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Pisco & Paracas
We left Huacachina shortly after Greg and Hillary got back from sandboarding. They were both incredibly filthy and Hillary complained about having biffed it pretty bad, but both were pretty happy to have done it. Our outdated copy of Lonely Planet entirely failed us when it came to Pisco. We got there to find that the hostel we had chosen had closed down and that others that were mentioned had fallen down in the earthquake that devastated the area in 2007. I could have sworn I bought a copy of the 2008 LP Peru, but…
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Disgusting Skills
Since my last post, we have moved on from Arequipa. In order to do so, we took a night bus. Not my first choice considering the nasty things you hear about things going on on night buses, but we went with good company and in the end, everything was fine. However, I was not feeling well the whole day before getting on the bus. Imagine my frustration when an hour after boarding, I’m incredibly sick. There’s nothing more claustrophobic than heaving into a plastic bag from your seat.
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Museum Hopping in Arequipa
I’ve spent the last few days visiting the handful of museums that Arequipa has to offer. Hillary and Greg left two days ago for the Colca Canyon, leaving me largely to my own devices. The canyon sounded interesting (being the second deepest canyon in the world), but ultimately, I just didn’t have the drive at the moment to undertake another several-day trek. Plus, the idea of some much needed alone time to wander the city by myself was very much appealing to my loner heart. So here’s my rundown of the museums worth mentioning (I’m sure there are other good ones, but some were closed for inexplicable reasons when I…
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Arequipa, the “White City”
Puno wasn’t one of my favourite places. There was something I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but it left me feeling like I was constantly ready to move on. Maybe we were just staying in the wrong neighbourhood, but there didn’t seem like there was much to do, besides pit stops in local grocery stores (which has it’s own merits, of course). It was off to Arequipa, which has been one of my favourite places in Peru so far. Dubbed the “White City” for it’s gorgeous architecture carved out of white volcanic rock, it’s charming and bright.
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The Islands of Lake Titicaca
It was time for a boat ride. The other morning, we woke up early, packed an overnight bag, and took a small boat out to visit the islands of Lake Titicaca. Our first stop was to visit the man-made floating islands of the Uros people. Each “island” is made from lashing totora reeds together, creating thick mats of reeds that float moderately above the water. The people of these islands initially started living off the boats they made from the same reeds to escape the tyranny of budding empires in the area. Eventually, their boats got bigger and flatter, becoming the floating masses that are still in use today.
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Onward to Puno
Following our brief stay in Aguas Calientes after the Inca Trail, we hopped on a train back to Ollantaytambo before catching a crazy taxi back to Cuzco. The taxi drove like a madman, weaving through the highways and eventually, the streets of Cuzco at breakneck speed. Shortly after we’d entered Cuzco’s city limits, I was asking him in my most polite Spanish to stop the car and let me out. I proceeded to throw up on the side of the road for a solid five minutes. A small dog was disappointed to see that it was just the orange juice I’d had at breakfast and nothing more substantial. If only…
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The Inca Trail
Look at it this way: it’s taken me several days following that trek to get up the energy to write about it. Below is the day-to-day breakdown of the Trail, followed by some recommendations should you ever think you want to do this, too.
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The Sacred Valley
Not far from Cuzco lies the Sacred Valley. It’s a spot littered with beautiful archaeological sites. I’m amazed at how the ancient Incans managed to mason large stone blocks together so well. Massive boulders interlock perfectly with each other without any mortar, just impressive engineering. Yesterday, we rented some horses to tour the nearby countryside and had the misfortune of ending up with some really, really stubborn horses. If there was a terrible path to take, they’d choose it, without any notice of our input. Mine was more interested in following my commands than Greg or Hillary’s, but it was still frustrating. I did manage to command Hillary’s into a…
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Exploring Lima and Heading to Cuzco
After landing in Lima, we decided to stay for a few days, just relaxing off the jetlag and catching the sites around town. We took some time to go down to Central Lima, taking the micro buses, which did not end up being overly smooth, but did end up being entertaining. The jostling and fumes led us all to feel a little ill while riding around in the bus, but I was happy to find out mine is not the weakest stomach in the group.
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Signing in Lima
I have the biggest pack. I feel so, so much shame. After everything I learned in Mexico, how did this happen? From here, I swallow my shame and do my best not to complain about how heavy my pack is. I brought it, I’m going to do my best to carry it and try even harder to do it with a little grace.
to see the world in a grain of sand.
