Dad says goodbye to Titi and caca.

We woke up early again this morning after a night of good rest. We were a little worried since we started our Malaria pills last night. Travel Nurse Sandy told us that a few of the side effects of the pills include vivid nightmares and hallucinations. So when we both woke up and dad asked about any dreams we were relived to find that we were A-ok. We had breakfast and caught our cab to the airport.


The airport is about an hour away from Puno, the main town closest to Lake Titicaca. Of course my seatbelt didnt work so that made for a fun ride. We made our way into Juliaca to find that it was pretty much the sketchiest town on earth. Some roads are paved, some are not...the usual. The only reason it was chosen for an airport is because Puno is completely boxed in by mountains and major coruption on the governments part. That being said...it is also the smallest airport I have ever seen. It claims 2 gates. And by 2 gates they mean 2 doors...one on the left and one on the right. We paid our exit tax ($3.35 each) and boarded our plane.








The streets of Juliaca (one of the better ones)




does this look legal to you?


the airport



dad boarding the plane



The flight was pretty uneventful except for our death defying take off in Juliaca which invilved the entire plane rattling like it was about to fall apart. We landed in Lima and walked across the street to the good ole´ Ramada. Dad saw his friend, Manuel who didnt even recognize him, now that he resembles Tom Selleck.




The streets of Lima


We checked in and grabbed a cab to the Plaza de Armas here in Lima which is about a half hour from our hotel. The same deal here...no brakes just horns all the way there. We took right turns from the fast lane, crossing 2 lanes (if there were lanes) at a time. As we neared the Plaza de Armas the streets were blocked so we got out and walked. The changing of the guard was happening at the Palacio del Gobierno, where the President lives. We waited for a while, watching the huge armored vehicles and guns that the guards had before taking off.





The armored cars stay there all day....





Palacio del Gobierno



We headed down to the Convento y Museo de San Francisco. It is a Franciscan monastary from the 17th century. There were like 80 billion pigeons outside in the courtyard so I was already jazzed. We began out English tour just in time. Our guide took us around the monastary and church which is still used today. Then he led us to the place we were all waiting for: The catacombs. The catacombs were first dug in 1546 for priests and elite before the cemetary was built. The guide told us that there are around 25,000 human remains still in the catacombs. There were bones everywhere, which had been separated by archeologists working in the site. It was pretty unreal. There were mostly femurs and skulls because after decomposition, these were what remained. We continued on the tour but nothing topped the catacombs. Of course no camaras were allowed...and Jeffrey is learning to follow the rules.









Convento y Museo de San Francisco. The catacombs are beneath the church.


From there we went to lunch. We walked across the plaza and went into a little cafe, R.H. Atlantic. It was hopping with locals and Dad saw a steak and pasta plate and was already salivating so we sat down. Dad got a salad with avocados and I got soup with vegetables and beef. the steak was good and after eating we enjoyed the view, since we were on Peru time anyway. Before leaving dad got a churro from a stand for US$0.15. We hailed a cab back to our hotel and now we are just relaxing.





The plaza.




check out that dog...click it to make it bigger. Hannibal Lecter much?



We leave for Iquitos tomorrow at 4:55 so we have yet another early morning ahead of us. We plan on walking to the airport tonight for a little MickeyD´s since God knows what they will serve us in the jungle. It´s gonna be wild!





Adios!

Dad.

Just sit right back and I'll tell you the tale....

FYI: More pictures will be up tomorrow bc the internet connection here is WAYYYYYY to slow. So just check out this entry later tomorrow to see more pictures.

Today began bright and early (does anyone else see a pattern here?) and we got ready to head out to Lake Titicaca. We met out taxi driver and headed toward the dock where are boat tour began. We boarded the boat and took our seats and as fate should have it some people sat right across the aisle from us. We looked over and who could it be?? Why it was Jared and Marcy, the fine folks we met on the train the day before. Jared was feeling much better today, and we were glad to have familiar faces on our tour.

on one of the Uros. Check out Jared and Marcy behind us!

a reed boat...

We headed out and our tour guide Julio started explaining a little bit about Lake Titicaca. The lake lies on the border between Peru and Bolivia with 60% of the lake in Peru and the rest in Bolivia. It is 283 meters at its deepest (928.5 feet for us Americanos). It's 165 km long and 60 km wide (102.5 mi by 37.2 mi). 5 rivers drain into it and it drains into 1 lake in Bolivia. With the increase in global warming, evaporation is becoming a bigger problem.

so is Jeffrey Maillo...I had to frisk him for matches before we left.

cooking utensils on Uros.

