I´m uploading new pictures right now from the salt flats of Salar de Uyuni and of Christmas in Sucre. They should be done soon.
Check them out here:
Salar de Uyuni
Christmas in Sucre
I´ll try to get some more detailed posts in soon.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
La Paz
We're in La Paz right now, currently planning our next excursion to the Salar de Uyuni. Basically a big salt lake in the southern altiplano of Bolivia.
La Paz reminds me a lot of Santo Domingo. It's loud, dirty and unorganized. The only things that are different are that it is not stifling hot every day and there are mountains here. It gets pretty chilly at night, which never happened in the capital of the DR. We don't have much time to explore, but did do a little shopping today. Tomorrow in the afternoon we leave for Uyuni so we'll have a little more time to explore the city.
La Paz reminds me a lot of Santo Domingo. It's loud, dirty and unorganized. The only things that are different are that it is not stifling hot every day and there are mountains here. It gets pretty chilly at night, which never happened in the capital of the DR. We don't have much time to explore, but did do a little shopping today. Tomorrow in the afternoon we leave for Uyuni so we'll have a little more time to explore the city.
I'll Meet You at the Copa...Copacabana
After paying our hefty $135 visa fee to cross the border into Bolivia, it was only a few kilometer ride to the tourist town of Copacabana.
Copacabana is a huge Catholica pilgrimage town. Every February and August (I think?) people from all over Bolivia, and probably South America come to the church here to visit the Virgen de Copacabana. It is only during these two holidays that the move the glass cage with the Virgen inside. They have superstitions that if they move her on other days that there will be large floods.
Another reason people come to Copacabana is because it is the easiest to visit the largest natural island on Lake Titicaca from here. The island is called Isla del Sol, or Sun Island. For the tours you can opt to get dropped off on the northern part of the island and hike 15 km to the souther part, or you can roam around the northern part and then get back on the boat to the southern part. Since we just did the inca trail a week ago, we decided we would not be hiking. So, we started exploring the northern part of the island searching for some of the Inca ruins we heard about. We got lost twice, but finally ended up finding them.
Pics from Copacabana here
That was pretty much it for Copacabana. One other note about this town: it's filled with dirty, grungy hippies. I haven't quite figured out the reason why, but there were so many of them.
On that note, take care!
Copacabana is a huge Catholica pilgrimage town. Every February and August (I think?) people from all over Bolivia, and probably South America come to the church here to visit the Virgen de Copacabana. It is only during these two holidays that the move the glass cage with the Virgen inside. They have superstitions that if they move her on other days that there will be large floods.
Another reason people come to Copacabana is because it is the easiest to visit the largest natural island on Lake Titicaca from here. The island is called Isla del Sol, or Sun Island. For the tours you can opt to get dropped off on the northern part of the island and hike 15 km to the souther part, or you can roam around the northern part and then get back on the boat to the southern part. Since we just did the inca trail a week ago, we decided we would not be hiking. So, we started exploring the northern part of the island searching for some of the Inca ruins we heard about. We got lost twice, but finally ended up finding them.
Pics from Copacabana here
That was pretty much it for Copacabana. One other note about this town: it's filled with dirty, grungy hippies. I haven't quite figured out the reason why, but there were so many of them.
On that note, take care!
Lake Titicaca from the Peruvian Side
A fun fact about Lake Titicaca before I begin: it's the highest navegable lake in the world.
We got to Puno, Peru and checked into our hostel after walking a mile or so from the bus station. We had a really nice private room this time. We walked around for a little bit to check out the city and book our tour for the islands on Lake Titicaca. Puno is a really nice town: not too many tourists and just an overall relaxing feel to it.
The following morning we were picked up by the tour company to begin the day. We drove to the dock where we departed on a little boat to the Uros Islands. The Uros Islands are man made, floating islands. The people who live on the islands live a very simple life and make almost all of their money from tourism. I was skeptical because they called them floating islands, yet they seemed pretty stationary. I was proved wrong when they showed us how they tied them down so they didn't move. They basically put big stakes in the reeds they use to make them and then tie strings around them and then anchor them to the lake floor if they are in a shallow part, or use longer strings and tie them to rocks which they drop to the lake floor, no matter how deep.
