border. About an hour and a half later, after bad directions and broken flip flops, I arrived at the border. But then I was informed that I had to get a new exit stamp from the federal police in Brazil, because my exit stamp was yesterday. Half an hour later, I was back at the border, only to receive the very news I did not want to hear. I couldn´t get a visa. I did not have a passport photo, flight back to the states, or a hotel reservation. Great. I was rejected at the Bolivian border for the second time, flat broke, with no way of getting money.
Thankfully, God decided to show a little mercy in the form of great kindness by the border official. He did me a huge favor by taking me to a bank in the Bolivian town on the back of his tiny motorcycle and then back to the border. That guy really saved me, if he hadn´t done that I have no idea what I would have done. He also told me that, contrary to what I had previously thought, I could go directly into Peru from Brazil. I just had to get a bus to Assis, Brazil and then cross the border to Inapari, Peru.
Once in Inapari, I got a shared taxi to Puerto Maldonado. Right before arriving at about 1 AM, we had to cross a river via car ferry. This particular car ferry had a tiny motor and space for just one car. The man operating the ferry simply set up two planks of wood for the car to drive up onto the ferry. Getting on the ferry was easy and uneventfull, getting off was quite the opposit. Luckily, the other passengers and I got out of the car while we got on and off the ferry. When the driver backed onto the two planks of wood, on of the planks was pushed back and dropped, leaving the car on three wheels. It looked like it was about to fall off of the ferry. Luckily, after several minutes the driver was able to get the car back on it´s four wheels on the ferry before successfully backing down the two planks of wood.
The next day, I got on a bus that would take me directly to Cusco from Puerto Maldonado. Luckily, I got to the bus station right in time and got the last ticket available for the bus. This busride proved to be the worst one I have ever experienced. We left Puerto Maldonado at around 2 PM and arrived in Cusco around 7 AM the next morning. That is 17 hours, the first 14 of which were on one of the worst roads I´ve ever seen. To make things worse, we got a little rain making the road muddy. The bus was constantly rocking back and forth due to crater-like pot holes. We bottomed out numerous time on gravel, each time a horribly loud metal-on-rock sound was produced that could wake the dead. It certainly woke me up several times throughout the night. We also drifted around several turns and got stuck in several exceptionally muddy bits. It was scary. I got a terrible sleep, waking up at least once every hour. The next morning I felt horrible, due to the high altitude of Cusco, the infected cuts in my feet, and the soreness present throughtout my body. Regardless, I was there. I got there much faster than I thought I would have been able to, so, I guesse it was kindof a good thing I got rejected at the border.
I know I am way behind, and I will try to update again tomorrow.
Monday, 17 December 2007
Fitio, Spiritual Offerings, Snake Attacks and more
So, the community turned out to be a very interesting experience indeed. My first week there, I took part in the Fitio, the ceremony in which men from the community go to the 'Casa de Fitio' (Fitio House) and make the hallucinogenic tea, ayahuasca (note, it is called ayahuasca when used with shamanism, when used with the Church of Santo Daime it is called Santo Daime, or Daime for short). Each fitio ceremony goes on for about two weeks, and I missed the first week which involved the gathering of the Jagube (the vine used in the tea) and the leaves and brewing of the tea. The week I was there involved more brewing of the tea and a final day was dedicated to cleanup. The process in which the tea is made is not only very interesting, it is very complex. Once the materials are gathered, the outside of the jagube needs to be scraped off with a knife. At any given time during the Fitio, there were in between 5 and 10 men, sitting on stools, scraping away. Then the jagube is put through a machine which shreds it, after which it is put into big pots along with the leaves in specific amounts. Then water is added into the pots, and the pots are placed over a blazing hot fire. I do not really understand the next part of the process, but I believe that the water is continually boiled down until the final product is reached. Daniel, the leader of the Fitio, told me that over the past two weeks 972 liters of Daime were made. Lots of this would stay in Mapia, but lots of it would also be sent to churches all over the world.
During my three weeks in ´la floresta´, I took part in several 'trabalhos' (works), equivalent to a mass in Christianity. The trabalhos range from few to many hours long, depending on the type. They consist of drinking Daime and either sitting and singing hymns, sitting in silent concentration, or singing hymns and dancing at the same time. Allthough the works were strange and I definitely got the feel that the religion is somewhat of a cult, they were very interesting and valuable experiences.
