Day 16 - Cusco Day Off

So today started off bitter sweet because late last night we had to say goodbye to our friend Beth who was heading out on another journey to La Paz. This was our free day off in Cusco so there were no activities officially planned for the group. We had a “sleep in”, which meant we slept until about 8:30 am because we needed to get to breakfast by 9:00 if we wanted it for free in our hotel.

With our Macchu Pichu tour tickets, we were given 2 free tickets to visit a church and a monastery. Though most of the group was checking out those wonderful historic sites, we were not so interested in one more day filled with ABC. We made a plan to meet them at this restaurant in town called Jack’s at around noon. After a lazy hour or so of showering and some internet catch-up, we met up with Daniel headed out for the day. Our first stop was to return the sleeping bags and poles that we had rented in Cusco. It was a relief to give back the equipment and get back our collateral- a medicare card and student ID. The only reason renting the equipment was an issue, was that we had decided to rent independently, instead of through the group because we were able to save quite a few bucks this way. Then we ventured into a Peruvian McDonalds (not the last of the trip) where we stood shocked by their full denim on denim uniforms, almost missing their breakfast hours. Thankfully Daniel ordered just in time and we were all energized for the rest of the morning.

Then we headed out to the sites where we had free tickets too and decided we would scalp our free church and monastery tickets and make some money for lunch! So off we went to join the tourism industry of street vendors. We stood outside the church for a few minutes and got rejected once before selling our first ticket which was worth 25 soles to some German tourists for $20 each. The transaction was quick and easy. The second set of tickets were much harder to sell and quite a walk from the main square. There didn’t seem to be anyone entering or even coming close to the monastary! After a few rejections and some reapplication of sunscreen, we were approached by a man who notice our inability to find any buyers and offered to buy our tickets (for less then our asking price). We assumed he was a tour guide and would re-sell them for full price but we did not care as we wanted to get on with our day and had plans to meet the group.

With our wallets full, we headed to a restaurant called Jack’s that our friends had eaten at the night before the hike and raved about. Boy, were they not lying! This place was amazing and you could tell it had been in the lonely planet because Jack’s was full of tourists and had a very nice American health-food type feel to it. We were waiting in line for a table when we noticed a group of girls sitting by the door. This was a group of girls we had kept bumping into ever since Puno we kid you not. We decided it was time to approach them and asked if they had noticed too but Daniel insisted they were way to “posh” and would not waste their time on us. So we grabbed a table without saying hello and waited for our group to meet us. Unfortunately after 15 or so minutes, it was clear that they were not going to show, so we switched to a smaller table and decided to splurge. We both had these delicious strawberry-lime frappes that were to die for. Then Daniel had a hamburger, Emily a veggie burger, and Lisa French toast. We then ordered a chocolate cake for dessert but had to take it to go because we were so so full.

Having procrastinated buying souvenirs the entire trip, we were off to the market after lunch. Having expected the market to be great in Cusco, we were disappointed with the lack of bargaining the people were willing to partake in. They were firm in not dropping their prices much more than the asking price! We grew frustrated and overwhelmed but we managed to buy all of our gifts and left the market slightly stressed. Luckily the sun was shining and we consoled ourselves with these amazing mango popsicles and chocolate cake. Then we headed back to the hotel and changed into some fresh clothes before heading to a nearby corner store.

Because tonight was the last night that the whole group was together, since about a quarter of the group was going home and not to the jungle, there was a big dinner planned at what we heard was a fancy restaurant. With our spending money running out, the three of us decided to buy some alcohol and pre-drink before dinner. So at this nearby shop, we bought some pisco and sprite and made a Peruvian version of Vodka7. We barely had time to drink them before we had to go so we transferred the concoction into water bottles and went on our way.

The restaurant we went to was really nice and had a great roof-top view. We took some photos, ate some food, drank a little too much and really enjoyed ourselves. Then we all planned to go out after and ended up spending the night at an Irish pub before heading next door for a game of darts. Not too later we headed to bed since we were all tired and had an early morning flight to the JUNGLE!

Day 15 - Machu Picchu!!!

So today was the day we had been waiting for our entire trip! We had to wake up at 4:30 am so that we could get in line early and be some of the first people to see machupicchu that day. The buses going up to machupicchu start at 5:30 and keep going as soon as they fill up. The entire ride is maybe 20 minutes but with winding roads and much anticipation it felt like the bus took FOREVER. Luckily we got on probably the 6th or 7th bus, arriving way before the sunrise. Then we met our tour guide and walked probably ten minutes to our first viewpoint of machupicchu. It was the classic postcard picture that we've all seen of the world wonder and it was really awesome. The sky was bright but there was still no sun yet it was time to go so we took a few pictures and then began our guided tour!

Firstly, as we were told several times on our trip, us westerners pronounce the name of this world wonder all wrong! 'Machu pichu' means "old dick", whereas when pronounced properly as' machu pick-chu', you are saying "old mountain". Important distinction!

Machu Picchu has several different sides with different constructions and terraces but it was built by the incas predominately as a place for the nobles to live. As impressive as the construction is, it is the natural scenery surrounding it that makes the site so outstanding with views of glaciers and mountains stretching as far as the eye can see. Machupicchu was ' discovered' in 1911 by an american who brought the site to the world stage but not before taking all the artifacts back with him to the States where they still remain at Yale University. He came to peru and by speaking to locals, he discovered ruins but they were totally covered by trees and other vegetation. Peru has attempted to reclaim these artifacts but they have failed to do so thus far which is unfortunate because the objects found at Machu Picchu really do belong at the actual site. 

