First, a slight addendum to Beau's original entry about the jungle. As much as we were consumed by the experience of being 2 feet from a boaconstrictor in the wild, we also saw many other animals. These included many species of birds. We both decided that my mom, Bill, and Giggles would never have survived the trip, as there were unusual birds to be seen at every turn. We tried our best to get pictures, so there will be lots to share when we return. We also saw several species of monkeys. The best part was hearing the eerie sound of the Red Howler Monkey calling from 1 km away at five in the morning. Ah, the jungle, you never know what will happen.
Alas, today is our last day in Peru. Tomorrow we leave in the morning to fly to Lima and then to San Francisco. We will be there through the weekend, enjoying Beau's brother's wedding, a most excellent way to end our trip. As much as we are looking forward to coming home, we are going to miss Peru and the unique experience of traveling in a developing country. We have spent our last days in Cusco viewing ruins and churches and learning more of the extensive history of this part of the world. Peru has been a wonderful experience for us. We we want to thank everyone who gave us their support in the this trip. We will have many more stories to share when we return. Looking forward to seeing you all!
Love,
Deedra and Beau
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Umm, I think I found the Emerald Boa Constrictor
Hello to all,
Our trip is coming to a close and we are excited to see everyone upon our return. We just returned to our homebase from our travels to the jungle, which was a lot of fun. I think my favorite story is as follows..... On our first night in the jungle our guide took us an others out on a night walk. I think they capitalize on the fact that having just arrived in jungle territory, most visitors still have the images of terrifying creatures hiding behind every corner (which they, in fact, do). What you don´t realize at first is that the majority of these animals have little intention on inflicting any harm in the way of the new visitors. Nonetheless, we marched through the jungle after tucking our pants into our socks so that spiders, bugs, and other creepy-crawlies didn´t make their way up our trousers. We saw a poisonous spider right off the bat, and I asked our guide just how poisonous this spider was (knowing that our own local versions in the states, such as the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse are almost never fatal), and our guide answered, "Well after he bites you, you have about 10 hours to get the anti-venom or you die. Good to know. The majority of the rest of the hike showed little in the way of deadly creatures, save one Emerald Boa Constrictor who was hanging from a branch just above the trail (we have some nice pictures). The Boa was nice and sat there for its photo-shoot, and we finished our hike without problem.
The next night we went in search of Caymans (smaller versions of alligators) which was fun, but less exciting. For our last night there, there was a lack of nighttime jungle programming, so Deedra and I asked if we could take our own jungle stroll without our guide. Our guide was a pretty laid back fellow, and agreed that this would be fine, but suggested that we take our whistle (whistles are provided to all guests in case of "emergencies" ie, fires, scary animals, etc.). We borrowed his big flashlight and set out on the trail. We realized quickly that the guide is very helpful in pointing out interesting objects, but we were able to find some lizards, spiders, and numerous bats who consistently checked to see if we were small enough to eat by buzzing by our heads. Luckily they decided we were not in their normal diets. Just as we were about to turn back to the lodge, Deedra muttered these words, "Ummm, I think I found the Emerald Boa." About 10 feet in front of us was the Emerald Boa (bright green like an emerald) slithering down a tree looking for his (or her, don´t really know how to tell them apart) next meal. We got closer, and the snake decided to go back up the tree, which was really interesting to watch. I took many pictures, some of which we hope to put up on our wall. I think we got a bit too close at times, as the snake coiled back, looking ready to spring at us. We took the hint and backed off. It was about 15 minutes before we finally left, but thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of the encounter.
Well, only a few more days left. Thanks to everyone for their comments, we love to read them.
