Back in the U.S.S.A
I am finally back, but this time its for good. Now its time to job hunt and to make some big decisions, like: “Where do I want to live for the next 5yrs?” So keep your eyes peeled and your eyes to the ground for a graphic design position with non-profits or other types of organizations. At the moment, I’m looking mostly to the Pacific Northwest and Washington DC, but Chicago, Boston, and San Fransisco are welcome competition too.
Where ever it is that I start my new life, I’ll have these new friends to keep me company in those first hard months of knowing nobody. I got a little over zealous with paperbackswap.com while I was away. I didn’t realize how many books I had ordered until I came home and saw them all together.
Machu Picchu & The Andean Stones
This update is long over due. I wouldn’t post until I could include the videos for the full 3D experience. If it seems too long, just skip to the bottom and read about the near death experiences!
While we were trip planning in Guate it seemed that we wouldn’t be able to afford the greatest sight Peru has to offer, Machu Picchu. We read online that from Cusco to Machu Picchu it was an $80 train each way, with no other access routes. The closer we got the more we heard of the possibility of other routes. In fact, there is an all bus route through some wicked Andes roads, but the travel agency’s told us that no one was operating those routes at the moment because it is rainy season and landslides are becoming more and more common. Well, the travel agencies have their agenda and want you to buy a package trip for a minimum of $125, but according to our research we could do the whole thing ourselves for $60. We figured that if there were landslides, we would be out a max of $12 and could turn around and come back. So, although the risk is higher, the payoff is well worth the gamble.
The morning we were heading to the bus station to take the backroads to Machu we found a microbus half full and ready to go to Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu pueblo, so we climbed in. It was 7hrs of winding terrain and steep cliffs, but conditions were good so the ride didn’t seem to bad. At the end of the ride they drop you off at a hydroelectic plant and from there it is a 2hr walk along some train tracks before you arrive at Aguas Calientes.
The next morning we saw the beautiful and majestic Machu Picchu, but if you are to stingey to take the bus, it is an long walk uphill.
Apparently, it was the best day of the week. Every day before and after we arrived was rainy.
We decided to return to Cusco by the same route we had arrived by. On the 2hr walk to the hydroelectric plant it started to rain and we were less and less sure that the road conditions would be safe. When we arrived to the station we found 5 Chileans an Argentian couple, and a Colombian guy to fill the microbus for the return. However, they warned us that the road was blocked by a landslide and that the micro could only take us to that point, where we would have to run over it, and a different micro would meet us on the other side and take us the rest of the journey. The Colombian had crossed it two days before and said it wasn’t that bad, so it didn’t sound risky. When we arrived, however, we found it was still very actively chucking boulders from the cliff side.
It had all sounded like fun and games before our arrival, but upon actually seeing the situation, we realized it was far more dangerous than we had anticipated. One saving grace was a small overhang in the middle of the landslide where one could take refuge if rocks start falling when you traverse. When we arrived that small refuge was occupied by two indigenous woman with small children on their backs. They stood there for 15min while the rocks were coming down. Some local roadworkers were yelling a mixture of different advice–”Run!”, “Stay there!”, “Go back!”. It was a very emotional and intense few minutes for the woman, children, and all the bystanders. Finally, the landslide took a break and the women were able to cross. Below is a video of the active fall while they were hiding under the overhang:
Our group debated taking a 2hr hike down into the valley below us and then climbing up the other side, however, the slide started to look calm so we sent two scouts across: the Colombian and the driver. The driver walked in front while the Colombian guy walked slowly and cautiously. Some small debris started falling from above and the group yelled to advert them. The driver ran through before the rocks came down, but the Colombian hesitated and started a little to late. As he was crossing and boulder the size of a cantelope started coming down. (even a rock the size of a lime could do some serious damage after rolling down the mountain…and they don’t roll straight down, but rather zig zag back and forth making them very unpredictable). The group yelled to let him know that it was coming down in his direction. He jumped back a few steps and the boulder splashed in a puddle just a few feet in front of him, covering his face with mud. (It looked like something out of a war film.) After wiping the mud out of his face his ran for his life across the stretch of road, falling a few times, but safely made it across.