Our tour guide was really great, one of the best so far. We saw the different houses and temples and go to walk along a few of the terraces. What was impressive was that certain buildings like the princess' house and the main temple had really well done brickwork. It is crazy to think that with construction as impressive as that and built methodically into trapezoidal structures to maximize stability was done before there was an modern equipment. In there centre of the site is where all the Incas used to gather to hear announcements made from a tower above. What is so fascinating is that in this one area, you are able hear the spoken words of people far away as high as the guard towers. This is probably why our tickets warn us to not yell or whistle! Then we saw the only bathroom in Machu Picchu (lisa's favourite part), which was really a little whole in the ground! Apparently they used to put ash in the bathroom to soak up the odors and bacteria. Other elements on the site were carved representations of animals such as condors and guinea pigs and there is a giant sun dial, which the Incas used to distinguish the seasons. 

During the tour, we could see the 5 members of our tour group that had hiked the inca trail. Their few days sounded wayyy more intense than our trek! They geot their own tour of and then quickly headed back to town to relax and eat. After our tour, we headed with daniel back to the viewpoint to take more pictures. The sun was now bright and the pictures look surreal, sortof like our faces were photoshopped into the scene! The other members of our group went to climb the actual Machu Pichu mountain which takes nearly 3 hours and we were feeling lazy, so we sat and chilled on some grass, staring at the amazing views.
At around noon (which felt a lot later since we woke up so early), guilt set in and we decided to walk up the 50 min hike to the sun gate. It was really hot out which was an amazing change of events so we took our time and regretted not purchasing more water. Finally we reached the top where we could see the entire Machu Picchu and sat down and started talking. I guess one couple sitting nearby was not too happy with us and they kept moving farther and farther away from us! Woops. 

Then we made our way down, took the bus back to town and met up with our friends from the Inca trail for some beer and snacks. This was followed by an early dinner with the entire group- and beth's farewell dinner! After dinner, we took a train and then a bus back to Cusco, where we arrived around 10:30. 
A long but really amazing day! It was great to have a place with so much hype live up to and even surpass our expectations!!

Day 14 - Last leg of the Lares Trek

We awoke to snow on the ground and a breakfast of omelets, toast and quiche. We put on every layer we had and begun our final day of the trek, which was a few hours downhill. We struggled a bit but luckily had some solid walking poles to relieve the pressure caused by walking on rocks. We trekked alongside waterfalls and rapids, sometimes having to walk through them. We barely cared since the sun was in the sky and our bodies finally felt warmth again. The hike ended in a small town and we were bused to Ollayantambo, a city we had previously visited on a tour of the sacred valley.

Then took a 2 hour train ride (Emily's first time on a train!) to the small town at the base of machupicchu. This is a really touristy place that basically has only one main strip. Our guide told us everyone living in this town works directly with tourism. We checked into a relatively nice looking hostel and had a well deserved shower! It was only after we dressed that we realized how dilapidated the hostel was but hey better than frost covered tents! Then our entire trek decided to hit the town. We walked around a bit before going to a "pub" WHICH, was really the front room of someone's house. We were leered by the ad claiming that beers were 4 for the price of 1 (turned out to be false) and that had a pool table and games. Besides for the false beer advertisement, the afternoon turned out to be great. With a little buzz and some weird techno music we had a hard time concentrating on our pool and scrabble game. Then we met the rest of the group for a quick dinner. This turned out to be the first place we actually had decent pizza. Everywhere else seems to favour cheese and dough at the cost of any other ingredient. This was probably the only benefit of being in a tourist town where everything is over priced and lacking culture. We went with Daniel to get snacks at a small store that attempted to charge us DOUBLE 51 instead of 24 soles for some drinks and crackers. Thanlfully we knew better! Then it was off to an early AMAZING sleep in a BED!

Day 12 & 13 - Lares Trek

Today was a big day, we left cusco in the morning for a 3 hour busride that was closer to 5 hours. Being on a large bus driving along a barely existent road that swerved over mountain cliffs did not make the time go any faster either. We then arrived at the town of Lares, our start point of our 3 day 2 night hiking trip on the Lares trail. Since we didn't book our trip far enough in advance and due to a backlog of tourists who had to reschedule due to the february flood, we didn't get permits for the Inca trail which actually leads into Machu Picchu. But we weren't alone, 10 of the 16 people on our tour were on the Lares trek with us...most of who we learnt were major outdoors people UNLIKE us.

The trek began nice and easy and we ate lunch at this little hot spring complex. No one on our trip opted to go into the hot pools, mostly because of the dark brown water but also because we had a different sort of entertainment from another tour group. This group seemed to be on some kind of yoga retreat. The leader was applying suntan lotion onto the women, helping them with poses all while remaining shirtless. Our entire trek was lined up watching and applauding the spectacle that looked a lot more sexual than yoga should be. Our friend Daniel said it best: "my mom took a yoga class once and I wouldn't be happy thinking her teacher touched her like this!"

