The resident monkey had a serious smoking problem.

The first morning there was a pretty demanding hike to Lost Lake.  We left at 6am hoping to view some wildlife.  Didn´t see any jaguars or pumas as I had hoped, but lots of frogs, birds and a tarantula.  After hiking for a few miles we got to the lake and boarded a rowboat.  About 20 minutes in, the sky got cloudy and you knew the rain was coming.  Hearing the rain approaching across the jungle is a fantastic sound.  Threw on the rain gear and got absolutely dumped on.  The rain continued and we decided to abort the boat ride.  We got back on the trail and came to a 5 story lookout where you could see above the rainforest canopy.  The rain stopped and we took a break just admiring the view.  Afterward, we hiked for a bit more and got on another boat and paddled our way back to the main river.

That afternoon we took an excursion to Monkey Island which was right across the Rio Madre de Dios.  EcoAmazonia rescues monkeys from the black market where they are sold as pets.  They introduce them to the island where they can be free.  There are about 35 monkeys there.  So, obviously they are not native to the island and they are domesticated.  Every day, staff from the lodge goes over there and feeds them bananas, mangos, etc.  Even though they weren´t truly ¨wild¨, it was still amazing to witness them and watch their behavior.

The resident macaw.

The next day we took a boat trip down some secondary river to fish.  A stick and some line.  Not very eventful.  I was the only one who even got a nibble.  That afternoon we took a short hike to a lagoon and witnessed the caimen which is their version of the alligator.  Smaller, doesn´t grow bigger than 1.5 – 2 meters.  But amazing to watch.  Our guide chopped up a fish and left it on the shore and we just waited until they showed up.   Sat in silence for an hour observing them.  Pretty cool.

The jungle is so ridiculously humid.  Had to wear long clothes the whole time to avoid mosquito bites but it really didn´t matter.  I´m covered in bites.  They said they haven´t had a malaria case in 15 years but I still took my pills anyway.  My clothes never dried and I feel really sorry for the laundry guy in Cuzco that had to wash them.  El stinko.

The last pic is from the plane flying back to Cuzco.

The first islands in Lake Titicaca I visited were the Uros islands (or floating islands).  It was pretty fascinating to learn how these islands were formed by reeds and how an entire community exists here.  There are over 50 islands with a school and a hospital.

Todd and Nic were headed to Cuzco the next day.  It was great spending a week together and I feel lucky for having met them.

The next day I took an overnight trip to Amantani Island and stayed with a local family.

The afternoon was spent hiking hills topped by ruins.  Pachamama and Pachatata (Mother and Father Earth) were located at the top of two different hills and the elevation really hit me hard getting up there to see them.

That night, I attended a fiesta where each member of our tour group dressed up in traditional clothing and danced the night away.  Nobody was really impressed with my noodle dance.

The next day, we sailed to Taquile Island.  The mountains of Boliva can be seen across the lake.

I left the islands with feelings of awe and wonder.  The people that live here don´t use money and spend each day farming, fishing and simply living.  I think of how wrapped up we get in our daily lives, our jobs, and all the technology that goes along with it.  Life really can be quite simple.

Let it Be with panflute

There were two sights that were totally worth checking out.  The first was the Museo Santury which exhibits ¨Juanita, the ice princess¨, the frozen body of an Inca maiden sacrificed on the summit of Nevado Ampato over 500 years ago.  Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed.

The second was Monasterio de Santa Catalina, a 20,000 square foot convent that occupies a whole block.  I spent a few hours getting lost in this truely beautiful complex.

Later that day, I met up with Nic and Todd and they explained that they were headed to Cabanaconde (elevation of 3290 meters) later that night which serves as a base for hikes into Cañyon del Colca.  Cañyon del Colca is the second deepest canyon in the world (3191 meters), surpassed by neighboring Cañyon del Cotahuasi which is 150m deeper.  Both canyons are twice as deep as the Grand Canyon.  Originally, I was going to head to Cañyon del Colca just to see Cruz del Condor, which is a viewpoint for Andean condors.  I decided to tag along for the hike which would prove to be epic.

We took a bus out of Arequipa at 1am and got to Cabanaconde at 6:30am.  We got some breakfast and began our hike close to 8am.  The descent down a winding steep trail into the canyon took about 4 hours and covered roughly 1100 meters in elevation. 

After crossing the canyon floor, we hiked up the other side and across for another 30 minutes before stopping in a small town for a well deserved break and avoiding the most intense heat of the day.  After resting, we hiked for another 3 hours through a couple of small towns and got to chat with some locals and kick a soccer ball around with a little boy. 

The 2nd descent into the canyon floor was to the town of Sangalle or “oasis” where we would spend the night.  Sangalle was basically a collection of bungalows and campgrounds.

Before reaching Sangalle, I had to take a peek at the hike we would be doing the following morning out of the canyon.  I was not looking forward to it.

Some well deserved beers after our accomplishment. 

