I love Peru!
I´m sitting in the Lima, Peru airport right now typing this entry. (I will have to post pictures later) This past week has been so amazing... I hope that I can find the words (and the right keys on this Spanish keyboard) to portray my emotions. Well let me start at the beginning...
Travel times have been crazy! I started out in SLC traveling to Houston, which was great because I got to visit Laura y Scott, they were great, they picked me up from the IAH airport with homemade pizza in a baggie, ready to show me the sights of their new world. I got to see their new condo, which is so nice, as well as Scott´s new home (aka- Baylor Medical School Campus)... which is so huge, (combined with all the other med schools in the area and hospitals) its like its own medical school planet.
After Houston it was off to Panama City (where I was told not to leave the airport unless I wanted a $5,000 fine), and then on to Lima, from there I had to catch a dinky domestic flight to Cuzco, Peru. However, I had to pretty much spend the night in the Lima airport (I got in at 12am and my flight was the next morning at 5am)... so it was a bit intense. Talk about territorial... and adrenalines, but it was like playing where´s Waldo, I just found the other touristas that looked like me and went nearby them and thankfully the hours ticked by and I was on my way. :)
I arrived in Cuzco to find a man with my name on a sign (it was legit, he was there to pick me up and take me to my hotel)... when I got to my hotel, I crashed... and slept for about 5 hours while I waited for everyone else to arrive. When Zina, Davey, and Chris all got there we went out to explore the town... and WOW... Cuzco is beautiful! It definitely has a European influence, because the streets were cobblestone and there were lanterns everywhere... there were Catholic churches... and the one noticeable difference was that it was so clean... I was definitely in the tourist part of town. But I LOVED it. The people were so nice, but the best part was that a Mormon man saw Davey´s garments and asked if we were members of the church and when we said yes he gave us contacts with members of the church in Cuzco that were travel coordinators. They were our lifesavers.
Monday we spent traveling around Cuzco- which was the Inca capital, there were many ruins. (We also worked with Adam, a member of the high council who booked us flights and travel plans for the rest of our trip). P.S. I saw a live Condor in flight which was at the ruins... it was spectacular! And a highlight was getting to wash my face at the fountain of youth.
Tuesday we traveled to Aguas Calientes, which is the town at the base of Machu Picchu. We decided to hike Putukusi, which is the mountain facing Machu Picchu... you hike up the back and then at the very top you look over and see Machu Picchu. It was amazing. And, yes, folks, WOAH... the altitude kicked my Utah trash! I was huffin´and puffin´up that mountain... forgot my inhaler (like normal)... but wow, altitude sickness is a killer, because no mat
er how much you are "in shape"... it will get you, you will feel like your body is just shutting down, and say to yourself, what??? I can hack this, what is my problem? Then you will keep pushing yourself, but when you almost faint because of exhaustion... and tip towards the edge of the mountain... that´s when you say to yourself, hum, maybe it´s not me... maybe it´s the altitude. :) That good old Funk competitive spirit. That night we ate dinner at a Peruvian vegan restaruant and stayed in a shanty hostel... all I have to say is blue satin bedspread.
Wednesday, we got up early at 6am, and caught a bus to Machu Picchu, it was a zig zaggy road, but we had a guide meet us there (thanks to Adam) and we had a great tour all about the Incas... they were amazing people (and I won´t go into much detail here) but suffice it to say that in 2003 they found that it was NOT the lost golden city of the Incas, that is still missing and is still a mystery... and rumored to be in the jungle. None the less, this was the city were all the Incan imperials were educated and trained... it is simply breathtaking to see how much they knew and could build and envision. Inspiring!
Then later that night we went back to Cuzco, to a hot shower and a nice meal at Jack´s... which was Cuzco´s version of NYC food. It was SO good.
