So we went to Lake Titicaca (careful how you pronounce that!). I think the first time I heard of this lake was while being coerced into watching some national geographic program on the ABC by my father at the age of 10.
Well, David Attenborough wasnt there - but we met plenty of nice people (travellers and locals) which made the experience of floating on the world¨s highest, navigable lake all the more exciting.
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We were picked up from our hotel by mini-van (and when I say mini, I mean mini) and taken to the port in Puno to board our tour boat which was to take us to the floating islands and then to some other islands 3 hours away to spend the night.
As soon as we boarded the boat we segregated ourselves into the oldies and youngies. We spent most of our time with Bianca (Canada), Ian and Ryan (South Africa), Martin (Peru) and Chris (good ole U.S. of A). They were an interesting bunch of people and we spent a lot of the travelling time talking about all things from crappy movies to Iraq and the War.
Our first stop were the floating islands about 30 minutes off-shore. These are incredible! They are actual islands which are made by reeds! Houses, schools, churches, satellite dishes (yes, satellite dishes) all stand on these islands. Its like some time-warped place (except for the satellite dishes)! The highlight for me was visiting this Adventist school on the floating islands. The classroom consisted of a school teacher and 2 little students. When the teacher saw us he asked the 2 students to perform some sunday school songs they learned and he was so proud! It was such a special and moving moment!
From there we spent 3 hours moving across Lake Titicaca (12 km per hour). The life jackets came on as we approached the coast guard and then they came off again. When we arrived at our isalnd - we were met by the colourful and obliging locals who were keenly awaiting one of their only sources of income (tourists to stay the night with them). We were showed to our family (a father, mother and daughter) and taken to where we would sleep. Our beds had the best views ever and we couldnt believe how comfortable they were making things for us.
Staying with this family sort of reminded me of my own family. Me, my mum and dad. Except the main difference is that we do not live in the poverty that these people did. Their house was basic, their food was basic (potatoes, potatoes and more potatoes) and their desires were basic (enough money to make ends meet). I really wonder how much money the tour company gives these people on behalf of the tourists. That night our family dressed us up in local clothes so we could hit the discoteque! The disco was in the high school gymnasium and the dancing was not nearly as provocative as in the big city! It was really fun, simple dancing in a circle - a bit like the hokey pokey really!
The walk up to the pacchymama temple at sunset was memorable too! It was a tough walk due to the altitude but fully worth it. We could even see some of the mountains in the Bolivian side of the border. The natural beauty of the islands was amazing!
It was freezing cold at night and the toilet facilities at the house were very very difficult to manage - but we survived the night quite comfortably actually. I loved being out there and loved seeing the locals as they normally dress and interact with each other.
We took some more walks the next day and generally just had some group bonding over nice food and great scenery!
We arrived in Puno 5-30am the-day-before-yesterday absolutely frozen. It can be freezing here at night and my kathmandu fleece just ain´t cutting it! We were fortunate enough to have a good hostel recommended to us on the bus so we didnt have to waste time bargain hunting.
Puno feels so much better than Cusco because you can walk around relatively unnoticed. Note the emphasis on ¨relatively¨.
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We slept most of the first morning in our very small hostel room (where the curtains actually matched the dooner covers) and were rudely awoken by the market vendors trading outside our building. So we got up and decided that we really should make an effort of exploring this little town. But first we had to eat - and what a challenge that proved to be! It took ages to find a place we could both agree on (due to Haley´s digestive demands and my sleepiness) and then we had to wait another half an hour until the chef turned up. But we had a great meal. I tried llama (delicious!) and Haley had the best pizza ever!
We were way too tired to try any kind of walking tour of Puno so we jumped on this carriage thing that a man pushes like a bicycle. It was so much fun and we had an excellent tour of the crazy streets, the noisy and colourful markets, the bumpy train tracks, the residential areas with kids playing on the streets, the football stadium etc. It was excellent and we even let the guy rip us off as he had to wheel the both of us around for half an hour!
