Leaving Peru - Final Thoughts and Observations

Road to Chile Slide Show

Due to a complicated combination of bus schedules, Peru exit fees (if you fly OUT of the country), Chilean entrance fees (if you fly INTO the country), we were Nomads for the few days that it took us to get to our first destination in Chile.
After our Lake Titicaca boat tour in Puno, we hopped on a bus the next day bound for Arequipa, Peru. Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru. It is nothing like Lima though. The city was founded by Spaniards and as a result, has mostly European architecture. It feels like you are in Spain instead of Peru. It is a much more modern city than the rest of Peru. We stayed in a wonderful place run by a Dutch man, but were only able to stay one night due to our previously mentioned schedule.
After Arequipa, we took a 5 hour bus ride to Tacna, the southernmost city in Peru. Once there, we hired a Collectivo Taxi to help us with the border crossing from Peru into Chile. This proved to be money well spent as we saved over $1,000 in airport exit and entrance fees, and a lower flight cost to Santiago and moved smoothly across the border to Arica, Chile.
Due to a flight the next day, we stayed only one night in Arica. We attended a large "Minnesota State Fair" like celebration in Arica, commemorating the anniversary of Peru's Independence. Noah and I got to throw balled up socks at metal cans in an attempt to win Jennifer a fine vintage bottle of Chilean wine, but we both failed. I decided not to try to throw a ring around a Whiskey bottle to win a bottle of whiskey. I wouldn't have felt right having the 8 year old working the game handing me a bottle of whiskey as my prize.
The last leg of our trip was a plane ride from Arica to Santiago, Chile on Sky Airlines. Even though it stopped twice on the way to drop off and pick up passengers at small 2 gate airports, the service was outstanding. The drink cart came by 3 times (free wine) and even served us a meal! We weren't even charged extra to bring our bags on the plane. Nice!
*** Final Thoughts and Observations About Peru ***
As we sat on the airplane, our thoughts turned to Peru. In no particular order, here is what the three of us came up with.

• Peru is extremely inexpensive, which allowed us to spend well below our daily budget for the trip. Taxi rides for 3 people across town for $0.33 makes for a happy budget.
• The people of Peru are a mixture of modern Peruvians, Quechuan, and Amayri. There seems to be a mutual respect for the cultures of each group. Overall, we found Peruvians to be humble, friendly, helpful, service oriented and very welcoming to tourists. Not once did we feel threatened even though we stuck out quite a bit with our height and blonde hair. Both the Quechuan and Amayri people dress in bright colors, making our black, tan, and olive attire look quite drab.
• The official religion of Peru is Catholicism, but they mix Catholicism with their ancient cultures and rituals. There are lots of parades and ceremonies commemorating religious and national events.
• We underestimated how much there is to see and do in Peru. As one of our guides stated, "Peru is much more than Machu Picchu". He couldn't be more right. We saw a lot in our 17 days, but we didn't see the extreme sports of the North, the jungles of the East, and the canyons of the South.
• The mix of ancient ruins and natural beauty is a very unique aspect of Peru.
• An interesting note is that for the most part you must pay in cash and have the correct change. Either nobody has change or they are not willing to give it up. I had many cab drivers look at me like I was taking their first born when I asked for change. Does anyone out there know why this is the case?
• We underestimated the time it takes to cover distances. The only routes that Peru has through the Andes are switchback roads up and over the mountains. Expect to travel 20 to 30 miles per hour when calculating times. Not calculating correctly led to an 18 hour overnight bus ride - not good.
• We cannot recommend anyone from the United States driving a car in Peru. The cities are filled with buses and taxis that perpetually move, never coming to a stop even though there might have been a stop sign. The buses and taxis seem to be choreographed to all keep moving and somehow never make contact.
• With all the walking and hiking, if your legs can't get in shape in Peru, they can't get in shape anywhere.

