Tripping the Life Fantastic

Yungas Road, Bolivia, December 22, 2012 I simply must do something about this apparent death wish gene I possess! It´s like I am the long-lost cousin of Evil Knieval and this backpacking trip is providing me with ample opportunity to perform death-defying stunts jumping over barrels. Case in point: mountain biking down the world´s deadliest road thus declared in 1996 by the Inter-American Development Bank due to the incredibly disturbing number of fatal accidents which take place on this road annually! Here are a few road factoids: It´s a 64-kilometer ride which starts at an elevation of 4650m at La Cumbre Pass and finishes up at 1200m near the town of Coroico. The road was originally built in the 1930s by Paraguayan prisoners of war and has a bit of a murky past. Apparently countless political prisoners were brought there during the 1940s and executed by simply having them step off the edge and fall to their grisly fate. Furthermore, the notorious Nazi Klaus Barbi once lived i...

Talk about a spazzy jazzy place! La Paz is a city on steroids! It's jam-packed full of tall buildings both dilapidated and delightful, residents with spare cash to blow on small electronics as well as multitudes of the homeless sitting on main thoroughfares with outstretched hands and babes swaddled in blankets. I kind of loved it!! Practically every street I traversed had me battling the throngs for an inch of space on the sidewalk and the oodles of shops selling colorful curiosities made me once again wish I had space to spare in my backpack. Oh and I also found it fascinating how complicated their system of wiring seemed to be. I mean they literally have hundreds of wires crisscrossing at various intersections and I cannot imagine how on earth the Internet or cable technicians can possibly make sense of it! There was just something about this chaotic city that spoke to me. Mind you it was mostly a bunch of unintelligible noise but I still felt compelled to lean in closer in ...

Lake Titicaca, Puno(Peru) Dec 15-17 The Peruvian port town of Puno is pretty much a dump. There. I said it. And no matter who may disagree and care to comment unfavorably below this entry, I stand by my opinion. All this town, situated on the shore of the world´s highest altitude lake(Titicaca at 3811m), has to offer tourists is the lake itself for it has lost most of its colonial charm. I was unfortunate to have chosen to book a bed at the Pirwa Hostal there which stuck me in a freezing dorm room that overwhelmingly reeked of lemon pledge, offered no WiFi service contrary to their advertised claim and whose computers contained viruses which corrupted not 1, not 2, but 3(!!) of my SD memory cards AND my portable media drive besides. Bloody Hell!! Pity this was my final stop in Peru for it left a rather rank taste in my mouth. My first day in Puno was supposed to conclude with me successfully obtaining my Bolivian VISA from their consulate there for $100 (as opposed to $135 ...

December 12-14, Colca Canyon My primary reason for going to Arequipa was in order to visit the relatively nearby Colca Canyon which is the second deepest canyon in the world at 4160m which is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon! It is also the home to a fairly significant number of Andean condors, the largest of the vultures and a threatened species and naturally I hoped to see one if I was lucky! I booked a three day/two night tour via the travel agency located on the rooftop of my hostal for only 150 soles (plus 35 soles for the touristic boleto the Peruvian government requires anyone who steps foot into the canyon to purchase), which is a far cry cheaper than my previous Salkantay Trek. Such a deal! And I must say how thoroughly pleased I was with the whole trip from the awesome guide, Edgar, aka Eddie Murphy, to his lovely assistant, Julia, of the long flowing dark locks and local hat adorned with wild flowers. Furthermore, the meals were cooked to a reasonably tasty degree, t...

It's interesting how divergent opinions can be when it comes to places. For instance, I've met a number of travellers who prefer Arequipa to Cusco citing its less touristic pandering, but I didn't think Arequipa had as much to offer other than the super cool nunnery Santa Catalina(which I will elaborate on in the next paragraph), Juanita, the mummy ice princess, and the presence of a STARBUCKS just off the Plaza de Armas!! On Saturday, I spent a couple of delightful hours strolling through the massive monastery of Santa Catalina, founded by some nuns in 1580. Truth be told, I'd been contemplating giving up on men completely and hiding myself away from the cruel, cruel world, and this convent came highly recommended. You do realize I'm completely joking, yes? All kidding aside, it was quite educational. Apparently, there are still nuns sequestered on the premises but this area is naturally closed to all visitors. I was struck by the use of bright colors like BLU...