At night we went shopping and bought these beautiful poncho tops (which Haley ´fashion police´ McEwen refused to wear with me later). While we were at the internet cafe we heard a very noisy demonstration outside and lots of chanting and police shouting as well. Wish I had my camera!
Went to bed feeling very happy after a very economical dinner and very economical cuba libres.
There are a lot of things I miss from home. Of course there are the big things that I miss like my family and friends. But there are other things which have completely taken me by surprise.
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These are not in order of importance ........
1) Clean, fresh towels
2) Hot showers
3) Hot showers which dont give you electric shocks every time you touch the tap
4) Interrupting my parents with some long solilioquy about the problems with the state of my world while they try and watch a British police drama on the ABC.
5) Curry
6) Soft pillows
7) Being able to ask for something simple at the grocery store without looking like a complete idiot.
8) Driving late at night while listening to my music
9) American Idol
10) Dependable toilet flushes
11) People who dont spit on the ground
The past 3 days has intensified my love-hate relationship with Cusco. I love it because its a gateway to the Inca ruins, displays Peruvian culture and is generally a lot of fun. I hate it because I feel like I am a walking target for rip-off tour packages and constant badgering for money.
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The last few days have been spent relaxing and recouperating after our trek to Machhu Picchu. However, it is only within the confines of my dormitory that I can actually relax. Walking down the roads of Cusco can be a real nightmare. Sure, I enjoyed the novelty of the constant interaction with the locals at the beginning - but now I am really, really over it.
When I (or any gringo) walks down the street here it doesnt take long for either a small child to run up to me with a box of postcards or finger puppets and stay with me for 100m or so. They are tutored with what to say, how to say it and even how to start crying on demand. At first I was sensitive to this and actually believed their stories. But now I recognise that although they have a hard life - their soliciting for money is part of a massive strategy aimed at tourists where the money doesnt even go to the child or his family.
Its not just the kids who come after you. Walk a few more metres and half a dozen tour operators will come at you from all sides to sell rip-off tours in $US only and including other hidden costs. Walk a few more metres and then the restauranteurs will throw menus at you all offering free vino tinto (red wine) or piscoe sours. Their badgering never ends even after you tell them that you have already eaten at the restaurant next door. Walk a few more metres again and the movie theatre owners (i.e. who screen DVDs) all compete to have you come and buy a drink at their movie screening. They dont ask quietly either. They remember your name from a week earlier - cover you by the shoulders and direct you into their theatre. These are the same guys who later give out the ´free´ tickets to the clubs and discos. They are unrelenting.
But while I hate their tactics - I admire the Peruvian spirit of entrepreneurship. They have to earn a living and must compete in a cut-throat economy to get their commissions. They work long hours, are constantly on their feet and do what they have to do to get paid in a relatively unregulated market.
I do look forward to getting on the bus tonight to travel to Puno (Lake Titicaca).
I have just arrived back in Cusco after one of the most unique and unforgettable experiences of my trip. On wednesday I left on a 3 day trek which starts on the Salkantay route and finishes in the ancient ruins of Macchu Picchu. The trek was fun, very interesting, difficult in parts and the best window into Peruvian culture and living.
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First of all - I must make note of the fact that Haley ¨powerwoman¨ McEwen did the hard-core 5 day trek while I did the lazy gringo 3 day trek. Haley left on Monday and I left on Wednesday so that we would both be at Macchu Picchu on friday.
So I was alone in Cusco for those first couple of days Haley went on her trek. On the first day I bought a tourist ticket which allowed me entrance into all the surrounding ruins and museums. To get my moneys worth out of this ticket I set about doing as much as possible in as little time as possible. So in about 3 hours I visited 4 museums. Luckily the museums were quite small. My favourite museums were the ones that held all the remnants from Inca times. Museo de Sitio del Qoricancha was really interesting as was the Museon Historico Regional. The Incas pioneered ceramics and had an incredible sense of proportionality in their handiworks. I also watched traditional dancing at the Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo Danzas Folkloricas. The costumes are so colourful and the themes of the dances always revolved around love and romance. Very nice!