Love to all,
Beau & Deedra
Our trip is coming to a close and we are excited to see everyone upon our return. We just returned to our homebase from our travels to the jungle, which was a lot of fun. I think my favorite story is as follows..... On our first night in the jungle our guide took us an others out on a night walk. I think they capitalize on the fact that having just arrived in jungle territory, most visitors still have the images of terrifying creatures hiding behind every corner (which they, in fact, do). What you don´t realize at first is that the majority of these animals have little intention on inflicting any harm in the way of the new visitors. Nonetheless, we marched through the jungle after tucking our pants into our socks so that spiders, bugs, and other creepy-crawlies didn´t make their way up our trousers. We saw a poisonous spider right off the bat, and I asked our guide just how poisonous this spider was (knowing that our own local versions in the states, such as the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse are almost never fatal), and our guide answered, "Well after he bites you, you have about 10 hours to get the anti-venom or you die. Good to know. The majority of the rest of the hike showed little in the way of deadly creatures, save one Emerald Boa Constrictor who was hanging from a branch just above the trail (we have some nice pictures). The Boa was nice and sat there for its photo-shoot, and we finished our hike without problem.
The next night we went in search of Caymans (smaller versions of alligators) which was fun, but less exciting. For our last night there, there was a lack of nighttime jungle programming, so Deedra and I asked if we could take our own jungle stroll without our guide. Our guide was a pretty laid back fellow, and agreed that this would be fine, but suggested that we take our whistle (whistles are provided to all guests in case of "emergencies" ie, fires, scary animals, etc.). We borrowed his big flashlight and set out on the trail. We realized quickly that the guide is very helpful in pointing out interesting objects, but we were able to find some lizards, spiders, and numerous bats who consistently checked to see if we were small enough to eat by buzzing by our heads. Luckily they decided we were not in their normal diets. Just as we were about to turn back to the lodge, Deedra muttered these words, "Ummm, I think I found the Emerald Boa." About 10 feet in front of us was the Emerald Boa (bright green like an emerald) slithering down a tree looking for his (or her, don´t really know how to tell them apart) next meal. We got closer, and the snake decided to go back up the tree, which was really interesting to watch. I took many pictures, some of which we hope to put up on our wall. I think we got a bit too close at times, as the snake coiled back, looking ready to spring at us. We took the hint and backed off. It was about 15 minutes before we finally left, but thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of the encounter.
Well, only a few more days left. Thanks to everyone for their comments, we love to read them.
Love to all,
Beau & Deedra
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Ruinas de Peru
Hello all! It is a beautiful morning in Cusco and Beau and I are getting ready to depart for la selva (the jungle) to a town called Puerto Maldonado. We had a marvelous little breakfast at a cafe right across the street from our hostal. We are staying in the arts district of Cusco, which consists of lots of little shops, narrow streets, and cafes galor. We are looking forward to exploring the area further during our last few days in Peru next week.
Our trip to Machu Picchu was amazing. We started off in a town called Ollantaytambo which is where the Incas fled when the Spanish invaded the ruins of Machu Picchu. This is probably one of our favorite places so far. The hillside is taken up by a series of ruins, rich with the intelligence of the incas and their history. Beau and I were proud of ourselves because our tour was in Spanish and we could understand almost all of it. Of course, there was quite a bit of pantomiming and Beau and I will probably now be spreading false information about the Incas, but what can you do.
The next day we traveled to Aguas Calientes, which is the base town for Machu Picchu. We embarked on a hike up a mountain called Patacusi, which ascends up from the river out of Aguas Calientes. The ¨hike¨consisted of scaling several ladders and innumberable steps to reach the top. However, it was all worth it as we were graced with an amazing view of Machu Picchu on one of the opposite peaks. Not a bad way to experience a viewing of this jaw dropping site. We soaked our tired bodies in the hot springs that night and prepared to see the ruins the next day.
We left early Wednesday morning to get to the ruins. We had a short tour, then did a few hikes around the area. Machu Picchu is beautiful and mysterious. The ruins consist of water systems, temples, a pyramid, a compass, sculpture, etc. We spent some time in the afternoon, just sitting on one of the terraces trying to take it all in. One of the hikes we did was up to the first sun gate, which is on the original Inca Trail. This trail connected all of the Inca cities spanning the western coast of South America. It is truly an amazing place.
That´s all for now. We´ve had a little trouble finding good internet connections outside of Cusco, but we´ll keep you updated as we can.