One night, I took place in an offering to the spirits with Tadeo, the man who helped me on the night of my arrival. We all went out into the jungle, laden with fruit, rice, sugar, crackers, bread, tobacco and more. As we walked, Tadeo stopped several times, apparently deciding whether or not we were in the 'correct' spot. After 20 minutes or so, the right spot was found. Tadeo told each of us to write the name of a deceased relative with whom we want to get into contact with on a candle seven times. Then we laid out all of our food on a bed of leaves, before lighting our candles and placing them infront of the offering. Tadeo then proceeded to chant and sing loudly. Eventually, he proclaimed it was time to close the offering and we all got our things together and walked back, leaving a huge feast for the insects and animals of the jungle. Then Tadeo gave me a cleansing bath, which both strange and interesting. We walked down to a spot right next to an 'igarape' and Tadeo told me to strip down. Then he told me to urinate into a bucket he gave me, which I did, despite my guesse as to what it was for. Tadeo took the bucket from me, poured a horrible smelling liquid into it, and started to chant while pouring the gruesome concoction over me. Once the bucket was empty, he told me to wipe myself off, making sure to wipe downwards. Then he told me to go into the igarape and completely wash myself off three times with the same bar of soap. Once I was done with this, Tadeo instructed me to toss the bar of soap over my shoulder. I did as I was told, but put a bit too much power into the toss and sent the bar of soap over the igarape onto the opposit bank, when it was supposed to go into the igarape. Whoops. Then Tadeo gave me a new bar of soap with which I had to wash myself off once more. I got out of the igarape, and tadeo poured another strange solution over me, this time it was warm and smelled really good, kind of like cinnamon. This second liquid made my skin tingle big time, and left me feeling clean and refreshed. And that was the end of my cleansing bath.
Another night, as we were walking back to our house after a work, we noticed some bats flying around in a feild. We decided to walk out into the feild for a closer look, and turns out there was an immense group of at least a hundred bats flying all over the place! Merle and I walked out into the center of the swarm, and these bats were everywhere, flying less than a foot away from our faces!
During my time in the town, I saw a total of four snakes. The first was a bright green tree dwelling snake that was right by our normal igarape crossing spot. Several people told us that yes, this snake was not only venomous, but deadly. There were about five local kids giving this thing hell. They were throwing rocks, sticks, bricks, and planks of wood at this thing and eventually they killed it. The second was a small, black snake I nearly stepped on on a jungle path. The third was a bright red snake a women brought over to our house, hanging it on the end of a stick after she had badly injured it. Yes, this snake was also deadly. The fourth snake I saw involves a very interesting story. Two nights before I left, there was a very important trabalho in the main church. After arriving, I sat down on a chair on a porch that is part of the church. As soon as my butt hit the seat, I felt something move against my side and give me a quick bit under my armpit. I stood up, half laughing, saying 'Something just bit me!' thinking it was an insect or something. Merle shined his flashlight, and as soon as I saw what was there my smile dissapeared and fear that I have never felt before flooded my brain. 'Oh shit, it`s a snake!' Merle said. There, half in the shadows, was the back half of a grey-brown snake slithering off the edge of the porch. Before I knew it the snake was gone, my heart was thumping like a heavy baseline, and I was struggling to keep a grip. I was so terrified, about to cry and go crazy at the same time. Was I going to die? A guy named Miguel told me to lift up my shirt, and I prayed that there were no bite marks. Apparently my prayers went unanswered, because Miguel started squezzing the spot where the snake bit me and Merle and John later told me blood was oozing out of two holes about three inches apart. That means it was probably a big snake, no baby you`d find in your garden. Then Miguel sucked on the spot for a few minutes, after which we all hurried into the main room to ask for help from someone who knows their snakes. In under a minute, I was surrounded by a crowd of at least twenty people, everyone trying to get a look at the kid that got bit by a snake. I spoke with multiple people who inspected the bite marks, and asked me did I feel pain, what color was the snake, etc. I was told that if I was not in serious pain, I was probably ok. One older women then took me to a separate room, rubbed some herbs on the wound and did some prayers over it for about five minutes. Another women gave me a small bottle of liquid, and she told me to put a few drops in my mouth every hour or so. For the nexy half hour or so, I half expected myself to start convulsing and drop to the floor, but it turns out I was fine. That was definitely the scariest ten or fifteen minutes of my life, and I thank God that the situation ended the way it did.