Then it was time to get hiking. We started the hike at 2 pm and hiked for several hours. We only needed to carry day packs because were given duffle bags for the hike that we could fill with 6 kg worth of clothes and other junk. The duffles were carried by horses who were guided by several local porters. Luckily we carried small knapsacks packed with water and all the clothes required for the immediate and drastic temperature changes. We stopped a few times for pictures, snacks and to give gifts out to the local children.

Our first night we camped at a small village. When we arrived the porters had already set up our tents and had tea and snacks ready for us. Dinner was shortly after and we had a feast of soup, noodles, rice and trout. In our groups of porters we also had a chef and assistant chef responsible for the cooking. With the sun set, the temperature had dropped rapidly and there was only one nighttime activity option: bed. Although we rented sleeping bags in cusco that were supposed to be suitable for -20, we were definitely cold while attempting to sleep.

The next morning we were woken up at 630 am. The porters brought us warm water and soap to wash up with and then we retreated to the large food tent for some breakfast. We had pancakes, oatmeal, candied pears and toast. They don't do maple syrup in this country which takes some getting used to. We then finished packing up before beginning what became the hardest day of our trek. The guide also spent the morning teaching us and the other canadians a lesson by hiding out hiking poles that we had left outside our tent. This was a slightly frustrating way to start the morning and was indicative of what the next 6 hours would bring.

We spent most of the day at an altitude of _______. We climbed uphill for hours struggling to catch our breath that was affected by the rising altitude. It is a scary feeling being so out of breath. We tried to tell stories and sing to pass the time but this extra exertion only made the hike harder. We remained at the back of the group for the duration of the hike due to some unpleasant stomach issues. The assistant guide Christina stayed by our side for the day assuring us that we could go at our own pace. We grew pretty frustrated being in the back of a group that ranged in age from 20 to 50 but physically we could not keep their pace. We finally reached the hike's summit which was at ____ metres above sea level. We realized that our blog name was not in the least bit indicative of the actual highest point we would reach on this trip. The guide wanted us to get on the medical horse but we refused, settling instead by giving the horse our day packs. We were supposed to have lunch at the top but cold weather prevented us from doing so. This wasn't so bad since the rest of the trek was downhill. We had such a scenic few hours filled with ice glaciers, spooky forests, a blue lake and endless views of the Andes mountains. The horses had gone ahead with the porters so lunch could be prepared before our arrival. This also meant that our knapsacks went ahead too which was great until it started to drizzle and then rain and then pour AND THEN HAIL!

With our jackets stowed in our day packs there was no other option than to get soaking wet. We reached our second campsite which was isolated in a valley. We changed into dry clothes and snuggled up in our sleeping bags before lunch. We had a giant meal of soup, quinoa, noodles, stirfry, curry and of course tea. Once all stuffed up, we explored our surroundings which included a farmer's hut, a forest and a river. As the sun set, we made a great big bonfire which was an excellent way to warm us up and also dry our wet clothes. We had collected wood because fellow canadians Christina and Adam had brought ingredients for smores! Many of our trek members had never heard of them let alone try them! We roasted some marshmallows - the perfect appetizer. The sun sets so early that by 630 its pitch black and freezing. We huddled around the fire until dinner was ready. Yet again we were prepared a giant meal of chinese inspired food and some veggies. It did not take us long to get back to the fire where Lisa burnt her sock and Emily melted her glove slightly burning herself in the process. By then, the ground had frosted and bedtime was upon us (not that we could sleep in the cold.)

Day 11 - Cusco and the Sacred Valley

Today we went on a full-day tour of the Sacred Valley. Our first stop was to a place that supposedly makes authentic alpaca garments but everywhere we go seems to be made for tourists. It was freezing out so we got served some coca tea before watching a demonstration on the natural ingredients used to dye the wool. We saw how different colours come from plants and bugs, with the deepest red coming from these tiny grey bugs that live on cactuses.

Then we were off to Moray an Inca ruin that houses several sets of circular terraces that cascade downwards in a way that they appear almost like a spiral. What is really interesting is that each level has its own microclimate so the people experimented with these different levels and figured out what could grow at different temperatures and altitudes. We were able to walk down the terraces and sense the changes in temperature. We had an intense photoshoot at this location with our whole group taking to different levels and sitting along the bordering walls and step.

Once back on the bus, we headed off to the town of Ollantaytambo where we had one of the best lunches yet. The restaurant had a backyard so we were able to sit outside in the sun eating while viewing the ruins. After lunch we climbed some old inca temple called where the presented highlight was The Temple of the Sun. Truth is, we had a hard time focusing on what the detailed tour guide was saying all day but the just of it was that they used to transport large stones from quarrys far away because their size and strength were superior to the local rocks. Opposite the ruins was a rocky mountain that contained naturally sculpted faces that the Incas believed in. Apparently the sun shines in such a way that it hits one of the faces right in the eye. A lot of the details according to our tour guide come from hypothesis as there is no written explanation for most of the things that are present at these sites. Though we did not learn too much, we had lots of fun taking pictures in the stoney surroundings. We have taken a liking to copying all of honeymoon-esque pictures taken by christina and adam. They are in fact spending the last leg of their honeymoon on the tour and the running joke has become that it is "our" honeymoon. Our photography skills got us into a bit of trouble when we were ordered off some ruins by the guide! Luckily one of the tour members were able to get the shot before we jumped off.