Love to all,
Deedra and Beau
Our trip to Machu Picchu was amazing. We started off in a town called Ollantaytambo which is where the Incas fled when the Spanish invaded the ruins of Machu Picchu. This is probably one of our favorite places so far. The hillside is taken up by a series of ruins, rich with the intelligence of the incas and their history. Beau and I were proud of ourselves because our tour was in Spanish and we could understand almost all of it. Of course, there was quite a bit of pantomiming and Beau and I will probably now be spreading false information about the Incas, but what can you do.
The next day we traveled to Aguas Calientes, which is the base town for Machu Picchu. We embarked on a hike up a mountain called Patacusi, which ascends up from the river out of Aguas Calientes. The ¨hike¨consisted of scaling several ladders and innumberable steps to reach the top. However, it was all worth it as we were graced with an amazing view of Machu Picchu on one of the opposite peaks. Not a bad way to experience a viewing of this jaw dropping site. We soaked our tired bodies in the hot springs that night and prepared to see the ruins the next day.
We left early Wednesday morning to get to the ruins. We had a short tour, then did a few hikes around the area. Machu Picchu is beautiful and mysterious. The ruins consist of water systems, temples, a pyramid, a compass, sculpture, etc. We spent some time in the afternoon, just sitting on one of the terraces trying to take it all in. One of the hikes we did was up to the first sun gate, which is on the original Inca Trail. This trail connected all of the Inca cities spanning the western coast of South America. It is truly an amazing place.
That´s all for now. We´ve had a little trouble finding good internet connections outside of Cusco, but we´ll keep you updated as we can.
Love to all,
Deedra and Beau
Monday, August 20, 2007
Cusco Adventures
Hello All! Beau and I just arrived in Cusco, which will be our homebase for the next several days as we travel to Machu Picchu and the jungle. We are traveling to the Sacred Valley today to check out some ruins, then on to Machu Picchu. Internet access may be somewhat spotty, but we´ll do our best to fill you in on our adventures in the Andes.
Our thoughts have often been with the victims of the earthquake as we hear about the rising death toll. There seem to be many areas in Cusco that are taking donations to be sent down. From what we´ve heard, it´s been very difficult for rescue workers to get into the areas hardest hit because so many of the access roads have been damaged. But on the good side, it sounds like there has been a large influx of volunteers into Lima to assist with what they can. Unfortunately, with the limited time we have left here, we will not be among them.
It was pretty difficult to say goodbye to the families and clinic staff who we have been working with over this last month. They have definitely had a permanent effect on our lives and will be with us in our clinical practice from now on. We have lots of pictures and stories to share when we get back.
Love to everyone!
Deedra and Beau
Our thoughts have often been with the victims of the earthquake as we hear about the rising death toll. There seem to be many areas in Cusco that are taking donations to be sent down. From what we´ve heard, it´s been very difficult for rescue workers to get into the areas hardest hit because so many of the access roads have been damaged. But on the good side, it sounds like there has been a large influx of volunteers into Lima to assist with what they can. Unfortunately, with the limited time we have left here, we will not be among them.
It was pretty difficult to say goodbye to the families and clinic staff who we have been working with over this last month. They have definitely had a permanent effect on our lives and will be with us in our clinical practice from now on. We have lots of pictures and stories to share when we get back.
Love to everyone!
Deedra and Beau
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Terremoto (Earthquake)
F¡rst thing´s first, we are fine. Second thing´s second, we felt what was registered as a 7.5 earthquake off the coast of central peru. I don´t know how far the epicenter was from us in Arequipa, but I know it was much closer to lima which is about 600 miles away from us. Nonetheless, as we sat around making "wash mits" for Deedra´s patients, we felt a distinct shaking of our house. The indoor plants swayed to and fro, and we sat there for what seemed like 20 - 30 seconds discussing that this must be a pretty large earthquake. It is too early to tell what the damage may be, if any, but our house stood the shaking just fine. I don´t want to take any credit for the quake, but this now makes my pariticipation in above 7.0 earthquakes climb to grand total of 3. I am somewhat of an earthquake magnet it seems. We´ll keep you posted on further details.