The next day I joined some other travellers in my hostel (a girl from Denmark and a guy from Canada) on a tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This involved going to 3 sets of ruins situated in the sacred valley - Pisaq, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero. Our tour guide´s English wasnt the best and it was actually easier to understand him when he spoke spanish. But the day was great! There was a lot of walking to and from the different ruins. The ruins themselves were amazing. I cant believe how the Incas were able to build these structures so high above sea level! The most amazing thing I saw was the carving of an Incan chief on the side of a cliff.
It was also really bizarre to see SO MANY tourists here. There were possible 50 busloads of tourists at every site. No wonder this area is the number 1 tourist destination in south america.
The markets were great as well. I am going through a phase where I really appreciate local art. So seeing all these local artists was a real treat. The markets are so noisy and colourful. I am constantly amazed at the women of peru. They look after their many many children, sit in the markets all day selling their craft or food until very late and then do it all again the next day. They have a very hard life.
My trek started the next day (wednesday). I have to say that i was a little nervous about this whole ¨trekking¨thing since my last experience in Pucon with that volcanoe. But after I met my travel buddies (Leslie (South Africa), Natasha (South Africa) and Passe (Finland) I felt more at ease. We were all of the same frame of mind and wanted to go at an easy and chilled out pace. There were no heroes among us. No one who wanted to climb mountains in leaps and bounds. We were all reluctant hikers who wanted to hit the hot springs as soon as possible.
Day 1
We started off at 7am and were taken by a seedy taxi driver to the local bus stop (where not a tourist was in sight - a very difficult feat in Cusco). There we met our guide Dante and were shoved into a very very local bus and were told over and over again never to let our bags out of sight. We were the only gringos on board and this seemed to worry our guide to no end. The other passengers included old men with no teeth, young women with no teeth, loads of children sleeping on the floor, sacks of vegetables etc. The road was very bumpy and very dusty. Not comfortable in the slightest but we loved the fact that we were just with the locals. The bus had to stop many times because of road construction. It was funny the first time, not the fourth time. We stopped for lunch literally in the middle of nowhere and were then put into a smaller, more local mini-bus to start off on the most dangerous ride of my life.
The roads in this area of Peru are very narrow, one-laned, and curve up and down mountain sides with no protective barriers at all. It was so scary looking down the side of the mountain when I was so close to the edge. At one point, the bus had to do a 3 point turn to turn around and I thought it was all going to be over. But obviously, these drivers have a lot more experience than I gave credit for. We were fine but very relieved to get out for the start of our hike.
We were dropped off again in the middle of nowhere. The 4 of us gathered our gear and then stopped in shock as we saw where we had to walk. We literally had to walk down the mountain side which was SO steep and had no track. It was not pleasant as the dirt was very slippery and our gear weighed a lot. Every rustle in the bush made me think that there was an anaconda or puma nearby. But we persevered and got down to the most beautiful and serene area imaginable. We set up camp by the river and all jumped into the hot springs. Our guide made the nice groundskeeper walk 1 hour away to fetch us some red wine! It was so perfect! The sun went down, the stars in their billions came out, the sounds of the river intensified and we were sitting in the warmest hot springs ever. Definitely, one of those pinch-yourself moments.
Dinner was amazing as well. Our porters doubled as cooks and made the most amazing beef and rice dish from nothing! It was so good sitting in a tiny shed, at a small wooden table eating the most delicious food! We slept in tents that night and I felt really really good.
Day 2
We awoke very early and were confronted with the most disgusting toilet in history. Anyway, after dealing with that we jumped in the hot springs again and were treated againb to another beautiful meal. From nowhere, the cooks got us warm porridge, toast etc
We then set off on our trek - over rocks, through jungle and over rivers. We named our guide ¨Detour Dante¨ as he always took us on some wild alternative route and thought it was hilarious. The best part of the morning trek was crossing the river. This river eventually feeds into the Amazon and then to the Atlantic ocean. The river had lots of rapids and was quite furious. So Detour Dante took us to this cable that had a dodgy wooden cart attached to it. We sat in the cart and got pushed across the river. It was scary and so much fun!