Thursday, we flew to Puerto Maldonado. Which is in the middle of the Peruvian Amazon. We really didn´t have a plan for when we got there, so luckily we met Victor, who is mentioned in Lonely Planet and hooked us up with a great tour. The day we flew into town was a holiday (some Saint´s holiday), so the town was basically shut down, which meant that we didn´t have anywhere to stay, but per Victor´s trip, we were set up to stay at his house that night, and then take off with our adventure the following day. But that day was a blast. The whole town was buzzing about a "motor cross race"- so after getting some food, we found were we could rent a couple of motorcycles and (after I re-learned how to ride one, because Zina and Davey hadn´t ever ridden one, but I had a long time ago... which was a buckin´scary sight at first)... and to be quite honest, I´m altogether quite shocked we didn´t wreck based on my one lap around the block and " let´s go" mentality... but it was such an adventure. When we finally got there, we ran to the gates, and as we did saw two amazing jumps, and when we got to the gates, everyone turned around and left... and it was over... so all of that for two jumps, but SO worth it! We got a couple of great shots of the cyclists (apparently visiting from the USA and other places... and I thought, what they heck are they doing here). Later that night, we went shopping in the plaza, and ate some gelatto.
Friday- we got up and ate breakfast with Victor´s family (eggs and a roll with herbal tea)- a traditional breakfast in Peru). Then off on the river... to the AMAZON... our first stop off point was at a voluenteer organization (to which I sadly can´t remember then name)... which had a canopy walk... it was amazing, and I was not afraid
of heights at all. It was kind of amazing to be confronted with so many of your fears and what you "should be concerned with"... and in the moment you just think... eh. We also got to see all kinds of amazing animals, spider monkeys, anaconda, and my favorite... the jaguar. I even touched the jaguar´s paw! :)
After the canopy walk, it was back to the river and then to visit an indigenous tribe. This was a rather interesting experience. It was sad, because when we got there this man was dressed in
normal clothes and changed to ceremonial clothing. Apparently, some indigenous tribes welcome tourists and others don´t... this felt like a sell out for the money, it was more like a show. He got all dressed up and was preforming... it was just sad,... sad to see the sell out. Like have you ever seen someone sing at church that is just bad and you bow your head down in sort of embarrassment for them... that was the feeling I had... I wanted to give them lots of money so they would´ve have to resort to this type of living... but to be fair it was a conscious decision, They lived in the rainforest and if they wanted to, they had the resources to live off the land. He did tell the story of how all the Spanish missionaries came and collected all of them and forced them to live a certain way- to speak the language they speak and wear the clothes they wear. Interesting...
Travel times have been crazy! I started out in SLC traveling to Houston, which was great because I got to visit Laura y Scott, they were great, they picked me up from the IAH airport with homemade pizza in a baggie, ready to show me the sights of their new world. I got to see their new condo, which is so nice, as well as Scott´s new home (aka- Baylor Medical School Campus)... which is so huge, (combined with all the other med schools in the area and hospitals) its like its own medical school planet.
After Houston it was off to Panama City (where I was told not to leave the airport unless I wanted a $5,000 fine), and then on to Lima, from there I had to catch a dinky domestic flight to Cuzco, Peru. However, I had to pretty much spend the night in the Lima airport (I got in at 12am and my flight was the next morning at 5am)... so it was a bit intense. Talk about territorial... and adrenalines, but it was like playing where´s Waldo, I just found the other touristas that looked like me and went nearby them and thankfully the hours ticked by and I was on my way. :)
I arrived in Cuzco to find a man with my name on a sign (it was legit, he was there to pick me up and take me to my hotel)... when I got to my hotel, I crashed... and slept for about 5 hours while I waited for everyone else to arrive. When Zina, Davey, and Chris all got there we went out to explore the town... and WOW... Cuzco is beautiful! It definitely has a European influence, because the streets were cobblestone and there were lanterns everywhere... there were Catholic churches... and the one noticeable difference was that it was so clean... I was definitely in the tourist part of town. But I LOVED it. The people were so nice, but the best part was that a Mormon man saw Davey´s garments and asked if we were members of the church and when we said yes he gave us contacts with members of the church in Cuzco that were travel coordinators. They were our lifesavers.
