Death Road, Isla del Sol, Peru

Quite a bit has happened during the past few days but I haven´t had access to the internet for more than five minutes. At about five this morning we arrived to Cusco, Peru after a very long and uncomfortable ride on a bumpy bus. But before I get to that, let me go back a few days.

First off, I survived the Death Road bike ride. The ride was about 64 km long, mostly downhill and we decended all together about 6000 meters I think during about 4 or 5 hours. The road is known as the "Death Road" because of the extreme dropoffs on the side (of about 1,800) and there are no guardrails. So as a result many people have died driving and riding down that road. Of course today, now that it is a major tourist attraction it is much safer and accidents occur few and far in between. I must admit I was a little nervous to ride downhill so much, but really you are very in control of how fast you go. It was actually a lot of fun. We started riding down a part of the road which is paved, it was easier but a little scary as there were also many cars and trucks on the road. Then we got to the town of Coroico, where the road changed to gravel and suddenly we were in the rainforest. It was very humid and foggy, but the views were absolutely gorgeous. We road through and past many rivers and waterfalls. At the end we arrived to a small village where we had a delicious lunch and hung out by a pool. I did get bitten up by bugs and am still quite itchy, that was the one downfall. It was a pretty awesome experience though, and I´m glad I didn´t let my nervousness get the best of me.

The next day we left La Paz and took a bus to Copacabana, Bolivia, a town that lies on the coast of Lake Titicaca (a name I remember giggling about as a kid, never thought I would actually get to see the lake). We didn´t spend much time there, just long enough to have a delicious lunch, then we hopped on a boat and after about one and a half hours we arrived at Isla del Sol, a very hilly and rocky island where it is believed by the Incas to be the place where the Sun God was born. There are no cars on the island, therefore no paved roads. I was definitely not expecting how difficult it would be just to get to a place to stay.

Now first of all, I must mention the presence of children. As I said in an earlier post, child labor is without a doubt an issue in Bolivia. Well, our boat was captained by a child who couldn´t have been older than 10 and his first mate was probably about 6. Then, as soon as we got off the island we were approached by a swarm of 5 to 10 year olds trying to take us to hostels. We really weren´t sure that we should trust these young hustlers, so we waited until we found an adult to talk to, came to a deal, and then he called over a six year old to lead us to where we were to stay. I couldn´t help but laugh, and I had no choice but to follow him. This part was pretty awful. We had to walk uphill, very steep, on rocks while carrying our huge backpacks. It was really difficult for me, and it definintely put me in a cranky mood. But eventually we made it, I was able to rest, then explore the island. There are many Inca ruins on the island, but most of them lie on the North side. As we were staying on the South side, and it is a four hour walk to the other side, I didn´t get to see these ruins. We tried trekking over there the next day, but we didn´t have enough time because we had to catch the boat back to Copacobana to get on a bus to Cusco, Peru. The views of the lake from the island were awesome, I especially enjoyed watching the sunset over the lake while eating dinner. There are a few villages of people who live on the island, and most of those people seem to be farmers. The fields have been terraced so you can see the long history of farming on the island. There also many animals that live there, sheep, donkeys, pigs, goats, llamas. All day long you see people herding around there animals. It´s a very interesting little island, but I can´t imagine why anyone would want to live there because getting around is so difficult. Not only is it all uphill and rocky but it is already at such a high altitude making it difficult to breathe. Needless to say, one night there was enough for me.

So last night was spend on the bus en route to Peru. Crossing the border was hectic, but not too difficult, and right away you could tell that Peru has a more successful economy than Bolivia. I will definitely miss the wonderful cheap meals I had in Bolivia, but I am ready to explore a new country. So far I don´t have many opinions because I really haven´t seen much, just the taxi ride to hostel. I was so tired I went right to sleep upon arriving, so I haven´t done much exploring yet. I can say that the bed I slept in at this hostel is without a doubt the best I have had since travleing. The pillow was so soft and fluffy, the sheets smelled clean, and there was actually a duvet. After the range in quality of beds I have experienced, this bed was great. This hostel is pretty new, so I think that´s why it´s so comfortable and clean here.

So the new plan is as follow: spend some time exploring Cusco, go see Machu Picchu (probably by train for lack of time) then strating Monday I will be making Arequipa, Peru my home for one month. I will be living with a family and volunteering at an orphanage. I am very excited about this new chapter! I am also a little nervous, I have no idea what to expect, but I am sure it will be a great experience. It is something I have always wanted to do. I am a little sad to stop traveling, but as I will have weekends off, I will be able to explore the surrounding areas. It will be nice to get into some kind of routine, even if only for a month.

