Cliff Crossing and Ruin Stomping

Baja Cusco!
After our marvolous month+ in Arequipa, we moved into Javier´s penthouse apartment in Cusco. Thank you CouchSurfing.org. In the following 13 days, we made our way around the Sacred Valley and Peru´s nightlife capital. On day 7 Ms.Kate Bratrude joined our travel troop, and we headed straight to Machu Picchu!


Maybe a traditional tour would have been a better route, however, we dont do that. We hopped on a 6 hour bus to Santa Maria, and were forced to stay there the night due to ´bad roads´(a very common theme in our recent travels). In the morning we horrified our new mom with a slippery, if-you-swerve-too-much you fall off the cliff, watch out for falling rocks overhead road. The rest of the day we spent walking in the rain til MachuPicchu/Aguas Calientes town. In the morning, we awoke at 4:30 and walked up a million stairs to Machu Picchu. The ruins were everything we expected and more, especially after 11 when the morning fog had cleared and the sun came out! The hike up to Wayna Picchu (the big mountain behind Machu) was lacking sun, but still one of our ruin highlights!







From Cusco we made our way south to the mystical Lake Titicaca, stopping in the less than attractive city of Puno. We left the city to see the Floating Islands of Uros and Taquile, observing the long-lasting traditions of island life. We bused around the Lake the next day to Copacabana, for a little Bolivia-Peru comparison.








BOLIVIA!
As quick as we could we hopped on a ferry boat sailing to the Sun Island, the rumored birthplace of the first Incas and central landmark for both the ancient Quechuas (Peru side) and Aymaras (Bolivia side). We walked the length of the Island, taking in the peaceful energy and enjoying the complete absence of cars, cellphones, internet, modern technology. We stayed the night, allowing us to watch the sunset, stars, and sunrise, and ultimately understand how the magic of this place captivated the ancients.






After a quick pause in the mineral-rich land of Oruro, where we ate Salteñas (chicken or beef and potato, vegetable filled pastries), toured a mine, and then headed to Uyuni in the Southwest.


The entire region was once a huge lake, which has since dried up, and left behind natural wonders like: the biggest salt flats in the world, high altitude geysers, microorganism colored lakes(inhabited by lots of snacking flamingos), and rolling hills that appear painted. We saw all this and more on a bumpy 3-day Jeep tour.







Kate´s time was running out quick, so we returned to Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Our lady of the Peace) the northern administrative capital of Bolivia. There we spent our days shopping, and then sending all our souvenirs home in duffel bags with Mom. Every street in La Paz is stacked with tents of street vendors selling everything and anything they can, from bananas to nails, cell phone chargers to second hand clothes. We stayed in the midst of the ´Witches Market´ full of vendors selling love potions, natural herbal remedies, sacrificial and ceremonial pieces- like llama fetus´s to be buried under new houses. All offerings to the Pachamama (Mother Earth).
Bolivia has been a unique place, still very faithful to pre-Colombian traditions, with a majority indigenous population unified by similar dress, dance and ritual customs.




We left La Paz by bicycle, riding down from 4000 meters (cold with snow) to 1500 meters (humid and tropical) on the ¨World´s Most Dangerous Road¨. We´re glad not to be driving here where the rule is you pass on the left side, so the driver has the best cliffside view of his outer tires, on a road no wider than 3 meters at times... Lisa has moved south, Courtney and Emily moved northeast into the jungle! Currently we are still trying to arrange our jungle transportation, as all the roads are nearly washed out. Hopefully we´ll get a sweet boat ride up to Rurrenabaque today :)
Still, we are loving the tropical climate, fresh fruits and spectacular mountain views that greet our eyes every moment here!
With Love,
Emily and Courtney