We walked about 12 km that day in the seering heat. We gave each other nicknames. There was Luscious Lesley, Tantalizing Tash, Passionate Passe and I was named Turbo-Boost Tanya. They called me this because they accused me of coming out of the shadows to take the lead in all our walks. The best thing about our walk was that we didnt see another gringo at all. It was just locals and the scenery was amazing! Seeing snow capped Salkantay mountain was unbelievable.
Finally, we got to our destination which was a little shack near the train station to Macchu Picchu. We set up our stuff there and were soon joined by Haley´s group. It was so nice sitting down in the shade waiting for the train.
Our train to Aguas Calientes (the town at the base of Macchu Picchu) arrived and we travelled to our hostel there. That night we went out to dinner at Detour Dante´s father´s restaurant, drank cuba libres and had a dance at a reggae bar (of all places) and discoteque in downtown Aguas Calientes. Very fun! Not the best decision though seeing we had to wake up at 4-30am the next morning for Macchu Picchu.
Day 3
The morning was a bit of a confusion. No one could remember where Detour Dante wanted us to meet in the morning and we were afraid that he might not even wake up since he had a pretty big night the night before. But we found him just in time and we headed for Macchu Picchu by bus so we could catch the sunrise. It was really magical seeing these ruins. Its amazing that an entire city was built so high on this mountain. The sunrise was beautiful and we were taken though all the ruins - we saw a typical Incan house, the priest´s house, a school, a temple etc. We walked around for ages and the 4 of us took about 500 pictures between us. Then Turbo-Boost Tanya decided that I would split from the lazy gringos and go with Haley´s hard.core trekkers up to Waynapicchu to see the Macchu Picchu site from a higher angle. The mountain was so steep and very difficult to climb -partiuclarly with the altitude problem. But it was completely worth it. Excellent view and excellent feeling of accomplishment. Haley, Kate and I then decided that we would walk back to town instead of taking the bus. So this ended up as another 2 hour walk through jungle and dusty roads back to the hostel. A great day!
After another difficult journey, we arrived back in Cusco and we are recouperating after all that exercise. On tuesday we are going to Lake Titicaca and then to the canyons in Arequipa.
Travelling is as much about meeting people as it is about seeing places and learning about new countries and cultures. The backpacking circuit is especially interesting as people are eager to be friendly, make contacts, relax and have fun. But who are these people? Is there a link (apart from the Lonely Planet ´South America on a shoe string´2005 edition) that holds us together as a band of brothers? Well, no. But from what I have seen - there are certainly distinct categories of travellers who you find in every hostel dormitory, cheap diner and overnight bus.
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The categories:
1) Career avoiders
This group can be split into 2. The first group includes people usually in their mid-twenties who have finished some form of formal education and have time off to travel before entering the real world of time sheets, late running trains and annual leave application forms. These people are usually from Europe, America or Australia, from middle-class backgrounds and enjoy flashpacking to a greater degree than others. I neatly fit into this category.
The other group involves CHRONIC career avoiders. These people are aged anywhere from 35 to 101 and make the same jokes about travel being their career. They can usually be spotted in a crowd of twenty-something year olds as they try to dance with all the girls with their ´funky´ grooves and moves. They are awesome sources of information and often start conversations with things like ¨and then there was that time when I worked at a pig farm in Equatorial Guinea - I can give you the name of the owner if you want...¨
2) Hard-core trekkers
Dont mess with these people. They only carry the bare essentials (which apparently does not include a hair-dryer) and the latest trekking gear (complete with helmet, trekking sticks, wet weather gear and guarana bars). They are in bed by 9pm and up at the crack of dawn. They smell.