So far the new year has been great to me! I hope it has been for you too. Here´s to loving life and living it to it´s fullest each and every day! Peace.

La Paz

After many obstacles we finally made it to La Paz on Thursday. That was probably the worst day thus far in terms of protests and general political unrest. Because bus companies were still on strike, we had to fly to the city from Sucre. Our flight ended up being about 6 hours delayed, so we spent the day in the airport. This delay was never quiet explained but I suspected it had something to do with the massive protests and violence that was happening that day right outside the airport. While we were waiting in Sucre, we say many violent images on the news depicting police opening fire on protesters, cab drivers being held and beaten by protesters because they were trying to drive past blocades, and there was images of cars of fire and trucks blocking the roads from the airport to the city. I must admit, I was feeling very nervous about going to La Paz after seeing all of this, but at the time it was our only option because there were no other flights available, and Sucre is to far from any borders to easily leave the country.

When we finally landed in La Paz my first instinct was to try to find a flight out of Bolivia but nothing was available for days. Many locals advised us to spend the night in the airport because many of the roads were blocked by the police and protesters, plus cab drivers were charging about five times the normal price. I ended up calling our hotel and they sent someone to get us, he turned out to be very nice, took us through back roads so we didn't encounter any problems, and he charged very little. Once we arrived to the hotel it was clear that the area we were in was safe. So we figured, as long as we stayed away from the more dangerous areas, it would be safe to stay here a few days.

I am very glad we ended up coming to La Paz. It's a very interesting city, very unique. Visually it's quite stunning, it's literally built into the mountains. The view as we were coming down into the city from the airport was breathtaking. It's a very vibrant city, full of life. Today, as it is New Years Day, the streets are quiet and mostly empty, but usually they are filled with people buying and selling all kinds of goods. Yesterday we went to the biggest market I have ever seen, we walked at least 7 or 8 blocks and we didn't even see all of it. It was really quite beautiful, so many colors from fruits, vegetables, spices, meat, all kinds of food. Life here for many people is certainly not easy, especially considering the recent events, the poverty is quite evident in some areas. But, it seems to me that people are just trying to make an honest living. I have never felt unsafe since being here.

Here are a few things I have noticed since being in Bolivia...
- Most people, especially women, often carry their belongings on their back, tied on with colorful fabric. Usually you see babies being carried this way, but yesterday I saw a man carrying a couch strapped to his back. Plus he was walking uphill, quite impressive.
- Pedestrians definitely do not have the right away here, no matter what color the traffic light may be. If you see a car coming, it's best to assume that is not going to slow down for you to cross the street no matter what.
- It can get a little scary with the cars because in many parts of this city the sidewalks are so full with people selling things that you have to walk on the street.
- It's very common to see people at work with their children. I have seen a child asleep on the dashboard of a bus, children playing in stores, at resturaunts, babies strapped to the backs of their mothers as they work. Child labor is also clearly a problem here, which I never had any idea about. But after seeing a five year old make my bed, it's definitely tough to swallow.
- Bolivians love their food, and it's actually really delicious and super cheap. There's a lot more spicy food than I had expected, since it's not so big in Chile or Argentina.

I can honestly say that Bolivia is one of the most interesting countries I have ever visited. Each city I have visited has been different.

Tomorrow we are doing the bicycle ride down the "death road" in a small town a few hours north of here. It's basically a downhill road down the mountains. It should be really awesome. The next day we are heading to Copacabana, a town on Lake Titicaca, then we are taking a boat to Isla del Sol, an island on the lake where we will spend the night. After that we will head to Cusco, Peru. The good news is that things seem to be returning to normal here in Bolivia, at least it seems that peace is starting to be restored, even if just temporarily. But most buses are running again, and prices are starting to go back to normal. We have already bought our bus tickets, so we just have a few more days left here in Bolivia.

Here's wishing you a happy and healthy New Year! Salud!