After the floating islands it was a 2 1/2 hour boat ride to Taquile Island. Taquile is a natural island; not man made. The people on Taquile still stick to all their old traditions. An interesting fact is that only men on Taquile know how to knit and start learning at the age of five. Women only know how to weave. Their textiles are recognized by UNESCO, the United Nations Educations, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Based on the type of hats people where, you can tell if a person is married or single. There were some other explanations of their textiles but I don't remember them now. I also got to participate in some dancing, which I unfortunately don't have pictures of, but Maryam does. When she posts them I'll let you know.
After Puno, we crossed into Bolivia, to the lakeside pilgrimage town of Copacabana...
Check out pics from Puno here: Puno Pics
We got to Puno, Peru and checked into our hostel after walking a mile or so from the bus station. We had a really nice private room this time. We walked around for a little bit to check out the city and book our tour for the islands on Lake Titicaca. Puno is a really nice town: not too many tourists and just an overall relaxing feel to it.
The following morning we were picked up by the tour company to begin the day. We drove to the dock where we departed on a little boat to the Uros Islands. The Uros Islands are man made, floating islands. The people who live on the islands live a very simple life and make almost all of their money from tourism. I was skeptical because they called them floating islands, yet they seemed pretty stationary. I was proved wrong when they showed us how they tied them down so they didn't move. They basically put big stakes in the reeds they use to make them and then tie strings around them and then anchor them to the lake floor if they are in a shallow part, or use longer strings and tie them to rocks which they drop to the lake floor, no matter how deep.
After the floating islands it was a 2 1/2 hour boat ride to Taquile Island. Taquile is a natural island; not man made. The people on Taquile still stick to all their old traditions. An interesting fact is that only men on Taquile know how to knit and start learning at the age of five. Women only know how to weave. Their textiles are recognized by UNESCO, the United Nations Educations, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Based on the type of hats people where, you can tell if a person is married or single. There were some other explanations of their textiles but I don't remember them now. I also got to participate in some dancing, which I unfortunately don't have pictures of, but Maryam does. When she posts them I'll let you know.
After Puno, we crossed into Bolivia, to the lakeside pilgrimage town of Copacabana...
Check out pics from Puno here: Puno Pics
An Interesting Dinner
On our last night in Cusco, Maryam and I wanted to try the local Peruvian Delicacy. Maybe you can guess what it is, but if not I'll just tell you. It's guinea pig. We both didn't want to leave the region without having tried it. We needed to advise the restaurant four hours beforehand so that they had time to prepare it...oven-baked. The four hours may have also been to catch one.
Anyways, it was delicious. It reminded both of us of the roasted pork we ate in the Dominican Republic, just a little smaller and with many more bones. It was hard finding the meat on this guy.
Check out the photos on my picasa site if I ever get them uploaded.
Anyways, it was delicious. It reminded both of us of the roasted pork we ate in the Dominican Republic, just a little smaller and with many more bones. It was hard finding the meat on this guy.
Check out the photos on my picasa site if I ever get them uploaded.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Pictures from the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu
I posted some of the pictures from the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, but not all of them yet. You can view them here:
Inca Trail and Machu Picchu Pics
I will probably be uploading the rest tonight.
Stay tuned for a post about how the trek went.
Inca Trail and Machu Picchu Pics
I will probably be uploading the rest tonight.
Stay tuned for a post about how the trek went.
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
I survived the Inca Trail. After four days and 48 kilometers, we arrived at Machu Picchu. Here's a day by day synopsis of what happened:
Day 1:
Maryam and I wake up at 5 because we are to be picked up from our hostel by our trekking company anywhere between 5:20 and 6 am. After awhile of waiting the bus comes for us at about 6:15...pretty much on-time. We picked everyone else up who would be in our group and then headed off to the town of Ollantaytambo, where the Inca Trail starts. There were 16 of us in total. Maryam and I were 2 of 4 Americans. The rest were from Canada, Australia, Belgium and Sweden. Right at the beginning, Maryam and I noticed that our backpacks were definitely the largest of all the people in our group. We had no idea how we could have made them smaller because we packed the bare essentials. They were probably double the size of all the other backpacks. The reason for this was because most people hired an extra porter to carry a sleeping bag and mat and some other things. Maryam and I did not. I was slightly panicking because we were both struggling, and it was only the 1st day, and supposedly the easiest. Our guides noticed that we were struggling and mentioned to us that the following day we would be able to hire an extra porter if we wanted. I signed up right away otherwise there would have been no way that I could have finished. It was a little more expensive than if we had hired them at the get go, but it was totally worth it. We got to our campsite at around 4:30 pm with our tents ready and waiting for us. Here was our view from the tent:
It was the first night that I slept in a tent. It took me a little while to fall asleep but I finally did, and slept like a baby until our wake-up call at 5:30 am.
