On-the-Road Tales

Classes a la manana, review but i need it since my summer class seems so far away. In the afternoon I hiked up a valley, past a waterfall and up a switchback. This valley is only 8000 feet so better to acclimate but exertion still causes huffing and puffing. I saw some walls near the top and though I had come upon some old village when i realized…I had actually just hiked to the road! Disappointing accomplishment but the views were worth it. Quick run into town and then we watch the movie Babel. Culturally appropriate for our imersion in another land…

Up and to the Airport again. Last time sitting in the middle of the back worrying about people smashing in windows to steal backpacks. The flight to Cusco was amazing. Flying over the rugged Andes you would see these teeny villages perched atop the summit seemingly impossible to access and the land terraced so steeply. It was like a sea of emerald peaks but smooth, hardly any trees unlike the Alps. I gained a new appreciation for why it take one hour to fly form Lima to Cusco but 25 hours by bus! I was met and brought to the school to wait for transport. I met students who were staying in the flats there form all over but primarily US and Holland. I popped some altitude pills and ingested copious amounts of coca tea to avoid the effects of Cusco at 10000+ feet.

Our transport for the 18 people going to the Sacred Valley was a local bus ticket – no luxury minivan for us. We piled out backpacks along with out weeks supply of toilet paper, rice, meat (yeah I asked but was told oh dont worry its frozen it will be fine). We filled the seats and then people came on to stand in the aisles and a little ways down the road more people piled on and it continued for the next hour. We piled off in the nearest metropolis, Pisac. There was one taxi so he made numerous trips to get us down the dirt road, The house is well…adequate…it has a roof, plenty of room and occasionally enough water to flush the toilets. Sans paper of course, the sewer system here does not handle that at all. Nice though. The first evening we walked the 20 minutes into town and ate. There were a million and one star on the return caminar home, breathtaking. possible more than i have ever seen….

So, one day you are reading an article on mysterious lines and zoomorphics found in the Peruvian desert discovered by overflying airline pilots, another day you are in you very own cessan caravan doing 60 degree banks left to right ... [Continue reading this entry]

So I arrived, no credit card, a robbery? Thievery right off the plane? one wuld think so from the horrid city crime reviews but more likely erin was not checked out yet on her waterproof, anti theive resistanct multiflapped wallet ... [Continue reading this entry]

And there I am at 6 hours before my flight leaves and I still have to transport myself over to MIA airport 130 miles away...printing out address label etc. Always have worked better under a deadline looming. With ... [Continue reading this entry]

Made it down 95 without incident. My super friend doug gave me an incredibly cool gps which i played with all the way down to find rests stops, autostores, cracker barrels. I knew I was bragging too much and ... [Continue reading this entry]

Well...New years came and went and got in the way of getting booking and tickets and visas all squared away so it was a mad dash in the end as usual. Jan 4 was my last day in DC ... [Continue reading this entry]

OK I guess I should have done more research when Robin mentioned to me a few months back that I should keep a blog about my trip. Never been on one before, not quite sure this will work but ... [Continue reading this entry]

So .. Miami, FL, US Lima, Peru Wednesday, January 17, 2007 La Paz, Bolivia ... [Continue reading this entry]