Ocho Horas en Lima

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

I guess it was ambitious to think we would be able to sleep past sunrise, since we've gotten up prior to dawn the last four mornings straight.  After finally getting to bed at 2am, I thought we were tired enough to sleep the six hours through to our alarm... wrong!  I was up at 6am and couldn't get back to sleep.  We received notification that our flight to Lima was delayed 45 minutes, so we were thankful for that little bit of extra time in the morning.

We landed in Lima mid-afternoon and jumped in a cab to get downtown.  I know I've commented on the driving several times, but this might have been the most hair-raising ride yet.  It felt like bumper cars leaving the airport, as about eight lanes of traffic had to merge down to three.  These Peruvians are more aggressive than New York City drivers!

We spent some time exploring El Centro, the historic center of Lima.  We enjoyed the beautiful colonial-era architecture and spent some time people-watching in the beautiful main square of Plaza de Armas, before heading south to Miraflores.  This seaside suburb is home to Lima's best hotels and restaurants and serves as the city's cultural hub.  We strolled through the parks perched high on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean and watched the surfers trying to catch a wave down below.

We found the perfect spot to grab one last Pisco Sour and watch the sunset over Lima's rocky coastline.  We headed over to Huaca Pucllana, a massive pre-Inca mud-brick temple which covers several city blocks and dates back to at least the fourth century.  We had dinner at a restaurant of the same name, sitting at the base of the ruins with a beautiful view of the temple lit up at night and delicious food.

As time wound down, we realized it was definitely time to head back to the airport to catch our flight, so we hailed a cab.  When we told the driver our destination, he wouldn't take us.  Apparently in Lima you need a special license to be able to drop off and pick up at the airport, so the restaurant valet had to call us a "special" cab.  We were told ten minutes until the driver arrived... which we weren't thrilled about as the minutes ticked away, but we didn't really have another option, so we waited.  Twenty minutes later, with no driver in sight, we started to panic and tried to communicate with the valet attendants that we were going to miss our flight.  I think they thought we were slightly nuts, but they admitted that based on the time it was possible we would miss our flight... The airport is 50 minutes north and the traffic in Lima is horrendous, regardless of time of day.  Finally our "special" driver rolled up, pretty much on two wheels, and we jumped in.  Now I felt like I was in the Indy 500.  Knowing we were in a hurry, our driver pulled some crazy stunts to get us to the airport on time, which included driving on the wrong side of the road to get in front of the line of cars stopped at a traffic light and driving over a median barrier to get around slower moving traffic.  I figured we're either going to miss our flight or we're going down in this car, so I closed my eyes and hoped for the best.  We made it... But what a way to spend the last hour or so of your vacation.

Both of us are realizing that this amazing cultural experience is coming to an end and reality is about to sink in.  But with any trip like this, you come home forever changed with a new understanding and appreciation for other people and their cultures.  Brittany and I really enjoyed our first experience in South America and are hopeful for more opportunities down the road to explore the other countries that make up this continent.  The locals were so warm and welcoming and we are thankful for all of the new friends we made on this journey.

"Travel makes one modest.  You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world." - Gustave Flaubert.

Inca Trail, Day 4: We Made it... Hello Machu Picchu!!

Monday, April 25, 2016

I guess I slept well because when our alarm went off at 3:15am, it woke me up.  And yes, Brittany and I set an alarm to get up earlier than our official wake up call... We were having trouble getting ready and out of our tent in the forty minutes they gave us every other morning and today we only had twenty.  We didn't want to be responsible for holding up the group... and we need to put on our mascara!!

We heard there are "western" toilets at Machu Picchu, so that's another incentive to get up and get there... besides seeing the site obviously.  After a quick breakfast, we were on our way, but only to get in line at the check point so our group could be one of the first through when it opened at 5:30am.  We had a great spot in line near the front and anxiously awaited the hour to pass so we could complete the homestretch of this four day trek!

And finally we were off!  It was close to a mad dash as everyone was hurrying to be one of the first few to get there... the anticipation!!  As we got within ten minutes of arrival, there were a ton of narrow, steep steps we had to conquer and our hearts were beating out of our chest.  But we pushed on out of excitement and adrenaline.  And then, we had arrived... We came out through the Sun Gate and there, laid out before us, was Machu Picchu.  It was a surreal feeling.  We had a moment to take it all in before we took tons of pictures and watched the sun rise to illuminate the lost city of the Incas.

I need to take a moment to mention how unbelievably blessed we've been with the weather on this hike.  Besides the bit of rain we had on the first day, the weather has been absolutely beautiful.  And we couldn't have asked for a better morning to "discover" Machu Picchu.  One guide told us out of all the times he's arrived at the Sun Gate, he's only had weather like this one other time.  Some groups couldn't even see the Inca city when they arrived because it was covered in clouds.  I'm just so thankful and appreciative that we've had perfect weather.  We couldn't have asked for anything better.