3) Party boys/girls
These people are usually from Europe who travel, well, because they can. Their currency kicks dirt in the faces of all others and they know it. They are usually out here for 2-4 weeks and have very little idea of where exactly they are, what there is to see and why it is important to see it. Their day usually begins at about 5pm when they might go to get something to eat, then relax by the pool and then start to drink the bar dry. Their spanish is limited to ¨una cerveza, por favor¨ (one beer please) and whatever else it takes to flirt with a local. They are fun and good value.
4) Israelis
They are everywhere. Some hostels and restaurants dont even bother to write signs in Spanish or English - just Hebrew. They travel because they have been in the army and cant bear to go to university straight away. They too are very good sources for cost-efficient tips for anything from accomodation to laundry and the best ways to cook your own food. They are good for a laugh and are very good story tellers.
5) Disillusioned people
These are people who sleep in the dorm for the whole day and then only awake to read a book on the verandah. Nothing seems to impress them and they can always tell you a place where you can get the same thing cheaper and better. They snigger at CNN world news and wear Che Gueverra t-shirts all the time. They make fun of tourists - even though tourists are the only people they hang around. They are good conversationalists. They are bad inspirationalists.
6) On the rebound-ers
These are mainly thirty-something year old men who are recovering from either a failed first marriage or a long-term relationship. They wear trendy clothes and are generally very charismatic and friendly. Every story they tell has some link to their ex-wife/girlfriend even though they assure you that they are ready to ´move on´. They know the names of all the cool clubs and pubs. They are down with the latest music and will always be the last to leave the club.
7) UK kids
These are kids fresh out of high school who are completing their GAP year touring south america. They are sweet, extremely optimistic and are all en route to Australia. Anything you tell them genuinely startles them.
8) Australians and New Zealanders
Absolutely everywhere - usually from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Very relaxed people, happy-go-lucky and keen to help out other aussies and kiwis. We are bitter about the value of the aussie dollar and will always share the vegemite at breakfast time.
9) The get-up-and-goers
These are mainly girls in their twenties and early thirties who want to make the world a better place and actually do something about it. They know about 5 different languages, are enrolled in some spanish course in Ecuador so they can also be fluent in Espanol, have volunteered in women´s projects in the Amazonian Basin and plan to set up their own project somewhere else. They are very driven, very passionate and generally make you feel very terrible about yourself.
10) The ´why are YOU staying in a hostel´kind of people
These are people who pleasantly surprise you by roughing it out in hostel accommodation when they could very easily be staying at the Sheraton. Whilst staying at the Milhouse hostel in Buenos Aires we met a lovely English couple in their late sixties who told us that hostels are the only place they will stay because ¨its fun¨ and ¨why shouldnt they?¨ Fair enough. They were really cool, really active and mingled with all the young ones every night. Lovely people who have changed my perception of age and its boundaries.
We are now in Cusco, Peru. A beautiful place steeped in the traditions of ancient history and mythology. It is also a tourist mecca and a magnet for hustling entrepreneurs trying to sell anything from woolen finger puppets to postcards to empty coca-cola glass bottles.
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No Peruvian travel story would be complete without an airport disaster tale. It was a disaster enough when Haley and I discovered that our flight from Santiago to Lima left at 6-40am! This meant we had to be at the airport at 4-40am which meant we had to leave the hostel at 4am! So naturally, we did not sleep that night and decided to learn cuban salsa dancing instead with Leo and Daniel.
So we get to Santiago airport at 4-40am like good travellers. But someone failed to tell us that Lan Chile staff only start work at about 5am. So there we were waiting and waiting only to be greeted at the check-in counter by a mean and angry lan chile woman who didnt answer our questions and only charged me departure tax! Worse, she assured us that our luggage would be checked through all the way to Cusco (our connecting flight from Lima). So we belived her.
So what do you suppose Haley and I saw as we casually strolled past the baggage carousel at Lima airport? Yes, our luggage. If we hadnt walked past the carousel at that exact time we would have just believed that dumb woman when she said that she checked the bags through all the way. SO, ok - fair enough. All´s well that ends well. But thats not all.
