There's no glass on the windows, but screens everywhere, to keep the bugs out. We're safely on the farm. It's green and lush all around (of course) and the weather is perfect here. It rained hard last night for about 5 minutes, like it does most days. There's a sizable river 200m away -- we had the sound of water to fall asleep to last night. Phil and Ginnee are great, and we think we're going to like it here a lot!
Today is exactly like the first day (first two weeks?) on a new job. The regulars are not sure what you're good at yet, and you're not sure what the plan is yet, so everyone seems to make things up.
3/30/10
3/28/10
3/27/10
Pisco Sours
Last night we met up with our friends Luis and Ximena from Austin for dinner and drinks. They are here in Lima at the same time for a wedding and to visit family. They made great hosts, and we had a fine time out with them.
I really liked the bar we went to -- a converted enormous old house with huge rooms and 20' ceilings filled with people, noise, and huge, simple art on the walls.
I really liked the bar we went to -- a converted enormous old house with huge rooms and 20' ceilings filled with people, noise, and huge, simple art on the walls.
Tired legs, smiles
We're back from our trek! Lindsay and I went hiking to Choquequirao this week -- a 4 day demanding hike. The city is high up in the Andes over the Apurímac River, a river that's 3,000m below the surrounding peaks at times -- twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the US. The city hasn't been excavated for long, and is 30% uncovered to date. The tour was interesting, because lots of questions about origins and uses of the buidings in the city were answered with "we really don't know....".
We had a memorable time, and got a workout in the process.
Editorial note: The day before the hike, I got a little sick. I'm fine now, but it worried us for a couple hours. Let's just say I lost my lunch violently. I spent that evening in a local clinic having simple tests done to see what I had. The doctor said I didn't have anything crazy, just a significant bacterial problem, probably from food. He put me on antibiotics to fix things up. Lindsay and I realized later that it was probably a tomato I ate for breakfast that I failed to wash well enough. I'm fine. On to the hike.
Day 1:
Up at 4AM for a 4 hour drive, then a 15 mile hike, with about 1,500' of elevation change, first down to the river, and then back up again.
Day 2:
Up at 6, for a short 3.5 hour hike into the ruins themselves. We explored the upper ruins before lunch. The ruins are large and well thought out, with sweeping views of the mountains from every perspective.
After lunch we explored the agricultural terraces below -- about a 45 minute hike down switchbacks from the ruins above.
Day 3:
We headed home. We were up early, and hiked about 15 miles back. First flat, then down a long way, then up a long way, then flat again to camp.
Day 4:
It rained all night the night before. We slept well, though. The night before, we were in a bit of a makeshift campsite on the side of the trail. There were cows and mules walking past our tent all evening. The mosquitos (which bite HARD by the way, and leave a mark on you for 5 days afterwards) were persistant. Once we built a tiny fire, the mosquitos and the cows stayed a little farther away.
The views the night before had been incredible, but it also rained from about 2AM all the way through day 4. We had been camped at the bottom of a steep slope. We woke up in the morning with wet beds from all the runoff coming down the slope, under our tents, and into our backs. It wasn't totally comfortable, but not bad, either.
The hike the last day was simple enough -- just 2.5 hours back into town.
We had a memorable time, and got a workout in the process.
Editorial note: The day before the hike, I got a little sick. I'm fine now, but it worried us for a couple hours. Let's just say I lost my lunch violently. I spent that evening in a local clinic having simple tests done to see what I had. The doctor said I didn't have anything crazy, just a significant bacterial problem, probably from food. He put me on antibiotics to fix things up. Lindsay and I realized later that it was probably a tomato I ate for breakfast that I failed to wash well enough. I'm fine. On to the hike.
Day 1:
Up at 4AM for a 4 hour drive, then a 15 mile hike, with about 1,500' of elevation change, first down to the river, and then back up again.
Day 2:
Up at 6, for a short 3.5 hour hike into the ruins themselves. We explored the upper ruins before lunch. The ruins are large and well thought out, with sweeping views of the mountains from every perspective.
After lunch we explored the agricultural terraces below -- about a 45 minute hike down switchbacks from the ruins above.
Day 3:
We headed home. We were up early, and hiked about 15 miles back. First flat, then down a long way, then up a long way, then flat again to camp.
Day 4:
It rained all night the night before. We slept well, though. The night before, we were in a bit of a makeshift campsite on the side of the trail. There were cows and mules walking past our tent all evening. The mosquitos (which bite HARD by the way, and leave a mark on you for 5 days afterwards) were persistant. Once we built a tiny fire, the mosquitos and the cows stayed a little farther away.
The views the night before had been incredible, but it also rained from about 2AM all the way through day 4. We had been camped at the bottom of a steep slope. We woke up in the morning with wet beds from all the runoff coming down the slope, under our tents, and into our backs. It wasn't totally comfortable, but not bad, either.
The hike the last day was simple enough -- just 2.5 hours back into town.