We continued our hike to Machu Picchu, another hour down the trail.  We started passing people who looked a little too fresh to have been hiking the last four days and realized they were tourists visiting for the day.  We instantly wondered if they could smell us as we passed by... Sorry!  Lol

As we got closer, the photo opportunities continued to get better.  We had to exit the site and had thirty minutes to regroup before going back in for our tour.  We enjoyed a quick snack and a visit to the bathroom. And yes, the rumors were true... normal toilets (well at least what I consider normal)!!  I've never been so happy :)

Percy led us through Machu Picchu with a very educational and informative tour and then we had some time to explore the ancient city on our own.  Britt and I climbed to the top of the terraces and found the most amazing view yet.  We also found more "Yah-Mas"!!!  We had a great time watching them parade around, putting on a show for all of the tourists with cameras and my dream photo became a reality, lol. (Below)  Trip made.

After having Machu Picchu on my bucket list for several years now and after four days of trekking to get here, I was worried all the anticipation was just setting me up for disappointment.  But seeing this sacred city in person has exceeded all of my expectations.  I couldn't take my eyes off of it.  I can't believe I'm standing here with Machu Picchu in front of me.  And as Percy promised us when we started our journey early Friday morning, this trek through the Andes was indeed life-changing.  I'm so grateful for the opportunity and thankful Brittany and I got to share this together.  And now we've seen another New Wonder of the World... four more to go to complete the list!

Although it was tough to leave, we had to catch the bus down to Aguas Calientes to meet the rest of our group for one last "family" lunch together.  We all celebrated with adult beverages and lots of food!!  We're really going to miss everyone in our group as we had a great time getting to know and bonding with our hiking "family".  We all exchanged contact info and plan on staying in touch!

After lunch we had a few hours to kill before our train left, so we treated ourselves to an Inca Massage.  The massage included an opportunity to shower and we decided it would be cruel to make any masseuse touch us in our current state, so we showered before...  And luckily we had the massage waiting for us on the other side or our hot showers might have gone on forever.  Those sixty minutes were exactly what we needed after hiking 43km that included climbing 5,248 feet and then descending 5,904 feet while carrying backpacks weighing at least 15lbs.  But it was all so worth it... and so was that massage!!

We boarded the train at 6:20pm to start our four hour journey back to Cusco and shortly after we pulled out of the station, we came to a dead stop on the tracks.  We ended up having to sit there for 90 minutes thanks to the train ahead of us suffering mechanical issues.  I guess something had to go wrong... We all agreed we'd take this hassle getting home every time in exchange for the amazing weather we were given over the past four days!  We were supposed to be back in Cusco around 10:15pm, but didn't arrive until 11:45pm.  And this is after waking up at 3:15am... so you can imagine how exhausted we are!  But not exhausted enough to skip another hot shower.  Plus we had to pack as we leave tomorrow morning for Lima, our last day in Peru!

Inca Trail, Day 3: "Yah-Ma" Selfies

Sunday, April 24, 2016

So, I think this might be the last time I go camping.  Last night we basically slept on a pile of rocks.  Or I should say, tried to sleep... I think Britt and I got a total of 20 minutes combined.  Even bundled up in a sleeping bag that's supposed to be good up to -8 Celsius, I was frozen.  And I'm over the bathroom situation.  Having to squat over a hole is the worst part of this entire experience.  I just don't understand why it's that hard to add a toilet bowl, lol.  Everyone is bred differently, and I wasn't bred to be a camper.

But the breathtaking views and the company of our hiking "fam-a-lee" makes the camping part of this journey all worth it.  Our group is starting to get to know each other better and we're all bonding as we go through this experience together.

Day 3 is our long day... We have 15km to cover and aren't scheduled to arrive at camp until 5:30pm.  Whoever said it was supposed to be easier than yesterday... They lied.  We started the day with an hour and a half of straight uphill and after yesterday's climb, my legs felt like jello and I had nothing left in the tank.  I'm sure the exhaustion from not sleeping wasn't helping either.  Although a lot of this, like anything else, is mental and you just have to tell yourself you can do it and push through.  So onward ho!!

We arrived at the second pass, Qochapata, at 12,916 feet.  From here we had another breathtaking view, this time of the glaciers both to the east and the west.  Percy shared an Incan ritual with our "family" and had each of us leave an offering to Mother Earth.  It was a touching moment that made all of us stop and appreciate this journey we're on.  Further down the trail, we visited Sayaqmarka, a well preserved Inca town high up on a cliff overlooking the valley below, before we continued on to our campsite for lunch.  Oh and Go Terps!  Thought we'd show our Maryland pride in the Andes :)

Our lunch break was speedy because we still had a lot of ground to cover and we wanted to arrive at our campsite before dark.  The third pass on the hike was extra memorable because it gave us our first view of Machu Picchu peak.  The ancient city we've been trekking all this way for, is just on the other side of that mountain.  Aguas Calientes was also visible down in the valley.  But the best part of this pass... Llamas!!!!!

Ever since we arrived in Peru, all we've wanted was a selfie with a llama or an alpaca.  We thought it wasn't quite authentic enough to pay for a photo op with someone's pet in town, so we held out for the real thing... Mission accomplished!!  "Yah-Ma" selfies por favor!!