Sucre, Bolivia

Yesterday we managed to find a taxi that brought us safely to Sucre, the former capital of Bolivia. It was definitely more expensive than it would normally be, but it was under $15, still pretty cheap by my standards considering it was a 2 and half hour ride. Sucre is really nice, a very lovely city. It's very historical, essentially the birthplace of Bolivia. As a result it looks like a Spanish colonial town, lots of white stucco houses and buildings built into the hills. It's very clean and more tourist friendly than Postosí. The hostal I am staying in is a renovated mansion, it's huge and beautiful. My room is on the top floor way in the back so everytime I enter I feel like I am going through a maze.

The situation here is Bolivia hasn't changed much, the government implemented price increase on fuel has caused the price of food to go up. For me, the increase doesn't seem like much, but for the majority of the people who live in this impoverished country, it's a very big deal. There have been some protests around the country, but nothing major. The main thing is that the transportation strike is still going on, making it difficult for me to travel. We have decided the best thing to do is to fly, so tomorrow we are headed to La Paz as it was the only city in Bolivia that we could get a flight to. Plus after talking to several people about the situation, we have decided that location wise, La Paz is the best place to go since it is close to the borders of Chile and Peru so it will be easier to leave Bolivia from there. Our plan is to go tomorrow, feel it out and if it feels safe enough we will stay there for New Years as originally planned. If it seems too crazy, we will either try to get a flight to somwhere in Peru or Chile, or see if we can get to Peru by boat across Lake Titicaca. I have been told that might be a good option, plus it's supposed to be a very nice lake so that could be interesting. I have yet to feel unsafe here, there are military and police men all over, so that seems to be keeping things rather peaceful. They are a bit intimidating though, even regular security guards here carry multiple weapons: guns, tasers, mase; they are well armed.

I am definitely enjoying my time here regardless, I'm glad we made it to Sucre, it's definitely one of my favorite cities I have been too. Last night we got all cleaned up, I put on my only dress, and we went to a folkloric dance show. It was a very nice show and we were served a very fancy dinner. It was nice to do something like that, I always love going to dance shows. Bolivia is a country full of culture and tradition, I am glad I am able to experience it.

Bolivia

Well Bolivia has certainly been interesting so far, the past few days have been pretty action packed so I will do my best to update.

The best thing would be to start with right now. I am in Potosí, Bolivia, which is appparently the highest city in the world. I am pretty used to the altitude by now, though, the only time I really feel it is when I walk to fast or climb up stairs outside, then I feel pretty winded. For much of the tour I went on the past fews days, we were hanging out at 15,000 feet about sea level. So being at about 12,000 feet doesn't feel so bad.

The major issue right now is what is going on here with the government. For some reason, they decided to raise the fuel prices by 73% which is causing all kinds of problems in the form of massive strikes and protests. All bus companies have gone on strike indefinitely, which is a bit of a problem for us as we were planning on traveling up Bolivia during the next several days. We were supposed to head up to Sucre today, but now I'm not so sure what we will do since buses aren't running. There is a chance we can get a taxi there since it isn't so far away, but it will probably be expensive, at least by Bolivians standards. Bolivia is really quite cheap and the poverty is very evident. That's why it is a very big deal here that the government is raising prices, people don't have the money. They have also raised the prices on bread and cement. I have seen many long lines in front of stores and the lines at gas stations are also quite extreme right now. So we shall see what happens, I don't feel unsafe, just a little worried about getting stuck somewhere.

3 Day Tour

Probably one of the coolest experiences I've had, saw a lot of incredible landscapes. I took literally hundreds of pictures, at some point I will share some. We took some with the iPhone hoping to be able to find wireless and upload them today, but the wireless at the hostal is not working.
Quick summary of what we did:
The first day we left San Pedro early in the morning, drove about 45 minutes to the Bolivian border, piled into a land rover and began our journey through the desert of Bolivia. We saw a few lagoons, one of them green, another turned red from the microscopic algae. These lagoons were full of flamingos, not a place where you would expect to see flamingos. We also bathed in a thermal, which was set against a gorgeous backdrop of mountains and blue sky. Later we found ourselves essentially inside a volcano, where you could see the sulfuric steam seeping from geysers, as well as gurgling lava. This was one of the only times I felt a little light headed, but then, what would you expect, I was hanging out in a volcano 15,000 feet above sea level, a place humans don't typically hang out. That night we stayed in a tiny little village where about 15 families live. It was very cold and the accomodations certainly weren't glamerous. But we were served a tasty meal and given a bed to sleep in, what more could you really need. That night was Christmas Eve, we shared a bit of an awkward dinner as the majority of the people there did not speak the same language so there was a lot of silence as we enjoyed our soup and spaghetti dinner. I was asleep by 9:00, pretty tired from the day's events.