*** Miscellaneous Traveling Lessons Learned ****

• Noah likes Inka Cola (their local pop made from lemongrass). He says that it gives him energy.
• We enjoy small towns and natural scenery over big cities
• The money paid for quality backpacks and hiking shoes is money well spent.
• Due to space limitations, we can't buy anything unless we get rid of something. This is a good and bad thing. Good for the budget, but not so good if you really want something.
• In future countries, we plan to visit less places, but spend more time there. There just isn't enough time to see all that a country and their people has to offer.

Overall, we would highly recommend Peru as a family vacation destination. The people and the scenery are well worth the visit. Go to the following link to see a slide show ==> Road to Chile Slide Show

Puno / Lake Titicaca - Land of the Aymaras and Quechua

Puno Slide Show

The picture to the left is of Noah and Jennifer on a boat made out of reeds near the Islas Flotantes (Floating Islands) on Lake Titicaca. Noah is wearing his new hat and Jennifer is wearing her new sweater, both made out of hand-woven Alpaca Wool. To give you an idea of the cost of living in Peru, Noah's hat was the equivalent of $1.67 and Jennifer's sweater was the equivalent of $9.00.
To get to Puno, we took a tour bus from Cusco to Puno. It stopped 4 times along the way to look at ancient ruins and a small town museum. We had an excellent tour guide who had a passion for the ancient ruins even if it was 3 too many stops for Noah who would have appreciated the ruins more when they were first built. But then again, they wouldn't be ruins, would they?!
Puno is a town of roughly 100,000 people at an elevation of 12,500 feet above sea level. You don't really come to visit Puno, as it is not a very pretty city. You come to Puno because it is a great access point to Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world and the largest lake in South America. In addition to visiting islands on the lake, we saw a few celebrations in town, an old ship that is being restored, and stayed at a hotel with a TV - the first TV on this trip. We watched CNN for awhile to catch up on USA and world matters. Who is running for President and more importantly Vice President?
In Puno, we also bumped into Ryan, from Chicago, who we had previously met at Machu Picchu. His travels started in St Louis and between planes, trains, and boats, he wanted to travel through the United States, Central America and all the way to the Southern tip of South America. His trip hit a roadblock in Guatemala when someone stole his shoes. Just buy new ones, right? Not exactly - he couldn't find size 12's in Guatemala, so he had to fly to Miami to buy new shoes and resume his trip with a flight to Peru. Part of the fun of this adventure is meeting people traveling from all over the world and hearing their stories. They are all unique and all worthy taking the time to listen to.
Back to Lake Titicaca. We took a boat tour to 2 different islands. The first was to a floating island made entirely of reeds. The Aymaras still live on these islands and use reeds from the lake to build the islands, their boats and their houses. They even use the reeds for food and firewood. A visit to these islands was one of the more unique experiences we have had so far on this trip.
The next island that we visited was Isla Taquile, a 2-1/2 boat ride from the floating islands. No, Scott Rudin, they do not make Tequila on the island. Taquile Island has been inhabited for thousands of years and currently has a population of approximately 2,000 people. The Quechua people live on this island and due to the relationship that our guide has with the people on this island, we were able to meet families, eat lunch with them, and get a first-hand view of their customs and livelihood. Our guide was incredible. He spoke Spanish, Aymara, Quechua, and English fluently.
With the help of our guide, we not only visited some beautiful places, but left with a greater understanding of the Aymara and Quechua cultures. To see a slide show of Puno, click on the following link ==> Puno Slide Show.

WOW! - Machu Picchu, Peru

FYI - Due to a recent lack of quality internet access to upload posts, we are adding 3 posts at the same time. As a result, the Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo, and Cusco posts are all new. Feel free to read them all.