After a stop at the Inca site of Phuyupatamarka, we still had two hours of hiking ahead of us.  This part of the trail is the original Inca trail, so it's very rocky with narrow, steep steps.  The vegetation drastically changed as well and we clearly had entered the jungle.  It was beautiful scenery as we weaved our way downhill, going through tunnels and down an impressive spiral staircase made entirely of rocks.  We arrived at Intipata, another Inca site, this one consisting of terraces built into the side of a cliff.  The setting sun was shining on Machu Picchu peak, which was encircled in clouds and it provided some surreal scenery.  And at the bottom of the site... More llamas!!  Which obviously means more "Yah-Ma" selfies!!

We arrived at our last campsite, Winay Wayna, just as it was getting dark. Every since we booked this hike, we were looking forward to this camp because we heard there were showers... And a bar!!  In fact, we were told to forgo the shower to enjoy a nice adult beverage (or several) at the bar instead.  We were really bummed to learn that the bar had been shut down by the government about three years ago due to several drunken accidents.  Well I'd like to have a word with the government because I was really looking forward to a cold cerveza.  But after seeing this campsite, which is a tiered layout with steep drop offs, I can see why serving alcohol here would be an issue.

A few bold members of our group braved an ice cold shower, but Brittany and I figured, at this point, what's another 24 hours??  So we passed.  We had our last "family" dinner and guess what was included on the menu?!?! Potatoes!!  :)

After dinner, all the porters and our chef were called into the tent and introduced themselves to all of us.  We thanked them for everything they've done to make our experience memorable and handed over the tips we had pooled for them.

After two more visits to the "hole in the ground" today, I'm getting used to this.  Don't get me wrong, I still find it beyond disgusting, but if this is necessary in order to have this incredible experience, than so be it.  If we thought we had early wake up calls up to this point, this last one takes the cake... 3:30am tomorrow.  The plan is to arrive at Sun Gate to watch the sun rise over Machu Picchu.  Homestretch!!  Can't believe we are six hours of sleep and two hours of hiking away from laying eyes on this infamous sacred village!!

Inca Trail, Day 2: This Hike Is No Joke

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Surprisingly Britt and I both felt well rested when Yaneth came to our tent with tea to wake us up.  Maybe I can do this camping thing after all.  I never leave the house without mascara, so the same thing applies here... I'm not leaving my tent without it either.  But putting it on in the dark with a small compact mirror isn't easy.  Brittany and I are relying on each other to make sure we don't leave looking like clowns!

We all sat down for breakfast at 6:20am and fueled up for the tough day ahead.  Day Two is the hardest day of the hike as we're climbing 3,639 feet and it's steep uphill the majority of the way.  Sounds like a blast!

We were all bundled up when we left camp to start trekking, but within less than five minutes the uphill inclines and the sun were already making us sweat and we stripped down to our tank tops.  This hike is no joke... I'm not sure I was prepared for how physically demanding it was going to be and the altitude doesn't do you any favors.

We were relieved when we had completed the first half of the steep incline to arrive at our "brunch" site.  Brunch consisted of a cheese sandwich and popcorn, so don't let that description of our snack fool you... There were no Bloody Mary's or mimosas.

Up until now, we've had to pay $1 Sole to use the public bathrooms, so we were excited to hear that this public bathroom was free.  We quickly learned why... Welcome to the world of holes in the ground and squatting.  I'm sure some of you have already experienced these types of lovely bathrooms, but this is a first time for me and I was less than enthused.  I contemplated holding it, but I'm not sure that's possible for another 48 hours.

This was also the last site where we could purchase water and other beverages and goodies that were being sold by vendors.  Britt and I indulged in a candy bar... We figured we had already earned the right to those calories.  I spotted a guy purchasing two beers, packing them into his backpack.  I instantly thought that was a fabulous idea and a great reward once we arrived at camp later today, but then remembered we would have to carry them the rest of the way... Worth the extra weight or not?  I decided no, which should tell you how hard this hike is, especially carrying a heavy daypack on your back.

And then it was time to tackle the second half of this uphill battle that would take us to Dead Woman's Pass 13,776 feet up, the highest altitude we would reach during this four day trek.  This part was just as physically demanding but now our legs felt like lead after having taken a break to sit down and eat brunch.  We struggled, but immediately felt like wimps as porters passed us carrying 25 kg packs on their backs.  We became friendly with a lot of them and tried to communicate in Spanish how much respect we had for what they were doing.  And a lot of them hike this trail 4-5 times a month!!  Britt commented that this should be an Olympic sport for them.  She has a point... It's definitely more physically demanding than some other Olympic sports, like Curling.  (Sorry to all the Curlers out there, but come on).

We were so happy when we were only a few stairs away from arriving at Dead Woman's Pass.  Apparently this name came from the shape of the mountain peaks that form what looks like a woman laying at peace.  But I think they call it Dead Woman's Pass because we're pretty much dead by the time we get there.  Although you quickly forget the struggle as you take in the 360 degree views.  It's absolutely stunning!

After spending a lot of time at the top relaxing and taking pictures, including a "family" photo, we started the downhill portion of today's hike, which would take us to camp.  Downhill was less physically exerting than the uphill inclines, but definitely requires more concentration and is harder on the muscles and joints.  I would give anything to have a massage waiting for me at camp tonight.  Actually I would give anything to have that beer I saw that guy buy at brunch.