Day 2:
This was definitely the hardest day of all. It was 13 km long, and the entire morning was completely uphill. And I'm not just talking a little bit uphill. It was a really big incline and some really steep steps. We made it to the peak of 4200 meters around midday, and the rest of the day was all downhill on stairs. We got to our campsite a little early and we were able to rest a bit after lunch and before dinner.
Day 3:
The easy day. Well relatively easy compared to yesterday but still pretty difficult. We hiked from about 7 am till 4 pm with few breaks in between. We got to our final campsite which had some more awesome views of the Andes and the valley below. We got to walk around some ruins which were pretty spectacular. We went to bed early since we had to get up at 4am the next day in order to secure a spot in line for the hike to the sun gate, which ended up being in vain.
Day 4:
We woke up so early and waited in line for a good 45 minutes before we could start hiking to the sun gate. It started raining pretty hard on the way there which didn't make the hike that fun. When we got to the sun gate it was rainy and cloudy and could not even see a speck of Machu Picchu. Once we hiked an hour or so more down to the actual ruins it had cleared up a little bit and continued clearing up as the day went on. I took some pretty good pics so check them out. The ruins themselves were amazing. It's one thing to see them on TV and in magazines, but to actually see them firsthand and upclose was like anything I've ever experienced before. I'm not surprised that it was voted one of the new seven wonders of the world.
After Machu Picchu we headed down to the town nearby called Aguas Calientes. We went to some man made hot springs which ended up being pretty nasty.
That's it for now...Stay tuned for a post about Lake Titicaca
Day 1:
Maryam and I wake up at 5 because we are to be picked up from our hostel by our trekking company anywhere between 5:20 and 6 am. After awhile of waiting the bus comes for us at about 6:15...pretty much on-time. We picked everyone else up who would be in our group and then headed off to the town of Ollantaytambo, where the Inca Trail starts. There were 16 of us in total. Maryam and I were 2 of 4 Americans. The rest were from Canada, Australia, Belgium and Sweden. Right at the beginning, Maryam and I noticed that our backpacks were definitely the largest of all the people in our group. We had no idea how we could have made them smaller because we packed the bare essentials. They were probably double the size of all the other backpacks. The reason for this was because most people hired an extra porter to carry a sleeping bag and mat and some other things. Maryam and I did not. I was slightly panicking because we were both struggling, and it was only the 1st day, and supposedly the easiest. Our guides noticed that we were struggling and mentioned to us that the following day we would be able to hire an extra porter if we wanted. I signed up right away otherwise there would have been no way that I could have finished. It was a little more expensive than if we had hired them at the get go, but it was totally worth it. We got to our campsite at around 4:30 pm with our tents ready and waiting for us. Here was our view from the tent:
It was the first night that I slept in a tent. It took me a little while to fall asleep but I finally did, and slept like a baby until our wake-up call at 5:30 am.
Day 2:
This was definitely the hardest day of all. It was 13 km long, and the entire morning was completely uphill. And I'm not just talking a little bit uphill. It was a really big incline and some really steep steps. We made it to the peak of 4200 meters around midday, and the rest of the day was all downhill on stairs. We got to our campsite a little early and we were able to rest a bit after lunch and before dinner.
Day 3:
The easy day. Well relatively easy compared to yesterday but still pretty difficult. We hiked from about 7 am till 4 pm with few breaks in between. We got to our final campsite which had some more awesome views of the Andes and the valley below. We got to walk around some ruins which were pretty spectacular. We went to bed early since we had to get up at 4am the next day in order to secure a spot in line for the hike to the sun gate, which ended up being in vain.
