And the Cat Came Back the very next day

After what turned out to be a 26hr trip we finally made it to Arequipa. On the bus we met a guy by the name of Lavanti from Hungary he asked if we could share a cab and Eve and I said sure, we were glad to have a guy with us on our midnight taxi ride what we did not know what that we had just agreed to a whole lot more than a cab ride.

It started with sharing a room at the hostel so that it would be cheaper, then another night together. After two nights in Arequipa Eve and I decided to take a trip to Chivay to see the condors and the Colca-Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world over twice as deep as the grand canyon. It then came as an unpleasant surprise when Lavanti asked what we were all going to do the next day. We told him what the two of us where planning on doing, he invited himself along. When we got to Chivay and Eve had spoken with the man at the tourist information desk it was obvious that the next morning if we really wanted to see the condors we would have to get up around 3A.M. so that we could take the 4A.M. bus on the two hour drive to the Mirador del Condors.  It was at this point that Lavanti, whom we now called the cat, became truly a bother. He began to complain that that was too early in the morning and that he wanted to be able to sleep in before the hike etc. Eve then told him he could do whatever he wanted but we were getting up a 3 in order to see the condors.  

I'll finish later

Photos

Check out my photos on Picasa.

Just double click the green "My Photos" link on the top right of the page.

Santa Cruz Trek day 4

On the final day we walked through two no road access villages to the final one where there was a road. We waited half an hour before a truck came by we got in the back with bags and bags of food and a few personal backpacks and our own gear and we began to drive one of the most highly rated drives in the whole world. It was cramped and cold and generally uncomfortable but my goodness there are not words to describe the differences in beauty and grandeur and magnificence of all the things I saw. I only hope that I am able to hold the images in my mind forever. We then took another cramped ride in a colectivo to Huaraz dropped our things at our hostel and went out for a large dinner at a French restaurant.
It was a great trek!      

Santa Cruz Trek day 3

The third day was UP and UP and UP and UP and UP and Up to the very tippy top of the pass. I have to say if that man had not said on the first day that I could not do it I’m not sure I could have, but every time I thought of quitting that man’s voice saying “es possible por tu and por Ella perro por la sinorita no es posible.” And I would become determined to prove this little insulting man wrong, and in the end I did. We then went Down, Down, Down, Down, Down, over 1000 meters and camped. 

Santa Cruz Trek day 2

The next morning we observed a group of other travelers peeing and pooping into and next to the river we had been fallowing the whole day before the river which was obviously the major source of water to the village we had started our trek in. We all began to fume as one after another they would do this, what made it especially egregious was the fact that there was an outhouse maybe one hundred yards from the river. Eventually Eve was no longer able to hold herself back, she marched over to one of them and explained what it was they were doing and how horrible it was. Tim and I were both quite proud of her for having done something about it.      

We then packed our things, ate our oatmeal, and left. 

Being about 800 meters higher than the day before the temperature was much cooler and the soft breeze that ran through the valley was wonderfully refreshing. We soon reached the first Lake of our trek.  Turquoise and green it was bordered in reads and a family of ducks made their way up it searching for food. We walked on for some time before reaching the end of the lake making our way up and over some rocks and around a large bend in the trail and we found ourselves at the second lake. It was large and completely Turquoise with white granite rocks forming much of the beach the sloping mountains surrounding it were covered in dark green foliage reminding me very much of home. We stopped and ate a bit before going on along its edge and then fallowed the elevated path of granite to its other end. On the far side of the lake there was a slope to climb up, on top of which we were granted our first view of the large step towards the pass. This vista was afforded over a large swamp strewn with streams, cows, and manure. After a bit of mud sinking and Eve fording a glacier fed river we were on our way up the first step. When all was over were ate an incredible meal of spaghetti and went to sleep.    

Santa Cruz Trek day 1

The Santa Cruz Trek is one of the most well know and popular treks in all of South America. It is a Four to Six day trek depending on how fast you go and how many side trips you might take.  