Machu Picchu Slide Show

The three of us just tried to come up with a word or phrase that concisely describes Machu Picchu. Sorry, but the best that we could come up with was WOW! For those of you that have been there, you understand. Machu Picchu by itself is an awe-inspiring architectural feat, completed around 1450. Throw in the majestic location of the city, encompassed by gorges and mountains in a region between the Andes and the Amazon rainforest and all we can say is WOW! It definitely has earned it's inclusion in the New 7 Wonders of the World.
Getting to Machu Picchu takes a bit of work and money due to it's remote location. The adventurous people hike for 4 days on the Inka Trail to get there. On the other end of the spectrum are those that use a combination of trains and buses to get there. We took the somewhat in between route as we got up at 5 am in Ollantaytambo to catch a train to Aguas Calientes. Then, instead of taking the bus up to Machu Picchu we decided to hike up. We found out that most people are content with a bus ride since we only met 5 people walking along the 2 hour climb. What did they all know that we didn't? Well, the climb is a very steep climb up through the jungle on old Inka steps. Noah could have run up the mountain, but he had to keep waiting for his elders to stop and catch their breath.
On the way up we saw birds of paradise, impatients, butterflies, and fronds (Jennifer threw out that word - I have no idea what a frond is) of ferns that grow naturally in this tropical forest. We saw small lizards and flocks (I know what a flock is) of parrots during our climb. We liked all the plants and animals except the sand flies. Noah and I had shorts on which led to our legs looking like a chicken pox outbreak by the time that we reached the top. Bug repellent would have been nice. Jennifer, once again the most prepared one, had pants on and was left unscathed.
The architectural feat of moving these large (in some cases, thousands of pounds) stones up a steep mountain peak 1,000's of feet above the river where they moved them from is unfathomable. The source of the stone that they used was from Urubamba, an area 30 miles away. They moved the stones from Urubamba by diverting the river after moving the stones to the riverbank. Once in the river at the base of the mountain, they then had to move them up the mountain and build a sophisticated city complete with sewer and drainage systems. The tiered terraces were used for agriculture.
Noah didn't believe the Inka's could have done this on their own and is going with the divine intervention theory. He might have something there. After hiking up the mountain and walking around all afternoon, he changed his mind and went with the "Inka loco" theory. Shortly after coming up with the "Inka Loco" theory, Noah noticed an area of Machu Picchu that was isolated enough that Noah and I could play catch. I did a little research on the web and I did not come across anyone else who has played catch at Machu Picchu.
While at Machu Picchu, the grandeur and serenity of the place was interrupted by the filming of a Bollywood movie. Go figure. The lead actors were from India and the dancers were from Peru. It made for an interesting, albeit odd viewing while we sat down for a snack. Even Machu Picchu is becoming in touch with the modern world - which I could argue is not necessarily a good thing.
The day ended with a train ride back to Ollantaytambo on Peru Rail. Besides a meal on the train, their was an entertainer with a painted ski mask dancing up and down the aisles followed a fashion show of local Alpaca wear. The German tourists on the train were a little more into the experience than the 3 of us. We chose to lay our heads back and dream of Machu Picchu.
To see our slide show of Machu Picchu, click on the following link ==> Machu Picchu Slide Show.