Day 4:
We woke up so early and waited in line for a good 45 minutes before we could start hiking to the sun gate. It started raining pretty hard on the way there which didn't make the hike that fun. When we got to the sun gate it was rainy and cloudy and could not even see a speck of Machu Picchu. Once we hiked an hour or so more down to the actual ruins it had cleared up a little bit and continued clearing up as the day went on. I took some pretty good pics so check them out. The ruins themselves were amazing. It's one thing to see them on TV and in magazines, but to actually see them firsthand and upclose was like anything I've ever experienced before. I'm not surprised that it was voted one of the new seven wonders of the world.
After Machu Picchu we headed down to the town nearby called Aguas Calientes. We went to some man made hot springs which ended up being pretty nasty.
That's it for now...Stay tuned for a post about Lake Titicaca
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Cusco
Maryam and I got to Cusco at noon on Friday after a 22 hour bus ride. The bus was pretty luxurious. It was two levels, almost fully reclining seats. A pillow and blanket were provided as were dinner and breakfast. For being such a long ride, it went by suprisingly fast.
Since we took the bus into Cusco, adjusting to the altitude wasn't that bad since we gradually adjusted during the ride. Just a little shortness of breath and dizziness that didn't last too long.
We spent the last two days exploring the city. We hiked up to the Cristo Blanco statue, as previously seen in the video. We went to some historical sites, did some shopping and ate at some cool restaurants. Check out the pics in the link from the previous post.
Tomorrow we start the four day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu. That is from the 7th to the 10th. On the fourth day, the 10th, we will be spending the night in the town near Machu Picchu so we can explore the area a little more the following day. On the 11th we head back to Cusco for one more night before we move on our way to the next stop: Lake Titicaca.
That's it for now. I probably won't be able to post anything else for awhile, but stay tuned.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Lima
After the 7 hour flight from Atlanta, I finally arrived in Lima. After waiting in customs for an hour or so due to the long lines I made my way to the exit to find my friend Maryam. Upon exiting th doors I was faced with a sea of Peruvian faces and had no idea how I would ever find her. I heard someone yelling my name but could not find her. Miraculously we finally found eachother and the man who would be taking us to our hostel. We arrived late and exhausted (Maryam especially since she started her journey about 12 hours earlier than me.)
After a good night's rest, we explored Lima the following day. We also met up with our friend John from the Peace Corps who is now working in Lima with the PC. At night we went out with him and his friends for a few drinks and listened to a pretty good cover band.
The next day we explored Lima a little more before we left for our 22 hour bus ride to Cusco.
Love and Peace
More to come soon about our bus ride and Cusco.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod
After a good night's rest, we explored Lima the following day. We also met up with our friend John from the Peace Corps who is now working in Lima with the PC. At night we went out with him and his friends for a few drinks and listened to a pretty good cover band.
The next day we explored Lima a little more before we left for our 22 hour bus ride to Cusco.
Love and Peace
More to come soon about our bus ride and Cusco.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod
Kevin and Maryam Say Hi from Cusco
Sorry I haven't updated yet, but here is a video of me and Maryam. I'll have more detailed posts coming soon.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Leaving Again
So even though I've only been back for 11 days, I'm leaving once again. This time for a backpacking trip in South America. A Peace Corps friend, Maryam, and I will be traveling through Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile for two months. We don't have many set plans yet, but we will be starting out doing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. It's a 4 day, 50 km hike. I'm not in that great of shape nor have I ever slept in a sleeping bag, so wish me luck. Following that we're off to Lake Titicaca on the Peru/Bolivia border. After that we don't have anything finalized, but plan on being in Bolivia for Christmas, and Buenos Aires, Argentina for New Years.
I'll try my best to keep this blog updated throughout the two months. Maryam and I also plan on doing some youtube video posts, so stay tuned for more info on that.
Here is a pic of everything I packed. This was taken a few days ago, so some stuff was taken out and other stuff was added, but it gives a general idea of what I'm bringing. The bag weighs 22 pounds and has (hopefully) everything I should need for the trip:
Here's a pic of me the night before, ready to go:
Peace
I'll try my best to keep this blog updated throughout the two months. Maryam and I also plan on doing some youtube video posts, so stay tuned for more info on that.
Here is a pic of everything I packed. This was taken a few days ago, so some stuff was taken out and other stuff was added, but it gives a general idea of what I'm bringing. The bag weighs 22 pounds and has (hopefully) everything I should need for the trip:
Here's a pic of me the night before, ready to go:
Peace
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