 

We started with the early on Thursday taking a colectivo (or twenty passenger van) and then a taxi to the start of the trek.  We started at a post with a group of locals standing by asking if we needed donkeys to carry our bags when we said no thank you the head guy preceded to tell Tim, well within ear shot of me, that I would not be strong enough to do it that I would definitely need a Donkey to carry my bag over the pass. We then were told we had to pay a toll fee to pass through the 1000ft of town before reaching the National Forest.  We paid and then were on our way however within a few moments we were all suffering from the incredible heat. Eve finally changed into unzipped rain panty and walked on in this fashion despite the looks of other gringos and the incredible number of biting flies. I spent most of the first day sweating out the water Tim was encouraging me to drink and praying for shade from the few clouds in the sky. In the end of the day we camped at a camp site with many other trekkers and slept like the dead. 

Poverty

I have never in my life been so shocked by poverty the people who live near the valley we trekked through don't beg for money of gifts they ask for bread and medicine. How can you say no to someone asking for such bear essentials like Tylenol to lower their child’s fever? 

Three day Trek

The three day trek we went on was gorgeous the first day we spent walking down an incredible valley walled on both sides with massive granite mountains. The field which was the valley had tremendous stones stuck into the ground after falling hundreds of feet off the cliff walls. Down the center of the valley ran a large valley fed by glacial lakes and waterfalls. With in the Valley there were hundreds of Cows and horses left to roam this incredible expanse in freedom.

By the end of the day I was ready to sit down for the rest of my life, with every upward step I thought I might be sick and I was exhausted from our long day of walking. After lots of patience and encouragement from Eve I finally made it to the camp site. Being at 1500 feet however made sleep difficult and we all were frequently awakened. Around 4:30 in the morning Eve woke and was telling Tim to stop making so much noise when she realized the noise was not coming from inside the tent. Tim poked his head out into the darkness with his headlamp to report that we had a cow grazing nearby. By 5:30 we had an entire herd surrounding our tent high up in the mountains. The heavy breathing and occasional calling of the cows made sleep nearly impossible.   

When we crawled out of the tent we found that all the cows were looking at us, creepy is the best way to describe it. We soon found that one of the bulls was rather aggressive as he began running after Eve while she was getting water. Another one a black and white cow soon became Tim’s least favorite as she charged him while he was peeing and thought about doing the same to me. She was also in the habit of knocking the other cows around or running up and stabbing them in the butt with her horns.

After packing up camp we spent the rest of the day looking for a pass we never found, cold from the breeze and light snow we walked back to the valley from the previous night and set up camp on a ridge of soft grass with an incredible view of a glacial lake below us. When the tent was up and dinner was done we began to play a game of cards, a few rounds in and we could hear THEM. After trying so hard to find a place the cows were not we had ended up camping in their bedroom and literally inches from their fighting ground. The trembling earth as they charged one another was quite frightening but as the sun set they soon went to sleep.

 In the morning we saw that it had snowed. A ring of hoof prints was visible encircling our tent along with large patches of grass where the cows had slept in all I counted 19. That morning we packed up and made our way back down the incredible valley and back to Huaraz. We then ate at a French restaurant and crashed into our uncomfortable beds.    

Hi there

     Well I now have a link to photos on my Picasa as I was finally able to get my computer online. Yay!!! Also because of the fact that I spent over $25 dollars on postcards in Ecuador and it looks like I would have to spend a bit more than that to send cards from Peru I do not plan on sending any more to anyone unless they plan on giving me money to do so. Sorry to be stingy but I'm running low on funds. 

      Other than that Tim, Eve, and I went on a hike to a lake high up in the mountains. I have been a bit under the weather and the strain of the hike made me through up so I went back to the small town Llupa that borders the mountains to wait for them. After the sun had moved well into the afternoon I was well into my book and it looked as though it was going to rain I decided I would return to Huaraz and our hostel.  As I had spoken with everyone in the town by the time I left, I had no fear the Tim and Eve would not easily find out that I had gone.  Turns out they were not feeling so well themselves it took them much longer than expected to get back partially because Tim had taken a nap, and because they had taken regular breaks to rest. 