The next day we visited several more lagoons and a variety of different rocky and desert landscapes. I was constantly amazed by the sky. It just looked so massive and the clouds seemed so close. The place we stayed at that night was really cool, it was made almost entirely of salt. The floor was covered in salt, which was kind of nice, it felt like sand. The walls, tables, chairs, everything was made of salt blocks. We were served a delicious meal accompanied with some Bolivian wine. It was certainly unlike any other Christmas I've ever had, but I couldn't think of any place I would have rather been.

The third day we entered the salt flat of Uyuni, the biggest in the world. It's massive size is just incredible. It seems never ending. It used to be one massive salt lake, so parts of it are still covered in some water. We were able to take some pretty cool pictures because the water created a mirror reflect. I have some great jumping shots of me and my reflection, I always love a good jumping picture. We also visited this island located in the middle of the salt flat which was covered in cacti, some as old as 900 years old. We continued on through the massive white space, eventually coming to a town where we had lunch. After a bit more driving we ended up in Uyuni. After spending three days pretty much in the middle of nowhere, it was a bit surreal to see people again. And Uyuni is kind of a strange town. The people mostly just stared at us and in general seemed pretty unhappy, maybe just about life in general. It wasn't too exciting of a town. In the evening we got on a bus to Potosí. That was certainly an interesting experience. We were the only non-Bolivianos on the bus which was completely full to the point where some people just slept on the floor. One of my friends described the smell as one you would expect in a chicken coop. And when we stopped for a ten minute break everyone dispersed to use the bathroom, on the side of the road. It wasn't so bad since it was so dark, I was only a bit concerned about the incline.

So far, I have realized that in Bolivia you have to lower your standards a little bit. It is certainly much less developed then Chile and Argentina. But you can definitely find delicious food for way cheap. Today for lunch I had a great meal with soup and a full entré for just over a dollar. If you ever visit Bolivia, here´s my advice (thus far): bring lots of bottled water, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and an open mind about bathrooms.

Bolivia tomorrow

I'm still in San Pedro, enjoying a relaxing day in preparation for my next big adventure. Tomorrow we leave for a three day tour of the salt flats in Bolivia, ending in Uyini. It should be awesome, we are going to see all kinds of things like geysers, salt lakes, red and green lakes that house flamingos. Hopefully my body will be able to acclimate to the extreme altitude, but I haven't had any troubles with altitude sickness thus far. So for Christmas I will be way up in the mountains of Bolivia, unable to communicate with the outside world. If you are a loved one reading this, I wish you a very Merry Christmas, I would love to be with you for the holidays.

After Uyini we plan to stay in Bolivia heading to Polosí, the highest city in the world, then Sucre, the former capital of Bolivia, then to La Paz where we plan to spend New Years. I am definitely looking forward to how cheap Bolivia is going to be, and I'm sure it's going to be beautiful and unique.

Yesterday we went on a tour that took us to the Moon Valley, the Death Valley, the Three Marias and some salt flats. To see the Moon Valley you have to climb up to the top of this big sand dune. They said that normally the sand is very white giving it a moon like appearance, but right now it was a bit more grey due to the wind. It was still pretty cool. Plus I learned why the Death Valley is called what it is. Apparently the Bishop who gave it the name intended to call is Mars Valley (Valle del Marte) but because he was Belgium, when he pronounced the spanish with his french accent, the locals thought he said Valle del Muerte (Death Valley) so the name stuck. It definitely looks more like a Mars Valley to me though, with a reddish tone. The last stop of the tour was at this ridge that overlooked a beautiful landscape plus there was a nice view of the distant volcanoes. We rested there while watching the sunset and drinking tea, truly gorgeous.

San Pedro de Atacama is a lovely little town, I have really enjoyed my time here. But it's time to head off to a new country. I will miss Chile though, it feels comfortable and familiar even being in a part of the country I had never visited.

Feliz Navidad! Con amor y paz... hasta luego.