Monday we spent traveling around Cuzco- which was the Inca capital, there were many ruins. (We also worked with Adam, a member of the high council who booked us flights and travel plans for the rest of our trip). P.S. I saw a live Condor in flight which was at the ruins... it was spectacular! And a highlight was getting to wash my face at the fountain of youth.
Tuesday we traveled to Aguas Calientes, which is the town at the base of Machu Picchu. We decided to hike Putukusi, which is the mountain facing Machu Picchu... you hike up the back and then at the very top you look over and see Machu Picchu. It was amazing. And, yes, folks, WOAH... the altitude kicked my Utah trash! I was huffin´and puffin´up that mountain... forgot my inhaler (like normal)... but wow, altitude sickness is a killer, because no mat
er how much you are "in shape"... it will get you, you will feel like your body is just shutting down, and say to yourself, what??? I can hack this, what is my problem? Then you will keep pushing yourself, but when you almost faint because of exhaustion... and tip towards the edge of the mountain... that´s when you say to yourself, hum, maybe it´s not me... maybe it´s the altitude. :) That good old Funk competitive spirit. That night we ate dinner at a Peruvian vegan restaruant and stayed in a shanty hostel... all I have to say is blue satin bedspread.
Wednesday, we got up early at 6am, and caught a bus to Machu Picchu, it was a zig zaggy road, but we had a guide meet us there (thanks to Adam) and we had a great tour all about the Incas... they were amazing people (and I won´t go into much detail here) but suffice it to say that in 2003 they found that it was NOT the lost golden city of the Incas, that is still missing and is still a mystery... and rumored to be in the jungle. None the less, this was the city were all the Incan imperials were educated and trained... it is simply breathtaking to see how much they knew and could build and envision. Inspiring!
Then later that night we went back to Cuzco, to a hot shower and a nice meal at Jack´s... which was Cuzco´s version of NYC food. It was SO good.
Thursday, we flew to Puerto Maldonado. Which is in the middle of the Peruvian Amazon. We really didn´t have a plan for when we got there, so luckily we met Victor, who is mentioned in Lonely Planet and hooked us up with a great tour. The day we flew into town was a holiday (some Saint´s holiday), so the town was basically shut down, which meant that we didn´t have anywhere to stay, but per Victor´s trip, we were set up to stay at his house that night, and then take off with our adventure the following day. But that day was a blast. The whole town was buzzing about a "motor cross race"- so after getting some food, we found were we could rent a couple of motorcycles and (after I re-learned how to ride one, because Zina and Davey hadn´t ever ridden one, but I had a long time ago... which was a buckin´scary sight at first)... and to be quite honest, I´m altogether quite shocked we didn´t wreck based on my one lap around the block and " let´s go" mentality... but it was such an adventure. When we finally got there, we ran to the gates, and as we did saw two amazing jumps, and when we got to the gates, everyone turned around and left... and it was over... so all of that for two jumps, but SO worth it! We got a couple of great shots of the cyclists (apparently visiting from the USA and other places... and I thought, what they heck are they doing here). Later that night, we went shopping in the plaza, and ate some gelatto.