Then it was off to a local market of Pisac where the townspeople sold a mixture of local produce and souvenir items. We picked up some hats and pants while some of our friends got local soccer jerseys. We went quickly onto the bus since the sun was setting and we still had one more locations: alpaca, llama and vicuna petting farm! We were able to get up close, feed them, pet them and take one too many photos. Lisa preferred to be the photographer as Emily got up close and personal with a few of the herd members...some of which had similar hair or rather fur!

Exhausted from the day, we hurried back to the hotel for an information session about the hike, a quick breakfast for dinner at a nearby restaurant and then finally we packed.

Day 9 - Lake Titicaca and Amantani home stay

Today was a great day, firstly because there were no long bus rides! We left our big bags in the hotel and packed up our small knapsacks. After learning our lesson in Colca where we froze, we stuffed our packs with many many many warm layers! Our guide Roger nicknamed us "the happy group," though I'm sure he does with this all his tours. He directed us outside where a row of rickshaws "the local limousines" awaited us! We took a ten minute ride to the port of Puno, on Lake Titicaca. This is a huge lake that belongs half to Peru and half to Bolivia. Though Roger likes to say he is pretty sure its more 60/40. We boarded a boat, the P.U.N.O, that was just for our group of 14. We learnt that most people in this region speak several native languages more often than spanish. Our first stop was at the floating islands. This was so cool! The islands are man made from reeds and their roots. Each is small and house around 6 families. We were told not to go behind the houses or we may sink (really though we think its where they hide their modern stuff) Then the guide showed us how they build the floating islands, which takes a lot of work and patience. Depending on the reason, they have to lay out new reeds once or twice a month to keep the surface from sinking. The kids go to an elementary school on one of the islands and then go to Puno for higher education. The people live very basic lives, with no electricity or running water, although they did have some tvs! With money from tourists, they are starting to buy solar panels. We spent some time on one of the islands and got tours of their houses. We also bought some "local" souvenirs being sold by the family. They are supposedly hand made by the people on the floating islands though we were suspicious since they looked like the stuff in shops in Puno. Emily bought a pillow case, Lisa a tapestry and both of us bought some reed boat things. Then we took a relaxing ride on a life-sized reed boat that took us to another island where we were able to get our passports stamped.

We got back on the "real" boat and after a couple of hours we arrived at our homestay island, Amantani. The main activity on the island is agriculture which is used to feed the inhabitants of the island. The women usually spend the day knitting hats and cooking. These peoples' ancestors were a pre-Inca people, and they figured out a lot of cool things, such as using terraces for agriculture in order to grow things at such high altitude. All the guides are really adamant to tell us about the pre- Inca civilizations. Even though the Incas are the most famous, they didn't invent things, rather they improved them. Around 8 years ago, the island started housing tourists, and they have used the money to buy solar panels and build up their homes.

We arrived at around one o'clock, and were met by our new 'mama' who took us back to her home where we met her son Bryan. We were rooming with Beth who is from B.C. so we were able to hand the family some Canadian souvenirs. After dropping our stuff off in our rooms, our mama took us into the kitchen where we were able to help prepare lunch. We tried to peel and wash the potatoes though our mama put us to shame with her quick hands. Lunch was absolutely delicious. On the island they are all vegetarians and they love Quinoa! We had a quinoa soup with potatoes and carrots and herbs... Yum yum yum. Then we had some Okra/Ochra potatoes that were so sweet it was hard to stop eating. After lunch our mama gave us some hand knitted hats before dropping us off at the main square. We met the rest of the group there and headed off on a short hike to the island top. It is quite shocking the way the altitude impairs your breathing. We had to take many breaks along the way. What's interesting though is that you regain your breath very quickly. We finally made it to the top. Lots of young kids were there selling bracelets which we were warned not to buy as it encourages kids to not pay attention in school. Instead we looked around and waited for the sunset. While killing some time, we made two friends from New York/ Vermont who we nicknamed "better versions of ourselves" mainly because they were in skinny jeans, volunteered beforehand, planned their own tour and were going to costa rica for vacation after their time in Peru...needless to say we were jealous! Then we hiked back down the hill, had dinner, a short siesta and then came the highlight of the day - the disco! Our mama dressed us up in native wear, a blouse, skirt, belt and headdress and led us to the disco. The boys wore hats and ponchos. Once there we danced the local dances similar to the tango and horrah. We shared some dances with our mama and papa as well as our new friends! It was a spectacular evening. By 9:30 we were wiped out and headed back to our home for bed. Tomorrow we head back to Puno for one night... and then CUSCO!