Ollantaytambo, Peru and the Sacred Valley

Ollantaytambo Slide Show

There are many ways to get to Machu Picchu from Cusco, including luxury buses and taxis. Wanting a local experience and potentially gluttons for punishment, we boarded a mini-bus where we were the only non-Peruvians onboard. When the bus filled in Cusco, we were off for a 2-1/2 hour bus ride for $1.30 each. The luxury buses were $25 each.
In the end the $1.30 each was one of the best expenditures yet on this trip. The entire bus ride was a stop and go process of stopping for people beside the road and picking them up or dropping them off. It was wonderful to see the positive interaction between native Quechua and modern Peruvians as they got on and off the bus. The schoolchildren used our mini-bus to get to school and the natives used it to get from town to town. It is an understatement to say that Peru does not have any limits to how many people can ride on a bus at one time.
Our plan was to stay in Ollantaytambo for the night before and the night of going to Machu Picchu. Once here, we realized we needed to stay another night to truly enjoy this wonderful town, so we did. That is what's great about not having a set plan. We can get out of town earlier or later than we originally thought. This might cost us at some point, but now it is working. In fact, Jennifer stated, "I could live here." Noah didn't necessarily agree, but he is 13 and the internet is very slow.
To avoid unnecessary attention, Jennifer left her wedding ring at home. But to avoid a different kind of attention, she felt it was best to get another ring for the trip. She found a very nice lapis and silver ring at a local art store. The picture to the left is of Jim putting the ring on Jennifer's finger. She said YES AGAIN and Noah captured the moving ceremony between dinner and dessert.
Ollantaytambo is a town of 2,000 people surrounded by the Andes mountains with Inca ruins all around in the mountains. The town is dominated by an Inca Fortress, which is considered the best surviving example of Inca city planning. The three of us climbed up to the fortress and spent the afternoon walking around. It is amazing how this structure was built approximately 600 years ago. How they got the massive stones up the steep mountain and built a city is extremely impressive.
At the top of the fortress, we noticed a very old bull ring on the outskirts of town. Most people would look at the bull ring and say, "cool". Noah and I looked at it and said, "that would be a great place to play catch." - so we did. Not used to seeing baseball in their bull ring, local school children became interested and sat in the stands to watch. Two girls, Maria and Sylvana came over to Jennifer in the stands and were fascinated with her camera and curious about the 2 guys throwing something around in the bull ring. The trust the 2 girls showed to come right up to Jennifer and start asking her questions was fun to see from the ring.
Next came a boy, Romalo who you could tell wanted to do more than just watch. I motioned for him to join us in the bull ring. I gave him my glove and got real close to him to have him throw the ball to me. He almost knocked me over and I soon realized that he could throw the ball the length of the bull ring. This little bugger has a great arm! After being back at our Hostal for awhile, Jennifer came inside to tell me that there were now 4 children waiting outside the Hostal for me to come and play catch with them. What could be better than playing catch with locals in an old bull ring in a beautiful town looking up at ancient Inca ruins!
To see our slide show of Ollantaytambo, click on the following link ==> Ollantaytambo Slide Show.

Cusco, Peru - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Cusco Slide Show

After our rest and fun in the desert, we boarded a bus in Ica for Cusco, Peru. Prior to getting on our bus, we first spent an uneventful day in Ica waiting for our overnight bus to leave. This is all that needs to be said about our day in Ica - an endless amount of vendors, a bad chicken dinner, and a lack of focus on our part to do anything other than wander aimlessly. Noah did get a math lesson done in a cafe though!
We then boarded a Cruz del Sur bus, a "luxury" bus line in Peru for our "15 hour" overnight bus ride. Nice bus, they serve dinner and breakfast, and we don't have to pay for a night of lodging. What is there not to like? Well, let me tell you. The bus left 45 minutes late and it actually took 18 hours. It took 18 hours because it never got above 30 miles per hour due to it's endless climb up the Andes Mountains, eventually ending in Cusco, a city 10,909 feet above sea level. The 18 hour bus ride felt like an 18 hour tilt-a-whirl ride at Valleyfair with all the switchbacks while climbing and the fact that we were on the second level of the bus in the back. The scenery was nice though!
We rolled into Cusco with high altitude headaches, and not sleeping, not showering, not brushing our teeth and we still had 17 taxi drivers all asking to take us somewhere. The pain subsided as we were taken to our hotel, which was a nice little place in the San Blas neighborhood of Cusco, even higher up overlooking the city. The hotel was Casa de Campo and it had nice clean rooms with hot showers and wireless internet. Things were looking up.
Actually, things were looking up for Jennifer and Noah. I wish the same could be said for me. For the next 72 hours I dealt with not only altitude sickness but a bad case of traveler's sickness (that is the nice term). The first 36 hours were spent in bed with a pillow over my head while Jennifer and Noah explored the city. A couple days later, Noah picked it up, luckily for only 24 hours.  Fortunately, the Park Nicollet Travel Clinic outfitted us with the appropriate medication and all is well now.
While I was back in the room, Jennifer came across a Spring festival, a colorful parade of Peruvian dancers and musicians. She enjoyed the mix of Spanish and Inca architecture, churches and markets. She returned back to a lifeless husband and grabbed Noah for dinner. The highlight of our stay in Cusco was our Spanish lessons, taught by Peruvian single mothers, a non-profit organization that benefits them directly. All three of us (yes, Jim was up and about) had our own private instructors that took us around town and taught us Spanish vocabulary and grammar. Jennifer and Noah's teachers brought them to the Mercado Central, where they saw every imaginable animal part for sale, including cow tongue, pigs tail, and local delicacy, guinea pig and one variety of cheese.
The good news is that we are now all healthy for our trip to Machu Picchu! To see a slide show of Cusco, click on the following link ==> Cusco Slide Show.

