Now, for the highlight of my time in Peru: the Andes Mountains. My friend Anna and I were talking about both wanting to go the Andes over our one-week break...and talking turned into a real trip...
Ana, Rick (her partner) and I went with Nilo (a good friend of Arturo) our fearless, expert guide for the Santa Cruz trek. This four day, three night trek took us up over a pass of 4,750 meters or 15,583 feet. It was an incredible trek, filled with incredible sights.
To begin our trip, we took on overnight bus to Huaraz, the main tourist destination to begin all outdoor activities in the Andes. We took a bus-cama (meaning bus-bed) for about $25 which is like first class in an airplane. The seats recline all the way back, we get a cozy fleece blanket, and food and beverage service. Needless to say, I actually slept pretty well.
We rested for a day in Huaraz to acclimatize to the 3,100 meters (about 10,000 feet) which included lots of sleeping, resting, reading, getting a massage, and eating - as well as meeting Nilo for some last minute needs such as water-purifying tablets, snickers and other snacks and a rain poncho (we had rain ponchos personally made for us for about $12). Our second day, we went for a 3-hour walk with Nilo. We realized how beautiful our trek was going to be as the Cordillera Blanca (the White Mountain Range) gave us snow-capped mountains galore. Just a tidbit of information: there are 36 peaks over 6,000 meters (almost 20,000 feet). Incredible, right? Before the hike, Nilo told us it was to acclimatize us for our trek, but since he later told us we "passed the test" I know it was also to make sure that we seemed capable for the trek. As a celebration, we went to a beautiful garden restaurant, hidden away, and had delicious trucha (river trout). Then, it was back to the hostel to rest and pack for the next day...
Day 1:
We had to take a 3 hour bus ride to get to the trail head. Nilo called it a "freaky ride" before we started, but after we safely arrived he renamed it el viaje de terror...and it was. It was up and up and around dangerous
curve after curve. I actually sat for most of the trip with my eyes covered and sweat dripping down my face. However, after arriving, all was well. We met our donkey driver and were on our way. We began our trip in the Cordillera Negra (Black Mountain Range) with the sun shining in beautiful clear sky, wearing t-shirts. We passed through a couple of tiny villages and, for a while, had a group of kids following us. They got a special treat as a bizarre event happened: Rick's hiking boots broke. The sole came apart 
from the boot. They are Scarpa boots, an excellent brand and Nilo just kept repeating "I have never seen this before....in 15 years I have never seen this." But, Rick was relaxed and we took some string and tied the boots together and went on. A few hours later, one of the soles came completed apart from the boot. Luckily, it was a fairly easy walking day and Rick used his Crocs that he had brought along to wear at the campsite. That's when I knew I had 
chosen good trekking partners: Rick continued hiking in the Andes mountains at about 3,500 meters in Crocs...still smiling and in a good mood. So, we continued walking, talking, snacking and sharing in the glorious surroundings - and glorious they were - and ended our day with a delicious warm meal, coca-leaf tea, a sky filled stars, so clear we could see the Milky Way and think we saw Venus and Mars.
Day 2:
This was the hardest day of the trek. We knew this in advance and were all a bit nervous. I hadn't reacted very well to going up to 4,300 meters while trekking to Machu Picchu in 2006 and was most nervous about the high altitude. However, this is where
having previous experience and a good guide comes in (plus my oh so satisfying snickers). From my previous experience, I knew that I would feel worse the higher we went, but that when we went back down I would feel better. So, although I felt like my head my explode, I wasn't freaking out. Nilo by my side, reminding me to rest and take breaks, was also a big help. So, instead of wheezing the way I did before at over 4,000 meters, I actually was just breathing really hard. Actually, I am really proud of all of us: slowly but surely we climbed to the top. (I must mention that about 5 hours into our 9 hour day, Rick's boots completely broke with no hope of repair - and he hiked to 4,750 meters, 15,583 feet, in Crocs!!) As we crossed the pass and saw an incredible mountain peak, glacier and glacier lake, we were all a bit overcome with emotion. Lots of hugs were exchanged and some tears fell....nature is just so amazing.
Days 3 & 4:
With frost on our tents, we began our day with yet another delicious, full meal cooked by Nilo. From this point on, it was mostly either downhill or flat. The
landscape continued to change, 
although the snow-peaked caps never really disappeared. We passed patches of incredible greenery, beautiful glacial lakes, enormous rocks and fascinating cacti, flowers and orange mold. As Anna is a geography teacher, we also talked about how and why land forms the way it does and, repeatedly, about the wonders of tectonic plates and water...which are really what formed the beautiful mountains we were looking at.
We ended the trip the same way we started: a beautiful, clear, sunny day. But, we were changed. As cheesy as this sound, it is true: the incredible Andes had burned themselves into our memory forever.
Our "victory dinner" our first night back in Huaraz was delicious Thai food, followed by a sound night of sleep (it does feel good to get out of the tent and into a warm shower and comfortable bed). Early the next day, Arturo arrived. We had a lovely breakfast, followed by a day of not doing very much at all. It was perfect! Anna, Rick, Arturo and I had dinner together and then Anna and Rick were on their way back to Lima.
We had one more day before I left. We did a bit of rock climbing in the morning and then took the bus to visit Mancos, the town Nilo is from...and also the town where Arturo owns some property. The property is beautiful, so lush and green, and perfectly situated: to one side are the snow-capped mountains in the Cordillera Blanca and to the other side is the lush green farm-filled lands of the Cordillera Negra.
The next morning, I got on the bus and came back to the reality of Lima, a.k.a. work.
All in all, it was an experience I will never forget.
