Ausangate Circuito

March 18-22

The Ausangate Circuit trail presented some of the most beautiful, challenging and wondrous landscapes I have ever experienced. The lack of a trail marking (eg: blaze), guide, and a detailed map made the trail difficult to follow, but presented a great opportunity to practice my alpine zone orientation skills. Most of the time I was asking myself if the trail I was hiking was the trail, or an alpaca path. The great thing, was that it did not really matter. I had plenty of food, and the mountains were awesome from an alpaca path or the actual trail. The high passes were stunning and headache inducing, but the coca-leaf remedy was adequate in its purposes. The sky hailed three times, but the new Marmot tent kept me warm and dry. Off to Arequipa and the Colca Canyon...

Machu Picchu

March 9, 2012


Machu Picchu reminded me of Peter Pan. As a child Peter Pan was all that I wanted: A fictional place called Never-Never Land, lost boys, sleeping in trees, food fights, flying, crowing, fairies and fighting pirates (I guess the whole orphan part of it never really hit me that hard). Machu Picchu hit me the same way, except it is real! At least I think it is. The clouds hung around all day, which gave the whole site the ¨"mystical experience" that Peru Rail was effectively selling. The jungle reminded me of the movie Jumanji, taking over everything at a farcical rate of speed. Unfortunately they do not hand out machetes at the gate.

The day began with a 5:00 AM wake up call with Catie and Andrea (shout out). A winding drive over the Urabamba River and up through the clouds brought us to my Never-Never Land. Huaynu Picchu was up first, this mountain is commonly recognized as the impossibly steep mountain in the background of all Machu Picchu pictures. The mountain was a holy mountain to the Inca, and had a ceremonial purpose. I found it holy in its own way- "holy shit, this is incredible."  We hiked down to Temple of the Moon, and the Gran Caverna; the cloud forest was intriguing and teeming with life at every angle.

After a hardy lunch of avocado, rolls, tuna, bananas and peach juice; it was time to tackle Machu Picchu. Thanks to my dad, I was carrying the archaeological field guide to the entire site. We went ruin to ruin, all-the-while reading aloud and ever-constantly being amazed by the architects and stone masons of the Inca. I particularly found the fountains and the temple of the sun complex stunning. I constantly lost myself in one room or building, only then to look up over the valley and remember where I was. A rainbow appeared toward the end of the day. Andrea and I took the trail back down to Machu Picchu Pueblo, it was a great day. Over twelve hours in total, but not a hint of fatigue. I´ll throw up some of Andrea´s pictures when I get the chance.

Lima -Cusco

03·07·2012

To start off a two month trip overseas, there is nothing like hearing the words, "we can´t let you fly"...Somehow I made it out of New Jersey alive. I missed my first flight but after some finagling with the airline, I was able to board a plane leaving the U.S. Apparently you need proof of exiting the country, before you go to Peru. The local buses don´t sell tickets online, so this was difficult.

Barranco, Lima
I spent three sun-bleached days in Barranco, Lima. I could see the Pacific from the window in my bunk-room (and from the shower). I made friends with the local artisans selling handmade jewelry,  and marvelled at my fellow travelers´ endurance for casinos and new tattoos. The sunsets over the Pacific were great. I talked a good deal with Vincent, a man from Maine who has been living in a rural Andean village for the past 12 years. The architecture here is heavily influenced by the Spanish; balconies and courtyards abounding.

Lima-Cusco
I fell asleep watching the sunset over the Pacific. Dramatic cliffs, abandoned beaches and arid desert dominated the landscape. I was cruising on the second deck (front row) of my bus from Lima to Cusco. I  rarely enjoy 24-hour long bus rides, but Peru kept me fascinated. The road wound itself into a tangle as it clamoured over and through the Peruvian Andes. "A puncture" as the British lady called it, kept us off the road for an hour or so; but no major hiccups. There were many boulders that had found a home in the middle of the road, but the bus driver rightfully gained my confidence.

San Blas, Cusco
Of the many wondrous nuances in Cusco, I am intrigued by living at 10,000 feet, the narrowness of the sidewalks, and how a shoe-shiner can offer to shine my flip-flops. I love being in cities designed for the foot traffic, not the car. For my week here I am living with Jimmy and dos niños: Irvin and Jose. We play fusebol, eat meals together and watch the Champions League (tough one Arsenal). I enrolled in a Spanish School for one week; my head hurts afterwards but it´s for the best. On Sunday I took a walk north of the city to the Inca ruins to Saqsaywaman, Qénqo, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay. The ruins were astounding and I´m excited to see more!

Tomorrow morning I will begin the next leg of my journey, and barring no landslides, I´ll be looking up at Machu Picchu Mountain by mid-afternoon. I am meeting up with two new friends, Catie and Andrea, and I hope they´ll take pictures for me at Machu Picchu. I forgot my camera, and it is currently lost somewhere in the mail.

"Aqui no hay mas complices que tu y yo; tu por opresor, y yo por liberator, merecemos la muerte"
- Tupaq Amaru II