Bolivia Border Run!

Shopping in La Paz- I didn't buy this hat, but I should have!

Traditional Bolivian skirt!  Playing dress up in the hostel in La Paz

La Paz

Baby Lllama fetuses in the witches market in La Paz
... there is some sort of superstition involving these.  Pure witchcraft I think.




The Witches Market (Mercato de la Bruja) in La Paz

 

  From La Paz we took the bus to Copacabana, on Lake Titicaca.

our cisne (swan) paddle boat ride!

Lovin it! ( I let Selena drive!)



Lake Titicaca, Bolivia



Probably the most upscale place I have stayed since the annual meeting in Bar Harbor- the roof still leaked!

Our luxury suite in Copacabana

Heading out for the Isla del Sol on a rainy Monday!

Taking refuge from the rain on Isla Del Sol

Isla del Sol

Thanksgiving Cuzco

    So now that all the holidays have passed, I have some time to get caught up on updating the blog.  So here's what Thanksgiving in Cuzco was like.  In case you didn't know, Peruvians do not celebrate the arrival of the Pilgrims to the United States.  It was difficult to explain to my students what Thanksgiving is... so I pretty much just told them we eat a lot of turkey and pumpkin pie to celebrate when some white people came to our country. 
     Unlike last year in Costa Rica, where I had a dinner alone on Thanksgiving, we had a big ex-pat Thanksgiving party.  I made an apple pie and a sweet potato and squash casserole.  I found out that our oven doesn't work very well... it took about 4 hours for my apple pie to be completely cooked!  Oh well.... it was still delicious! 

Teachers enjoying the spread.  From left- Justin, Nick, Alexis, Becca

It feels like Thanksgiving when theres children around!  One of the teacher's girlfriend's children came.  And yes, the beer can was later spilled by the baby.

No leftovers!

The Whole Crew!

Rock climbing Cuzco!

Elias climbing

the view

Amy

My first rappel

     Rock Climbing!  So one day my roomate Amy, who recently started working part time at a nearby hostel, asked me if I would like to go rockclimbing with her and a guide she knows from work.  Of course I immediately said yes.... and it was free!  So we headed out on a beautiful Sunday morning with Alex, the guide, Cameron (a teacher) and her mother, and a few extra Peruvians.

      We took a taxi up to a spot called "La Garganta del Diablo" (translation: The Devil's Throat) behind some of the ancient ruins on the hills outside Cuzco.  There we go suited up, and up we went!  So I got my first taste of REAL rock climbing, and loved it.  Fortunately, Alex asked me to go climbing again with him and Elias, another Peruvian who had come along with us that day.  So the following day we hiked up the hill again, and did some bouldering at the "Monkey Temple."  Now I'm hooked.
  

As we were leaving to depart for a climbing adventure, we stumbled upon some sort of event in the plaza.  This is pretty typical for a Sunday in Cuzco, but this is the first time I had seen the Chewbaca-looking costumes.



The Police dogs were out in full force in the park where we waited

Walking back down to Cuzco in the rain

This is the Puma shaped rocked where we climbed at the Monkey temple

Salkantay Trek!

       I signed up for the 5 day Salkantay trek, as a few friends had recommended it.  Another girl staying in my hostel, Flavia from the South of Brasil, also signed up with me.  We had our briefing with our guide, Victor, around 8 PM the night before we headed out. 
      The van picked us up around 5 AM.  There were 7 others in our group, in addition to Flavia and I.  We drove to Mollepata, where we all introduced ourselves and had breakfast before beginning our walk.  We also organized our backpacks- everyone could give around 5 kilograms for the horses to carry until Santa Teresa.  So in the group, in addition to Flavia and I, are Javier from the Canary Islands of Spain, Kathryn and Teresa from Ireland, Isabel from Holland, Roberto from Northern Brasil, and Marie and Ameline from France (mother and daughter).  I rented trekking poles and a sleeping bag in Cuzco, but otherwise I was quite prepared with what I had brought from the States for my trek.  Below shows the route we took.

      

Day 1- hiked about 4 hours in the morning to where we had lunch, then another 4  in the afternoon to our campsite

A stopping point along the way

I believe her name was Maria Inez, at the ¨village¨ we stopped at



Sisterly love!

I shared some cookies with the girls!

Cow for Katherine!

    The first day we walked from Mollepata to our covered campsite in Soraypampa.  When we began our walk, it was hot and sunny.  We went through a short spell of rain, and by the time we reached Soraypampa I had on my hat and scarf and warm jacket.  As we were about to arrive, after about 9 hours of walking total, we came upon a sort of 5 star hotel amidst the vast landscape.  Some folks were being served Pisco Sours as they lounged in the hot tub.  I thought - "Okay, when my parents make it to Peru, I think they could handle that place.  Then we continued on to our campsite, arriving just before dark.  Only one person on the trek, Roberto, had a little trouble with altitude sickness.  Along with our guide, a cook and a ¨horse man¨came along with us.  The food was incredible, considering everything was carried on the horses and cooked over a fire.  Everyone in the group spoke English, and most Spanish as well, so we all got along quite well.

View of a very isolated home along our path

The "resort" mirage just before our camping site

The hot tub

 

Almost to camp, its getting chilly!

Approaching camp

Awaiting our first dinner together. Left too right is Isabel, Flavia (in red), Victor our guide, and Roberto with troll

                     

The horses that carried our tents and food, waiting in the snow


Our first night camping our tents were set up under a covering, as this was the coldest area we would be in.  It poured throughout the night, and most of us woke up at some poinit in the night wet, as it rained so hard that water leaked into our tents.  The next morning we also realized it has snowed in the night, and everything was blanketed in white.  It was a beautiful morning, though morale was a little low after a cold, wet night, and several people also had much of there belongings soaked in the night as well.  The second day was the hardest, as we had to to hike up for a few hours to get to the highest point in our trek. 

Left to right- me, Flavia (Brazil) Javier (Canary Islands) Marie, Ameline (France), Isabel (Holland), and Teresa (Ireland)

Heading out, day 2- I was feeling right at home with the snow!

I couldn't help myself!  Snow angels in the Andes!

Guides Victor and Antonio

Not quite like headstands on the beach!

Troll's first snowfall!

At the highest point on our trek

The Whole Group!  This is day 2, but after the toughest climb.

Cheaters!  They took horses up...

Flavia.... enjoying a little rest

Then came the rain

All in one day... wake up in the snow, end up in the cloud rain forest

Are second campsite-- luckily much drier than the first

Day 3- walking through the jungle... warmer climate AND more mosquitoes


Overall, I was SO glad I did the trek, despite some rainy weather on our hike up to Macchu Picchu, and a couple of whiners within the group.  I have kept in touch with just about everyone from the trek via Facebook, and hope to visit me friends in Brazil in the next couple of years!  The whole experience was amazing, and never have I walked so much in my life!