So much has happened since I last blogged, I would like to blame it on the slow internetin Bolivia... but lets be honest... I was just totally carried away by everything going on. Which is a good thing right? Its the way one should travel, no?
Anyway, frist and foremost Condor Trekkers ended up being a bust. Pete and Jimmy, our Australian friend who refers to Americans lovingly as Sepos (as in septic tanks, apparently the Aussie´s loving nickname for us)- but who I love all the same becuase he is halaroius and quite a great guy, came with me to Sucre to go on one trek with Condor Trekkers before they went off to La Paz. The first shocking dissapointment with Condor Trekkers was that Randall, the guy who started it failed to tell me that they were not legal, at all, and had never led any trips in the two months of emailing back and forth betweeen us it totally slipped his mind to let me know taht there would be no trips to lead when I got to Sucre and that i did not have to rush down from Colombia, where I was having a lovely time, to get to Sucre. But I digress the foundation that i was going to volunteer at, Nanta, sounded splenddid and I was all set up to be the resident nurse and swim teacher when I was not in the field leading trips, which was giong to be never, and all was still ok... until we actually went on a trip with Randall and the other volunteers...
I don´t know how else to describe the trip except as a beautiful disaster.... the scenerey was gorgeous, the people were amazing- we were accompanied by two Australian Geologists, another awesome Australian guy, and a German girl who was amazing but Randall literally kicked off the trip becuase he thought she would not be able to make the hard hike (which she then took her own gear and did on her own becuase it was easy), yet it was sooo pourly planned by Randall that it ended up a disaster. I have had twelve year old kids who could read a map and plan a trip better than he could. He had apparently done the hike fve other times but never had any idea where to camp at night or stop for breaks, and was completely inept at finding obvoius paths. The worst part though, is that he had three competent guides, Pete, the Australian girl who worked for NOLS, and me and refused our help every time. The last straw though was the last day we were already late starting out to make our one shot at transport at noon that day, and he decided to go an alternate route that he did not ask directions to, had not consulted a map, did not now where our maps were, and then was unable to follow Pete and I when we found the quickest way to the transport (which happened to be over a peak, which was extremely steep and we basically had to slide down on our butts to make it to the road in time). Everytime Pete or I would point him in the right direction, he would go up a ravine that led nowhere, while we would be on the ridgeline telling him exactly where to go.
The bottom line, is what kind of tripleader takes the group an alternate route, that he does not know and has not scouted or consulted a map, when they are already late to begin with becuase they have a sick girl. It resulted in Andy, the girl´s husband having to double pack, down one of the steepest mountain faces i have ever seen. Needless to say the man was an imbecile and I could not stay in Sucre and work with such an incompetent person.
But I did stay in Sucre with Jimmy for thier labor day weekend whcih was filled with dancing, merriment, and the best band I have seen in South America yet- a ska band called Calipso. We then headed to La Paz, spent a few last glorious days in La Paz, eating Pizza and watching movies on our cable TV that we splurged for (sometimes it is sooo good to veg), and then headed to Lake Titicaca.
Lake Titicaca was breathtaking, literally, it is 3800 meters of Isla del Sol, which is though tto be the birthplace of the Incan Gods. Rightfully so, the scenery there was phenomenal and we saw one of the greatest sunrises I have ever seen over the Andes while we were there, from our bedroom window.
Now Jimmy and I are in Arequipa and heading to Cholca Canyon tomorrow, which s the second deepest canyon in the world, to see Condors and go hiking in the great abyss.
The plan is to the go to the beach down here and then charter a flight over the Nazca lines, which apparently were made thousands of years ago but can really only be appreciated by air... supposively amazing rock creations of condors, lizards, spiders, and more.
Then I plan to head up to the North Coast of Peru and visit a girlfriend who is volunteering up there and veg out on the coast, playing in the waves and possibly setting up a family homestay and volunteer for after Whitney comes...
YAY!!! Whitney is coming to hike Machu Pichu with me, which looks as if it may be the bang that finsihes out my trip. She flies back to LA on June 1st so I am thinking of joining her then, kicking it at the beach in Socal for a week with all my friends in LA, and then flying home before Hune 12th for my cousins graduation. Which works out well becuase summer term for Portland State starts June 22nd and I have to get all my stuff straightened out for that. Since Obama has cut all fudning for abstinence-only education, and things look promising in the States for comprehensive sexual health education polcies and programs it seems it may be tme for me to get back on track to get my prerequisites and GREs done to apply for the Masters of Public Health and Physicians Assistant program at George Washington that I was checkng out before I lefty the country...
So that is the update, things are scheduled to change, and most definately will, but I am defiantely hiking Machu Pichu with Whitney and definately going to the canyon with Jimmy tommorrow for a few days... and I am definatley running out of money... so in all likelihood I will be back home in the States soon and able to give my love to all of you personally, or at least over the phone. Time to enjoy the spicy Arequipan food!
No comments:
Post a Comment