            Today we have spent in bed and at a cafe with Wi-Fi to recuperate before we leave on a two or three day trek in the Cordillera Blanca.

In Peru

We have been in Peru for a little over a week now. our first few days we were in a town called Chiclayo where we stayed with another backpacker named Dan he had been working in the Jungle in Ecuador at a wild life preserve and had a lot of interesting stories to tell. On our first afternoon there we went to a market with everything you could want from flip flops and clothing to meat fruit herbal remedies tricycles cobblers and much, much more we then went for a rather pricey dinner and to the hotel.

 The next day we went on a tour of three museums and an old ruined ruin. it was not the most interesting thing ever and it did for me get some what repetitive but I did learn a great deal about the burial presses with sacrifice of family members from many years ago along with the current system of Peruvian time and it´s great lack of any importance.

We then traveled to a town called Huanchaco known for its beach, read boats, and surfing. We stayed first in an awful hostel called Cherry´s the water was not at first turned on, the room was tiny, and the beds where foam mats on metal frames, not exactly comfy. The first thing we did the next day was move hostels. Tim found a great place run by a collage student and his very old and quite def though incredibly cute grandfather. That day after walking a bit we decided to have surfing lessons I must say though I had a good time I am terrible at this sport. The next day we did little Eve and I both finished our books and Tim had another lesson.

Yesterday we spent our day on the bus very, very, very, very slowly making our way to Huaraz where we are now. It is a friendly town nestled against some of South Americas largest peaks. It is all very pleasant.

Sorry

It's been so long since my last post I hardly know where to begin. We have been all over the place and my parents have come and gone for Tim's birthday. Tim and Eve climbed on Cotopaxi but because I had pneumonia I stayed behind and took another week of classes. We are now on our way to Peru we'll take the night buss out tonight at 11.

Stuff and Rio Pita

Okay so Tim and I climed Pichincha a few days ago and this time I made it to the top and I did not get sick so I feel good about that. the sumit is at 15300ft quite high for me. other then that Tim and I have been talking about doing a lot of things and not actualy doing any of them. Eve is finishing up her first modual of her MA program so she is busy all the time.

Tim and I had a wonderful trip to Rio Pita

Firts we could not find the bus it took asking questions walking and few blocks over the course of and hour before we did.

Second when we got of at our stop there were no trucks for hier, we walked around the town for about 30min and finaly hailed a cab.

Third the Taxi had no idea what we were talking about we spent and hour driving around and ended where we had started. He then got out to ask directions at a golf course they pointed us on up the hill the driver stopped again to ask directions after we had been driving for some time, we were send back down the hill. It has been another 30min finaly we drive by a sine which says in HUGE letters RIO PITA with an arrow.

Fourth we finaly get there after another hour in the taxi and low there is not enough time or enough money to take the hike and have the taxi wait and there is no garenty there would be another car the rest of the day. so we get back in the taxi and head back to the small town. a little on down the road we meet a hurd of cattle they begin nocking into the taxi (the poor man) in the end we payed 30 dollars which was 10 less then he asked for but we did not have any more to give him other then our bus fair.

We made our way back to Quito dissipointed and dispearated.

Yesturday on the TV there was a Camara cru at Rio Pita talking about what a beautiful place it is and how easy it is to accses, I almost died.

Ecuador Vs. Brazil

On Sunday we went the the football game of Ecuador Vs. Brazil it was a fun game to watch though I think I enjoyed watching the people just as much. we got to the stadium at 10:30 to get seats for the game which started at 4:00 and the stadium was already half full. vender's walked around selling everything food, drink, hats, umbrellas, poncho's, cards, and more. We did the wave quite a few times as well a sang songs about the how Ecuador had to win. There was a small concert, and some team practice and then the game began. it was slow in the first half and then Brazil got one point and near the end on the second half Ecuador tied the game. All the Ecuadorians felt it was a win.