Day 3 Collopampa to Schuayaco Today´s hike was pretty easy for all our group and due to Luke´s semi-miraculous recovery from food poisoning, we all hiked with an increased pace and were pretty much in sync the whole way. I was shocked when, upon stopping for a snack along the way, I ran into Katya and Ian, a couple I'd met a few weeks earlier when riding on an ITSA bus from Piura to Trujillo. They were hiking essentially the same Salkantay Trek but with another company. Ian, bless 'im, had ironically twisted his ankle the afternoon before. But no!!! It wasn't as one might expect from tripping on a root while descending from the Salkantay Pass! He'd actually hurt himself while playing football with some of the local lads, but he was now forced to considerably slow down his pace (and presumably pop pain pills!). It was awesome to see them again and proves that the world is indeed becoming a much smaller place. The (J)Crew arrived at our next night's campsit...

Coming to Cusco and the Sacred Valley, I was determined to do some trekking. Being a solo traveller though meant I had to find some group with which to walk. I had purchased the South American Explorers´Handbook on Alternative Inca Trails and a number of them sounded promising and incredibly challenging to my weary bones/joints, but it was a matter of finding a group departing within both my time frame and price range. I emailed a number of the more reputable trekking companies and also visited the office of Q'Ente. Based on all of the info I gathered, I opted to go with Q'Ente even though they´re one of the more expensive companies as they have a sound history when it comes to treating their porters/guides/cooks fairly and they also believe in sustainable tourism which respects the environment. I joined a group of 5 hikers (that`s including me!) on the Salkantay Trek which lasts 5 days with the last day being a visit to the stupendous Inca site, Machu Picchu. I attended a...

29 Nov-3 Dec, Cusco, Peru Being at such a high altitude (3326m) here in Cusco is kicking my ass!! I seriously am surprised by how badly my body has been affected. I've had splitting headaches that made me long for general anesthesia, minor dehydration leaving me with split chapped lips, and an overall feeling of fatigue which made me wonder if someone had slipped an accelerated aging pill into my drink! Yuck! Luckily by day 4 I'm almost back to normal which is absolutely imperative as I'm due to start a five-day trek tomorrow morning which will have me hiking up to an elevation of 4600m. Gulp. Shall I give you a run down on my time in Cusco? Why yes, I shall! After a rather chaotic and nerve-wracking time spent at the Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, I arrived in Cusco via Peruvian Airlines at 1:30 PM on Nov 29 and was picked up by my hostel as I'd previously arranged. My first 3 nights were spent at the Hospedaje Intikahuarina in a single room (54 so...

Every darn tootin´ place I´ve been to on this backpacking trip thus far has been overrun by four-legged creatures with wagging tails, nasty breath and endless yapping. In fact, in Quito, every home seemed to have its very own guard dog who lived on the rooftop 24/7 and would bark incessantly whenever the wind blew (which meant they practically never stopped yapping thus negating the need for alarm clocks or roosters). But in Lima?!? I was delightfully surprised to encounter MUCHO GATOS!! Meow Mix indeed. First of all we had Janis, the Siamese cat, in temporary residence at Pucllana Lodge whom I mentioned in my previous blog entry. But on Monday (Nov 28) I happened to be walking in Parque Kennedy in the Miraflores District when I spied a congregation of homeless cats being fed beside the church there. I actually did a double-take as I walked past for my eyes could not believe what they were seeing! There were at least 30 cats blanketing the lane and their meowing was music to m...