3/18/10
Good-bye Ecuador, Hello Peru
We wrapped up things yesterday in Quito (Ecuador´s capital city) and early this morning, we said farewell (for now) to Ecuador as we departed for Peru. We are currently staying at an airport hostel
As you may have heard, Machu Picchu is closed due to terrible flooding in January, so we will no longer hike the infamous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Instead, we will do an alternate hike in the area. Starting Monday (to Friday) of next week, we will not have access to internet or phones. We look forward to sharing our hiking adventures with you when we next have access to internet!
3/17/10
Papallacta and Thermal Pools
From the humid, hot jungle, we headed to the cool mountainous Papallacta, where you can enjoy over 30 thermal pools, all different temperatures. The chilly air, view of the surrounding mountains and volcano, and rising steam as night falls adds a nice romantic touch too. This environment is similar to what we expect we will enjoy in the jungle thermal pools in Costa Rica for our one-year anniversary in May. The benefit of Ecuador, though, is that here, the entrance fee is only $7/person (Costa Rica runs $20-$45/person). We relaxed, met new friends from various countries (Columbia, France, Ecuador, US), and watched the night fall and the hot steam rise over the pools. An excellent way to say farewell to Ecuador!
Until we are able to post pictures, you can see pictures here.
Until we are able to post pictures, you can see pictures here.
Monos (Monkeys)
After departing Baños, we decided to go to Misahaullí, which is further into the Amazon than a larger, nearby city (Tena). In Misahuallí, monkeys live alongside humans in the town square. Check out these amazing pics of the town and the monkeys. Also, below are videos of the monkeys in action!
Our hostel room:
View out onto el Río Napo from our hostel room:
Looking out from Misahuallí as the two rivers (Río Latas y Río Napo) come together at the Misahuallí point:
View up el Río Latas:
Our hostel room:
View out onto el Río Napo from our hostel room:
Looking out from Misahuallí as the two rivers (Río Latas y Río Napo) come together at the Misahuallí point:
View up el Río Latas:
A mural in the town that depicts the rivers, the folks in canoes, and the monkeys:
Monkey walking across one of the electrical wires. (reminds us of squirrels)
Monkeys communicating in tree, with a baby on one of their backs!
She is still watching the dog, and pays no attention to the fact that Mark is sitting there. (See the monkey at Mark´s feet.)
Still watching the dog...we could get SO close to her. She was mesmerized by the dog!
Monkey walking across one of the electrical wires. (reminds us of squirrels)
Monkeys communicating in tree, with a baby on one of their backs!
This particular monkey (female) had a crush on a dog (male), and she is watching the dog here.
She is still watching the dog, and pays no attention to the fact that Mark is sitting there. (See the monkey at Mark´s feet.)
Still watching the dog...we could get SO close to her. She was mesmerized by the dog!
While in Misahaullí, we learned that the humans share a home with monkeys! When we return to the US, we will upload a video of the monkeys trying to drink a soda.
Another video to be uploaded is of a monkey trying to get into our huge jug of water. Intelligent monkeys!
La Selva (Jungle)
Into the jungle we went with a guide and...tubes. ... What? Tubes? Yes! We tubed down the Napo River in the Amazon, just like we do in New Braunfels, TX. We also learned much about the various plants in the jungle. (Uploading pics upon our return to the US.)
3/14/10
Biking and Hiking in Baños
As many of you know, we love to bike and hike, and Baños was the perfect city to enjoy both of these passtimes.
We biked the ``Ruta de las Cascadas´´, which took us to several of the well-known waterfalls in the area.
Off the right side, we had a view of el Manto de la Novia waterfalls:
Then, we stopped for a ride on the tarabita (cable car):
View down the valley from the cable car:
Next stop: La cascada ``El Pailón del Diablo´´
Hiking down, there were several signs about taking care of nature:
(English: ``God loves you. Look for Him in nature.´´)
We loved the solitude of the trail!
Right before reaching the waterfall, the sign said the following:
(English: ``Are you prepared for a surprise?? God exists!!!´´)
Then, we heard the roar of the waterfall, and crossed the bridge to get a better look:
We then crawled up this passageway and up these stairs to reach the back of the waterfall.
It is difficult to capture the power of this waterfall with still pictures, so we took several videos, which we will have to upload another time.
Next up: LUNCH!
In Ecuador, you can typically find set lunches (almuerzos) for about $2. This day, we enjoyed a soup, followed by a full plate of rice, potatoes, meat, and salad. Topped off with a small glass of cola.
Energized, we rode to La Cascada del Machay:
You can swim up to the smaller of the two waterfalls, but we had not brought our bathing suits, and still needed to ride back to Baños. Mark decided to quitar sus zapatos and climb the rocks a bit.
On the way back, we caught a ride in one of the trucks meant for picking up cyclists on the route and shared the ride with about 10 other people. Crammed into the back of a truck with our bikes, we shared stories with about 10 folks from Norway, Germany, the US, Argentina, and Ecuador. It was one of our favorite memories.
About our HIKES...