When we checked in at Lima airport we asked to be put on an earlier flight to Cusco. The lady said ¨ok¨and put us on a flight 1 hour earlier. So we go to the gate, get on the plane, put our seatbelts on, start reading the in-flight magazine etc etc and then we get tapped on the shoulder to be told that the flight is over-booked and we must get off. The only thing is that our original flight was booked out now as well. Haley and I did our best at looking completely unimpressed and like the biggest injustice had been committed against us. Somehow she got us on our later flight and it was ok. Just a bit of a drama.
Cusco is a gorgeous city. It is burrowed between mountains and has a quaint character to it. The worst thing about it is how commercial and touristy it is. The western tourist definitely rules the roost here. Everyone tries to sell you something. Children as young as 4 and 5 are out there selling postcards and knick-knacks as their parents stand watching a few metres away - prompting them to be cuter and to increasingly impress us with their knowledge of Australia or wherever the tourist is from. Its very sad. To think that these descendants of the once strong Inca people now have to beg and scrounge around from holiday-makers is very sad.
The people are very friendly though. They are so colourful and can smile despite their circumstances. The older women wear bright coloured pleated skirts and shirts, bouler hats and often carry little children in a sling around their backs.
The altitude is a little difficult. Just climbing the steps to the hostel makes me feel like I am about to have a heart attack. The air is very thin.
Haley has left on her 5 day trek. I meet her on thursday when I commence my 3 day trek. We didnt get reservations on the Inca Trail. We were very disapoointed but we are doing an alternative route now which ends up at Macchu Picchu.
Today I am going to look at a few museums and then hopefully buy some art.
Eating mongolian lamb in a chinese restaurant in downtown Santiago listening to the Kenny G Christmas album.
Many of the travellers we met so far bagged out Santiago and told us not to spend more than 1 day there. Im glad that we didnt listen to them because we ended up having a blast in this city and met the nicest Chileans ever.
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We landed in Santiago a little sceptical and very homesick for Buenos Aires. The mean luggage surveillance man, the rip-off taxi driver, the general confusion surrounding santiago airport and the sterile hostel we stayed at put a bit of a dampener to the ´welcome to santiago´ we were expecting. I blame this on my ignorance - but I was expecting Santiago to be a lesser developed city with dusty roads and sleepy men with ponchos etc. To the contrary. Santiago has the best road and freeway system in south america and the efficiency and cleanliness of its underground train system puts the western world to shame. Its a cute city which houses more than half of the population of Chile. The pollution is certainly a major problem though.
Anyway, the reason I loved Santiago was because of the locals we met. Meeting them proved the difference between an ok time and an amazing time. The first set of locals we met were a group of university students Leo, Daniel and Ariel who were casually having lunch in the same cheap diner as us. They were so lovely and invited us for a drink to celebrate Daniel´s bday. Then we went over to Daniel´s mother´s house for bday cake and it so warm and welcoming. We met all his aunties and then the boys grabbed the guitar and played us all these spanish songs. Singing La Bamba all together was a highlight! We met them again when we came back to Santiago from Pucon. This time they took us to some local clubs and showed us how to salsa! We had such an amazing time!
The other local we met was this lovely old gentleman called Jorge. He was a friend of a friend of a friend of Haley´s pastor. He picked us up from the hostel and took us to his house near the mountains for cake. We met all his daughters and grand children as well. Then he took us for a night tour of Santiago and then to eat some traditional Chilean empanadas. He chatted away to us about everything from the stresses of having 4 daughters to where we should go in Chile. His is a truancy officer by day and a choir master by night. A legend of a man who we will never forget.
But Chile was not just about Santiago. As my last entries have indicated we had a blast in Pucon in the south of Chile. Apart from the thrills and spills of climbing the volcanoe (which actually exploded 2 days after we climbed it) we did a host of other fun activities.