Britt and I hiked with Jim, Beth, Paige and Tim... the family of four and enjoyed our conversation with them, which made this portion of the hike go quickly.  We are camping at Pacaymayu tonight, which is at 11,480 feet... So we will be sleeping at high altitude in the mountains.  The six of us arrived at the site first around 4pm and were welcomed by all the porters who were just hanging out waiting for our group.  We took advantage of the opportunity and asked them to take a selfie with us.  We have a special place in our hearts for them.  They work so hard to make sure we have an incredible time and we are all so thankful!

We sat down for a very late lunch when everyone arrived around 5pm.  Dinner at 7:30pm was optional since we had just eaten, but the chef had to prepare the meal to get rid of the food the porters were carrying in their bags.  A group of us played cards in the tent in between meals and when we stepped back outside we were blessed with a stunning view of the Southern Hemisphere sky.  The Milky Way covered the black blanket above us and we just stood and stared up at it.  It's mesmerizing.

A bunch of us sat down again for round two... After what we went through today, I don't think anyone was counting calories.  Of course dinner included more potatoes... Hopefully we're working on adding some of the 3,000 varieties to our resumes.

You can definitely feel a difference in the temperature here in the mountains... It's freezing!  Sleeping outside in a tent tonight should be an experience.  5:20am wake up call tomorrow...

Inca Trail, Day 1: Time to Get Trekking

Friday, April 22, 2016

Rise and shine, it's Inca Trail time!  We both barely slept... Britt because she was afraid we were going to sleep through our alarm and me because I was nervous about the four days ahead.  I had to say goodbye to my hairdryer, which I wasn't very happy about... Guess it's time to embrace au natural.

We were picked up by Peru Treks just before 5am and boarded a mini bus with our fellow hikers.  We wanted to get a look at who we'd be spending the next four days with but it was dark and the bus was quiet, so we didn't have a great opportunity.  After picking up a few more trekkers, we made the hour and 45 minute trip to Ollentaytambo, where we stopped for breakfast and had a chance to buy any last minute hiking necessities.  During breakfast our group started to mingle and introductions were made.  There is a group of four women, who met living in Dubai, three are from England and one from Australia.  There's a family... mom, dad, daughter and daughter's husband from Arizona, but daughter and husband live in Houston, where they are getting doctorate degrees at Baylor.  A solo female traveler from England and a group of three from the Philly area, husband and wife who now live in North Jersey and their friend who lives in Germany with her husband, who was supposed to come as well but the broke his ankle and couldn't make the trip.  There are 14 of us in total, with two guides, Percy and Yaneth, 22 porters and our cook, Milton.

After breakfast we drove another 45 minutes to the town of Piscacucho where the Inca Trail officially starts at kilometer marker 82.  Unfortunately it's raining and overcast, but the clouds encircling the stark mountain peaks might just make the rain bearable.  It's so mystical!  We got off the bus and had about twenty minutes to get organized, aka, put on all of our rain gear as it didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon.  We watched the porters load their sacks and instantly felt terrible that we're making them carry so much of our stuff.

And then Percy rounded up our group and we were off!  The rain subsided shortly after we started our trek and the sun came out, which required all of us to take off the rain gear, put it away and strip off a few more layers as well.  Of course everyone was already sweating and we quickly realized we're just going to have to embrace the BO.  We're walking on a bed of mud, aka, dung... but hey, I guess that's just part of the great outdoors.  We followed the trail along the Urubamba River and Percy made the mistake of pointing out a secondary trail on the other side, called the Social Inca Trail, that would allow us to arrive at Machu Picchu in six hours, as opposed to our four day trek.  Now that's just cruel, lol.  But it's all about the experience, right??

We arrived at the lunch site around 1:30pm.  The porters had a tent set up for us with two small tables and portable stools.  All 14 of us had to squeeze around the tables that would have comfortably seated six, so we were about to get to know everyone in the group on a different level.  The cook prepared a delicious three course meal.. This is like gourmet camping!  Avocado, trout, rice, potatoes, quinoa soup with condor egg... I was a little nervous about the egg and asked those around me what it tasted like.  Jim from Arizona said a baby condor flew out when he cut into his... glad to see we are among those with a sense of humor.  The porters brought the food over to our tent and the plates were passed down the table and then as we finished, we passed them back.

It started raining again during lunch, so we had to put all the rain gear back on before we headed off.  We have another hour and a half of hiking until we reach our campsite for the evening at Wayllabamba.  It stopped raining again about half way through and the guides told us we are really lucking out with the weather.  Apparently earlier this week, it rained for four days straight and the hikers never saw the sun.

When we arrived at our campsite, the tents were set up and our duffle bags the porters had carried were laid out for us to claim.  Britt and I chose our tent and started setting up inside.  There's no running water... Just a toilet in an outhouse that requires you to pour water into the bowl in order to "flush" it.  This is all so new to me... Definitely a far cry from the Marriott.  We "showered", aka used wipes to wash down and changed out of our hiking clothes.  Now what??  Lol, it's only 4:30pm and dinner isn't until 6:45pm.