Day 8 - Puno

On sunday morning, we boarded yet another bus which took us from Arequipa to Puno. The ride was 6 hours but we got to watch a few movies which helped pass the time and created some trip inside jokes. The middle movie, Fireproof was a really horrible church movie about saving a marriage and finding jesus. Our friend's commentary helped get us through the cheesiness of the film. Though we can't deny that we were relieved when the next film was Beverly Hills Chiuahua... who could resist taking dogs?
We got to Puno at around 3, checked into our hotel and then we had a late lunch, which was more of a linner. Our guide said that it is not good to eat big meals before bed when at high altitude, so that worked out fine. Puno is at a higher altitude than Arequipa, at close to 4000 metres above sea level. We went to the bank to exchange more dollars into soles (dollars are really useless here despite what we were told predeparture). It is really interesting because the money exchange people won't accept any american bills that are written on or even have the slightest tear. Next, we went to do a bit of shopping. We each bought a sweater and a warm hat, both items which will be very useful for the rest of the trip...obviously our purchases matched, and once again we were dressed identically to the enjoyment of our trip mates. The ladies here are difficult to bargain with. Emily came up with a good method though: bring the price as low as they will go, and then hand them a few soles less, usually they take it. We also went to the grocery store on Sunday night to buy food for our island home stay families for the following night! We were told to buy basic non perishables, and so we bought sugar, flour, jam, pasta, tuna, rice, jam, etc. We also threw in a few canadian souvenirs.

Day 7 - Colca Canyon and the Condors.

So we had a nice 5am wake up. The high altitude did not bother us too badly, though Emily had a headache which is a symptom...nothing a little tylenol couldn't fix. We packed up, had some breakfast and coca tea and boarded the bus for some early morning sightseeing. We stopped in several places before reaching the canyon and even had a chance to see the sunrise! Our guide Omar was a very talkative man and we are pretty sure he talked for all five hours of the bus ride. His favorite expression being "my friends." After a few history lessons, we saw what is called the "terraces," patches of land that like stairs escalate to the top with each level dedicated to growing a certain crop as well as some other uses. We then stopped along the worlds most dangerous looking highway for a view of the hanging tombs. These are tombs on the cliffs of a mountain that are built up like mini rock formations. Apparently most have been destroyed either because of natural causes like a waterfall as well as the result of the highway's construction. There seems to be a theme on this trip of ill-preserved archaeological sites. In every city we have visited we have either viewed or heard about sites dating back thousands of years that are totally destroyed, a lot of the time because of looters who raided the tombs and areas in search of materials they could sell. Today we also tried a local fruit that tastes and looks like a kiwi on the inside but whose outside is more similar to porous pear, whatever that means. We also bought a new bracelet for our growing collection (now at two!) Finally, we were off to the canyon where we were hoping to see some condors, birds native to the canyon whose wing span spreads nearly 4 metres. The reason we got such an early start was because they are not always around later in the day. We walked along the canyon's edge for a bit over an hour until we reached the view point. Apparently the canyon goes down 3000 metres...luckily no one fell in ! Once there we saw a half a dozen condors flying very low and close to the crowds. It was quite the site seeing these large birds up close. A few birds huddled on a rock close to us which made us take some national geographic style photographs. Then it was a bit of souveniring and back on the bus for lunch in Chivay. We had the pleasure of having another delicious buffet lunch before taking the bus back to Arequipa. All the bus rides take us through these breathtaking sites so the long drives are not so bad. Once back in Arequipa, we decided to do some belated Canada day activities since we were too exhausted on the actual date. Lisa and I dressed up for the occasion putting on some dresses and buying new scarves. We went with some of the group to a restaurant called Nina Yuka where the food was a little too fancy, causing us to go for the classic chicken soup. Then we went to this bar discovered by Adam and Christina (couple from edmonton) called Cafe Art Montreal! Inside there was a canadian and quebec flag!! photo op! We couldn't do much drinking since we were going into altitude the next morning. We did learn though that the reason the bar was called that was because the owner's husband is a montreal native... Unfortunately he wasn't there that night. After a bit of national celebration, we went back to the hotel and packed up because in the morning we would be taking a bus to the coastal town of Puno!

Day 6 - Colca Canyon and Valley

This morning we left our hotel in arequipa at 8 am. We were on a bus all morning, but it was nice since there were many stops along the way. We got views of the 3 volcanoes that surround the city. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the views were breathtaking, especially since the sun reflected off the snow on top of one of the mountains.
Then we left the city for our first day at serious altitude. The idea is to let us get acclimatized a bit, and then tomorrow well be back in Arequipa. On the outskirts of the city, we bought coca leaves, aka the active ingredient in cocaine! But it is used medicinally in this area. The tour guide said that women in this area never have osteoporosis and that people have excellent dental hygiene because of the high calcium levels in the coca plant. Too bad we can't bring any home! They introduced coca to us because it is supposed to help against altitude sickness. First we tried some in tea, then we did like the locals and chewed it. Our tongues and palates began to numb after just a few minutes of chewing. The leaves were bitter, not a very pleasant taste. In case you were wondering, you'd have to chew something like 11 kilos of coca leaves to get the high of cocaine. Another stop along the way brought us to alpaca farms, they are so cute and fuzzy!
Then we got off the bus at the highest point well hit on this trip: 4895 metres. There's no way we could have went for a jog up there! The tour guide thought Emily was looking a little pale after the stop, so rubbed medicinal alcohol on her pores to help her inhale more alcohol..it worked! The guides seem to be very prepared which is really great and comforting.
Then came the best part of our day. For the last 19 km of the trip we went mountain biking into the village! It was all downhill, so we definitely didn't have to exert ourselves at all. The views were amazing, and so much better appreciated from the bikes. It all went pretty smoothly except, lisa got a flat tire, but the bike guy was behind her so they swaped bikes.
We arrived in Chivay around 2 pm and had a huge buffet lunch. The food was fantastic. There was so much to choose from! We had soup, quinoa, pumpkin, spinach latkes, fried bananas, pesto noodles, fries, corn, chicken, and we tried alpaca! Though as non-red-meat eaters we weren't too big of fans. After that we went to our hotel which placed us on the forth floor.. You can't imagine how hard it is to walk up those flights of stairs. But we finally made it and had a little rest and relaxation before hitting up the hot springs. Though the springs looked more like giant hot tubs than anything else, the forty degree water was immensely enjoyed as it goes down to 0 degrees at this time of year. Then we returned to the hotel before heading for some dinner at a restaurant that had live musicians and dancers. We felt a little under the weather though so we called it any early night and headed to bed as we had a 5 am wake up the next day anyways.