Regarding our work here, I had an opportunity to do a question and answer session the other day with about 30 women workers who had pediatric questions. I thought it went well, and it was very eye-opening, as it directed our attention at what the true concerns of the local folks are. Deedra has come up with new ideas for the clinic, which seem like they would be fairly easy to implement, and are making the staff excited. We took a shopping trip the other day to find materials so we could make the above mentioned wash mits for her patients. These are washcloths sewn together (yes, I was helping to sew), with velcro straps at the bottom. They are used for those who have little control of their hands for when they are bathing, as the mits are much more easy to manipulate than the patient´s own fingers and hands. We both give presentations to about 150 families tomorrow night. I will be talking about nutrition and obesity (surprise) and Deedra will be discussing how to prevent work-related injuries.
That´s all for now, thanks again for all of your replies, we check our blog daily (sometimes more).
Hope this finds everyone well,
Love,
Beau & Deedra
Regarding our work here, I had an opportunity to do a question and answer session the other day with about 30 women workers who had pediatric questions. I thought it went well, and it was very eye-opening, as it directed our attention at what the true concerns of the local folks are. Deedra has come up with new ideas for the clinic, which seem like they would be fairly easy to implement, and are making the staff excited. We took a shopping trip the other day to find materials so we could make the above mentioned wash mits for her patients. These are washcloths sewn together (yes, I was helping to sew), with velcro straps at the bottom. They are used for those who have little control of their hands for when they are bathing, as the mits are much more easy to manipulate than the patient´s own fingers and hands. We both give presentations to about 150 families tomorrow night. I will be talking about nutrition and obesity (surprise) and Deedra will be discussing how to prevent work-related injuries.
That´s all for now, thanks again for all of your replies, we check our blog daily (sometimes more).
Hope this finds everyone well,
Love,
Beau & Deedra
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Conozco sus ojos (I know your eyes)
Hello all,
Sorry for the delay in blog entries. The internet connection at the volunteer house has been kind of fickle. Besides, who has time to write when you´re internationally recognized figures like ourselves? Let me explain... Beau and I took a trip to Lake Titicaca (cue grade-school giggling) and popped over to Copacabana (cue music), Bolivia as well. While trying to cross the border into Bolivia, Beau and I realized that we did not have the bottom section of the form we filled out when we entered Peru. This is something important to have when you´re getting ready to leave the country. We were therefore told we would need to pay a fine to enter Bolivia. As we got to the front of the line, the man with the stamp says to Beau in Spanish ¨I know your eyes¨. Beau of course had visions of a man on the wanted posters who happened to bear a resemblance to Joey McEntyre, much as he does. (For those who don´t know, this is a member of New Kids of the Block who Beau frequently gets mistaken for). Anyway, it turns out that the immigration official recognized Beau from the clinic in Arequipa and knows the doctor who he has been working with. Mind you Arequipa is 8 hours away from this border town and the clinic we work in is pretty remote. The official proceded to clear the room of people and tell the other official that we didn´t need to pay. The Jedi mind trick worked beautifully and we were off the hook. Needless to say, we are quite aware of where our forms are now. Luck like that only comes along once in a while.
The rest of our weekend travels went very smoothly. We took a day trip out on the lake to visit the floating islands. These are islands that are make entirely of dried reeds that are floating on the lake. People live here and make various goods to sell to tourists. The islands hold up for about 17 years before the people need to build a new island to relocate to. It was quite a site to see. We also visited another, land-based island, called Tequille. It was beautiful! We felt like we were in the Mediterrean with crystal clear skies, terraced hill sides, and winding roads with no cars. We had a great lunch of the local king fish (pejjerey) and headed back to Puno, the port town in Peru. Here´s a little piece of trivia for you: ¨Titi¨actually means pumain Quechua, because the shape of the lake looks like a puma chasing a conejo (rabbit). ¨Caca¨means grey, because during the rainy season, it becomes overcast and the water takes on a greyish hue. That night we met up with some friends from Beau´s residency, Pete and Dawn. We partook of some Peruvian fare, including a cocktail with ice, which can prove to be a little dicey. Dawn, I hope you´re feeling OK today.