We were scheduled for a full day tour, so we began by visiting the Uros floating islands. These islands and made entirely of tortorra, which is a reed that grows in the lake. Not only do the inhabitants use it but it acts and a natural cleanser of the lake. We made our way to a little island where we got off our boat and got to walk around the island. It was crazy!! You cant wrap your mind around the fact that you are floating on an entire island made of reeds. We sat through a little demonstration about how the islands are made and maintained. During the demonstration teh guide invited us all to eat some of the reeds but warned that they might make us sick. Marcy, being the brave soul she is and willing to overlook the pain Jared was in yesterday, stepped up to the plate and took a honkin bite. We salute you Marcy, for having more cahones (balls) than we do.

some floating islands...

From there some of the inhabitants invited us to look inside their huts. We made our way into Francisca's hut where 7 people lived! The government recently outfitted some of the islands with solar power and now they can use radios and TVs. After that we explored the island some more, Dad went into the watchtower (aka a giant fish made out of reeds) and we browsed the local merchendise. Afterwards, we got to take a ride in a reed boat that the locals use. We found out that now they recycle plastic bottles by putting them inside the boat and then covering them with reeds.

Me and Francisca. There are 7 people who live in this house!

notice the solar panels outside the homes.

Dad taking pictures from up in the watchtower.

We made our way to another island and then had to get back on our boat to head toward Taquile island, on of the larger islands on the lake, of the nonfloating variety. It took us 2 hours to get there. We passed the time by hanging out in the back of the boat (outside , sucking on fumes) and chatting with Marcy and Jared. The smell reminded me of the old ford truck and camping. huzzah.

from our perch on top of the boat

We finally made our way to Taquile and began our climb to the top of the island. This is the one place where the altitude affected us. We made our way up the hill slowly but still panting (in my case) and headed toward the main plaza. The view was awesome. We took in the sights of the snowcapped mountains of Bolivia and browsed the islanders handicrafts. Dad almost had to throw a bucket of cold water on me to revive me after the hike. I thought i was gonna puke. But we made our way to lunch anyways, passing out candy along the way (the candyman reared his head in Titicaca as well). For lunch we had quinoa soup (a soup made of broth and little grains, the best soup ever.), dad had trout and jen had an omellette and coca tea. We learned about local customs on the island. You can tell every man's marital status by what hat they wear; there is no police presence on the island and the life expectancy is around 95 years old! Thats what hard work and coca can do for you, says the addict twitching in the corner.

Bolivia in the distance.

We then made our way down over 500 steps. We handed out all the candy would could, probably leading a pied piper like procession of kids down the hill with us (just kidding). It led us to the dock and the view was gorgeous. We boarded our boat and immediately PASSED OUT. the whole boat did in fact. I blame the sun. Even the candy man crapped out. We woke about an hour later and decided to get some air, so we went out back to suck on fumes again. We even went on top of the boat to get one last view of the Uros. We pulled back into the dock and decided to shop around a bit.

run while you can...from the candyman.

The steps and path we climbed down.

We shopped for a while and came home with our wallets significantly lighter and our packs MUCH heavier. We came back to the hotel and had dinner. Now we have to prepare ourselves for tomorrow. We have to leave our hotel early (the airport is about an hour away) and catch a plane to Lima. We'll stay in Lima tomorrow night and then head to Iquitos, where our Amazon adventure will begin.

Stay tuned readers...because when we're in the Amazon we wont be able to blog. But you dont have to worry about that yet. We still have a few days. Savor it.

Adios!

P.S. SHOUT OUT TO MARCY AND JARED!! What up guys! You're famous, you made our blog yet again (this time with names). Have a safe trip and if you're ever in California look us up, that is if you survive the natural disasters. and we should have taken a picture together!!!! And hopefully Marcy, you're not sick by now from eating that reed banana :)

ALLLL ABOARRRRRRD....NEXT STOP LAKE TITICACA

Today we said goodbye to Cusco and the Sacred Valley and traveled south. By train. We woke up bright and early (5:20!) after a night of oxygen enriched sleep for me and a complete lack of sleep for dad. He wasnt hindered by this however. We went down and enjoyed our delicious breakfast at Monastario and then headed off to the train station.

Our train car...the british a hole can be found in the bottom left hand corner

Fun story. Flashback: We had tickets reserved for the train to Puno but all we had was a voucher to exchange for the hard tickets. We arrived in Cusco after the train station closed so I assumed our only option was to check in the morning of our train. When I called the concierge at Monastario later that night to schedule our taxi I found out there was a lady in the hotel who could have printed our tickets but she had already left. It just figures.