I ended up staying for three weeks. It was definitely an incredible, extremely interesting experience that taught me a lot of things about myself and about life. I was sad to say goodbye not only to the community, but also to Merle and John, who I would not be seeing for at least another two or three weeks. I know I am a little behind, as I left over a week ago but I will update again in a couple days. Tomorrow I begin the four day Inca Trail leading to the famed Machu Picchu, the great city of the Incan empire. I`m keeping my fingers crossed that I am blessed with a rain-free trip, but do not expect that I will get lucky. Adios!
During my three weeks in ´la floresta´, I took part in several 'trabalhos' (works), equivalent to a mass in Christianity. The trabalhos range from few to many hours long, depending on the type. They consist of drinking Daime and either sitting and singing hymns, sitting in silent concentration, or singing hymns and dancing at the same time. Allthough the works were strange and I definitely got the feel that the religion is somewhat of a cult, they were very interesting and valuable experiences.
One night, I took place in an offering to the spirits with Tadeo, the man who helped me on the night of my arrival. We all went out into the jungle, laden with fruit, rice, sugar, crackers, bread, tobacco and more. As we walked, Tadeo stopped several times, apparently deciding whether or not we were in the 'correct' spot. After 20 minutes or so, the right spot was found. Tadeo told each of us to write the name of a deceased relative with whom we want to get into contact with on a candle seven times. Then we laid out all of our food on a bed of leaves, before lighting our candles and placing them infront of the offering. Tadeo then proceeded to chant and sing loudly. Eventually, he proclaimed it was time to close the offering and we all got our things together and walked back, leaving a huge feast for the insects and animals of the jungle. Then Tadeo gave me a cleansing bath, which both strange and interesting. We walked down to a spot right next to an 'igarape' and Tadeo told me to strip down. Then he told me to urinate into a bucket he gave me, which I did, despite my guesse as to what it was for. Tadeo took the bucket from me, poured a horrible smelling liquid into it, and started to chant while pouring the gruesome concoction over me. Once the bucket was empty, he told me to wipe myself off, making sure to wipe downwards. Then he told me to go into the igarape and completely wash myself off three times with the same bar of soap. Once I was done with this, Tadeo instructed me to toss the bar of soap over my shoulder. I did as I was told, but put a bit too much power into the toss and sent the bar of soap over the igarape onto the opposit bank, when it was supposed to go into the igarape. Whoops. Then Tadeo gave me a new bar of soap with which I had to wash myself off once more. I got out of the igarape, and tadeo poured another strange solution over me, this time it was warm and smelled really good, kind of like cinnamon. This second liquid made my skin tingle big time, and left me feeling clean and refreshed. And that was the end of my cleansing bath.
Another night, as we were walking back to our house after a work, we noticed some bats flying around in a feild. We decided to walk out into the feild for a closer look, and turns out there was an immense group of at least a hundred bats flying all over the place! Merle and I walked out into the center of the swarm, and these bats were everywhere, flying less than a foot away from our faces!
During my time in the town, I saw a total of four snakes. The first was a bright green tree dwelling snake that was right by our normal igarape crossing spot. Several people told us that yes, this snake was not only venomous, but deadly. There were about five local kids giving this thing hell. They were throwing rocks, sticks, bricks, and planks of wood at this thing and eventually they killed it. The second was a small, black snake I nearly stepped on on a jungle path. The third was a bright red snake a women brought over to our house, hanging it on the end of a stick after she had badly injured it. Yes, this snake was also deadly. The fourth snake I saw involves a very interesting story. Two nights before I left, there was a very important trabalho in the main church. After arriving, I sat down on a chair on a porch that is part of the church. As soon as my butt hit the seat, I felt something move against my side and give me a quick bit under my armpit. I stood up, half laughing, saying 'Something just bit me!' thinking it was an insect or something. Merle shined his flashlight, and as soon as I saw what was there my smile dissapeared and fear that I have never felt before flooded my brain. 'Oh shit, it`s a snake!' Merle said. There, half in the shadows, was the back half of a grey-brown snake slithering off the edge of the porch. Before I knew it the snake was gone, my heart was thumping like a heavy baseline, and I was struggling to keep a grip. I was so terrified, about to cry and go crazy at the same time. Was I going to die? A guy named Miguel told me to lift up my shirt, and I prayed that there were no bite marks. Apparently my prayers went unanswered, because Miguel started squezzing the spot where the snake bit me and Merle and John later told me blood was oozing out of two holes about three inches apart. That means it was probably a big snake, no baby you`d find in your garden. Then Miguel sucked on the spot for a few minutes, after which we all hurried into the main room to ask for help from someone who knows their snakes. In under a minute, I was surrounded by a crowd of at least twenty people, everyone trying to get a look at the kid that got bit by a snake. I spoke with multiple people who inspected the bite marks, and asked me did I feel pain, what color was the snake, etc. I was told that if I was not in serious pain, I was probably ok. One older women then took me to a separate room, rubbed some herbs on the wound and did some prayers over it for about five minutes. Another women gave me a small bottle of liquid, and she told me to put a few drops in my mouth every hour or so. For the nexy half hour or so, I half expected myself to start convulsing and drop to the floor, but it turns out I was fine. That was definitely the scariest ten or fifteen minutes of my life, and I thank God that the situation ended the way it did.