The next day we headed to Bolivia. Copacabana is a colorful, active town with lots of shops and restaurants near the water. We took a hike at sunset up the hill overlooking the city. At nearly 12,000 feet at the top, the air was thin, but the views amazing. This hill is a place of pilgrimage for many of the local people. It is where they come to pray for various things they need or want in life. Along with the altars are countless stands selling what looks to be junk, to be honest. They sell plastic cars, monopoly money, dolls, play houses, you name it. However, each of these things represents the thing that the person hopes to receive from their prayers. The sunset we were gifted with that evening made me feel connected to a little piece of those prayers. We splurged a little that night and stayed in a nicer hotel that looked over the water. When I say we splurged, I mean that we paid $17 dollars a night. In addition, we had a great dinner that inlcuded two entrees, a bottle of wine, and dessert for $20. Bolivia is definitely the place to come if you want inexpensive travels in South America. Of course with the cheap prices, comes an economy that survives on tourism. The difference between those who have and those who have not was painfully clear here. Juxtaposed with the amazing views and travel experiences, was a sense of a community that has created something that they hope we as foreigners want to see. The children especially have learned to spot the type of passport you have and say something clever in your language in the hopes that you will buy something from them. I think the people here get very little sleep as well. Early in the morning to late at night, they are out selling their goods. It has been interesting for us to go from being a part of a community in Arequipa where we know people personally, to being strictly a tourist who is seen for what we can spend versus what we can give.
This week is looking to be a busy one for us in the clinic. Beau and I both have classes scheduled with the community. I am going to try to visit the hospital with one of the girls I have been working with to observe the process that kids need to go through to get orthotics here. I would like to set up a fund strictly for the therapy needs of the children in Alto Cayma. This would incluce purchase of orthotics, walkers, hand splints, etc. However, I feel like I don´t fully understand the processes or the local resources that are available yet to make this sort of a fund successful. I´ll keep you all posted. Hope everyone is well! Thank you all for your blog responses. We love hearing from you! Here are some answers to questions we have gotten from previous entries. The condors are really big! They can have up to a 10 foot wing span. The color difference on the tops of their wings signifies if they are male or female, although I can´t remember which is which now. Also, we had headlamps with us to hike out of the canyon. However, we would stop for breaks and could turn the lamps off and see pretty well by the moon and stars. ¡Vimos muchas estrellas!
Se amamos,
Deedra and Beau
Sorry for the delay in blog entries. The internet connection at the volunteer house has been kind of fickle. Besides, who has time to write when you´re internationally recognized figures like ourselves? Let me explain... Beau and I took a trip to Lake Titicaca (cue grade-school giggling) and popped over to Copacabana (cue music), Bolivia as well. While trying to cross the border into Bolivia, Beau and I realized that we did not have the bottom section of the form we filled out when we entered Peru. This is something important to have when you´re getting ready to leave the country. We were therefore told we would need to pay a fine to enter Bolivia. As we got to the front of the line, the man with the stamp says to Beau in Spanish ¨I know your eyes¨. Beau of course had visions of a man on the wanted posters who happened to bear a resemblance to Joey McEntyre, much as he does. (For those who don´t know, this is a member of New Kids of the Block who Beau frequently gets mistaken for). Anyway, it turns out that the immigration official recognized Beau from the clinic in Arequipa and knows the doctor who he has been working with. Mind you Arequipa is 8 hours away from this border town and the clinic we work in is pretty remote. The official proceded to clear the room of people and tell the other official that we didn´t need to pay. The Jedi mind trick worked beautifully and we were off the hook. Needless to say, we are quite aware of where our forms are now. Luck like that only comes along once in a while.