We hung out in our tent... Brittany read and I wrote in my journal.  And all of the sudden it was dark. Nightfall comes quick in the mountains.  We all gathered in the eating tent for dinner, which consisted of minestrone soup, chicken, rice and more potatoes.  We learned that there are 5,000 varieties of potatoes in the world and 3,000 of them are grown in Peru.  I'm guessing we're going to be eating quite a bit of potatoes over the next four days.  For dessert, we had a banana with caramel sauce.  Our guide, Yaneth, gave us the run down for tomorrow... We will be woken up at 5:40am by them coming to our tents with tea.  She joked that we get room service in the city and here we get tea service at our tent, haha.  She also calls us family, which sounds like "fam-a-lee" with her accent and warms my heart.

Luckily we're both exhausted, but even so, there's nothing to do anyway... so going to bed at 8pm didn't seem that crazy of an idea.  I'm relieved to see no snakes can get in our tent, but I'm sure a bear or puma could figure out how to break through if they wanted in.  Not going to think about that... Night!!

An Adventure? Alpaca My Bags...

Today did start with quite an adventure.  We decided to head forty-five minutes east to the town of Pisaq, a colonial village known for fortress ruins and it's daily market.  We learned we could make the trip much cheaper if we jumped into a van carrying other passengers, known as a collectivo taxi.  We decided to give it a try since the cost was equivalent to $1.50 USD versus a $40 USD cab ride.  I was sandwiched in between two older Peruvian gentleman in the very back row and Brittany was in the middle of two Peruvian women in the next row and neither one of us had an option to wear a seatbelt.  We were the only English speaking people in the van and I felt like we were on a crash course.  Our driver was flooring it around hairpin turns with no guard rails and a straight drop down to the valley floor... I was terrified and all of you who know me, know it takes a lot for me to be terrified when it comes to driving fast.  Now I'm not so sure I'd fit in here... these Peruvians would drive circles around me.

Anyway, somehow we made it there alive... luckily for the people of Pisaq because we came with a wad of Soles ready to shop!  After fifteen minutes of walking row after row with every other stall selling the exact same stuff and being hounded constantly by each vendor, I suggested we wear a sign reading, "Don't talk to us, we'll talk to you if we're interested," lol.  However, a few of them were able to wear us down enough that we came back to Cusco with so much loot, we had to buy a duffle bag to get all of our purchases home.

Once we were out of cash, and this included two more ATM max withdrawals (don't judge!), we commuted back to Cusco... again, as the only gringas in a collectivo taxi.  Our timing might have been perfect yesterday... today, not so much.  We had decided to forgo carrying umbrellas and as a result got caught in a torrential downpour with all of our new prized possessions.  We tried to tough it out, but looking like wet dogs about three minutes into the walk, we hailed a cab.

We took advantage of the bad weather to enjoy our last showers for the next four days.  We leave at 4:30am tomorrow for our Inca Trail hike.  And packing for this trek was much more difficult than we could have ever imagined.  We each hired a half porter to assist in carrying our belongings, but they can only carry 6kg p/person, which is 12 lbs... not that much.  We both lift 12 lbs in dumbbells at the gym on a daily basis, so not sure this service was worth the extra money.  But after many hours of deliberating, unpacking, repacking, etc... we're ready!


We took a break from packing to go out for dinner and had another great meal, this time at Uchu.  They serve your entree on a stone plate and you finish cooking your meat/seafood at the table.  We also tried our first Peruvian ceviche, which was delicious.  We started chatting with the two ladies sitting next to us... they were from Canada and they're not hiking, but they will be touring Machu Picchu on Monday, the day we arrive at the site from our hike.  We were laughing, saying we'll have to connect with them then, although we apologize in advance for the way we'll be smelling.  I'm almost embarrassed that we actually met someone we could possibly see again after four days of sleeping outside in the wilderness with no shower.  Ick.

Here we go!  The hike is on the other side of four hours of sleep.  We obviously won't be connected with the outside world... no wifi or cell phone service, until we get to the Starbucks at the end of day two.  Just kidding... can you imagine?  LOL

We will continue to blog and will post each day's experience when we return to civilization very late Monday night.  Wish us luck... this is going to be interesting!!  Our hike map is below...

Cultural Submersion in the Andes

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

So I never do this, because once I see daylight, it's all over and I can't go back to sleep... But in this room, with this view, it's a must!  We slept with the curtains open so we could wake up to the magnificent view of Cusco's terra-cotta roofs against the green mountain peaks.  Muy bonita y romántico, sí sí :)

It's horseback riding time!!  We figured this was a great way to get outside and acclimate to the altitude and also enjoy the scenery of the Cusco countryside.  The stables were in the hills north of Cusco and we were at the city's highest point... the views were absolutely breathtaking.  We had a great morning on horseback visiting two Inca archeological ruins, The Temple of the Moon and Devil's Balcony, learning more about the Inca history and culture along the way.  Of course I got the horse with a gas problem... Every time we went up a hill, he let it rip!  The whole group got a kick out of it.  The two girls who were part of our tour were from Holland.  We really enjoyed meeting them and are looking forward to meeting the people we will be spending four days with on the Inca trail. 

