Adios S. America

Goodbye South America

After La Paz, Bolivia, we cut across the northern tip of Chile and had the chance to explore an area of vast desert and snow-covered volcanoes. We stayed with a family in Parinacota, the most beautiful village that consisted of only ten families, and was the coldest place we had been yet. The area was full of vicunas, llamas, condors, and even flamingoes. We took a few long and rambling walks in the area and discovered a lake (all of this is in Lauca National Park) that was truly an oasis, so the wildlife viewing was incredible.

Vicunas grazing in Lauca National Park, Chile

The church in the center of Parinacota

We traveled through the driest desert in the world called the Atacama and found ourselves in a very pleasing beach town named Arica (I kept thinking everyone was talking about me) where we frolicked around for an afternoon. The next day we crossed back into Peru. Our next stop was the jumping off point for what are known as "poor man's Galopagus islands," more likely to be found on a map under the name of Islas Ballestras. A boat helped us view the beautiful area and we spotted Humbolt Penguins, Peruvian Boobies (these are birds of course!), Peruvian Pelicans, Inca Terns, 3 kinds of Cormorants, sea lions, and dolphins.

He tried to eat D's shoe

Then it was back to Lima to explore the bustling streets, a monastary with catacombs, and the grand squares of crumbling colonialism.

Now we are back home, kayaking and relaxing in the lush beauty of the humid summer we have found here!

The Mountains and La Paz

We took a harrowing boatride on Lake Titicaca to the Isla del Sol in Bolivia to find a magical place where people live an amazingly tranquil lifestyle. There had been a snow storm the night before with thunder and lightning and the lake had monsterous waves on it. By the time we got the the island, the sun came out and all was peaceful.

A view of Lake Titicaca from Isla del Sol

We then headed to the village of Sorata, where the Cordillera Real portion of the Andes tower overhead. We hired a guide and set off on a three day trek. We slept at a green lagoon, and then wheezed our way up to 16,650 ft up to a glacier lake. It was amazing. There was snow, and much awe in mother nature found there.

Damien and our guide Pablo have a snack on day 2 of our trek

Relaxing at our final destination- Laguna Glacial

After some well deserved showers and sleep back in town, we headed to the capital of Bolivia- La Paz which is where I write from now. It is a vibrant city, one of the most colorful, exciting, and fascinating cities I can remember. We stay in the ¨witchcraft¨market area, where herbs and all sorts of strange concoctions are ready to be offered to pachamama, including dried llama fetuses that you are supposed to bury under the corner of your house for good luck. The markets are incredible, the architecture is beautiful and the people are so very interesting. THe city literally has its own heartbeat.

In the morning we head to the northern tip of Chile, as it proves to be the easiest border crossing back into Peru, as there are protests directly from here that have the roads blocked. We figure we´ll take advantage of our detour and explore a National Park there that is supposed to be one of the finest in all of Chile. Much love coming at you from South America!

From Peru to Bolivia

After Machu Picchu we both came down with some kind of flu thing which held us up for a couple of days, but finally we headed to the southeast to the world´s highest lake- Titicaca. En route we drove through the remnants of a major protest and for miles there were boulders of every size thrown in the road to thrwart travel and we even spied an overturned car. Our bus driver was an excellent swerver. We found out that the citizens were protesting against some major company in the area that was polluting their river to such an extent that the people could not eat the fish in it any more.
When we arrived in the town Puno, we had the chance to take a boatride out into the vast lake. The destination was these traditional floating islands made out of lake reeds that people actually live on. They use the lake reeds to build their boats, their houses, and literally to build the ground they walk on! It was fascinating.

We seemed to become instant friends with a particular family there, and I spent a long time singing songs with them (twinkle twinkle little star was a big hit, and I had to sing it like 10 times so they could get the pronunciation just perfect), while Damien hung out with grandma in the kitchen discussing pollo de lago (chicken of the lake) - his and her own personal joke about a certain duck the locals enjoy eating. Hanging out on the floating islands
After that it was another dramatically beautiful busride around the lake, past intermingled herds of alpaca and sheep grazing in the treeless, windswept highlands of the Andes, past adobe villages, and miles of potatoes of every variey. We reached the Bolivian border and crossed over (sketchy policia there asking if our money was fake) to find another beautiful little town on Lake Titicaca- Copacabana (not the one from that song) which is situated at 12,600 feet and leaves you breathless the moment you walk out of your door. Bolivia is known as the most culturally traditional country in S. America, and we are enamoured already. Bolivians believe that they are all direct descendants of Pachamama (mother earth).
This morning in front of the church in the central plaza, the people were decorating cars and buses with flowers, garlands, ribbons, bows, praying with incense under the hoods, and sprinkling wine on the tires all in an effort to please the spirits that protect travelers. I like it here.

Need anything to decorate your car with?

Hola de Peru

Exploring the streets of Cusco

Well, we have been in Peru now for a little over one week, and we´re quickly falling in love with this country. We first explored Cusco and Pisac where impressive ancient Inca foundations are overlapped with Spanish colonialist architecture and the effect is some of the most stunning places I have ever seen. It´s winding cobblestone streets, adobe walls, terricotta rooves, and ruins everywhere. The locals are quite friendly, and they may have an adorned alpaca in tow. The markets are full of colorful textiles. One night in Pisac we didn´t sleep because of the festival celebrating July 1st, and there was the infinite ringing of church bells and horns and drums and dancing.

Market day in Pisac

Then we were off to two more places in the Sacred Valley- the first was Ollantaytambo which is a thriving town that remains the same as the original Inca design. It is truly a magical experience to wander through that town of thatched rooves, impeccable stonework, and ruins looming on every hillside. Rumor has it that there was one hell of a battle there between the Incas and the gold-thirsty conquistadors. The mountains are huge, and there the climate is actually a mountainous desert. Cacti and orchids growing side by side. White capped mountains jutting up in the background in every direction.

Enjoying an afternoon in Ollantaytambo

Next we decended down a little bit into a lush climate known as a cloud forest to make our way to the most famous Inca ruins in South America-Machu Picchu. It was never even discovered by the Spanish because it was in such a precarious location. We woke up at dawn and made our way there, and our 1st glimpse literally took our breath away. We spent the whole day there in awe of it´s prisine beauty and how in the world they could build such an asthetic and complex city literally on cliffsides. Phenomenal. I think its impressiveness is due to the combination of unbelievable stonework and the dramatic green mountains jutting up all around it. We have been climbing mountains every day and are becoming accustomed to the altitude, and now we are back in higher elevations. Next destination: Lake Titicaca. There is so much more to say, and I am still working on uploading pictures from our camera so that I can pair images with my lacking descriptions. Adios!

Machupicchu early in the morning

Damien looks out over the sacred valley