Friday- we got up and ate breakfast with Victor´s family (eggs and a roll with herbal tea)- a traditional breakfast in Peru). Then off on the river... to the AMAZON... our first stop off point was at a voluenteer organization (to which I sadly can´t remember then name)... which had a canopy walk... it was amazing, and I was not afraid
of heights at all. It was kind of amazing to be confronted with so many of your fears and what you "should be concerned with"... and in the moment you just think... eh. We also got to see all kinds of amazing animals, spider monkeys, anaconda, and my favorite... the jaguar. I even touched the jaguar´s paw! :)After the canopy walk, it was back to the river and then to visit an indigenous tribe. This was a rather interesting experience. It was sad, because when we got there this man was dressed in
normal clothes and changed to ceremonial clothing. Apparently, some indigenous tribes welcome tourists and others don´t... this felt like a sell out for the money, it was more like a show. He got all dressed up and was preforming... it was just sad,... sad to see the sell out. Like have you ever seen someone sing at church that is just bad and you bow your head down in sort of embarrassment for them... that was the feeling I had... I wanted to give them lots of money so they would´ve have to resort to this type of living... but to be fair it was a conscious decision, They lived in the rainforest and if they wanted to, they had the resources to live off the land. He did tell the story of how all the Spanish missionaries came and collected all of them and forced them to live a certain way- to speak the language they speak and wear the clothes they wear. Interesting...Later that night we found our huts after hiking for about an hour into the middle of the heart of the forest, and then went on a Caiman (Alligator) Hunt... I was petrified... all trip long I had been waking up with nightmares at the thought of seeing alligators on this trip and now we were actually going out on purpose to find and CATCH one??? Ohhh... I kept thinking, I have to conquer this fear sometime, so we got in our boat and out onto the lake in the middle of the Amazon (oh by the way, there are also piranhas in the lake too). Right off our guide tells us he sees the orange eyes of a "caiman" right next to our boat. Ah! Mercy... I was on edge, and funny story that Chris (a guy in our group... normally strong and firm) was sqirmish, which made me even more edgy. I suddenly realized due to my poor Spanish translation, that our guide was planning on catching a caiman and bringing it on to the boat for observation. I soon realized that I had to be ok with that, because it was either be ok with that, or rock the boat, and be in the water with all the other caiman and piranhas. Tough decision. So when put in that spot I gained composure (or maintained Camille-alligator composure)... and when he caught the alligator and brought it on board and started walking toward us. Chris freaked out, and wanted to change spots... I looked at him like... are you crazy!?!? But Davey stepped up and grabbed the alligator and it wasn´t moving or anything, because of the way they had gripped it. So just as I was summoning my eagle powers to touch the alligator and reaching my finger out... the alligator started to try to wiggle free from Davey´s hands. That freaked my freaker! Davey yelled back to the guide to know what to do who shouted to throw it back into the lake... so he threw it back... and we were safe (apparently he was cutting off his air supply, and the alligator was trying to breathe)... but that cut me centimeters shy of "conquering my fear" to some extent.
After our "caiman hunt" extravaganza... it was back camp to enjoy a great meal prepared by the family who lived in at the camp and to deet up and scope out the bunks for all sorts of bugs, critters, and any type of creepy crawly thing. Zina found a cockroach in her bunk, I found a frog in the water well, and Zina found a huge spider in the out-house. There were many shreeks heard by the locals. Zina and I couldn´d help but feel like total "girls".
Saturday morning- it was up at 6am to go bird watching on the lake. (I know, it is wierd for me to think of a lake in the Amazon too... but it is true). It was amazing we saw the most amazing birds... Scarlet Macaws, Toucans, Parrots, Green Herons,... tons more... and yes dad even a Hawk. :)
After our bi
rd watching boat ride, we came back, had a quick breakfast... and I left with Jón Paúl the tour guides cute little 16 year old nephew who didn´t speak of lick of English... but was studying English to be a tour guide too someday. I think he had a little crush on me... so cute. So it was a great time for me to actually try to speak Spanish... cuz up until this point I had just opted out, I had two fluent Spanish speakers with me. But I always am shocked with 1) how little I know, and 2) how much I can try to remember on notice, 3) how much I want to enroll in a Spanish class when I return from Spanish speaking countries.
rd watching boat ride, we came back, had a quick breakfast... and I left with Jón Paúl the tour guides cute little 16 year old nephew who didn´t speak of lick of English... but was studying English to be a tour guide too someday. I think he had a little crush on me... so cute. So it was a great time for me to actually try to speak Spanish... cuz up until this point I had just opted out, I had two fluent Spanish speakers with me. But I always am shocked with 1) how little I know, and 2) how much I can try to remember on notice, 3) how much I want to enroll in a Spanish class when I return from Spanish speaking countries.After Jón Paúl got me to my boat, I had another 30 minutes in the boat back to Puerto Maldonado, then on the back on Victor´s motorcycle as he took me to the airport. Then 48 hours of travel back to the U.S.A... oh to be in my bed again with a hot shower!!! But overall... it was an adventure I´ll never forget. I heart PERU!
Comments
I am SO glad you had a great time. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post! KIT
DUDS