Huacachina, Peru - An Oasis in the Desert

Huacachina Slide Show

After a busy time getting ready for the trip and a couple days in large, busy Lima, Huacachina was the perfect place to chill for a couple days. Huacachina is a town of 200 people outside Ica on the West coast of Peru. The town has an oasis in the middle, surrounded by 2 blocks of hotels, hostels, and restaurants. All around are huge sand dunes/mountains that go on forever. We were told that it used to be a place for the Peruvian elite, but it has fallen on tougher times and now is mainly for foreign travelers.

To get to Huacachina, we took a bus from Peru through an area of the country that had been devestated by an earthquake a few years ago. It was sad to see the towns in disarray as we rolled through. People are living in buildings that have never been rebuilt. The countryside was beautiful, but the towns will take many years to repair. To see some photos from the bus, click on the following slideshow ==> Lima to Ica. Speaking of earthquakes, we felt our first tremor one morning. When I asked the guy at the front desk about it, he said "Zero, no problema, es safe."
We stayed at a beautiful hostel for only $40 per night, called Hotel El Huacachinero. It had a pool, bar, restaurant, clean rooms, and beautiful views of the sand dunes. We have noticed that at all service places, the Peruvian people are very conscientious about service. They spend most of the day sweeping and cleaning and whatever you ask for gets brought to you as opposed to you picking it up. We had a nice time exchanging stories with fellow travelers from all over the world.
Noah and Jim climbed the sand dune out back of the hotel. It was a difficult climb for Jim, not so difficult for Noah, who climbed it twice. They brought their gloves to the top and had a very unique place to play catch.
The three of us went on a dune buggy tour of the area. The tour also included sand boarding down the dunes. The young people (20 somethings) in our group were impressed with Jennifer's lack of fear as she screamed down the dunes on her belly on the board. Noah and Jim chose to go on their feet, with many falls that led to sand in every exposed orifice. Whoever thought so many miles of sand could be so beautiful and so much fun!
To see a slideshow of Huacachina, click on the following link ==> Huacachina Slide Show.

First Stop - Lima, Peru

Lima Slide Show

This is a picture of Noah and I as we were waiting for the taxi cab driver outside the Lima airport. The sign I am holding was from the taxi driver who was holding it when we arrived. Look at the sign closely. After a full day of travel, I could have used some Gin and my last name is Ford, so we went with him. The driver stated that he knew a little English and I told him that I "hablo espanol a poco a poco." The 40 minute cab ride was an exchange of broken English and Spanish. Noah was throwing out Spanish terms from the back seat to help and Jennifer chimed in with her mixture of French and Russian lessons. Raoul, our driver was a great sport.
We stayed a couple nights at Kusillu's Hostel in Miraflores, a nice suburb of Lima on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The hostel is run by Ricardo, a very helpful 20-something Peruvian. It was a good clean cheap place to stay.
We only had a day and a half to venture out in Lima and Miraflores, but managed to see quite a bit. Lima is  a diverse city as we visited a beautiful new mall with an arcade for Noah, built into the cliffs of Miraflores in addition to seeing ancient Catacombs at the Cathedral de San Francisco and a Spanish Inquisition Museum where we saw many ways to torture individuals.
Lima is a city of 8 million people filled with taxis, buses, and cars, which I assume contributes to much of the smog that lingers over the city. The people are short with black hair. We are not, so we tended to stick out in a crowd. Multiple times while walking around Lima, school girls would smile, giggle with infatuation and point at Noah. The bold ones practiced their Spanish by saying to him, "Hello, how are you?" It was like walking around with a celebrity for me and Jennifer.
We had our fair share of mishaps with language, directions, and money, but overall it was a great way to start the trip. Click on the following link to see a slide show of Lima ==? Lima Slide Show.