From the bystanders perspective it looked like a fairly easy sprint across the danger zone, you could hear the rocks coming down and see them quite easily, however, it was now my and Pepe’s turn to cross and we were both a little weak-kneed at the thought of it. We made a small speech about solidarity and “no man left behind” before crossing and started off. A Chilean woman and her teenage son decided to cross with us and the group became four.
Before the landslide zone is a small river crossing/waterfall that was covering the road and pouring down what looked like liquid cement. The closer you get to it the more you realize how loud it is and the fact that you can no longer hear the rocks coming down because of it. Also, now that we were closer to the mountain side, we didn’t have the good vantage point to see the rocks coming down. From the new perspective it was much harder than we had imagined it would be.
The stretch to make it safely across was littered with large bolders and puddles. It looked like an earthquake wreckage and the buildup of debris in the path made it so you have to walk close to the cliff side of the road. The group yelled for us to run while the moment was clear and then “no man left behind” quickly became a “every man for himself” dash. I left Pepe and took off as fast as I could and made it to the other side. Pepe and the Chileans spent a moment under the overhang as a few small rocks passed and then they crossed to the safe zone as well.
We had made it safely across, but two more groups of ours still needed to cross. Next up to bat were three college aged Chileans. As they approached, just as we had finished, a huge slide of very scary boulders came down and definitely made them rethink not taking the longer road. They waited for the slide to clear and successfuly crossed as well.
Finally, a young Argentinian couple were the last to cross. They too hid under the the overhang for a small slide to pass but as they were running over the second half the girl fell and struggled to get up because the heavy backpack she was carrying. In the video below you can see a melon sized boulder pass just behind her as she is trying to stand. The video below shows it all. (please excuse a few long moments when I lost the subjects when they hid under the overhang and didn’t know where to point the camera)
After the last two of our group made it across it felt like a huge sigh of relief. Everyone was either high on adreneline, crying, or hugging.
On the other side we were later met by a microbus which would take us the rest of the way. In it was a group of tourists going in the opposite direction who were all about to cross what we had just gone through. We couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to them and if they would all make it safely…especially the posh, hello-kitty stocking wearing Japanese girls who definitely didn’t look like they were prepared to traverse a muddy, boulder ridden landslide war-zone.
Perú–Cusco
Pisco to Cusco was a 19 hr bus ride through winding desertous mountain roads. It was surely nothing compared the the infamous “world’s deadliest road” in Bolivia, but it was still nerve racking looking down steep cliffs from the bus seats. Because of the extreme climb and altitude gain, even with 2-3 motion sickness pills in us apiece, it was still a fight.
When we woke up in the morning, we weren’t in the dry desertous mountains we saw the previous evening, but were driving through green lush valleys on the way to Cusco.
We spent our first two days relaxing in the plaza. Cusco is a place where you can stay for a very modest budget, so we were in no hurry. Away from the touristic center you can find a Grilled Trout breakfast for 5 soles–$1.80–we also found a hostel for 10 soles/night–$3.60!–now, for that price we are staying in what strongly resembles a cave (white washed stone arched walls.) It smelled like a cave to, but cheap is cheap, and if we are traveling for several months, we must squeeze every penny.
By day three or four we finally set out to see the sights. On our first outing we took a microbus out to a ruin site 8km away from town and walked back to town hitting three other archaelogical sites–Tambomachay, Pukapukara, Q’enqo, and Saqsaywamán.
A few days later we visited the incredible Moray ruins, which are located in the prettiest valley in the world.
As we were waiting for the bus to return to Cusco we decided to stick out our thumbs and try to hitch a ride. Sure enough, after two cars a pickup pulled over and we officially hitched our first ride in South America, and Pepe’s first ever. Inside the pickup was a couple and their two young daughters in the back, so we rode in the bed and enjoyed the most beautiful valley I’ve ever seen.
It surely won’t be out last hitch on the trip. We are hoping that will be a main form of transport in Chile and Argentina.
Next: Machu Picchu