Adios Arequipa

Dear Arequipa,
After a happy 5 weeks under your rain clouds, sunshine, historical center made of sillar -white volcanic stone- and the great shadow of Mt. Misti, we would like to say thank you.
Thank you for providing us hospital San Juan de Dios where we shared so many irreplacable smiles and stories with children all around the region.
Your outlying lands are full of beautiful fields, ancient andina farms, antique Spanish mansions and the pueblo of San Isidro where we were able to meet and greet so many lovely school children and the wonderful volunteers of Intiwawa.
We enjoyed our stay in the elegant neighborhood Vallecito, passing by parks and friendly families everytime we walked home.
De puta madre carajo, your amiable Pichin (the hostal owner we stayed with 4 weeks) was an excellent teacher of Arequipan slang and bought us our first cuy (guinea pig) lunch.
In 12 de Octubre (where we stayed one week more) we lived in a family setting and came to realize how fast you´re changing generation to generation. Your people are still working hard to support and build you, but, for example, no longer need the hearty energy of the old typical plates to get them thorough laborous workdays.
We got to know your bus terminal well, as we worked for the hostal to invite travelers in. Thank you for your proximity to Chile, we were able to meet so many great friends in the hostal and are anxiously anticipating visiting all of them after we make our rounds in Bolivia!
The meeting of three cordilleras (mountain ranges) gave you a magical feel, and our trip to Colca Canyon - the worlds deepest canyon- was truly unforgettable!
Almost every Arequipeñan we met had a natural and enjoyable air to them. Whether they gained tips for juggling in the streets, owned their own shops, worked in the surrounding mines, or as gourmet chefs, tourist guides, doctors, bartenders or teachers, each of them was more than willing to share a piece of their lives, invite us out for a traditional meal, or just stop us on the streets to start up where our last conversation left off.
Carnaval was maybe the funnest festival weve ever been to. Spending Saturday in your picturesque Plaza de Armas we watched the parade, as well as all the happy spectators. Poorly armed, and obviously foreign, we were targeted by all the fun Carnaval had to offer. Fun which took the form of buckets of water (retrieved from the centerpiece fountain of the Plaza), spray foam canisters, confetti, water balloons, water guns and more. Our laughter only paused when we were wiping foam out of our eyes.
Also, we will never forget that Arequipa was the place were our Salsa skills transformed from gringo normal, to smokin.

Thank you again Arequipa, you will always live in our memories :)
Love,
Emily, Courtney and Lisa




Fotos:
of Arequipa and Colca Canyon:
https://picasaweb.google.com/courtneybratrude/Arequipa#

Of Clinica San Juan de Dios:
https://picasaweb.google.com/courtneybratrude/20110312Courtney#

How do you do Peru?

We have arrived in Arequipa, Peru´s most southern and second most important city. In order to arrive we had to traverse length of Peru, via the coastal PanAmerican Highway. Familiarizing ourselves with Peru´s trucker community.



Departing from Ecuador in late January, we made Puira our first stop of the long journey ahead of us. At least, we thought we were going to Puira, but instead, in Puira´s Plaza de Armas (the center piece of every traditional Peruvian city), we found ourselves miles away from the outlying city Catacoas, our real destination. Just as we were beggining to figure out how we could take the bus there and if we would arrive before dark, the police came to the rescue. We have had some run ins with Peru´s corrupt police department, and heard many horror stories, but these police were more helpful than we could have expected. They escorted us 30 mins to the Plaza de Armas in Catacoas, sometimes flashing their emergency lights to get through traffic. So, we arrived in style, very safe and successfully met up with our CouchSurfing host Yosimar. Welcome to Peru the officers said as they drove away!






In Catacoas we stayed several nights in a family home, well taken care of and entertained. Yosimar is a professional Marinero dancer, one of the many traditional dances of Northern Peru, and we got to see it live! We started our ruin tour, another guidebook acclaimed attraction of the North. We were occasionally relieved from the Northern Coasts desert heat when targeted by Carnaval water balloons. Everytime we left the house, someone checked to make sure we were well equipped to defend ourselves and participate in the regions 2 month long celebration, which really is just an excuse to play and be mischevious.





Next, the road brought us to Trujillo, we were unsuccessfully stayed with two couchsurfters, but successfully visited the ruins of Chan Chan, the worlds largest adobe city. We also spent some time on the beach, and filled our bellies with ceviche – a cold, mixed seafood dish, relished with lemon juice and toasted choclo (corn)!








We left the humid coastal desert to visit the Cordillera Blanca (White MountainRange) and familiarize ourselves with this region of the worlds highest ice glacier forests, and the second highest mountain range behind the Himalayas in the city of Huaraz. Where it rains most afternoons – at least in this season- ice cream costs 1 sol (33 cents) and everyother store sells hiking gear. For once, we fit in with the locals when clubbing in our hiking boots. We had an incredible hike to Lake 69, whose serenely clear turqouise glacier water is better described with photos.