Adobe bricks drying in the sun

So now we found ourselves waiting at the Cusco train terminal an hour before our train. We met this great little baggage handler guy, Julius. He told me all aout how he has worked with tourists since he was a boy and he loves them. We talked soccer and Peru and overall he was pretty awesome. He checked our bags and we made our way to the main office to exchange our voucher. We waited in the waiting room to change our ticket but there was only 1 guy working (on peru time of course). I was sweating bullets because Julius had already ut our bags on our train! But luckily a worker realized our train was leaving soon and let us buck the line.

waving as the train passes

We boarded the train only to find out that our seats were across the aisle from each other!!! Luckily there was a young couple in the same situation with us and we finally worked something out. We took off and started our 10 hour journey to Puno. We had our own table with 2 nice chairs facing each other, I rode backwards so dad could get the good shots (or hurl his guts across the train).

working in the fields

It was kind of exciting riding in a train. It felt like an old movie or something, like Alfred Hitchcock minus the killings or mysteries. We each were given a free Pisco sour and we drank them with delight. They came around to take our order for lunch and afternoon tea. Dad asked if he they offered alcohol instead of tea…classic.

Chicha for sale...see the red bag?

taking the sheep for a walk

The landscape was pretty bare. There wasn’t much of anything to look at. We made our way back to the caboose where they had an open air car that was pretty cool. We stopped at a little trading post but didn’t find anything to buy. They mobbed everyone on the train but dad managed to pass a candy to a kid below through the train window. We took off again whizzing through the countryside. We past herds of Alpaca and took some pictures along the way.

stopped at the trading post...notice the glacier.

herds of alpaca

which way are we going?? you tell me...

check out those clouds!

We had lunch (For starters I had pumpkin soup and dad had a veggie "sushi", for our entree we had roast beef with mashed potatoes and rice pudding for dessert). Every time the waiters would parade out with our food and place it on our tables at the same time. There were musicians walking through th eaisles every so often playing Peruvian folk music. After lunch I took a nap and Dad stared out the window and took some pictures. I read my kindle and just passed the time. There are a group of weiners on the train and dad came this close to throwing them out the window. They're british know it alls...and of course they are also at our hotel. The guy we met when we boarded the train(the couple we changed seats with) got sick so we being the good samaritans we are gave him some of our caca agua pills and some pepto. He slept the whole 10 hours! We finally pulled into the Puno station and got our bags.

mmmm....beef.

laundry day.

We are staying at the Sonesta Posada del Inka right on the shores of Lake Titicaca. We were walking around the hotel and passed the restaurant when who should we see? but the couple we met in Ollantaytambo and then saw again yesterday in Cusco. They are staying at our hotel too. Small world...since Peru is 3 times the size of California. Tomorrow we will go out on a tour of the floating reed islands and check out the lake. It should be pretty exciting but it is our first group tour. And we all know that dad dosnt play well with others. He says he is gonna take up smoking for the day….just to make everyone nervous on the floating reed islands. But that’s probably already the case with him :) We will be here until Wednesday and then we leave for Lima and then...the Amazon.

Adios!

"How much is that llama in the window?"-Dad

We would just like to remind everyone that you can double click the pictures to make them bigger :)

Pictures from yesterday:


The (now) 3 day old Pony at Sol y Luna


Women working in the fields shucking corn


These are actually Inka tombs. The holes were made by grave robbers stealing the gold and silver. Located at the Pisac Ruins


Our guide Ruben. Check out those stairs!! at the Pisac Ruins


Ruben lives on the edge.

Well....we have just returned from a full day of shopping!! My favorite kind of day!

After updating this morning we headed out to the Pisac market. It was amazing and so huge (thats what she said-Dad). It has everything you could ever want in Peru. We spent the first hour just getting our bearings in the place. Every corner you turned revealed more and more stalls, filled with textiles, ceramics and little knick knacks. This was a place to browse for souveneirs that you may or may not be able to find in Cusco and haggle with the merchants. Its a place to rub elbows with the locals who often travel for miles to buy and sell at the merchendise. It´s filled with sound and color. Everywhere merchants are yelling to sell their merchendise while the smells of the city and Peru waft through the air. Its easy to get lost just watching and admiring the sights around you...things you would never dream of in the states.


Dyes at the Pisac Market.


Dad's beloved Coca...at the Pisac Market. But dad wants to what is in the plastic jugs. Thanfully I was able to wrestle him away.

After browsing through souveneirs we headed to the part we were most excited for...the food. After looking around the market, sampling some of the local orange juice and giving away a good ration of our candy we decided it was time to get down to business. We asked the security guard where we could try some cuy, or guinea pig. Guinea pig is a specialty here in Peru. It is eaten on special occasions. In fact on a childs first birthday it is customary for everyone to eat a smiling guinea pig.


Just your typical Sunday brunch in Pisac.
("Should we go to the Doughnut Wheel?")