My favourite was the horse-riding. Haley and I crashed a Chilean couple´s honeymoon and joined them on a horse trail. I dont think they minded. It seemed like they had already run out of things to say to each other. The views were spectacular and my horse did a good job carrying me for 3 hours. Her name was Castelina and was a bit naughty at times. She always wanted to take the alternative route and would stop for food and a drink at any opportunity. The scenery was breathtaking. It was a beautiful confusion of colour, light and natural beauty. It was like out of some midday movie! Our guide was a fat Chilean man who came complete with the hat and olive branches. We were escorted by a beautiful golden retriever who would always get stuck in someone else´s property but always manage to escape before the owners´ dogs came charging. The honeymooners would stop to kiss any time their horses came within the same vicinity of each other and we had the perfect backdrop of the ice-capped volcanoe in the distance.
After the horse-riding Haley gave me her bday present which was a canopy ride. Now this really pushed me severely outside my comfort zone about 10 times over. A canopy ride involves being strapped to a wire cable about 100m above the ground and being pushed down the cable at up to 50km per hour. We flew over trees, rivers etc. I screamed the entire time. Haley told me I started screaming before I was even pushed onto the cable. I cant remember - its all a bit of a daze. But it was certainly fun and something I can pull out at a dinner conversation sometime/somewhere.
The night after, a whole gang of us from the hostel went to the hot springs about 40 minutes away. Highlights of the evening included nearly getting into a car accident because a wild boar decided to run across the road in front of us (another dinner conversation topic). So Haley, myself, 2 Canadians, 2 Israelis, 1 American and a token Chilean spent about 2.5 hours in these beautiful hot springs with the night-time sky as our canopy. The water was amazing, the blanket of stars breath-taking and the red wine perfect. It was so peaceful and gave me another reminder of how beautiful the world is when you stop for a second to watch and listen to God´s creation.
The rest of our time spent in Pucon involved relaxing, cooking, sitting in front of the fireplace and reading. It was such a different pace from Buenos Aires and Santiago and I actually loved it.
Well I did climb the volcanoe. I didnt make it right to the top to see the so-called ¨lava¨but I am still mighty proud of the massive distance I covered in the blistering cold, icy winds and snow. When I decided that I would climb the volcanoe, I certainly didnt expect them to give me an ice-hack!
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It was such hard work! It was my first ever trek and it probably was a little over my head. But still I am really glad that I did it. The volcanoe was so steep and there were no trails. The views were spectacular and standing so high above the world really took my breath away! The best part was Haley slipping me a note while we were about half way up. She wrote the most beautiful and hilarious poem for me and it touched me so much! She´s a wonderful girl! Im so lucky to have her with me!
It was also really nice to have so many strangers know that it was my bday. People who I didnt know would wish me a happy bday as they strode up the volcanoe. It was so cool and put such a big smile on my face!
Night time was excellent as well. The owner of the hostel we are staying at (Claudio) also celebrated his bday on the same day. He reckons he turns 34 but we are convinved that he is a decade or two out. Anyway, he invited Haley and myself to his own bday bash with his family and friends. We were so touched at his generosity. So on my 24th bday I climbed a volcanoe (well, sort-of) and celebrated in a local Chilean´s home with my own bday cake and traditional Chilean bbq! It was so special. Even though everyone there were strangers to me - I felt right at home. They were so friendly to us and so generous - forcing us to eat as much as we could. The highlight was the cutting of the cake. It was a massive cake with 4 candles on it. First, they sang happy bday to me in English and I blew 2 candles out. Then they sang happy bday to Claudio in Espanol and he blew the remaining candles out. It would be such a unique event in my life!
I cant believe how much I have been blessed in the last 24 years. I have been given so many opportunities and so many doors have been opened for me. I have to pinch myself from time to time to think that this is all real. Why me? Im truly blessed. The best part is that I have been given this opportunity to see how beautiful this world of ours is. Not just our world, but the people in it as well. The generosity I have received, I must pass on.