To the capital! Lima is brimming with busy culture, colonial buildings, neighborhoods that stretch on for miles, and impossible traffic. Living in the northern neighborhood Tomas Valle, travelling to the center required a 40 minute bus ride, at least. Bus passangers are always packed tight like a can of sardines and blinkers are rarely used, honking is the preferred method. The continual stream of blarring horns is less than melodic. Lima´s charms included: the San Francisco church with tunnels of underground catacombs, the Plaza de Armas, watching the change of the guards at the government palace, the Park of Love, surfing beaches, and the great family company we recieved.






Next stop, Paracas National Park´s dry playas. Beach side, private 8 person tent, roasted marshmallows round the bonfire, and the lingering smell of fresh fish oil.



We spent some time camping along the coast before heading to Ica and Huacachina. Ica offered us delicious locally grown and processed pisco (Peru´s no. 1 liquor, made from white grapes). In Huacachina, we sandboarded. While we got a bigger adreneline rush from the spectaular views of the world´s highest sandboardable dunes, than from the actual sport, it was all good fun. Included: an intense calf work out, hiking vertically in the very fine sinking sand.







Continuing our journey south along the PanAmericana highway, we made a short pit stop to see the Nazca Lines! A series geoglyphs figures that were created by Nazca culture in 400-650 CE. They are better viewed by plane, but for budget travelers like us you can pay 2 soles to climb up stairs for a more limited, but still impressionable view.




At the end of this long, skinny highway trail, we found Arequipa. The ¨White City¨ so gets its name from the white volcanic ash adobe that all the center´s antique buildings are made from. 1 million people roam the cities neighborhoods, and outlying pueblos. We have added to the communter population that travels to the barren pueblo San Isidro, about an hour bus ride outside the city. Here we spend a couple days a week with kids at Intiwawa school. Unfortunately, we are not able to continue our newly aquired classroom skills here, as all the kids are on summer vacation. Instead we get to be like camp counselors at a disorganized summer day camp, playing games, making bracelets and painting loose leaf papers. Lacking a busy schedule, we have also encoutered San Juan de Dios Hospital, only a 10 minute bus ride from where we live. Similar to Intiwawa school, there we are spend our mornings with a handful of kids, most in wheelchairs or hospital bed ridden. There, we entertain, we play games, we make valentines, we read books, we cut their chicken and sometimes feed it to them.
Between these two projects, we give a loving energy, which is amply reciprocated by all our kids.
¡Peace, Love and Saludos from Arequipa! (and a kiss on the cheek)

Trading our way through Southern Ecuador

Hola amigos y familia
First update; we happily passed the holidays (christmas to new years) in our comfy home of Salasaca. However we were getting too comfortable, and too restless to explore! On January 3rd we packed our bags for one final excursion...
Cotopaxi, the highest-active-snowcapped-on-the-equator volcano in the world, was calling our name. We met our guide-friend Alexis at the base, spent the night in the 4800 meter high refugio, awoke at midnight with splinting altitude headaches and nausea, rested another 30 mins and began the climb, ice picks and crampons included. Unfortunately we did not make it to the top, due to sickness, too much snow, and a late start. But we had lots of fun sliding down the mountain in our snow gear and climbing to the glaciers in the (real) morning.


After freezing our toes off, we decided a jungle trip was in order
We made our way down to Puyo, Ecuador's largest jungle city, to explore the infinite "monte". We traded some manual labor, working in our host farm/backyard for a free accommodation in a private jungle mansion. Overly comfortable, we stayed for a week. Straying 10 meters away from our house, we could easily loose our way in the dense Amazon's immense biodiversity (pachamama!). One particular day, our garden co-worker lead us tromping through a muddy, mossy, no-trail trek, hand made by his relentless machete that cut down everything in its path. So much for saving the rain forest. We also got a thrill out of running inside whenever sporadic jungle monsoons came around. We took a day trip to the small town Misahualli where we talked with a radical revolutionist about our volunteer roles were affecting Ecuador and were robbed by monkeys in the town square. Actually Courtney was the only victim. We spent a half hour trying to retrieve the glasses from the unsuspecting, cuddly monkey which suddenly snatched the glasses off her head, ran to the roof, popped out the lens, and warped the frames by slamming them on cement. We finally were able to trade them an onion, and locate a ladder in order to get all the pieces back. Having our fill of nature, we headed to the city.