I must explain what I mean by "sloppy seconds" straight away. You see this is my 2nd visit to Lima (the first being back in 2003) and when I first came here, I was not altogether impressed. I remember feeling on edge and wary of pickpockets at every turn, but now that I'm back? The city feels familiar, nay cozy , like I just slipped on a comfortable pair of loafers. Weird, huh? I have no idea why I feel so much more relaxed unless it's just how much it differs from Quito. In the latter city, I NEVER felt truly safe and was 110% reluctant to pull out my camera in order to take a pic. But in Lima (at least more specifically in Miraflores & Barranco)? I walk around with my camera around my neck and shoot to my heart's content. So I am definitely appreciating my sloppy second helping of this city! So here's the scoop on my visit thus far... My overnight bus from Trujillo arrived in Lima on time practically to the minute at 6:30 AM Friday and I...

Wish I could surf, man. I mean it looks soooo cool to ride the waves, particularly at sunset when you become nothing but a blazing silouhette against the colourful sky. Yep, I wish I could surf. Alas, I pretty much hate being in the water. For the past couple of days I´ve been chilling out in the surfing community of Huanchoco (12m from Trujillo) where the vibe is sweet and and the surf is always UP. There are numerous schools which provide lessons for the novice surfer but I can´t be bothered to learn. I mean, why on earth would I like to become shark bait! It´s quite safe to walk the streets here, even at night(!!), and I´ve managed to go jogging a couple of times with my iPod safely. There´s a vegetarian restaurant run by a Dutch fellow on the coastal road called Otra Cosa which bakes its own brown bread and serves coffee stronger than Starbuck´s. I dined with a Dutch couple I met while touring Chan Chan the first 2 nights as they are staying in town as well. Other th...

I was colorfully surprised by rainbowesque Trujillo as they`ve beautifully restored and brightly painted many Spanish colonial buildings, particularly around the Plaza de Armas, which is an absolute must-see when it`s lit up at night. I spent the night at the delightful Hotel Colonial and apparently was given a discount on account of my charming personality. Ha! Seriously, I have no idea why I was given a better single room rate than another woman I met staying there. I`m sure it had nothing to do with my provacative skintight clothing and bright red lipstick (Anyone who knows me and my proclivity for turtlenecks and conservative dress should realize I`m 100% joking). I would certainly prefer to think it is due to my looks and polite manner but... The hotel has a travel company on the premises to which I availed myself as I wished to visit the 2 major archaelogical sites in the viscinity of Trujillo. A combined tour ticket only cost 40 soles (+ site admission fees) and was done...

Before I launch into a description of my first few days in Peru, I feel it is imperative that I warn any/all travelers planning to venture to Loja, Ecuador...Do NOT stay at Las Orquideas Hostal no matter how enticingly cheap it is! I slept nary a wink the one night I was there due to the fact that they lock the front door and don´t issue keys to the guests forcing late-night-revelers to loudly buzzzzzzzzzz for entry. Okay? Consider yourselves forewarned... I left Loja, Ecuador on Friday, Nov 18, catching the Loja Transportes bus at 7 AM. It is roughly a nine-hour international journey due to the extra time passengers are held up at the Ecuador/Peru border crossing in Macara. I do NOT recommend changing money with those dubious, smiling gentlemen offering you the financial service due to the prevelance of counterfeit Peruvian soles. Especially seeing that there are plentiful banks located close to the bus terminals in Piura, Peru, which will guarantee you an honest transaction...

November 12-17, Hosteria Izhcayluma, Vilcabamba How do I love thee, Hosteria Izhcayluma, let me count the ways... I have seriously been in paradise personified these past 5 nights/4 days! All the things which bring me bliss have been present: friendly frisky cats, plentiful hiking trails, fresh air, coffee that comes from a plant and not a jar, an ooh-la-la spa offering facials (Yes, please pinch & purge my nose of nasty blackheads!), a restaurant that serves so many vegetarian options that my head spun and I automatically belched outloud in appreciation, an incredibly helpful and engaging multi-lingual staff, and perhaps most importantly, cooperative weather! I am loathe to move on but Peru beckons and I have been in Ecuador for nearly six weeks so surely I need to forge onwards? Sigh...But let me tell you a few of the highlights of my time in Vilcabamba. I arrived on Saturday (Nov 12) afternoon at about 2 PM and was immediately struck by the presence of oodles of hippi...