Day 5 Arequipa

We arrived in Arequipa on July 1st, Canada Day at 7 am. Everyone was pretty exhausted, it was really hard to sleep on the bus but thankfully it was the last of the trip! In celebration of canada day, the canadians went pretty festive putting on some canuck tees, tattoos and pins. Then we had breakfast at our hotel in the central part of arequipa. Breakfast everywhere has been rolls and jam, but the bread here was particularly great. We found out that Arequipa is also known as the white city, because of the material used on the buildings as well as potentially referring to the amount of "white people" that lived in the city. We then went to our rooms for a shower and power nap before heading out to explore the city. Its a big city,second largest in peru but much nicer than Lima. Especially since it is warm and sunny. The architecture was also really beautiful and unique.
We grabbed some lunch at a indoor mall we nicknamed the "peruvian holt renfrew". Then most of the group took a tour of the monastery but lisa, daniel and I opted out and went exploring instead. As our tour guide taught us, eventually its ABC, 'Another Bloody Church'. There were guys on the street selling imitation sunglasses and we convinced lisa to buy a pair. You had to see her bargaining magic! First he charged her fifty, she countered with 20, he said 30, she refused he said okay 20 but then somehow only paid 15 soles! Not bad for a pair of fray brans! We then explored a little market that had tons of booths selling scarves, blankets, tshirts, dolls, etc. We chose to buy just a bracelet and save the rest of our shopping for cusco. We also headed to the bank which had really nice architecture to change our dollars into soles. Best line of the day, our british friend asking emily why she was putting her cash in her knickers (as she reached into her money belt) Ok, so we are very cautious travelers, with money belts and pouches everywhere! We also stopped at a pharmacy where daniel picked up some altitude sickness pills without a perscription!! Then we headed to the main square which was filled with pigeons like you can't believe. It didn't help that everyone was buying feed and spreading it across the ground. We waited there for beth and andrew who were meeting us after the church tour.
We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the area. We found this cute one street block that was all stones and terraces and bars. So we stopped at a nice rooftop terrace for a happy hour drink, probably everyone's last for a while because alcohol and altitude are apparently a real bad combination. We also got freaked out from the ice that was floating in our drinks. Exhausted from the bus ride and day of walking, we postponed our original party canada day plans, and instead opted for a quick dinner with most of the group. It was at a restaurant that as a speciality serves boneless guinea pig, but as usual we went conservative and had pasta and a tortilla that was very much like a latka. We did take a canadian photo though which was a necessity since we were all decked out. We got back to the hotel and went to pick up our laundry. The guy behind the desk wouldn't give lisa hers and we couldn't understand why... After some help from tour leader john we found out that they had ruined a pair of her long underwear with an iron. Disappointed at first, the hotel didn't charge her for her load or any others she will do while at the hotel, plus she has free access to all the drinks they offer! Not too shabby since after we spend a night at the colca canyon we will head back there (and obviously taken advantage of the free drinks n laundry)! On the way to the canyon now so we are not sure when we will hit a wifi zone to post this but hopefully it will be before heading back to arequipa!

Day 4- nazca

Hi everyone! Today was a great day. We got woken up a bit before our alarm by the town's very loud roosters. At 7 am, emily was in the shower, while I was groggily finding my pillow, in the process knocking down and breaking the hotel room's lamp. While I was honest and told our tour leader, he opted to clear the evidence and keep our mouths shut. Nice clumsy start.
At 8 am we went on a tour with about ten other members of the group. First, it took us to the nazca cemetary, which was really a bunch of open tombs. The displays were amateur, without much care, just tons of bones and mummies. The tombs had tons of skulls and other bones. Some of the mummies still had their hair, a few had dreadlocks which apparently was a way to distinguish tribes. Another way was to change the shape of the babies' skulls. The nazca people, after which the city we were in today is named, were a civilization before the infamous incas, around 2000? Years ago. The tour guide explained that the government of peru hasn't invested money in archaeological projects and so this explained the fact that these really old tombs were not being more officially displayed.
The second stop on the morning tour was to a man's house who replicates the nazca people's pottery using the same tools and raw materials used by these people. It was pretty cool.
Next, just down the street, another man described to us the dangerous process of gold mining in the area.
After lunch at the hotel, we went on a great adventure! A buggy picked us up and took us on a wild 50 minute drive, stopping a couple of times on the way to show us aqueducts, a pyramid, and more tombs. In the middle of the desert, there are human bones scattered, so odd to see.
The guy then took us over sand dunes which was pretty wild, quite a few rollercoaster type drops.
We stopped at this beautiful area where the bright blue sky and the sand made a stunning contrast. We were given sandboards, which were basically snowboards. Emily was really skilled and looked like a sandboard/snowboard pro. Some of us (myself included) had more of a toboganning experience, still really fun!
We watched a beautiful sunset over the desert and drove back to town.
Now we are on a 9 hour overnight bus to arequipa. This will be our first time hitting serious altitude, so wish us luck.