The rest of our weekend travels went very smoothly. We took a day trip out on the lake to visit the floating islands. These are islands that are make entirely of dried reeds that are floating on the lake. People live here and make various goods to sell to tourists. The islands hold up for about 17 years before the people need to build a new island to relocate to. It was quite a site to see. We also visited another, land-based island, called Tequille. It was beautiful! We felt like we were in the Mediterrean with crystal clear skies, terraced hill sides, and winding roads with no cars. We had a great lunch of the local king fish (pejjerey) and headed back to Puno, the port town in Peru. Here´s a little piece of trivia for you: ¨Titi¨actually means pumain Quechua, because the shape of the lake looks like a puma chasing a conejo (rabbit). ¨Caca¨means grey, because during the rainy season, it becomes overcast and the water takes on a greyish hue. That night we met up with some friends from Beau´s residency, Pete and Dawn. We partook of some Peruvian fare, including a cocktail with ice, which can prove to be a little dicey. Dawn, I hope you´re feeling OK today.
The next day we headed to Bolivia. Copacabana is a colorful, active town with lots of shops and restaurants near the water. We took a hike at sunset up the hill overlooking the city. At nearly 12,000 feet at the top, the air was thin, but the views amazing. This hill is a place of pilgrimage for many of the local people. It is where they come to pray for various things they need or want in life. Along with the altars are countless stands selling what looks to be junk, to be honest. They sell plastic cars, monopoly money, dolls, play houses, you name it. However, each of these things represents the thing that the person hopes to receive from their prayers. The sunset we were gifted with that evening made me feel connected to a little piece of those prayers. We splurged a little that night and stayed in a nicer hotel that looked over the water. When I say we splurged, I mean that we paid $17 dollars a night. In addition, we had a great dinner that inlcuded two entrees, a bottle of wine, and dessert for $20. Bolivia is definitely the place to come if you want inexpensive travels in South America. Of course with the cheap prices, comes an economy that survives on tourism. The difference between those who have and those who have not was painfully clear here. Juxtaposed with the amazing views and travel experiences, was a sense of a community that has created something that they hope we as foreigners want to see. The children especially have learned to spot the type of passport you have and say something clever in your language in the hopes that you will buy something from them. I think the people here get very little sleep as well. Early in the morning to late at night, they are out selling their goods. It has been interesting for us to go from being a part of a community in Arequipa where we know people personally, to being strictly a tourist who is seen for what we can spend versus what we can give.
This week is looking to be a busy one for us in the clinic. Beau and I both have classes scheduled with the community. I am going to try to visit the hospital with one of the girls I have been working with to observe the process that kids need to go through to get orthotics here. I would like to set up a fund strictly for the therapy needs of the children in Alto Cayma. This would incluce purchase of orthotics, walkers, hand splints, etc. However, I feel like I don´t fully understand the processes or the local resources that are available yet to make this sort of a fund successful. I´ll keep you all posted. Hope everyone is well! Thank you all for your blog responses. We love hearing from you! Here are some answers to questions we have gotten from previous entries. The condors are really big! They can have up to a 10 foot wing span. The color difference on the tops of their wings signifies if they are male or female, although I can´t remember which is which now. Also, we had headlamps with us to hike out of the canyon. However, we would stop for breaks and could turn the lamps off and see pretty well by the moon and stars. ¡Vimos muchas estrellas!
Se amamos,
Deedra and Beau
Monday, August 6, 2007
Weekend Travels - a grander canyon than the Grand Canyon
Our latest adventures took us high into the Andes where we saw some quaint villages, and later descended deep into a canyon deemed to be deeper than the Grand Canyon (by foot).
On Friday, Deedra and I departed for the small Andean village of Chivay which was more or less a stopping point on our way to see Peruvian condors in their natural habitat, and to see the magnificent Colca Canyon. Chivay was small and warm in nature but cold by temperature standards, and thus we took up the tour´s offer to visit the hot springs, a series of swimming pools filled by the water bubbling past the hot volcanic core deep below the Earth´s surface. After a two hour soak, we were relaxed and returned to the town for a nice 3 course dinner for $10 (all-inclusive).