Bargaining, Bartering, and Buying

last Saturday we went to Otavalo which is the largest and most famous market town in all of Ecuador. The first thing we did when we got to Otavalo was go and see a beautiful waterfall. We walked through a little street and stopped at a small two loom factory to watch was making fabric from there it was a short little hike in an eucalyptus forest to the cascade. when we went back to town we hitchhiked to the market.
The Market WOW there was street after street of booths and in the center of all those streets there was a large square, filled with beautiful textiles. Eve and I went a little crazy buying things, they were soo cheep. the only thing we were concerned about was how we were going to get it all home. Tim however while not buying like a mad man became quite happy bargaining with everyone Example: Vendor: $22 Tim: ha $8 Vendor $20 Tim $10 Vendor $18 Tim $10 V $15 T $11 V$13 T$11 V $12.50 T$11 walk away Vendor 11.50 only 50 cents more Tim Only 50 cants less Vendor HAHAha okay $11. it was fun but boy oh boy does purchasing things take a long time. in the end when Eve and I were loaded down with things and it was beginning to rain we took the bus back to Quito.
When we got back there was a carnival one street up and over after unloading our things and resting for a few minutes Tim and I walker over to see what it was all about. There were rides and fair food along with clowns and dancing and on odd looking pin wheel device near a shrine. It turned out to be the celebration of the patron Saint of the street. and the odd pinwheel thing was a firework display by the end of the evening it was raining so we went home and fell asleep.

Rain Rain GO AWAY

so I ran to the gate at our street and had to wait there untill someone with a key came home. luckly this only took 10 or 15 min but by the time I got home I was drentched. I chainged and by the time I got down stairs Tim it seemed no longer wanted to go. We spent the rest of the day doing little and most of what we did was done wrapped in blankets and sleeping bags. non of the houses here have heat so when it is cool you just have to wrap up. the fact that we missed Mitad del Mundo was not such a bad thing because it turned out that that was the school trip today.
At the middle of the world there is a small museum of the native peoples along with some science-ish sot of things. it was beautiful there today the sun shining in full force, and I ended up with an umbrella to use as a parisol.
The weather in Quito on the other hand has been terible it has been cool with rain off and on for the past week and the whole city seems to be complaining. It has also made washing our clothing something of a trick too, because we wash our clothing in the back patio and hang it out to line dry in the sun. With this tempermental weather it has become quite the chalange to have clothing which is both dry and clean.
this coming weekend I am going to a foot ball game with Tim Eve and a few other people from the school I am SUPER excited which is a little odd considering I don´t really like soccer that much. anyway I´l try my best to keep writing
thinking of you all
Mary

Colors

Today the shool I am going to took a fild trip to a market town we saw llamas and pigs lambs and cows in the animal market. we saw fresh fish and fruit most of which i had never seen as well as tremendous piles of vegitables. we also went textile maket and Oh my was it lovely. I must say though among all the colors of the fruit and pailntings and cloth for sail it was the people which made the greatest impressin in all their colored slendor. I think they are all soo beautiful.

New Apartment

We have been in Quito for a week now and we have great Apartment. It has Three bedrooms 2.5 baths a large kitchen a living room a palio and a Great view. it is also brand new the sink for instance still had the tag in it. The apartment came with two beds, a bench, towells in the bathrooms, a TV and DVD player and everything you could want for a kitchen. not to mention the fact that our landlady comes by almost every day to make sure we are happy and to bring us more things. Eve has been sick nearly the whole time we have been here, she compleatly lost her voice for two days and today she has a bit of a fever. yesterday we went to climb Pachincha the mountain which borders the citys west side. it was quite eye opning to climb a mountain no bigger then O´mally and to struggle with every step not because you are tiered but because you can´t breath. It was a good thing to do though and I look forward to climing more.
I am not sure how I am going to get pictures up or if I am going to be able to but hopefully I will, and soon.