It didn´t get as cold as I thought it would so I made the decision to not sleep in a bungalow but in a sleeping bag under the stars for the night.  I´ve seen some gorgeous night skies in Joshua Tree, Montana, etc., and this rivaled that.

We got up at 2:30am to get a (ridiculously) early start and to avoid hiking in the heat.  Plus, we needed to get back to Arequipa.  I have never hiked in the moonlight before and it was a spirtual experience.  The hike back up took about 3 hours.  It was grueling but worth catching the suns first rays striking the canyon.

Once back into Cabanaconde, we boarded a bus and stopped off at Cruz del Condor.  Spent an hour there and managed to see a couple of condors (bottom third of the picture, to the right of the trail).  We left the canyon and headed back to Arequipa where we needed to catch a bus to Puno.  This is where the nightmare bus ride would occur.

And away we go.

The figures are a little tough to see in the pictures.  This hostel´s computer doesn´t have the program that lets you manipulate pictures and zoom in.  Probably get it in 2025.  This is a sampling of just some of the figures.  Click on the pics for a better view.

Astronaut

Monkey

Hummingbird

Parrot

Hands

It´s worth mentioning that the plane banks right and left to about 45 degrees and a lot of people get sick.  I came very close to tossing my cookies but prevailed in the end.  This was very cool and I´m glad I checked it out.

Evidence of the earthquake below.

Huacachina was the perfect break that I needed.  It´s this little oasis in the middle of the desert that caters to backpackers.  I spent two days relaxing by the pool, riding in a dune buggy and sandboarding.  Met a few Americans, Todd and Nic, and we coordinated to meet in Arequipa.

Lima is the capital of Peru and is a sprawling city of 8 million people.  It was interesting to see the contrast between the shantytowns and the metropolitan areas.  After being in Quito, Guayaquil and now Lima, I’ve had my share of big cities for a while.

Below the statue of General San Martin is a statue of Madre Patria, the symbolic mother of Peru.  She was supposed to have a crown of flames.  The word for flame in Spanish is llama but she unfortunately received a little llama on her head. 

Below is the Monasterio de San Francisco.  There are underground catacombs where there are an estimated 70,000 burials.  Unfortunately no pictures were allowed but I did get my skull and bone fix.

I purchased a ticket for a bullfight which is a huge event in Lima.  It only comes once a year and the tickets are not cheap.  I was very excited when the event started.  It’s a huge party with many in the crowd dressed up, a band playing songs and lots of cheers.  I was impressed by the skill and artful grace that the matador uses with the bull.  Unfortunately, I didn’t know that matador means “bull killer” and things were going to take a turn for the worse.  The bull was continuously stabbed with swords causing it to bleed profusely.  After this went on for a while, the bull was obviously out of energy and was killed right there with a dagger to the neck.  I got up and left after 30 minutes.  The event was 3 hours.  I appreciate tradition but this wasn’t for me.  I was in a pretty foul mood after leaving but luckily, I stumbled upon a kick ass band playing a mean Voodoo Chile.

I stopped through Guayaquil for a couple of days before heading out to the Galapagos Islands.  A friend of mine has some family there and they were gracious enough to host me.  Felix and Maria are two of the nicest people I have ever met.  I was humbled by their hospitality and generosity.  Their sons, Ivan and Felix, were also a pleasure to meet.

Guyaquil is the largest city in Ecuador and although it is not the capital of the country, it is the financial and economic center.  I was able to check out some sights the first day.  Unfortunately, I spent the second day dealing with Bank of America (soon to be my ex bank) and making sure my transfer went through for my Galapagos trip.  Another story, another time.

Ivan, Felix and I headed out and caught some live jazz.  We then stayed up till 3am talking about music and how great the Beatles are.

Quilotoa is at an elevation of 12,600 feet, so I knew this was going to be tough because of the altitude.  After hiking for a while, we came to a point called Heartbreaker.  I´m not sure of the elevation gain, but the picture doesn´t do it justice.  Walk 20 yards, stop, catch breath.  Walk 20 yards, stop, catch breath.  Repeat.

This was the hardest climb of the 7.5 mile hike.  At times, I could feel my brain pulsing in my head.  Upon making it to the top of Heartbreaker we took a much needed break.

The trek continued to be challenging and wove its way through all kinds of terrain and fauna.  The clouds eventually rolled in and the temperature dropped dramatically.

This was the hardest hike I´ve ever done but I´m sure that will change when I tackle the Inca Trail in December.  Quilotoa made a good training ground.

Cotopaxi volcano at 19,374 ft. is the second highest peak in Ecuador.  It last erupted in 1904. 

The parking lot is at 4,600 meters and then it´s a one hour climb to the Jose Ribas refuge at 4,800 meters.  You can see the parking lot in the bottom left corner below.

This hike wasn´t nearly as long or demanding as Quilotoa, but the elevation was a lot greater.  The refuge was at 15,750 ft., easily the highest I´ve ever hiked.