Soooo Cusqueñans walk their alpaca's like Americans walk their dogs.  As we were coming back into town, we passed this... a mother picking her child up from school with their pet alpaca.  LOL

The skies opened up just as we got back to our hotel, so we really lucked out with a beautiful morning.  We grabbed our umbrellas and headed out to see more of Cusco, but it only rained for about an hour.  We wandered through Qorikancha, better known in English as the "Court of Gold", a temple built by the Incas but taken over by the Spanish conquistadors.  

Walking around the streets of Cusco, you're bombarded by tons of people selling everything from tours to Machu Picchu, to sunglasses, pictures with their llamas and massages.  We decided to treat ourselves and paid the equivalent of $9.25 USD for a sixty minute full body massage.  Ummm, can the States get on board with this??

So Brittany and I definitely didn't pack right for these chilly nights in the Andes Mountains and both of us are worried we're going to be freezing on this hike... So we went shopping for Alpaca wool sweaters and now have new additions to our closest! 

We ate dinner at Chicha, a popular restaurant inspired and owned by Peruvian celebrity chef Gastón Acurio, godfather of the Nuevo-Andino culinary craze.  The write-up said, "If you haven't tried cuy yet, the trendy way Acurio presents this delicacy, might encourage you to pull the trigger."  For those of you not familiar, cuy is guinea pig, which has long been an Andean speciality.  We were hesitant to try it, but decided this might be the best opportunity.  Our stomachs aren't strong enough to have it served roasted and delivered whole on the plate, with heads and arms still attached, but we ordered the Chaufa dish, which is a Peruvian-Chinese fried rice featuring cuy filleted on top.  We managed to finish the plate, but weRe not sure we ever need to eat it again, haha.

We're trying to figure out if we haven't fully caught up on sleep yet or if this altitude just zaps the energy right out of you, but we're still beat and want to make sure we're well rested for these early mornings ahead on the hike.  So it's another relaxing night and early bedtime.  

Bienvenido a Peru!

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

I'd say good morning, but in this case it's more like "good middle of the night!"  Although it wasn't so good... two hours of sleep and then a cab driver who I'm pretty sure was still asleep.  It was a scary ride to the airport in his death cab as he kept veering into other lanes and then serving back into ours.  I've never been more excited to get out of a cab.

Our flight to Lima was five hours, where we connected to Cusco, which was another hour in the air.  We were disappointed to see it was cloudy and raining when we touched down, but after getting settled in our hotel, the rain cleared and the sun came out!  However, it's still much colder here than it was in Brazil, so we swapped our sundresses and bikinis for jeans, long sleeves and jackets.  We are staying at an adorable bed and breakfast and we have the suite lined with windows giving us a fabulous view of Cusco and the surrounding mountains.

We are at 11,500 feet elevation in Cusco.  Altitude sickness can be a huge issue for many people, but so far Brittany and I feel fine.  We did drink a cup or two of the coca tea to help prevent any issues, before we headed off to wander around town.  Our first stop was Plaza de Armas, a beautiful square that has been the long reigning heart of Cusco and home to the Catedral and the Templo de La Compañia.  The Spanish-colonial architecture, terra-cotta roofs and cobblestone streets are the backbone of this city.  The Andean influences are very present in the people, their clothing and the culture.  We are already in love with Cusco.  They also drive really fast here for the small narrow streets and the hordes of pedestrians.  Guess I would fit in perfectly.

We had to check in for the Inca Trail hike and pay the remaining balance.  This required no less than five trips to the same ATM within the same hour to withdrawal money.  I'm sure the bank security team found this entertaining... they need to increase their maximum withdrawal amounts here, lol.  The woman we met with at the Inca Trail hike office was very nice and accommodating.  She walked us through the entire four day hike and answered some of our questions.  I'm not sure I liked her answer when I asked if we're going to see snakes and whether or not they can come into our tent.  Whose idea was it to do this hike anyway??  Just kidding, meeting with her made us really excited and even if I decide I'm never camping again, I think this four day hike will be "life-changing".

We headed to an early dinner at Marcelo Batata and had the upstairs terrace with fantastic views of the city, all to ourselves.  This restaurant is known for having some of the best Alpaca steaks in town... so we decided we had to try it.  It was pretty good actually, tasting like a combination of steak and lamb.  We had our first official Peruvian Pisco Sours and watched Cusco light up as night fell on the Sacred Valley.

At dinner, both of us had minor headaches and we weren't sure if it was from the altitude or from exhaustion.  We decided to go home and get to bed early.  Much more to see and explore tomorrow.  Buenos Noches!!

Até a próxima vez, Rio de Janeiro

Monday, April 18, 2016

How is it already our last day in Brazil?!?  That went entirely too quickly.  With just a few more sites to tackle on our list before having explored everything we wanted to see in Rio, we headed to the Botanical Gardens.  We decided to walk the four miles, which took us around Lagao Rodrigo de Freitas, with the surrounding area being the most exclusive neighborhood in the affluent Zona Sul district and the third most expensive neighborhood in South America.  While we enjoyed seeing the waterfront properties and exploring the area, four miles feels like forty miles in the Brazilian heat.  Apparently the temperatures have been fifteen degrees higher than their averages at this time of year... Either way, we can't imagine how hot their summers must be.

