Day 2

Soaking it in...after 8 hours!

Day 2

Enjoying the hot springs! 

Day 2

Coffee bean processing...

Day 2, Inca Trail

We awoke early and had our tea and breakfast before heading out. It began as an hour flat hike along the river where the guide told us about the 7 different types of platanos or bananas, the different types of coffee plants, and the various avocado, papya, and mango trees.  we stopped for a minute, looking at the agave plants, the ones that are used to make tequila in mexico. The cactus has many uses. You can strip the leaves and seperate the fine fibers and create and super durable thread. The plant is actually poisonous and was used to stun the fish in the river, making them easily netted. This practice is now illegal.  We learned about over 3,000 types of local potatoes, old Inca practices, and modern alternatives to pharmacuetical remedies.

Day 2 was an arduous one. 28 km hike, up and through the inca jungle. We crossed countless bridges, passed a few villages, and saw tons of coffee, banana, cocain, other plantations. There were two captive monkeys on the trip, guennea pigs, and corn alcohol.  We also got to see the processing of coffee raw beans before they are bought and roasted for retail. 

8 hours later, we arived at the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The beautiful jungle and rivers gave way to a jaw dropping series of hot springs.  the mineral bath was so amazing after hiking all day. We took our time, staying close to two hours. Once we were good and pruned up, we walked to Santa Teresa where our hostel was.  that night we were woken by torrential rains that pounded our tin roof...berk, without earplugs, didnt get much sleep :-)

2/29/2012- Leap Year...Machu Piccu day 1

We woke up early and met Ronnie, our guide, at 7:40 out front of the Wild Rover Hostel.  With our main packs left behind and the day packs in the collectivo, we headed north to Malaga 4,350 meters.  After 3 hours stuffed in the van, we arrived at the highest point of the Inca Jungle, basically just cloud forest and tundra.  It was raining and misting as we broke through the clouds.  It didn´t seem like we could ride bikes through this...but we did!  We set out on bikes for a 3 hour ride down hill on a two lane windy road.  We descended to 1,430 meters dodging dogs, trucks, rivers, boulders, and other bicyclists on the way!  W were soaking wet, the ponchos only delayed the inevitable.  It was really quite cold at the top, though after about a half hour we would hit these random hot spots in the mist and rain that felt amazing.  It wasn´t till 2/3 the way down that we got out of the cloud forest and were greeted with rays of sunshine.  Janelle getting sprayed by a passing car as they both crossed the river at the same time was a classic highlight that seemed only suitable in movies!  The lush green mountains, banana trees, and oxen plowed farmlands were breath-taking.  I personally enjoyed the hum of the road as we speed by on our bikes.  I twas a peaceful and solitary time that prompted deep thought and recapitulations of my journey...quite soothing! 

After the bike ride, we headed to our tiny hostel in Santa Maria, about 1,200 meters.  It was dry and cozy with a pool table and fuseball table. A porage lunch with some meat and veggies was just enough food to keep me going for the local football game.  IN a town of no more than 200, a quarter must have been present for the daily afternoon soccer matches.  In teams of 4 on 4, we took turns defend the cement field no larger than a basketball court.  I played in flip flops, which was my justification for such a poor showing haha.  Though I wasn´t on my game, we managed to win both matches and were forced off the field because we took so long to play...I say we were evenly matched teams.  At only 1,200 meters elevation, I was still really winded.

After a Lomo Saltado dinner, Berk and I had a go at fuseball...under candle light bacause tehre was no electricity at the time.  It got pretty heated as I was constantly getting beat by Berko...my competitive nature was getting the best of me...and eventually I got up by 4 and needed only one more to win...Berk starting with a fierce comeback and as we were playing for the last point...we rocked the table so hard that the lit candle on the table fell into the soccer goal of the fuseball game...we paniced and starting blowing with all our might...hahahahaha....we finally got the flame out and though we didn´t catch the entire fuseball table on fire, it was still a scare....I´ve never laughed so hard in my life...Berk and I were dying!!!!!  Needless to say, our mark had been left for there is still an unburned candle inside the fuseball table at Santa Maria :)  Day 1 of our Inca Jungle Trek to Machu Piccu was a success!

Cusco, Peru

We arrived at 3:30 in the afternoon on January 26th, a Sunday.  The Entire town was celebrating Carnival.  3 seconds after Berkley and I set our bags down in our new room at the Wild Rover Hostel, our roommate from Holland barged in.  He was soaking wet, covered in colorful foam, and had the biggest smile on his face.  "Guys, go check it out, its crazy...just wear the least amount of clothes as possible!"  Berk and I quickly stripped down into boardies and took to the streets in flip flops and a pocket full of soles...we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.  10 minutes into our arrival into Cusco, we were covered in foam!  Getting sprayed in the face, the ears, and sown the pants was just the start.  The girls spray the boys and vise versa...buckets of water from balconies, heaving water balloons, and masses amounts of colored foam were exchanged in an all out battle between the sexes.  Funny thing, Berk and I were the only ones without shirts on and in shorts.  Everyone was wearing pants, sweaters, and scarves...it must have been the sheer excitement and adrenaline, but the 50 degree windy weather didn´t fase our soaked bodies!  WE kept on for a few hours, eventually getting the girls to come out with us...what a time!  Seriously haven´t had so much fun in years...we were like little kids running around with no rules, just living life...boys will be boys!!!!  I´ll never forget this day!!!!

Huacachina- Sand Dunes!

A short stay in Lima, Peru was followed by a quick trip into Ica (4 1/2 hour bus) and a 15 minute cab ride over the dune into Huacachina!  This tiny little oasis, literally, boasts great sand dunes, a lively night scene, and plenty of dune buggy sand boarding action!  We got in late in the evening, had dinner and a few beverages and managed to sleep in.  We perfectly timed our 2 hour 5 O´clock sand boarding trip to catch the sunset.  But this left us plenty of time to catch our 18 hour overnight bus to Cusco Peru (the main departure point for Machu Piccu).  The dune buggy ride was so intense!  Loud, powerful, and gut wrenching fun.  We were hitting slopes, taking steep drops and sliding out on banks...it was like a roller coaster with all of the screaming, hands up in the air, and endless smiling faces!  Then we got dropped off in a dune section for boarding.  We used candle wax to speed up the wooden boards and started smashing down the hills.  The biggest hill was a belly down only option, at least for us :) We tried some stand up, but we always ended up on our bums.  Berk and I were in stiches trying to figure out how to stand up!  With sand in every crevice we hopped back into the buggy for a nice sunset and sand in the face buggy ride so satiate our adrenaline appetite.  Off to Cusco at 11,000 feet!