!Hola!

hi every one
okay so we spent 3 days in Lima with Joel from couch surfing and with Simone (another surfer) it was great though I got quite sunburnt on the first day there and am still healing. I has Pisco sour for my birthday party, it was great. we then took the bus to Quito this took a little over three days and may I say how glad I am the bus rides are over. I am now taking Spanish lessons in an atempt to learn the language so that I can talk to people and know what people are saying around me. Quito is very it is clean and calm and cool and has a similar feel to a european city or Boston. Everything is so colorful I just love it.

I will edit later to add pictures

DON DON DDONN!!!

Okay so around 10pm yesterday we finely finished packing and storing and cleaning everything at the apartment it was spotless. Not wanting to mess anything up, we went out for dinner at a small Mexican restaurant. we got home around 11 and all settled down till 2:40 am we then packed up our last few things and went out to load our waiting cab. We swiftly made our way the the airport all seemed to be going splendidly. DON DON DONN!!!

As we made our way through the line to check in we found that more than one customer seemed upset, and that the line was slow to move. finally up for our turn we proudly displayed our passports and began loading our 5 bags onto the scale. upon putting up the fourth bag the clerk looked shocked that we would have anymore bags, she began to explain that each additional bag would be 25 dollars and then stopped. DON DON DONN!!!

She proceeded to explain that when traveling to South America only one bag is allowed per person and that that bag is not allowed to exceed the 50lb limit. we stood and gawked at her, well can you help us we have no apartment to leave these things at no family to call and nowhere to go except to South America. No she said in a matter of fact tone no sympathy whatsoever. the supervisor came over and began to explain that if we had looker more closely we would have seen that the website said we could only bring one bag all we would of had to do would be click on a link for flight restrictions and scroll down until we reached the spot somewhere in the 20pages that said so. there is nothing we can do maybe you could leave your bags here and pick them up when you return. it was the only suggestion she gave and the only option available. DON DON DONN!!!

We began to sort out all of out winter climbing gear there was nothing for it are hearts which had been so light with anticipation now sagged heavy under the weight of what we had to do. we gave up our boots the climbing rope ice axes ice screws crampons and much much more we stuffed a few objects in to our backpacks and carry-ons we strapped sleeping pads to our packs and we relinquished our extreme gear. Thousands of dollars worth of equipment to sit out the trip in the airport. DON DON DONN!!!

We boarded the plain to find that the space between seats was considerably smaller than most both Tim and Eve had to sit at angles to keep from having their knees dig into the seats in front of them, even I had difficulty. By this time we had decided that the policy was bad the seats cramped but it was not until we found out that we had to PAY for WATER that we came to the conclusion that Sp1*r0*t is the worst airline ever. DON DON DONN!!!

After sitting in the airport for that last hour with only seven more to go I have witnessed people running from plain to plain, doors closed a people ran in a futile effort to catch their flights, and staff gripe and moan about how customers are always complaining. but then you have to keep in mind that they pride themselves in being the first super cheep airline in the U.S. and as the old addege says "You get what you pay for".

One Day Left

The past few days in Chicago have been good. Tim and Eve have been busy packing up and cleaning their apartment for the new tenant and I have felt some what useless. Yesterday I did little more then the dishes. We all took a walk on the beach before dinner, it was brisk and cold with the wind blowing but it was refreshing and nice to get out. Today I went to REI and got compression sack (the wrong kind but they should work) to pack our stuff in. It's the first time I have taken L and I did it all on my own. I am getting more and more excited, and more and more nervous the closer we get to leaving. After this I'm not sure when I'll have e-net again so wish me luck.

I know I spelled Journey Jurney in my blog name but "Mary's Journey" was already taken

At Tim and Eve's

After a bumpy stop and start beginning every things seems to be falling into place. I'm finally in Chicago, we have tickets to Lima, and a contact to pick us up. Tim and Eve have found a renter for their apartment. now we just have to pack up the apartment and get ready to go.