We were relieved when we finally made it to Jardim Botanico, which included lots of shade under the canopy of the exotic gardens.  We strolled down the Avenue of the Royal Palms enjoying the peaceful  atmosphere until we stumbled upon some monkey business... literally, lol.  A bunch of them were "monkeying around"... Ok, ok, I'll stop.  But seriously, the monkeys were so cute, especially the babies!  :)

With just a few hours left to soak up every last drop of the Brazilian sun, we headed back to the beach for our last few hours.  We watched our final Rio sunset from the rocks of Arpoador with a Brahma in hand and it MORE than lived up to the hype.  We've said this before, but I feel like we can't say it enough... we just can't get over how beautiful the landscape of this city is.  I could stare at it for hours.

But unfortunately a 5:30am flight, which translates to a 2:30am wake up call, and the challenge of trying to get everything back into our backpacks, looms head.  We were able to take a break to grab one last Brazilian dinner, this time al fresco on Copacabana beach.  We had made a few friends at the Marriott who welcomed us in their country with open arms and made our stay that much more enjoyable.  It was sad saying good-bye to all of them, but we promised them we'd back and that we'd return the hospitality if/when they visited the states.  By the time we "went to bed," it was 12:30am and looking like more of a power nap than anything else.  Here's to big bags under our eyes tomorrow... but we're excited to start the next part of our adventure!!  On to Peru!!

The "Girls" From Ipanema...

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Just when we thought we had escaped all the current political rumblings associated with the presidential primaries in the states (like jokes about Donald Trump's hair and people moving to Canada regardless of which front runner for each party becomes president), we found ourselves in the middle of some political turmoil in Brazil.  Currently suffering their worst recession since the 1930s, the country is deeply divided with many believing Dilma Rousseff, Brazil's first female president, has been the center of political scandal and corruption.  Political issues came to a head this weekend, when the lower house pushed for impeachment of Rousseff and rallies were held all over Brazil on Sunday, including an organized gathering on Copacabana Beach.  There were big screen TVs set up every few blocks, including one right in front of our hotel, and Cariocas were dressed from head to toe in green, blue and yellow carrying Brazilian flags to show their support for Rousseff's impeachment.

Luckily our plans were taking us out of Copacabana for the day, but our hotel had temporary fencing set up to secure the hotel grounds and required that we wear a wristband identifying us as a guest so we could be admitted back inside.

We headed over to Ipanema and wandered around the famous Sunday Hippie market, even joining the action and bargaining for a few different souvenirs.  We each bought gorgeous paintings of Rio from the artist herself.

Once we were "shopped" out, we headed to the beach.  Apparently there are guidelines when choosing where you're going to set up on Praia Ipanema.  Posto (lifeguard stand) #8 is home to the gay community... Families set up between Posto #11 and #12 (no thanks) and the beautiful people congregate around Posto #9.  Ummm, the latter is where we're headed... of course we wouldn't miss an opportunity to be surrounded by beautiful Brazilians.

We enjoyed an afternoon of sunbathing and people watching, but decided to lay off the caipirinhas this time around.  We watched the sun go down over the beachfront buildings and couldn't get enough of the view looking south at Vidigal nestled into the side of Pedra dos Dois Irmãos.

As we wandered back to Copacabana, the rally was in full force with the TV's streaming a live feed from Congress in the capital of Brasilia, as members of the lower house voted one at a time for or against impeachment.  We walked on the beach to stay away from the crowds, but had no problem safely getting up and into our hotel.  As we got ready for dinner, we watched the celebrations down below as the votes coming in continued to favor her impeachment.  If 342 of the lower house's 513 lawmakers vote in favor of impeachment, proceedings would move to the Senate where a separate vote could suspend her and call for a trail.  When voting ended Sunday evening, 367 deputies backed impeaching Rousseff from office.  We're finding it fascinating that we're getting to witness this while we're here and it's also provided an opportunity for us to educate ourselves on Brazilian politics and their government.

We headed back to Leblon for dinner, as several locals have told us this is their favorite neighborhood in Rio.  We can see why as it's very trendy, chic and home to a great restaurant and bar scene.  We had a delicious dinner at Brigete's, which we began with a glass of Brazilian produced champagne.  Boa Noite!

Watch Out For Those Caipirinhas...

Saturday, April 16, 2016

The ultimate Rio experience!!  If there is such a thing... today we had ours.

A sunny Saturday in Rio is reserved for a little time to play on the sand of Copacabana Beach.  We already felt like we were late to the party when our alarms went off at 11am.  The beach was dotted with umbrellas and people soaking up that Brazilian sun, so we did our best to hurry and get out there with them!

Every girl from sixteen to sixty is rocking a thong.  Pitbull is on point, "In Brazil... their thongs, blue, yellow and green."  Soooo, when in Rio...  Yes, our first thong bikini experience is in the books.

But nobody was topless.  I'm just curious.. why is it fully acceptable to show only boobs in Spain and only butt cheeks in Brazil?!?!?  Let me know if you come up with a good answer to this :)

Brittany and I decided if we were going to do this right, Caipirinhas were a necessity... so we ordered two from the vendor who was conveniently set up right next to us.  Man, these drinks pack a punch.  We were feeling pretty good after about three sips.