Next big trip: the Amazon in July!
p.s. If you want to see all of the photos, go to: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=9od46cm.9emqrblu&x=0&y=-z8vocm&localeid=en_US
Ana, Rick (her partner) and I went with Nilo (a good friend of Arturo) our fearless, expert guide for the Santa Cruz trek. This four day, three night trek took us up over a pass of 4,750 meters or 15,583 feet. It was an incredible trek, filled with incredible sights.To begin our trip, we took on overnight bus to Huaraz, the main tourist destination to begin all outdoor activities in the Andes. We took a bus-cama (meaning bus-bed) for about $25 which is like first class in an airplane. The seats recline all the way back, we get a cozy fleece blanket, and food and beverage service. Needless to say, I actually slept pretty well.
We rested for a day in Huaraz to acclimatize to the 3,100 meters (about 10,000 feet) which included lots of sleeping, resting, reading, getting a massage, and eating - as well as meeting Nilo for some last minute needs such as water-purifying tablets, snickers and other snacks and a rain poncho (we had rain ponchos personally made for us for about $12). Our second day, we went for a 3-hour walk with Nilo. We realized how beautiful our trek was going to be as the Cordillera Blanca (the White Mountain Range) gave us snow-capped mountains galore. Just a tidbit of information: there are 36 peaks over 6,000 meters (almost 20,000 feet). Incredible, right? Before the hike, Nilo told us it was to acclimatize us for our trek, but since he later told us we "passed the test" I know it was also to make sure that we seemed capable for the trek. As a celebration, we went to a beautiful garden restaurant, hidden away, and had delicious trucha (river trout). Then, it was back to the hostel to rest and pack for the next day...Day 1:
We had to take a 3 hour bus ride to get to the trail head. Nilo called it a "freaky ride" before we started, but after we safely arrived he renamed it el viaje de terror...and it was. It was up and up and around dangerous
curve after curve. I actually sat for most of the trip with my eyes covered and sweat dripping down my face. However, after arriving, all was well. We met our donkey driver and were on our way. We began our trip in the Cordillera Negra (Black Mountain Range) with the sun shining in beautiful clear sky, wearing t-shirts. We passed through a couple of tiny villages and, for a while, had a group of kids following us. They got a special treat as a bizarre event happened: Rick's hiking boots broke. The sole came apart 
from the boot. They are Scarpa boots, an excellent brand and Nilo just kept repeating "I have never seen this before....in 15 years I have never seen this." But, Rick was relaxed and we took some string and tied the boots together and went on. A few hours later, one of the soles came completed apart from the boot. Luckily, it was a fairly easy walking day and Rick used his Crocs that he had brought along to wear at the campsite. That's when I knew I had 
chosen good trekking partners: Rick continued hiking in the Andes mountains at about 3,500 meters in Crocs...still smiling and in a good mood. So, we continued walking, talking, snacking and sharing in the glorious surroundings - and glorious they were - and ended our day with a delicious warm meal, coca-leaf tea, a sky filled stars, so clear we could see the Milky Way and think we saw Venus and Mars.Day 2:
This was the hardest day of the trek. We knew this in advance and were all a bit nervous. I hadn't reacted very well to going up to 4,300 meters while trekking to Machu Picchu in 2006 and was most nervous about the high altitude. However, this is where
having previous experience and a good guide comes in (plus my oh so satisfying snickers). From my previous experience, I knew that I would feel worse the higher we went, but that when we went back down I would feel better. So, although I felt like my head my explode, I wasn't freaking out. Nilo by my side, reminding me to rest and take breaks, was also a big help. So, instead of wheezing the way I did before at over 4,000 meters, I actually was just breathing really hard. Actually, I am really proud of all of us: slowly but surely we climbed to the top. (I must mention that about 5 hours into our 9 hour day, Rick's boots completely broke with no hope of repair - and he hiked to 4,750 meters, 15,583 feet, in Crocs!!) As we crossed the pass and saw an incredible mountain peak, glacier and glacier lake, we were all a bit overcome with emotion. Lots of hugs were exchanged and some tears fell....nature is just so amazing.Days 3 & 4:
With frost on our tents, we began our day with yet another delicious, full meal cooked by Nilo. From this point on, it was mostly either downhill or flat. The
landscape continued to change, 
although the snow-peaked caps never really disappeared. We passed patches of incredible greenery, beautiful glacial lakes, enormous rocks and fascinating cacti, flowers and orange mold. As Anna is a geography teacher, we also talked about how and why land forms the way it does and, repeatedly, about the wonders of tectonic plates and water...which are really what formed the beautiful mountains we were looking at.We ended the trip the same way we started: a beautiful, clear, sunny day. But, we were changed. As cheesy as this sound, it is true: the incredible Andes had burned themselves into our memory forever.
Our "victory dinner" our first night back in Huaraz was delicious Thai food, followed by a sound night of sleep (it does feel good to get out of the tent and into a warm shower and comfortable bed). Early the next day, Arturo arrived. We had a lovely breakfast, followed by a day of not doing very much at all. It was perfect! Anna, Rick, Arturo and I had dinner together and then Anna and Rick were on their way back to Lima.
We had one more day before I left. We did a bit of rock climbing in the morning and then took the bus to visit Mancos, the town Nilo is from...and also the town where Arturo owns some property. The property is beautiful, so lush and green, and perfectly situated: to one side are the snow-capped mountains in the Cordillera Blanca and to the other side is the lush green farm-filled lands of the Cordillera Negra.The next morning, I got on the bus and came back to the reality of Lima, a.k.a. work.
All in all, it was an experience I will never forget.
Next big trip: the Amazon in July!
p.s. If you want to see all of the photos, go to: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=9od46cm.9emqrblu&x=0&y=-z8vocm&localeid=en_US
1 comment:
my jaw is on the ground, and next the Amazon-you lucky girl! What's up with that picture of the guy passed out/sleeping or...
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