I ended up staying for three weeks. It was definitely an incredible, extremely interesting experience that taught me a lot of things about myself and about life. I was sad to say goodbye not only to the community, but also to Merle and John, who I would not be seeing for at least another two or three weeks. I know I am a little behind, as I left over a week ago but I will update again in a couple days. Tomorrow I begin the four day Inca Trail leading to the famed Machu Picchu, the great city of the Incan empire. I`m keeping my fingers crossed that I am blessed with a rain-free trip, but do not expect that I will get lucky. Adios!
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Going DEEP into the Jungle
So, the flight to Rio Branco presented no problems, except for a five minute scare in which I thought I lost my passport. The flight got to the airport at around 2 AM, and there were no buses into the center. If I wanted to take a taxi to the center and stay at a hotel, I would have spent a ton of money, so I decided to stay at the airport. I befriended the two security guards, who took pleasure in telling me all about the area and about Acre, the state of Brazil I would be going to the next day. They showed me a spot where I could set up my sleeping bag, and I was out like a light.
The next morning, I got a bus to the center, then a bus to Boco do Acre. The bus was hot, smelly, and packed with people. Next two me, two little boys squirmed in their seat (singular) as I tried to get some sleep. Four hours and about a thousand potholes later, we arrived in Boco do Acre. Boco do Acre is a small town just of the Rio Purus in the state of Acre. That night I tried to figure out a boat for the next morning to take me to the small community deep in the jungle where I would be meeting my two friends, Merle and John.
The next day, I luckily met Marcio, a man that could take me that same day. According to him, the trip would take about twelve hours total, with a stopover halfway there for the night. At around 11 AM, I loaded my bag into his small wooden boat, equipped with a 13 horsepower motor. We cruised down the Rio Purus for a couple hours, before turning off onto a small river which would eventually lead us to the community. We stopped at around 6 PM at a small village called Fazenda. We went to Marcio´s friend´s house, ate some dinner, and hit the sack early (the sack consisted of my sleeping bag on a hard wooden floor).
We took off a little before 7 AM the next morning, and didn´t arrive until around 5 or 6 that evening. In total, was a long 17 hours. Once in the community, I set out to find Merle and John. I had an idea of where they would be staying, so, in the dark, I asked around for the ¨Hotel do Cidgey¨and eventually found it. Once there, I was informed that Merle and John were no longer staying there but Tadeo, the man working there, was more than happy to walk me over to the house in which they were staying. Luckily, on the way over to the house, we ran into Inca, the owner of the house, who told me I could also stay at her house. Inca is a kind, middle aged women from Columbia who has been living in the community for two years. She told us that Merle and John were at Oracao (pronounced Orasow), daily prayer from 6 to 7 PM. She showed me to the building in which Oracao is held, but said I would have to wait outside because I wasn´t wearing the proper attire. I waited outside for a few minutes, before a man came out and told me it was fine for me to come in.
As I walked up to the entrance, I saw Merle and John. Merle turned and looked at me, not recognizing me for a few minutes because I was still outside in the dark. Then his eyes lit up and he jumped up, came outside and gave me a big hug. John noticed I was there and did the same. They had been expecting me to arrive several days earlier, and both of them had been thinking some ill fate had bestowed itself on me.