Day 2&3 - Pisco, Ballesta Islands, Nazca

Writing this from Nazca, the middle of the Peruvian desert! Lots to catch up on since we have not written in a few days. Day 2 the rest of group joined us and we found out we have people from New Zealand, Australia, England and some more Canucks. We then ventured out to the main sqaure where we walked to some famous church that has catacombs aka the skeletons of 25,000 people. There was also this incredible library filled with very old books and twisted staircases that were magical. After that we went for lunch where several of our tourmates enjoyed the local delicassy - guinea pig! Lisa and I were not so adventurous, once again opting for the chicken and rice. Then it was back to the hotel where we jumped aboard a bus and headed to Pisco. We were all ready to get away from Lima since the skies were always grey and it misted constantly. We arrived in Pisco around 8pm and stayed at this really authentic hostel where we had a great dinner, with some beer, deserts and new friends. We then made our way up to the top terrace where we had a nice view of the town and the stars and moon. The only draw back were the hostels two cats that were less than desirable to us. We even thought about kicking them off but a few friends protected them. We then awoke early and got aboard a bus/boat to go to the Ballesta Islands. We got to the tour location and found out that they had to be cancelled the last few days because of strong winds. After what felt like an incredibly looooooong wait the tour guide came and told us we couldnt go.... THANKFULLY he was just kidding. After getting the last two seats on the boat, we took a 45 minute trip out to the islands where we saw some local birds, penguins and sealions! A definite bonus since apparently penguins are becoming endangered. We then took another long bus over to Nazca where we are now. The bus was literally a 5star event with lounge chairs, tvs and blankets and a complimentary glass of our new favorite drink Inca Kola. We arrived in Nazca at four and went for another great meal before heading back to the hotel for some chilling. There was a whole backyard with a pool and everything... a definite necessity in the desert!

off to lunch.... hopefully a little more later... if not, tonight we take an overnight bus to Arequipa where they apparently have great shopping!!

CONTINUATION

So to start off from yesterday afternoon, we got back to the hotel and went shopping for some souvenirs and some missing toilettries. Emily ended up spending 45 soles on a body wash which in american is almost too embarassing to say...$15!! But it was well woorth its delicious smell. Then we played some cards and just chilled out. Having had such a late lunch, we were not hungry for dinner so at around 8pm we were just plain old bored. We went with our friend Daniel to go find a "football" aka soccer ball. We ventured out to the main strip and went into every store we saw in search for a ball. We immediately came across an appliance store with tons of balls everywhere... unfortunately if we wanted a ball we needed to buy a fridge... Eventually we found a grocery store with cheap balls and even cheaper body washes and brought it back to the hotel. Most of our group was up for a game so we headed out back on one of the side streets and played a match. Teams were Canada and the UK versus the rest of the world. There was some intense action and kicking and bruising but all worth it since we WON! The night was still young so a few of us went to sing some kareoke! with only four of us in the bar it was quite a show. Then it was off to bed before an exciting tomorrow\today!

day 1: lima

Hello from lima!! We arrived 2 am sunday morning, after a slight delay, everything went pretty smoothly...minus the announcement that two canadian bags had to be taken off the flight due to suspicious something! We might have made a little scene before being assured the bags were not ours. Then we made some friends from Birmingham Alabama who were coming to Peru on a church mission trip. Needless to say we preferred to leave our cosmo magazine in our bag while they were reading the bible. Anyways after the flight we got our bags right away (a relief) and met our transfer and headed to our hotel.

Yesterday was day one and only a few from our group were here already. We met johnn smith our tour guide and he took us to the national museum of archaeolog, anthropology and history. We got a very detailed tour looking at artifacts dating back to 2000 bce! The best part were the skulls which showed proof that back at least a few hundred years they were performing brain surgery!! The gold jewelry and tapestries were another highlight. Then we went for lunch where both of us chose a "safe" choice of grilled chicken and rice and fries. Oh and we forgot to mention... We took the public bus! Quite an experience. Then we came back to the hotel for a nap before having pisco sours famous in our hotel! More to come later!

Waiting game

We are all checked in and ready to go! Just having a little pre airplane snack!
We should be arriving in miami around 4:40 and then off to lima, peru.

TOMORROW

In just about twelve hours we will be checked in at the airport ready to go!

Itinerary and some extra info: click here

Frozen Margaritas

So yesterday was officially ONE WEEK until Peru and I have spent the last few days trying to buy everything on my list. I thought I was nearly ready to depart after going to two Walmarts and my third trip to Mountain Equipment Co-op BUT after Lisa and I sat down together and compiled a giant list, there still seems like lots and lots to buy or at least prepare. Our list is literally 50 things long not including clothing.