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Here I am in one of the driest places in the world, at an altitude of about 13,000 feet above sea level. Our planet is pretty incredible. This town is unlike any I've ever seen. There is dust and dirt everywhere. It's not a good place to wear white. The town is definitely touristy and a bit expensive because of that, but it's really quite precious. The buildings are all very old and very simple, just one story and made of rock and clay. Probably the most striking thing for me is how quiet it is here, especially at night. There are very few birds here, and at night they must be sleeping. You don't hear any kind of bugs, in fact I have yet to see even a fly. And it's certainly not a place where you hear vehicles and car horns at night. Not even a plane passing by, I think I would definitely notice that. At night that only sound you really hear is the occasional barking dog. It's very peaceful and relaxing.

But also a bit disorienting. When we got off the bus everything kind of seemed like a fuzzy blur, it was hard to process everything I saw as an actual place where people live. I don't know how else to describe it. I think because everywhere you look you just see land covered in dirt, everything is pretty much the same color. And then you realize how high up you are and it's like wow, how does this place exist? There are many volcanoes around, and it's so easy to make out their shape, even the ones way out in the distance because the sky and horizon is so clear.

I have taken many pictures, but again there is the problem of not being able to upload them yet. But as there are two iPhones in the gang hopefully I can steal a picture or two at some point when we find wireless again. It's definitely been harder to find internet access the further up north we go and I'm sure it's only going to get more difficult as we head into Bolivia.

Today we are doing a tour to El Valle de la Luna, the Moon Valley. I am very much looking forward to that, I know it will be unlike anything I've ever seen. Tomorrow we might be heading to Bolivia to do the three day salt flat tour although nothing is set in stone yet. The further I travel the easier it is to just let go and live day by day. Everything always seems to have a way of working itself out. It's liberating to live without following a rigid plan. But as a result I feel so removed from daily life, I never know what day it is and I just can't seem to wrap my mind around the fact that soon it will be Christmas.

There is a Christmas tree in the center of town, although I'm not so sure you could actually call it a tree. It is really just a cone shaped structure with bits of fake pine covering it. On top of that are a variety of different flashing lights, and I think each string of lights plays a different Christmas song. The result is very chaotic, it sounds as if you are walking through the aisle of a store after some kid has pushed the button on every electronic toy that plays music. But somehow it is very fitting of the environment.

As I am expecting internet access to be more difficult to come by, I'm not sure when the next update will be, but I will do my best. As always, thanks for reading and Happy Holidays!
Peace and love.

Rainy Day

Still in Argentina, now I am in Salta, a bit further north. We are basically here for the night just because tomorrow morning was the earliest we could get on a bus to San Pedro de Atacama. So it´s off to one of the driest places on earth tomorrow. It´s been raining pretty much all day so I will appreciate the dryness. Last night it rained and of course my room had a leaky roof. The water happened to land right where my face was, a nice refreshing way to be woken up in the middle of the night. I ended up sleeping on the floor in my sleeping bag at the foot of my bed because there was no way to avoid the water.

Yesterday we hiked to the waterfalls but I´m not sure that we saw the best one. We chose to go without a guide though so I´m just glad that we at least made it to a waterfall. We definitely got a little lost along the way. It was a nice hike though that involved a lot of river crossings and climbing up rocks. The environment was harsh. Very dry, dusty, and rocky. The vegetation was all very rough and spiky. As a result I have several scratches on my arms and legs. And towards the end of the hike I slipped on a rock while crossing the river, banging my knee and dipping one foot into the water. I wasn´t thrilled about walking the 5 km back to the hostel with one wet foot, mostly because it looked quite silly. I thought about putting my other foot in the water so they would match, but wet socks aren´t all that comfortable, I couldn´t justify it. I took pictures but I haven´t found a place to upload them yet since I´m mostly using internet cafes. Hopefully at some point.

The bus ride to Salta was pretty nice as far a scenery goes. Here are some notes I wrote in my journal in order to remember it:
Ruddy landscape. brown, red, clay, mud, but with green growing from it.
The river is kind of sneaky, if I don´t keep my eyes on it I lose it, then suddenly it reappears. Looks like gushing mud but also a bit like chocolate milk. I would almost expect to see rhinos bathing in it.
The reddish rocks look like carefully carved sculptures, as if they could be part of ruins left from an ancient civilization. The bigger rocks and points also seem to be carefully sculpted by the elements, horizontal lines to tell their history.
All growth is small but green. Even leafless branches are tinged green.

It was truly a remarkable landscape. My friend told me that´s what the Southwestern states looks like, but I have never been there. I am excited about the uniqe landscapes I´m sure to see tomorrow on the 12 hour bus ride back into Chile.