We finished up Oracao, then headed back to Sao Joao, the house in which we stayed. Sao Joao is a fifteen minute walk from town that involved wading across an igarape (small river) and going down a nice jungle path. There was a bridge that went across the igarape the first couple days I was there, but someone knocked it down because it was too dangerous. It was 8 or 9 feet high, and Merle and John had not only broken a couple of the boards simply by walking over them, they had seen an older women slip and fall off because part of the bridge was tipped to the side! There is something I forgot to mention about the community. It is a community set up around thirty years ago by Padrino Sabastiao, one of the main pioneers of the religion, the Church of Santo Daime. Santo Daime is a religion that uses ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic tea brewed in the Amazon using a certain vine and leaf, as its sacrament. It is widely followed in Brazil but also has churches all over the world. It´s main influence is Christianity, with lesser influence by indigenous and African religions as well. The jungle town was originally self sufficient and had nothing to do with money, but since the death of Padrino Sebastiao in the early 90s, things have changed and life there is no longer as simple or self sufficient as it once was.
I have to go now to catch a 15 to 18 hours bus to Cusco, Peru. Expect another update in the next few days!
The next morning, I got a bus to the center, then a bus to Boco do Acre. The bus was hot, smelly, and packed with people. Next two me, two little boys squirmed in their seat (singular) as I tried to get some sleep. Four hours and about a thousand potholes later, we arrived in Boco do Acre. Boco do Acre is a small town just of the Rio Purus in the state of Acre. That night I tried to figure out a boat for the next morning to take me to the small community deep in the jungle where I would be meeting my two friends, Merle and John.
The next day, I luckily met Marcio, a man that could take me that same day. According to him, the trip would take about twelve hours total, with a stopover halfway there for the night. At around 11 AM, I loaded my bag into his small wooden boat, equipped with a 13 horsepower motor. We cruised down the Rio Purus for a couple hours, before turning off onto a small river which would eventually lead us to the community. We stopped at around 6 PM at a small village called Fazenda. We went to Marcio´s friend´s house, ate some dinner, and hit the sack early (the sack consisted of my sleeping bag on a hard wooden floor).
We took off a little before 7 AM the next morning, and didn´t arrive until around 5 or 6 that evening. In total, was a long 17 hours. Once in the community, I set out to find Merle and John. I had an idea of where they would be staying, so, in the dark, I asked around for the ¨Hotel do Cidgey¨and eventually found it. Once there, I was informed that Merle and John were no longer staying there but Tadeo, the man working there, was more than happy to walk me over to the house in which they were staying. Luckily, on the way over to the house, we ran into Inca, the owner of the house, who told me I could also stay at her house. Inca is a kind, middle aged women from Columbia who has been living in the community for two years. She told us that Merle and John were at Oracao (pronounced Orasow), daily prayer from 6 to 7 PM. She showed me to the building in which Oracao is held, but said I would have to wait outside because I wasn´t wearing the proper attire. I waited outside for a few minutes, before a man came out and told me it was fine for me to come in.
As I walked up to the entrance, I saw Merle and John. Merle turned and looked at me, not recognizing me for a few minutes because I was still outside in the dark. Then his eyes lit up and he jumped up, came outside and gave me a big hug. John noticed I was there and did the same. They had been expecting me to arrive several days earlier, and both of them had been thinking some ill fate had bestowed itself on me.
We finished up Oracao, then headed back to Sao Joao, the house in which we stayed. Sao Joao is a fifteen minute walk from town that involved wading across an igarape (small river) and going down a nice jungle path. There was a bridge that went across the igarape the first couple days I was there, but someone knocked it down because it was too dangerous. It was 8 or 9 feet high, and Merle and John had not only broken a couple of the boards simply by walking over them, they had seen an older women slip and fall off because part of the bridge was tipped to the side! There is something I forgot to mention about the community. It is a community set up around thirty years ago by Padrino Sabastiao, one of the main pioneers of the religion, the Church of Santo Daime. Santo Daime is a religion that uses ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic tea brewed in the Amazon using a certain vine and leaf, as its sacrament. It is widely followed in Brazil but also has churches all over the world. It´s main influence is Christianity, with lesser influence by indigenous and African religions as well. The jungle town was originally self sufficient and had nothing to do with money, but since the death of Padrino Sebastiao in the early 90s, things have changed and life there is no longer as simple or self sufficient as it once was.
I have to go now to catch a 15 to 18 hours bus to Cusco, Peru. Expect another update in the next few days!
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