She showed us down an alley leading off from the market where they quickly sat us down in an open air cafe. In front of us lay the huge oven, a wood burning one, like they use to make pizzas. We ordered our cuy and waited anxiously for them to bring it to the table. All the other patrons stared and waited with us, anxious to see the crazy americans who would eat such a thing. The master chef asked us if we wanted the cuy cut up or served whole. We chose the later. After pulling the cuy out of the oven on his 12 foot stick the chef crought our lunch to the table. The plate was filled heaping with potatos and right on top...a whole cuy, head and all (and a few chompers hangin in there as well). After pondering for several how best to devour this beast we asked a kid to help us out. He cut it down and we began searching for meat. The thing about guinea pigs is that there isnt much meat to them. As we took our first bites, we realized it wasnt as bad as you would think. It´s actually pretty good....if only you could find enough meat to fill yourself up on. After making a royal mess of the thing (and being mocked by a grandma type lady next to us) we decided to head out.


The anticipation is the worst part...






Cuy and potatoes...a staple of every Peruvian diet. Check out the teeth.

We went back to the hotel and retrieved our bags and headed out with our cab driver over the hills and back to Cusco. He floored it the whole way. He was doing about 50 mph on switchback turns...the guy was loco. We flew past the sacred valley and said goodbye. We pulled into Cusco and checked in at our hotel for the night, the Hotel Monastario. This is another Orient Express hotel. It's actually an old monastary from the 1500s that has been converted into a hotel. It still has the chapel that was used for mass. Lucky us, we were upgraded into a Junior Suite. HOLLA! Our room has oxygen pumped directly into it to help combat altitude sickness. And we have a view of the back of the Cathedral. It's gorgeous. Its a two story room and...wait for it...the TV pops out of a box at the foot of our bed! Whoa man!!!! Its sweet.


Our "sitting area" in our room


The only cedar tree in Cusco...in the courtyard of our hotel


The chapel at our hotel

We stopped at the pharmacy to get some more immodium (yikes! I had a scare this morning). We spent the rest of the day shopping for souveniers. As we were walking down Calle del Sol we ran across a couple who we had met in Ollantaytambo. They, concidentally, will be heading to Lake Titicaca tomorrow as well. After that, we found a burger place in the Plaza del Armas called Bembos which appears to be a Peruvian fast food chain. We grabbed burgers, fries and cokes and prayed that it would taste like home. It didnt. But we enjoyed it anyways (It was like 70%-Dad). We spent the rest of the night running around the city shopping and are now back to the hotel to rest.




La Compania De Jesus...dad just cant get enough

Tomorrow we leave for Lake Titicaca, which is located at 12,500 ft. The lake is shared between Peru and Bolivia. We are both very excited. We will be taking a 10 hour train ride on the Andean Explorer. Unfortunately I forgot my hanky and will not be able to wave goodbye to my many admirers who will be waiting on the platform. We did, however, buy erotic pottery playing cards to help pass the time. Well its off to our oxygen enriched beds for us!



Me singing the carpenters in the Market...
Dont you remember you told me you loved me baby...
with dad playing snare drum...



Adios!

Mini Inka Trail....yikes

Hey Yall...Just a quick update today...and no pictures because there´s no time! The internet was down at our hotel last night so we just jumped on :(

Well yesterday we left Sol Y Luna (dragging our feet on the way). That place was so beautiful and we even went to visit the baby pony. I think Dad wanted to say goodbye.

We took off with Edwi our cab driver and began our journey toward Pisac. It took us through the Sacred Valley again, along the river (the Urumbamba or in Quechwa the Wilkamayu). Edwi spoke only Spanish but still managed to point out some things along the way. It´s a totally different environment from anything I have ever seen: Cows in the middle of the road, running free, ladies sitting in the fields shucking HUGE ears of corn and kids playing everywhere. Houses also have these long poles (like cane poles) out front with a red plastic bag tied on. This means that the house has Chicha (an Inkan corn beer that is supposed to knock you on your ass) inside. It´s an invitation to come inside and buy some from them. We havent yet becasue dad is still under the weather (un poco mal).

We arrived in Pisac and checked into our hotel, The Royal Inka Pisac. Its a dumpy little place but supposed to be the best in Pisac. uh huh. We went up to the ruins nearby and were given a tour by Ruben, a guide we found right outside. He was Buddhist and totally into the spiritual side so he was pretty cool. We paid $10 for a tour and that included his flute he played along the way.

We came back to the hotel and toook a dip in the indoor pool (which was freezing) and had dinner. We spent the rest of the night relaxing ad watching the 1 english channel we got (we only got 4 channels as it was).

So now we are off the the famous Pisac market to shop and take in the local wares. People come from villages all the way to Pisac in order to sell their goods. But we are most excited about trying Cuy (or guinea pig). Wish us luck!

Adios!

Look for an update later tonight when we have more time!

p.s. check out the hits on the site! It can be found on the right hand side below the post archive! We´re almost at 500!! Keep it up people! We wanna hit a thousand! Thanks again for reading and all of your comments. Its so awesome to hear from you...it makes us feel like home, but not as much as a tacos morenos would :)