We passed through the historic sites of Riobamba; attending a cultural dance show and visiting Ecuador's first church in Guano as we went.
Now we are in Cuenca, "Ecuador's most beautiful city". We enjoy strolling through the colonial streets, visiting the museums, gettin down in the clubs and grubbin on traditional plates.


Tomorrow we will leave in the morning for Loja, tour around the south a little longer, then were off to PERU!
Hopefully we will be there within the week. We are currently deciding between new work projects in southern Peru (Arequipa or Cusco) and livin the life of travelers until then.
We are still happy, healthy and hairy.
Ciao!

oh yeah, here are some extra photos for you enthusists!
http://picasaweb.google.com/courtneybratrude/AmazoniaJungle#

Trading Volcanic Ash for Sandy Feet

It seems that with the regularity of routine comes a laziness to update blog posts. A note to devoted blogreaders: sorry if you thought we had died.
In fact, we are very much alive and alert. So is the volcano we live next to, we have had the privilege to watch our neighborhood volcano Tungurahua spew molten volcanic rocks during select nights, and hear the mountains anxious growls during the day.

We are still enjoying the rambunctious company of our ninos, but last week decided to take a break from Colada and Tungurahua´s blinding ash, and head to the coast!
First we stopped off in Quito to join in the celebrated Quitumbe music festival where we saw the reggaeton legends Calle 13 and Bob Marley´s Wailers. We had beautiful weather and were spoiled by our Quito host. We got to explore more of the city and prepare for the 9 hour night-bus ride to tha coasta!
On Tuesday morning we arrived in Ecuador´s celebrated Tuna capital, Manta. When we stepped off the bus, we immediately sensed the coastal mood. We were no longer sucking thin 9,000-foot-altitude air, but instead were greeted with the oceans crisp smell on every inhale. The weather was and remained warm and relaxing for our entire journey. It felt like summer time. Plus we loved being able to swim in our Pacific Ocean without a full body wetsuit!


After spending a few days in the streets and beaches around Manta and eating up lots of seafood we (Courtney, Lisa(our Austrian) and I) started hitchhiking down the coast. Before reaching our destination Puerto Lopez, we were able to stop off at remote beaches and neighborhood ice cream shops in between rides. In Puerto Lopez we met up with David (our massage therapist/surfing fanatic host). He took us to his home, showed us the tent we would spend the next few nights in and introduced us to his Mama and two younger brothers. After unloading our stuff we were ready for the beach. Out of town we walked past ¨No Trespassing - Turtle Hatching Area¨ signs to get to the secret beach La Playita. We played in the water until a family-run fishing boat cruised by, picked us up and took us fishing til sunset.
The next few days we spent on the beaches surfing, playing soccer, collecting seashells, taking photos, dancing at neighborhood parties, and of course, swimming. We stayed salty and happy, only occasionally taking showers by pouring bowls of fresh water on ourselves.

On Saturday we set out for Montanita, Ecuador´s notorious party beach. We spent the night partying along the beach at cocktail stalls, in the streets, and in the bars. Shoes were optional. After recuperating on the beach we returned to P.L. the following day.
For our last day in Puerto Lopez we joined a boat full of tourists and drove over an hour to the Isla de la Plata island - aka ¨the poor man´s Galapagos¨. Our tour took us on a hike around the island, where we learned about the rare blue-footed, red-footed and masked boobies, frigates and fauna all of which we observed in their natural habitats. Afterward we fed turtles and snorkeled with schools of fish along a coral reef!
That night we radically changed our altitude once again. We returned to the Sierra, and back to our pueblito Salasaca. On Thursday morning we were welcomed back to school with enthusiastic hugs and endless questions from our kids.
School days have become more and more dedicated to the upcoming winter solstice/Christmas performance set for next Tuesday. We´re crossing our fingers, hoping for a smooth and theatrical execution in front of all the parents.
We will happily spend our Christmas here in Salasaca surrounded by our wonderful friends and loads of home-brewed sugar cane alcohol (canelazo), Yonif (our favorite card game) tournaments, and delicious meals around an open fire.
Happy Holidays everyone, we miss you all!

pictures here: !!! :)
http://picasaweb.google.com/courtneybratrude/Ecuador#

http://picasaweb.google.com/courtneybratrude/Ecudor02#