We have completed several long hikes around Baños and one of our favorites was hiking to La Casa del Arbol (the ``treehouse´´ you see below),
which has an amazing view of Volcano Turaguahua.
Above is a picture of us with a muy amable family we met there. They ended up giving us a ride down from the mountain back to Baños since they were heading that way. We hit it off really well with all the members and plan to stay in touch.
Off the tree house is a long swing that swings out over the cliff. I would not recommend it if you are scared of heights. For those who want a great view and the feeling of flying, it is a definite must!
Another hike we enjoyed was to the mountain that faces the volcano. It is considered the ``Hike to the
Antennas.´´ Right before beginning the hike, we saw this huge gorge into which folks were zip-lining. If you look carefully in the picture, you can see a tiny person flying toward the rock. It was amazing, but we have plans to do it in Costa Rica, so we bypassed this opportunity.
After starting up the mountain, it started to rain, so we took a break here and enjoyed nutritious oreos:
Of course, all the rain was worth the view from the top!
We biked the ``Ruta de las Cascadas´´, which took us to several of the well-known waterfalls in the area.
Off the right side, we had a view of el Manto de la Novia waterfalls:
Then, we stopped for a ride on the tarabita (cable car):
View down the valley from the cable car:
Next stop: La cascada ``El Pailón del Diablo´´Hiking down, there were several signs about taking care of nature:
(English: ``God loves you. Look for Him in nature.´´)
We loved the solitude of the trail!
Right before reaching the waterfall, the sign said the following:(English: ``Are you prepared for a surprise?? God exists!!!´´)
Then, we heard the roar of the waterfall, and crossed the bridge to get a better look:
We then crawled up this passageway and up these stairs to reach the back of the waterfall.
It is difficult to capture the power of this waterfall with still pictures, so we took several videos, which we will have to upload another time.
Next up: LUNCH!In Ecuador, you can typically find set lunches (almuerzos) for about $2. This day, we enjoyed a soup, followed by a full plate of rice, potatoes, meat, and salad. Topped off with a small glass of cola.
Energized, we rode to La Cascada del Machay:
You can swim up to the smaller of the two waterfalls, but we had not brought our bathing suits, and still needed to ride back to Baños. Mark decided to quitar sus zapatos and climb the rocks a bit.
On the way back, we caught a ride in one of the trucks meant for picking up cyclists on the route and shared the ride with about 10 other people. Crammed into the back of a truck with our bikes, we shared stories with about 10 folks from Norway, Germany, the US, Argentina, and Ecuador. It was one of our favorite memories.
About our HIKES...
We have completed several long hikes around Baños and one of our favorites was hiking to La Casa del Arbol (the ``treehouse´´ you see below),
which has an amazing view of Volcano Turaguahua.
Above is a picture of us with a muy amable family we met there. They ended up giving us a ride down from the mountain back to Baños since they were heading that way. We hit it off really well with all the members and plan to stay in touch. Off the tree house is a long swing that swings out over the cliff. I would not recommend it if you are scared of heights. For those who want a great view and the feeling of flying, it is a definite must!
Another hike we enjoyed was to the mountain that faces the volcano. It is considered the ``Hike to the
Antennas.´´ Right before beginning the hike, we saw this huge gorge into which folks were zip-lining. If you look carefully in the picture, you can see a tiny person flying toward the rock. It was amazing, but we have plans to do it in Costa Rica, so we bypassed this opportunity.
After starting up the mountain, it started to rain, so we took a break here and enjoyed nutritious oreos:
Of course, all the rain was worth the view from the top!
A Difference Between Mark and Lindsay
I (Lindsay) am not going to generalize and say that this is an inherent difference between men and women, but I will say it is a difference between Mark and me.
Mark´s philosophy: When there is not an obvious way across a stream, build one!
Lindsay´s philosophy: When there is not an obvious way across a stream, search for one in another location.
I will admit...Mark´s philosophy can be more fun at times.
THE STORY
Several times, we have crossed this ``stream.´´ We have had several days of rain, though, and so the stream became more full and harder to cross. We crossed it one way to work on the WWOOF farm, and to visit the thermal baths, but when we returned to cross back to our hostal, there was no longer a clear walkway. I suggested that we look for another way up the stream, but Mark decided to create one. I realized I married an engineer, and a great one he is, because we made it across the Mark-made stone bridge with no problems.
Yeah...across!
Mark´s philosophy: When there is not an obvious way across a stream, build one!
Lindsay´s philosophy: When there is not an obvious way across a stream, search for one in another location.
I will admit...Mark´s philosophy can be more fun at times.
THE STORY
Several times, we have crossed this ``stream.´´ We have had several days of rain, though, and so the stream became more full and harder to cross. We crossed it one way to work on the WWOOF farm, and to visit the thermal baths, but when we returned to cross back to our hostal, there was no longer a clear walkway. I suggested that we look for another way up the stream, but Mark decided to create one. I realized I married an engineer, and a great one he is, because we made it across the Mark-made stone bridge with no problems.
Yeah...across!
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