Anyways I will not bore you with any more details about our packing. I wish I had more exciting things to write about but since my exam Friday, I have barely left the house. Last night however, Lisa and I got together for a little one week countdown celebration. We decided to be really festive and make ourselves some frozen Margaritas from scratch. Our lime-strawberry mix was super delicious and though we had to sub the margarita glass for some martini ones, I think we both a future in bar-tending in case the doctor and journalist thing doesn't work out.

P.S. - SIX DAYSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LISA Skydiving

Click on the link to watch the best three minutes of your life

Lisa at the Tandem skydiving in Montreal

11 days

So the countdown continues and I can't believe how quickly the time is going. I have yet to accomplish much in the Peru preparation department mostly because I have an exam Friday but hopefully once that is over I will get some much needed shopping done. I did make one Peru related purchase this week though and that was a Latin American phrase book! Super exciting! I read through a few pages and basically butchered some of the pronunciation but I expect to improve with practice. What I know so far is that when we get to Cuzco we should buy some ponchos and chuyos(which I think means winter toques) Anyways that is all for this study break but I figured I needed to test this email thing out...let us know if these notifications workkkk

Email Notifications

Hello Everyone!

We have made it so that you can receive email alerts when we put up a new post! We did this mostly to please certain family members but it is a really cool feature so be sure to take advantage of it.

Here is how to do it:

1. On the left hand side right below our picture, you will see an area that says "subscribes via email" put your email address in here.

2. Click: Subscribe

3. A pop-up will open that is titled "Email subscription request."

It asks you to fill out a verification message. You must type the word in the box below it.

4. Click: Complete Subscription Request

5. Another box should open that says "your request has been accepted!" There is still one final step and that is to check your Inbox for a verification message from "FeedBurner Email Subscriptions"

6. The email it will contain a link....click on this link to activate your subscription!

7. ENJOY

- Lisa & Emily

Planes!

I think it is my turn to say hi and write my first ever blog post!

Time is definitely passing quickly and there is a whole lot of studying, shopping and packing that’s got to happen in the next 2 weeks. As Emily mentioned, my last exam is about 24 hours before our flight leaves to Peru, so yes- save the date- there is some Montreal fun to be had on the 25th!

Today is a convenient day to write my first blog (okay, I kind of planned it like this) - because I went skydiving! It was my first time. We jumped from 13,500 feet, free falling for 50 seconds, and then coasted down on the parachute for about 8 minutes. The free falling is fast, but you don’t get that rollercoaster stomach-dropping sensation. I highly recommend the experience!

So two weeks today, Emily and I will be boarding another slightly bigger plane. I am getting really excited for Peru, but there are a bunch of things I am nervous about (I happen to have had a lecture on parasites, malaria and other fun things in the past week). But, all in all I know it is going to be the best experience. I am excited to post all about everywhere we go and have a travel journal at the end for Emily and I. While I have not spent much time reading about our destinations, I plan on printing some wikitravel stuff out for the plane rides.

Speak to you soon...from Peru!

Two Weeks Tomorrow!!

It is crazy how fast the days are going. Two weeks tomorrow we will be on our way to Miami before catching our connecting flight to Lima, Peru. That means I have about fourteen showers left before I go. Why is this relevant? Well as someone whose hair is quite high maintenance, I have that many showers to figure out what products I need and which I can live without while backpacking. My prediction is that I bring conditioner and a bit of gel. I heard that I can leave the conditioner in my hair as a way to calm it down when other products aren't available. I also plan to have a MAJOR haircut before going... maybe as much as 5 inches.

Anyways, with Lisa and I still in school/summer school we have not made any plans to have a going away party... unfortunately I doubt we will have the time since Lisa's exam is the day before we go. BUT if we do it will be on the 25th so keep that day open people.

16 days ish

With our trip to Peru just a few short weeks away, Lisa and I felt we should create a blog to document our adventures. Obviously I jumped on the idea and spent my afternoon creating this blog: 8000 ft above. The title represents the amount of feet (real number is 7,970) above sea level we will be at when we finally reach Macchu Pichu on the last leg of our adventure.

There are still tons of things to do and buy before we leave but medically speaking we are pretty much prepared. Last month, we headed to the CHUM travel clinic where we had some vaccines. Lisa who was up to date with her shots only needed one: Yellow Fever, I on the other hand needed four. I got the injections in both arms (one arm twice) and even one in my thigh! Can't complain though because from what I heard Polio and Hepatitis A are way more painful to have than the shots. We have also filled prescriptions for Malaria, Altitude Sickness and something else I can't remember the name of. Today though, we took an oral vaccine called Dukoral that we mixed ourselves. The concoction tasted like raspberry tonic water. It was originally fizzing white so I took a picture but as soon as the flash went, the glass was back to boring old water. I shall post the pic anyways:

On another less medical note, some of my exciting and slightly expensive pre-trip purchases include a backpacking knapsack (hopefully from my father), hiking boots (present from wicked-stepmom joy) and laundry detergent sheets (tiny sheets of paper looking material that when placed in water dissolves into detergent...a fun travel toy discovered by mom). Still lots to buy including hiking pants, polar fleece gear, long-underwear, tons of cosmetics, raincoat, etc.

BUT, most importantly, Lisa and I need a new photo for this blog since the one above is from 2006 :s