Early Saturday we headed out to the Cruz De La Condor, or "Cross of the Condor" where a family of gorgeous condors live and fly over the deep Colca Canyon making use of the thermal winds while searching for their once living meals. We snapped a couple of great shots of the birds, and then met up with our guide, Remi, who took us on a two and a half hour descent to the canyon floor (roughly 3000 ft). Our legs were a bit wobbly at the end, but we were able to relax with a nice meal and plenty of water. We then made another 3 hour trek, traveling along the river´s direction towards a small spot named the Oasis. This trek made many ups and downs, and by the time we reached the Oasis, we were ready for some serious rest.
The Oasis also had some hot springs, though in this case they were really warm springs, as the water had to travel a decent distance to reach their pools, and cooled off in the process. We took a dip nonetheless, and then relaxed with a couple of beers on the grass by the pool. We met many other young travelers with varied interesting stories, had some dinner, relaxed by the fire, and rested until 2:30 am, when we made the trek back up the canyon. This took us approximately 2 and a half hours, and by the end I was convinced that Colca meant "your legs will fall off if you try to climb this canyon." We made it to our guides house just before sunrise and had some bread and coffee while watching their Guinea Pigs have their breakfast. Guinea Pigs in Peru, and other South American countries, are a delicacy and referred to as Cuy (pronounced quee) when they become part of your delicious dinner. We have yet, and are likely not going to, indulge in such delicacies.
We got on our return bus at 6:30 in the morning, and rode the 6 hours back to Arequipa, apologizing to our bodies as they chastized us the entire time. The buses here are like those in many other developing countries, crowded to the point of disbelief, and predictably came with some mandatory chickens as fellow riders. We made it home yesterday, and went to bed, thankful for all of the fantastic sights we had seen. Back to work today, but more travelling this weekend.
Having a great time, but miss you all,
-Beau & Deedra
On Friday, Deedra and I departed for the small Andean village of Chivay which was more or less a stopping point on our way to see Peruvian condors in their natural habitat, and to see the magnificent Colca Canyon. Chivay was small and warm in nature but cold by temperature standards, and thus we took up the tour´s offer to visit the hot springs, a series of swimming pools filled by the water bubbling past the hot volcanic core deep below the Earth´s surface. After a two hour soak, we were relaxed and returned to the town for a nice 3 course dinner for $10 (all-inclusive).
Early Saturday we headed out to the Cruz De La Condor, or "Cross of the Condor" where a family of gorgeous condors live and fly over the deep Colca Canyon making use of the thermal winds while searching for their once living meals. We snapped a couple of great shots of the birds, and then met up with our guide, Remi, who took us on a two and a half hour descent to the canyon floor (roughly 3000 ft). Our legs were a bit wobbly at the end, but we were able to relax with a nice meal and plenty of water. We then made another 3 hour trek, traveling along the river´s direction towards a small spot named the Oasis. This trek made many ups and downs, and by the time we reached the Oasis, we were ready for some serious rest.
The Oasis also had some hot springs, though in this case they were really warm springs, as the water had to travel a decent distance to reach their pools, and cooled off in the process. We took a dip nonetheless, and then relaxed with a couple of beers on the grass by the pool. We met many other young travelers with varied interesting stories, had some dinner, relaxed by the fire, and rested until 2:30 am, when we made the trek back up the canyon. This took us approximately 2 and a half hours, and by the end I was convinced that Colca meant "your legs will fall off if you try to climb this canyon." We made it to our guides house just before sunrise and had some bread and coffee while watching their Guinea Pigs have their breakfast. Guinea Pigs in Peru, and other South American countries, are a delicacy and referred to as Cuy (pronounced quee) when they become part of your delicious dinner. We have yet, and are likely not going to, indulge in such delicacies.
We got on our return bus at 6:30 in the morning, and rode the 6 hours back to Arequipa, apologizing to our bodies as they chastized us the entire time. The buses here are like those in many other developing countries, crowded to the point of disbelief, and predictably came with some mandatory chickens as fellow riders. We made it home yesterday, and went to bed, thankful for all of the fantastic sights we had seen. Back to work today, but more travelling this weekend.
Having a great time, but miss you all,
-Beau & Deedra
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