A group of people arrived at the beach and were sat right next to us by our hotel beach attendant. We weren't really sure what was going on, but it appeared that two of the guys were famous and were traveling with their own mariachi band (or the Brazilian equivalent).  One of the two came over to say hi, but didn't speak English.  The only thing he was able to communicate was, "I'm made in Africa," lol.  Yes, and we're made in America.  Cheers.

We had no complaints when the "mariachi" band started playing and we enjoyed the live music for the rest of the afternoon... So we decided to go for round two of the Caipirinhas.  That was a mistake.  I'm not sure what they put in those things, but damn.  Both of us were beyond drunk when the sun disappeared over the hills and weren't sure if we were going to be able to make the walk back to the hotel, which by the way, was about 100 meters straight ahead of us, haha.

After some R&R to regroup, we headed downtown to Rio Scenarium.  A trip to Rio isn't complete without a visit to this samba institution housed in a 19th century mansion and featuring live bands playing Brazilian rhythms from Rock to Choro, to Musica Popular Brasileira and Samba.  Even though tons of tourists fill the three floors, the locals still frequent this venue to show off their samba moves on the dance floor.

Coming home in a cab, the taxi driver kept slowing down as we approached a red light, but would then inch through the intersection and continue without stopping.  The first time this happened, I just thought we had a wild driver who liked to get where he was going quickly... But this has been a common occurrence during all of our cab rides after dark and I quickly remembered hearing that at night drivers in Rio don't stop at red lights because of the frequency of carjackings that occur.  Scary!

But then you come around the corner to a view of Cristo Redentor spotlit high above Rio as if he's floating in the night sky and you quickly forget about these negatives because this city is truly spectacular.

A "God's Eye" View of Rio

Friday, April 15, 2016

Today's the day I've been waiting for ever since Rio de Janeiro was added to my list of must visit destinations.  We're headed to the top of Corcovado Mountain to visit the iconic statue of Cristo Redentor.  You don't think of Rio without thinking of this religious and cultural landmark of Jesus Christ standing tall with his arms outstretched embracing the city and symbolizing the Brazilian people's warm and welcoming culture.

We rode the cogwheel train to the top of the 2,300 foot Corcovado Mountain and were greeted with breathtaking views of the greater Rio area laid out below.  But the best view was looking up at the 700-ton, 100-foot Christ the Redeemer.  When seeing him from anywhere in the city, he's impressive... but when you're standing at his feet, he's absolutely stunning.  After taking a ton of pictures from every possible angle in the stagnant heat, we sat down at the cafe for a drink and a break in the shade... I mean, taking selfies does get exhausting :)~  With having already checked out the Colosseum in Rome, Brittany and I now have seen two of the Seven New Wonders of the World!  

We headed to the artsy, bohemian neighborhood of Santa Teresa, tucked into the hills overlooking Rio's harbor.  We treated ourselves to a fancy lunch at Aprazível, a beautiful restaurant with decks and patios resembling a treehouse nestled among the tropical gardens with views of downtown and Guanabara Bay.  We tried a few traditional Brazilian dishes, all featuring ingredients native to the Amazon Rainforest.  We also sampled both a red and white Brazilian made wine... and although Brazil is not known for their winemaking, we had no complaints.  But then again, we don't really discriminate when it comes to vinho.

After lunch, we strolled down the cobblestone streets enjoying the architecture of the beautiful homes and the artsy vibe of the area.  Then we headed to neighboring Lapa to see the Escadaria Selarón.  Chilean artist Jorge Selarón started decorating this once gritty staircase outside his home with tiles and pieces of porcelain.  After ten years the staircase was transformed into an artistic and iconic masterpiece with more than 2,000 tiles from around the world and has been featured in music videos, such as Snoop Dogg and Pharrell's "Beautiful" and U2"s "Walk On."  The stairs were also included in Rio's winning bid for the 2016 Olympic Games.

As we were wondering up the steps, taking pictures and Go Pro Videos, we noticed some commotion at the top of the stairs.  One of the girls who spoke English, warned us that her mom's cell phone was just stolen by a man who threatened her saying he had a knife.  We immediately put away our phone and the GoPro and were a little on edge as we continued to wander around the area.  We had been warned about these types of occurrences being common in Rio, but up until now we've felt very safe, especially when taking precautions and being aware of our surroundings.  However, the knife adds a different element and we were quickly reminded how cautious and careful we need to be, especially in certain neighborhoods.

We decided to hop on the subway and head back to the hotel because we both agreed, based on what we were seeing, we didn't want to be wandering around this neighborhood after dark.

We decided to check out our hotel's rooftop deck and pool, which provides awesome views of Copacabana Beach.  We headed out around 12:30am, as things get going much later here and we did a little bit of a nightclub crawl hitting both Miroir and 00 (Zero Zero), two popular hotspots on Rio's nightlife circuit.  As we passed two gents, we heard them say, "Ooohhh, Olympians," lol.  Yes, Brittany and I are representing the USA in the new sport of Brazilian nightclubbing.  Saúde!